Unfiltered

Used to describe a wine that has not been FILTERED to clarify it and remove any unwanted yeasts or bacteria. Winemakers who believe that filtering strips wine of some flavors and texture may leave their wines unfiltered and may even label them as such. An unfiltered wine often still undergoes FINING to remove large particles in suspension as well as coarse tannin. Unfiltered wines are sometimes less than brilliantly clear.

Millions of grape vines were uprooted in South Africa after World War I in order to grow alfalfa.

Answer: True.

South African grape growers uprooted some 10 million vines after the war in order to plant alfalfa to feed—can you believe it?—ostriches. Ostrich feathers were highly fashionable in Europe during the Roaring '20s. The change from grapes to alfalfa was due to economic hardship. South Africa had established a cooperative system at the turn of the 20th century to keep the wine industry from going into economic depression. Although a dozen co-ops were formed, many were unsuccessful. Grape prices plummeted, causing the wine industry to enter another depression after WWI. That's when, seeing an opportunity in feathers, grape growers turned to alfalfa.

It’s in the Mail… The History of Winery Mailing Lists

Getting on a top winery’s mailing list can be harder than scoring tickets to the Super Bowl. Indeed, there are now waiting lists to get onto mailing lists. How did such coveted access begin? The quick story… Continue reading

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