Foxy

An odd descriptive term (having nothing to do with foxes, or sex appeal, for that matter) for the wild, candylike aroma and flavor associated with wines that come from native American grapes of the Vitis labrusca species, such as Concord. The flavor is derived from an ester, methyl anthranilate.

A tastevin is:

A. An implement inserted through the bung hole of a barrel in order to draw out wine to be evaluated

B. A shallow tasting cup historically used by winemakers in wine cellars

C. A device for helping to decant a wine until its flavors are very expressive

D. A tasting kit used by Master Sommelier and Master of Wine candidates whereby small amounts of prestigious wines are rebottled to be tasted as part of the candidate’s study program

Silver, shallow-sided tastevins (tasting cups) were invented possibly as far back as the fifteenth century, for use by winemakers who were tasting wines from casks in dark cellars. The cups were more portable and less fragile than glasses would have been. More importantly, they had circular indentations in their sides that reflected candlelight across the metal base of the cup and made it possible to determine, in a dark cellar, the clarity of a wine just drawn from the barrel. Until the 2000s, many sommeliers in Europe and the U.S. hung tastevins around their necks (like necklaces). It’s rare to see a tastevin (pronounced in French as TAS-te-van) being worn by a sommelier today.

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Average percentage less that women in the beverage alcohol industry earned in 2019 compared to men in the industry, according to Seven Fifty’s just released 2019 Career & Salary Survey. 3,100 beverage alcohol professionals across all tiers… Continue reading

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