Bereich

One of thirty-nine official districts. Germany’s thirteen wine regions (ANBAUGEBIETE) are officially broken down into thirty-nine bereiche (the plural of bereich), which in turn are broken down into GROSSLAGEN, which are broken down into EINZELLAGEN.

What grape variety grown in Chile was, for many years, thought to be merlot?

A. Cabernet Sauvignon

B. Malbec

C. Carmenère

D. Cabernet Franc

Indigenous to Bordeaux, carmenère was brought to Chile in the late 1800s where inexplicably, it began to be made into wine called merlot. It wasn’t until the DNA fingerprinting of grapevines was pioneered in the 1990s that Chile’s “merlot” was discovered to be carmenère. Carmenère is now virtually extinct in Bordeaux, but is thriving in Chile where it can produce fascinating, soft, plush wines redolent of green tobacco, coffee, and leather.

Screwing Around

Originally called bottle-screws, corkscrews were invented in England between 1630 and 1675, where they were used not for wine, but for beer and cider. Both sparklers required tight-fitting corks (often tied on) capable of holding… Continue reading

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