Muselet

September 14, 2018

Meaning “muzzle” in English, a muselet (pronounced MOOSE-eh-lay) is the wire cage that holds a Champagne or sparkling wine cork firmly in place on the neck of the bottle. The muzzle is important when it comes to safety. Even though most people quickly remove it first, the muselet should actually not be removed before the cork is eased out. Rather, it should be removed with the cork at the same time.

With the advent of DNA typing for grapevines in the 1990s, zinfandel’s origins came to be known. The discovery also revealed that several other grapes were the same as zinfandel, although they carried other names. Which of the following grapes is not identical to zinfandel?

A. Primitivo

B. Plavac Mali

C. Crljenak Kaštelanski

D. Tribidrag

B.

DNA typing reveals that the Italian grape primitivo, and the Croatian grapes crljenak kaštelanski and tribidrag are synonyms for zinfandel. Plavac mali (also well known in Croatia) is not the same variety, but it is the offspring of zinfandel.

Holy Vino

Of the hundreds of different sweet wines produced in Italy, the best known may be vin santo, holy wine, so named because priests have drunk it during the Mass for centuries. Vin santo is the… Continue reading

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