Why Man’s Best Friend is Probably (OK, Definitely) Not a Canine

They drink alcohol and love spicy food. What attributes could be better in a best friend? And of course, it’s not your dog. The animal in question is a tree shrew, the only mammal (besides us) who likes habaneros, jalapenos, spicy Bloody Marys, you name it. If its furry forehead breaks out in a sweat, it’s just fine as far as a shrew is concerned. According to a report in Atlas Obscura, tree shrews are very closely related to humans but are smaller than primates so they are easier to study. In recent research, scientists discovered that tree shrews are similar to birds: neither are affected by capsaicinoids, the molecules that make chilis hot. So break out the Carolina Reapers and the Ghost Peppers—we think these guys can handle them.

In the wine name Pouilly-Fumé, what does the “Fumé” refer to?

A. The smoky-colored gray bloom of yeasts on the grapes

B. The mists that rise up from the Loire River where the river makes a turn and begins to head south

C. The slightly smoky character of the wine

D. The morning fog that settles in the pockets of many of the best vineyards

According to the renowned French ampelographer Pierre Galet (known as the “father of modern ampelography”), sauvignon blanc grapes in the Pouilly area of the Loire Valley in France are known by the synonym Blanc Fumé after the smoky-colored gray bloom of yeasts that grow on the grapes there. The grape Blanc Fumé gave rise to the wine’s name Pouilly-Fumé.

“And as the best melodies reverberate within us long after the piece has cadenced, the greatest wines live far past their finish, their expression so clear that they give us the power to taste them eternally.”

—Bryce Wiatrak
for Vinous, On Music and Wine

Why Man’s Best Friend is Probably (OK, Definitely) Not a Canine

Get WineSpeed