Bocksbeutel

The flagon-shaped, rounded, and flattened bottle used for the wines of Germany’s Franken region. It is also used for some Portuguese wines, in particular rosés.

What is Puliniacus?

A. A heritage strain of yeasts used in the 18th century when Champagne as we know it began

B. The name of a Roman poet who wrote about the beneficial relationship between wine and the emotions

C. The name of a village that later became known as Puligny-Montrachet

D. A type of rot that can overtake botrytis cinerea in the vineyard, potentially devastating sweet wine production in the vineyard affected

Originally a Gallo-Roman village known as “Puliniacus,” Puligny-Montrachet got its current name in the late nineteenth century. The wines of Puligny-Montrachet (poo-le-KNEE mon-ra-SHAY) are often considered the most ravishing chardonnays in the world. The tiny village (just 1,260 acres) sits in between two other great white wine villages—Chassagne-Montrachet to the south and Meursault to the north. Before World War II, the village was also planted with wheat, blackcurrants, and mulberries.

What the Hock?

The British name for a German wine from vineyards near the Rhine River, hock, is a reference to the famous village of Hochheim in the Rheingau. At first, hock implied a wine from Hochheim; later, it… Continue reading

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