Right Bank

The term refers to all of the appellations of Bordeaux that are on the right side of the Gironde River as it flows out to the Atlantic Ocean. The main grape varieties used for Right Bank wines are merlot and cabernet franc. The well-known communes of Pomerol and St.-Emilion reside on the Right Bank.

The Japanese rice cracker known as jibachi senbei contains what ingredient?

A. Sea urchins

B. Wasps

C. Pickled radishes

D. Ants

Jibachi senbei, or digger wasp rice crackers, contain an insect called digger wasps. Hunters set traps for the wasps in the forests surrounding Omachi, a town about 120 miles from Tokyo where these crackers were invented, specifically to make jibachi senbei. After being boiled and dried, the wasps are added to the rice cracker mix. According to Gastro Obscura, the snack was invented by a wasp fan club (who knew?) and a cracker-baker. It’s now a favorite among the elderly population (Omachi’s youth aren’t so keen). A reviewer claims the crackers taste slightly sweet and savory, with the wasps coming across “like burnt raisins.” A wine to pair? Hmmm. Port to mirror the sweet/savoriness or Champagne to amplify the crunch?

“Nobody is growing as fast as Oregon.”

—Danny Brager, Senior VP, Nielsen, commenting on recent data revealing that Oregon wine sales increased 17% last year, compared to 3% for California and 2.8% for the U.S. as a whole.

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