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Sales (in billions of US$) of chewy candy in 2021. The pandemic has vaulted candy sales to new heights, especially “chewy candies” which include gummy bears. According to the New York Times, the U.S. is the leading consumer of gummies, followed by China and Germany (where gummies were invented a century ago). Although gummies come in scores of flavors from gherkin pickle to chile-coated to tequila-infused gummies, we ourselves prefer Champagne gummies.

Which one of the following was not one of the original First Growths in the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux, France?

A. Château Margaux

B. Château Mouton-Rothschild

C. Château Lafite-Rothschild

D. Château Haut-Brion

E. Château Latour

Château Mouton-Rothschild was originally a Second Growth. But owner Baron Philippe de Rothschild petitioned the government for twenty years to have Château Mouton-Rothschild named a First Growth. In 1973, his hard work paid off, and his château was given the coveted status Premier Cru (First Growth). This classification system began when Napoléon III asked Bordeaux’s top château owners to rate their wines from best to worst for the Paris Universal Exhibition. They declined. The Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce became involved and ranked the wines on one quantitative measure: how much the wines sold for. This ranged from Premier Crus (First Growths) down to Fifth Growths. In the end, 61 châteaux were classified under the original 1855 Classification treatise —but there was one provision: it could never be revised. And, until Philippe de Rothschild came along, it wasn’t.

Islands in the Mendocino Sky

About three hours north of San Francisco is Mendocino Ridge, one of the most unique AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) in California. Nicknamed “Islands in the Sky”, the non-contiguous region is made up of small areas… Continue reading

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