Appasimento

A method utilized in the Veneto region of Italy whereby wines are made by first spreading the grapes on mats or leaving them to hang in cool lofts in order to raisinate and concentrate them. The dry wine amarone is made this way, as are sweet wines labelled recioto (as in recioto di Valpolicella).

What is gavage?

A. An old fashioned, humble French stew made with rabbit marinated in red wine for 2 days

B. The traditional process of making foie gras by force-feeding geese to swell their livers

C. A type of pork hash, a specialty of southern France, generally consumed with glasses of Armagnac

D. An ancient method of tempering chocolate so that the chocolate is smooth and silky

Gavage is the process of force-feeding geese and ducks to swell their livers to make the French delicacy foie gras (the words mean “fatty liver”). The process is highly controversial, with critics asserting that the practice is both unethical and cruel because it involves forcing feeding tubes down the animals’ throats.

4

The number of cups of wine that the Haggadah, the special book that tells the story of Passover, calls for during the Seder meal. Thankfully, today’s selection of kosher wine is vast–annual sales in the United States… Continue reading

Get WineSpeed