Aszú

The term for shriveled grapes that have been attacked by the beneficial mold BOTRYTIS CINEREA. More commonly, however, you’ll encounter aszú as part of the name of Hungary’s most famous wine: Tokay Aszú. Luscious and honeyed, Tokay Aszú is to Hungary what Sauternes is to France—a renowned sweet wine that is both difficult and expensive to make.

Cabernet sauvignon and merlot share the same father—cabernet franc. Cabernet sauvignon’s mother was sauvignon blanc. Who was merlot’s?

A. Magdeleine noire des Charentes

B. Petit Manseng

C. Chardonnay

D. Côt (aka Malbec)

Merlot’s mother was magdeleine noire des Charentes. Grape geneticists determined that merlot was the offspring of cabernet franc in the early 1990s, but merlot’s other parent remained a mystery for a decade. We can thank French ampelographer Jean-Michel Boursiquot for finding merlot’s unnamed mother in an abandoned vineyard in Brittany, France. A few years later, more vines were found in the Charentes region of southwestern France, and Boursiquot named the vines magdeleine noire des Charentes.

Spain’s Great Cover-Up

The word tapas is derived from the Spanish verb tapar, “to cover,”or “to top.” Originally,tapas were small slices of bread, jamon or chorizo which Sherry drinkers in Andalusian taverns used to cover their glasses between sips. If nothing else,… Continue reading

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