Varietal

Wine made from a particular variety of grape. Chardonnay, riesling, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and so on are all varietal wines. In general, each varietal has a unique flavor, distinct from other varietals. When a wine has a pronounced varietal flavor it is said to have varietal character. On January 1, 1983, United States law established that a wine named after a grape—a varietal—must contain 75 percent or more of that grape variety that has been grown in the appellation of origin appearing on the label. Prior to that date, a varietally labeled wine had to contain 51 percent or more of the named grape.

The Languedoc region of France is named after one of the early emperors of Gaul.

Answer: False.

The Languedoc region is named after a group of languages and dialects that were once spoken in southern France during the Middle Ages, known collectively as the langue d'oc, or “language of oc.” Oc was the word for “yes” in the Occitan language of southern France. In the north of France, however, the word for “yes” was “oïl” which later evolved into oui.

“I wouldn’t have minded school if they taught you important things like how to have good sex and what brand of wine is best, but for some reason, they were hell bent on teaching me algebra.”

—Ben Mitchell, author, Without One Plea

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