Secundo Classis

Second class in Latin, first used in Hungary around 1700 to indicate a Tokay vineyard considered second best and hence a Tokay Aszú wine that was second in quality compared to wines made from grapes grown in PRIMAE CLASSIS vineyards but still well above most other vineyards.

There are only four basic tastes humans can detect and experience in our food and wine: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.

Answer: False.

In addition to these four tastes, there’s at least one more that’s known—umami (oo-MA-mee), a word that translates to "deliciousness" in Japanese. Discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda, umami is based on the presence of glutamates (aka glutamic acid), the most abundant type of amino acid in certain foods—and, thus, indicators of protein. In 2000, University of Miami researchers found receptors in our taste buds designed to receive the umami compounds. Umami is present in foods such as blue cheese, meat juices, mushrooms, and fermented soy products like soy sauce. Beyond sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, there may be even more tastes scientists haven’t yet discovered.

Vinfusion

The latest device from the tech company Cambridge Consultants is Vinfusion—a machine and accompanying app designed to let you blend a glass of wine according to your palate’s preferences. For just a couple of thousand… Continue reading

Get WineSpeed