Wine Trivia
and
Wine Myths
Here are a few bits of wine trivia you might find interesting.
How much wine is in a bottle?
Generally a bottle of wine measures the liquid in milliliters, with 750 ml being the standard amount in most bottles (or about 25 fluid ounces).
How many grapes does it take to make your average bottle of wine?
It takes about 2 ½ pounds of grapes to make a bottle of wine.
How many bottles in a case of wine?
12
This piece of wine trivia is common knowledge, but the next one isn't.
How many gallons of wine are produced from one acre of grapevines?
About 800
Where does the vanilla flavor in wine come from?
If newer oak barrels were used in the winemaking process, the wines will often have a hint of vanilla in both the aroma and flavor. It comes from the wood.
When was the corkscrew designed?
Mid-1800’s.
How many varieties of wine grapes exist in the world today?
Over 10,000!
How many gallons of wine does California produce annually?
Over 17 million gallons
Bonus wine trivia = California is the largest producer of wine in the US, followed by Oregon and New York. The moderate temperatures of the coastal states has a lot to do with it.
How many calories are in a four ounce glass of red wine?
Approximately 85
How many gallons of wine are in a single barrel?
60
How many grapevines generally make up an acre?
400
When did winemaking begin?
The Mesopotamians were credited with producing the first wines in 6000 B.C. I wonder if they asked questions about wine trivia back then.
---------------------------------------------------------
In addition to the wine trivia, here are a few wine myths you should know about.
1. Aged Wine is Better than Young Wine
Not all wines require aging. In fact, many wines are intended to be drunk young and they do not require aging. Typically, red wines that have high tannins are the only wines that require aging. There are also some white wines that will benefit from aging, such as Rieslings, but in general they are intended to be drunk young as well. There are also those wines that taste worse after being aged and those that will not change much at all.
2. Red Wine Should Never Be Chilled
There are some light reds such as the Beaujolais that will benefit from being chilled. Beaujolais Nouveau is the first wine that is made from each year’s harvest. The wine was originally made for the workers of the winery, but the wine quickly spread in popularity to local bistros. There are several festivals that are held around the world that celebrate the wine’s release.
3. “Reserve” Wines Are Top of the Line
On American labels, “reserve” has no true meaning and is used at the discretion of the winemaker. The term is often used to designate a special wine, although the reputation of the vineyard will often have an effect on the quality and price of the wine.
4. Wines With Sulfates Will Give You a Headache
Sulfates only cause headaches in about one percent of the population and this tends to be those who suffer from asthma. Sulfates are naturally present in wine and sulfur is abundant in various forms in all living things.
Sulfites are used as a preservative by winemakers worldwide and only the United States notes the sulfite warning on the label. The amounts of added sulfites are small and all whites will have more than reds. There are several other reasons that you may be having a headache.
5. All German Wines Are Sweet
There are a variety of German wines and they range from dry to very sweet like wines that are produced in various other countries. If you see “trocken” on a German wine label it means “dry.”
6. Screw tops Are a Sign of Cheap Wine
More and more wineries are using screw tops so that they may avoid cork contamination of their wines. Don’t be surprised if you find a high dollar bottle with a screw top.
7. Wines Should Always Breathe
Allowing a wine to breathe is generally only necessary for those wines that need further aging. Breathing also allows the wine to be exposed to air and to soften the tannins.
8. All Wines Have the Same Amount of Alcohol
The level of alcohol in a wine depends on the amount of sugar that has been converted during fermentation. There are also wines that have been fortified with alcohol to raise the alcohol content.
9. The More a Wine Costs, the Better It Is
The price of a wine depends on numerous factors. The land of the vineyard, the price of the packaging, the types of grapes that are used, how the wine is aged and the reputation of the winery or winemaker all have an effect on the price of a bottle of wine.
You may find a fairly expensive bottle of wine and think that it will be good when in fact you wish you hadn’t spent so much on it.
10. Zinfandel is a Pink Wine
Zinfandel is actually a red grape, but the name has become very popular due to the blush wine, the White Zinfandel. There are several good red Zinfandels.
11. Red or white "table wine" is inferior to wine that comes from a specific grape
Just about every bottle of wine is made of a blend of wines. If a bottle has more than 61% of a particular grape, the winery is allowed to put the name of that grape on the bottle (i.e. Merlot, when this varietal composes more than 61% of the wine).
If wines are blended so no one grape is more than 61%, it is then labeled as a "Table Wine." This in no way detracts from the quality of the wine. Table wines are often better compliments to specific foods than other wines.
If you have questions about wine trivia or wine myths, click here.
Return To Home Page
Find thousands of unbiased ratings on services for home improvements Try Angie’s List.
Why not sign up for the free monthly newsletter?
|
