Grapegate

Someone is stealing the great grapes of Burgundy, according to the Burgundy wine bureau (BIVB). As reported in Decanter, there have now been four separate reports of thefts of grapes across the region. A possible motive underlying the crimes: the 2016 harvest, which has been so devastating (severe frost and hailstorms) that some vintners have 50% to 90% fewer grapes than in typical years.

What is saperavi?

A. A colloquial Sicilian term for the powerful flavor of a wine that’s high in alcohol

B. An Italian method of post fermentation maceration intended to increase color saturation in a wine and amplify a wine’s body

C. An ancient leading grape variety in the Republic of Georgia

D. The process by which proteins in human saliva bind with various molecules including tannin, creating the impression of dryness in the mouth

The Alazani Valley (pronounced: al a ZAH knee) of Georgia, on the edge of the Caucasus Mountains, considers itself the “cradle of wine.” Archeological evidence suggests that wine has been made here for more than seven millennia. The valley’s specialty is saperavi, a dark skinned red variety. Saperavi, like dozens of other grape varieties that grow in Georgia, is often still fermented in large subterranean earthenware pots called qvevri (ke VEV ree).

“To drink Champagne in a flute glass is like going to a concert with earplugs in. You lose everything that is fragile and nuanced.”

—Margareth Henriquez
CEO, Krug Champagne, on the necessity of using a wide white wine glass for Champagne. At Krug, the preferred glass is “The Joseph,” created for the House by Riedel

Grapegate

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