Scion

August 17, 2018

Most vines are composed of two parts: the part above ground, the scion (SIGH-on) and the part that’s mostly below ground, the rootstock. The scion is grafted onto the rootstock. The scion is a particular grape variety. So a scion could be cabernet sauvignon or chardonnay or a thousand other varieties, for example.

The official wine buyer for the White House carries what title?

A. Usher

B. Sommelier

C. Federal Taster

D. Secretary of Beverages

A.

The person whose job it is to buy wine for the White House carries the title of “Usher.” The practice dates from the mid-nineteenth century when presidents chose their own White House staff and paid for them. Doormen (or “Ushers”) tended to remain employed over the course of several administrations since they were the individuals who knew best how the White House worked. Today the White House has a formal Usher’s Office through which all wine is purchased. That wine, since the Carter Administration, has always been American, and no free samples or donations are allowed.

697 Million

The number of bottles of wine consumed in Paris each year. According to new research on the biggest wine drinking cities by France’s INSEEC business school, Paris drinks more wine than any other city in… Continue reading

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