En Primeur

A method of buying, wherein the wine is bought before it is released. Also known as buying futures. Buying wine en primeur allows collectors to be more certain of securing given wines. The wines most likely to be sold en primeur are Bordeaux wines from top châteaux.

What is scuppernong?

A. The plastic material that barrel bungs are made from

B. A local South African name for chenin blanc

C. A vine disease that can affect grapevines that have been exposed to extreme heat

D. A grape native to the American south

Scuppernong grapes are extremely large, round, greenish-bronze grapes that belong to the North American species Vitis rotundifolia, also known as the muscadine species. The name comes from the Scuppernong River in North Carolina, along which the grapes once grew profusely. Scuppernong grapes are, in fact, the state’s official fruit. They were first cultivated in the 17th century. Today, home winemakers in the South often use scuppernongs, although many consider the grapes better-suited to jelly than wine.

“The first obligation of any wine is to be delicious.”

—Eileen Crane
Founding Winemaker/CEO of Domaine Carneros, Napa Valley, California

Get WineSpeed