Shoot

A tender, new green stem that begins to grow on a vine. Shoots emerge from the permanent woody “arms” of a vine’s trunk. The shoots will ultimately sprout leaves and clusters of grapes.

When did Château Mouton Rothschild become a First Growth?

A. 1925

B. 1855

C. 1973

D. 1880

Originally (in the 1855 Classification) only four Bordeaux châteaux made it into the rank of First Growth: Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux, and Château Haut-Brion. In 1855, Château Mouton Rothschild was designated a Second Growth. The owner of Mouton Rothschild, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, protested vehemently and launched a decades-long campaign to get Mouton Rothschild elevated to First Growth status. Although the 1855 Classification was considered sacrosanct and its classifications final, Rothschild eventually prevailed and in 1973 Mouton Rothschild was moved up and became a First Growth.

Viva Les Veuves!

The history of Champagne is liberally sprinkled with the success of larger-than-life women, many of them widows. Unlike many women in the early 19th century, widows (veuve, in French) enjoyed the independence necessary to run… Continue reading

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