Sobretable

In Sherry production, the term for the period of time a new wine spends before it goes into the solera. The sobretable is usually 6 to 8 months, but ooccassionally up to a year.

What wine was served during the signing of the Declaration of Independence?

A. Champagne

B. Madeira

C. Port

D. Bordeaux

Madeira. Ultimately, no wine would become more a part of the United States’ beginning. Not only was Madeira drunk by the founding fathers during the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the wine was also what Francis Scott Key sipped as he composed “The Star-Spangled Banner.” George Washington (who reportedly drank a pint every night with dinner), Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin all adored it. By the end of the eighteenth century, nearly a fourth of all the Madeira produced was being exported to the American colonies.

Read Karen’s People to Know interview with Bartholomew Broadbent, who helped revive Madeira-drinking in America here. And her review of several Madeira bottlings is here.

Mercaptans

Offensive-smelling compounds that result from poor winemaking when hydrogen sulfide combines with components in the wine. The aromas can include putrid food, skunk, and burnt rubber.

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