Cost (in U.S. dollars) per pound of a 500-pound batch of 20-year-old Wisconsin cheddar from Hook’s Cheese Company, making it the most expensive cheddar in the U.S. Most cheddar for sale is 3 to 12-months old, with only the sharpest aged for as long as four years. Cheese-aging pioneer Tony Hook says as cheddar ages, “it starts smoothing out like a fine wine.”
Altitude (in feet) of the Ao Yun winery and vineyards in the Himalayas, near Tibet. Owned by LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy), Ao Yun was begun in 2008 with the goal of creating one of China’s first luxury cabernets. The name Ao Yun means “Flying Above the Clouds.” In honor of Chinese New Year tomorrow, you can buy the 2014 vintage at K&L Wine Merchants in San Francisco. It’s $300 a bottle.
Percentage that Oregon pinot noir sales are up compared to 2.5% for the entire U.S. category. According to Nielsen data, the state’s wine sales growth is eight times that of national table wine, and the average price per bottle of Oregon wine is double the national average.
Number of billions of individual chocolate chips (originally known as “morsels”) that the Nestlé company sells annually. Chocolate chips are famous as the critical ingredient in Toll House cookies, invented in the 1930s by Ruth Wakefield who co-owned The Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. In 1939 Wakefield sold the rights to Nestlé to reprint the recipe on its packages, reportedly for $1 and free chocolate for life.
Amount (in millions of U.S. dollars) in environmental fines agreed to be paid by Rhys Vineyards, after their construction of a vineyard filled in, and destroyed, a half-acre of protected wetlands in Mendocino County, violating state water, fish and wildlife regulations. Mendocino is best known for its pinot noir, chardonnay, and cabernet sauvignon, as well as its pride at being at the forefront of the sustainable, organic farming movement.
Percent of Americans participating in this year’s Dry January (going sober for the month). According to research company YouGov, of those not in the pie-eyed pie piece, 20% are 25-34 year-olds—the Millennials driving the so-called “sober-curious” trend, while only 9% of those over 55 plan to stay on the wagon. 33% reported that they don’t drink alcohol at all.
Percent of Australian vineyards impacted to date by the devastating current bushfires. According to Wine Australia CEO Andreas Clark, “While the toll on individuals cannot be underestimated and should not be downplayed, most fires have been in heavily forested areas or National Parks.” Fire maps suggests around 1500 hectares (3700 acres) of vineyards fall within the affected regions.
Year the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund target as year they hope to provide universal access to safe and affordable drinking water. The goal to provide drinking water globally is part of WASH, the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene.
Amount (in millions of U.S. dollars) paid for a single bottle of 60-year-old Macallan single malt whiskey, “vintage” 1926, at a Sotheby’s London auction this past fall. That’s $76,000 per ounce. Distilled in 1926, the whiskey aged in cask for 60 years before bottling. The winning bid smashed all auction records for a spirit or wine.
Number of billion hangovers that happen each year in the U.S. according to the research firm Euromonitor. (We just might have contributed statistically a couple of days ago.) Searching Amazon brings up 574 hangover remedies plus a whole new category—”prerecovery” (stuff you take in advance to mitigate the impact). Market research analysts now put the global hangover remedy market at nearly $1 billion.
Value (in billions of U.S. dollars) of the beef industry in the U.S., according to the Washington Post. But the “Goliath” beef has met with a new “David.” Climate change, animal welfare, and human health have driven the growth of plant-based meats, an industry that has exploded. In 2018, alternative meats and plant-based protein was a $4.6 billion industry. By 2030, it is expected to be worth $85 billion.
Year that world-renowned U.C. Davis viticultural professor, the late Dr. Harold Olmo, planted a research station of cabernet sauvignon clones at Larkmead Vineyards in the Napa Valley. Some of Napa’s most famous cabernets have these clones to thank for their success. Olmo’s research spanned the world, earning him a reputation as the “Indiana Jones” of viticulture.
