Nose at Your Own Risk

Ok all you English majors who love wine, this is for you. The next time you find yourself sniffing a wine that smells like a goat, you can oh-so-casually toss off one of the following which, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, are all synonyms for unpleasant odors. And yes, one of these bad smell words does mean “bad goaty” as opposed to “bad garlicky” which is also in this list: outstink, nidor, noisome, mephitic, alliaceous, stinkeroo, hircine, malodorous, reekingly, kakidrosis.

Mataro, zibbibo, and mazuelo are also known as:

A. muscat, chenin blanc, and malbec

B. zinfandel, roussanne, and tempranillo

C. mourvèdre, muscat, and carignan

D. merlot, vermentino, and sangiovese

Mataro is the name that was sometimes used historically in California for the Spanish red grape mourvèdre. Zibbibo is the name used in Sicily and Italy’s other southern volcanic islands for the white grape muscat of Alexandria. In South Africa, steen is the local name for chenin blanc. And in northern Spain the red grape mazuelo (which is often used in Rioja where it is blended with tempranillo and garnacha) is what the French call carignan.

White Discrimination?

Do critics rate white wines less highly than red wines regardless of price, vintage, and region? Maybe critics think white wines are inherently less complex than reds (which could then account for score disparity). What’s… Continue reading

Nose at Your Own Risk

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