Stravecchio

Very old, a term more frequently applied to spirits than wine.

“Old vines”—a common description on some wine labels—is an ambiguous term, sometimes applied to vines no more than 10 years old. However, there is an old vine that is certified by Guinness World Records. In which of the following countries can the oldest living grapevine be found?

A. Mexico

B. Slovenia

C. Israel

D. Greece

The wine region of Maribor, Slovenia, is home to the world’s oldest living grapevine. The vine was certified by Guinness World Records in 2004 and is the native red variety žametovka. At over 400 years old, the vine currently produces less than a gallon of wine per year. This small yield of wine is put into tiny bottles and given each year to presidents and other important world figures.

“The minor miracle of wine is that it has evolved to the point where alcohol is perhaps the last element that gets the wine lover drunk. With wine, from a particular place and vintage, we can get drunk on history; anyone who has drunk a great wine twice their age will immediately relate to this. We can get drunk on place, recalling memories and associations with the region in which the wine was made. We can get drunk on remembrance: each wine naturally reminds us of previous occasions when it or similar wines were consumed, and this in turn can evoke countless memories of friends, meals and times past. Of course, wine lovers can get drunk purely on the lifted perfume of a great bottle or the textured, velvety mouthfeel and lingering flavors that scent the breath after swallowing.”

—Robert Walters, “The Wine of Astonishment” The World of Fine Wine, Issue 22

—Robert Walters, “The Wine of Astonishment” The World of Fine Wine, Issue 22

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