Part of the joy of wine learning is spouting out fun tidbits of information you’ve learned. Here’s five micro-stories that are sure to dazzle your wine friends and inspire you to learn more about wine.
1. Chardonnay = White Burgundy = Chablis
People often misunderstand the relationship with grape variety and place.
Chardonnay is a grape used to make white wines of Burgundy. And Chablis is a region within Burgundy.
2. Cabernet Sauvignon is the child of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc
Shoutout to the amazing scientist Carole Meredith whose pioneering grape genetic research led to this discovery and many more.
3. The majority of wine in the world has American vine rootstocks.
In the 1850s, British botanists brought American vines back home to study.
The vines carried Phylloxera, a near microscopic bug that was native to the United States, which would decimate European vines.
The solution was to graft vines with American’ rootstocks that had developed some resistance to the disease.
4. In 1976, a small tasting in Paris put Napa Valley, California on the world’s wine map.
Stephen Spurrier decided to hold a contest.
He put then-upstart American wines against the established wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux. In a shocking turn, America won. There was only one reporter at the event, George Taber.
The initial three paragraph article in Time would cause a firestorm.
Share these facts over your next glass of wine. You’re sure to drop jaws and open eyes.
Ready to commit to wine learning?
Increase your wine confidence one weekly newsletter at a time.
New issue comes out every Friday
Unsubscribe at any time.