In the Name of Bubbles

According to Meininger’s Wine Business International, Russian President Vladimir Putin is now requiring Russian- made sparkling wines to carry the name “Champagne.” Wines actually imported from the Champagne region of France with the name Champagne on the label will no longer be allowed to be sold in Russia.

Which wine below has a history in which a bit of sexism played a role?

A. Barolo

B. Burgundy

C. Port

D. Argentine malbec

I suppose one could argue that a lot of wines could satisfy as the answer. But Port has an especially noteworthy history in this regard. The vast majority of Portugal’s famous Port firms were begun by British men. Their names – among them, Sandeman, Croft, Graham, Cockburn, Dow, and Warre – are today synonymous with the country’s greatest Port wines. British men, in fact, were not only Port’s founders but also its most ardent, if exclusionary, advocates. The quintessential “man’s drink,” Port was historically brought out (with great celebration and obligatory cigars) only after women had “retired” to another room. In fact, it wasn’t until 1843 that women were allowed at all in the dining room of The Factory House, the famous elegant meeting place for British Port merchants in Oporto. In the 1980s, I was allowed to visit The Factory House, but only in the company of a man who was a member.

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Number of indications confirming that you’re in a “shitty bar,” according to Vine Pair. They include: televisions all over the place: crowds who are only interested in getting wasted; blasting music; gross tap lines; drinks… Continue reading

In the Name of Bubbles

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