It’s Come to This — Wine & The Extraterrestrial

How would aliens react to wine? Would wine play a role in the way that aliens perceive Earth? Recently, these lines came across my desk in the form of a press release. (I swear I am not making this up). Apparently the question of what extraterrestrials might think about wine is the subject of a new writing contest launched by Winetourismspain.com, a travel portal that specializes in Spanish wine, food, and travel. Contestants are asked to write a short story about the first encounter an alien might have with wine anywhere in Spain. (Earlier this year, NASA announced that it is only a matter of time until life is found on other planets, hence the timeliness of the issue. And who knows? Perhaps extraterrestrials are extraterritorial in their outlook.) There is no word on what the winner of the aliens-and-wine contest might receive.

Cognac and Armagnac have essentially the same flavor.

Answer: False.

Cognac and Armagnac are both brandies made in their respective villages in the southwest of France. Both are made mainly from ugni blanc grapes, and both are distilled to create the brandies. There are however differences in the way the two brandies taste. Cognac tends to be more floral, grapey and fragrant with a good bite of alcohol in the finish. Armagnacs are fuller bodied with more pruney, dried fruit character.

“What we hear when we eat and drink—even the noises of food preparation, the rattling sounds of product packaging, or loud background music—plays a much more important role [in flavor perception] than any of us realizes. Sound is the forgotten flavor sense.”

It’s Come to This — Wine & The Extraterrestrial

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