Petite Sirah (sometimes spelled Petite Syrah) is not the same as Syrah and not a clone of it, but the histories of the two separate red grape varieties are interwoven. Vines called Petite Sirah have grown in California since the 1880s. In the early days, some of those vines may have been a clone of Syrah that had small—petite—grapes. (All things being equal, winemakers prefer small grapes because there’s a high ratio of skin to juice. Since color, flavor, and tannin come primarily from a grape’s skin, small grapes yield concentrated, flavorful wines.) Back then, Petite Sirah was interplanted with other varieties, creating field blends. As more and different varieties (sometimes misidentified) found their way into California vineyards, Petite Sirah’s true identity grew more and more obscure. Eventually, in the 1990s, DNA typing revealed that most California Petite Sirah is the French grape Durif, a cross of Peloursin and Syrah. Today, some of the oldest Petite Sirah vineyards remain field blends of many varieties, including true Syrah, Durif, Carignane, Zinfandel, Barbera, and Grenache. From a flavor standpoint, there is nothing petite about Petite Sirah. The wine is mouthfilling and often tannic.

Roughly 35% of women are classified as supertasters in comparison to only 10% of men. Being a supertaster is not considered a positive trait, however. Often supertasters live in such a vivid and neon world of flavor impression that some flavors are often too intense to enjoy. According to Dr. Hildegarde Heymann, professor and enologist at University of California Davis supertasters usually dislike the taste of broccoli, spinach, cabbage, and sprouts; hot curry and chili; grapefruit and lemon; cigarettes; coffee; and (oh no) alcohol. Good-bye wine. Whether or not one is a supertaster can be determined through a simple test where researchers administer a small sample of the nontoxic compounds 6-n-propylthiouracil (known as PROP) or phenylthiocarbamide (known as PTC).

This is a concept that is often misunderstood. The three categories of primary, secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors do not indicate the timing of when you perceive them, but rather, when they were introduced into the winemaking process. Primary aromas and flavors come from the grapes themselves and remain unchanged in the wine. Pyrazines (green flavors), for example, are primary aromas/flavors. Secondary aromas and flavors are those that come as a result of fermentation. The aroma and flavor of bread dough in Champagne, for example, is a secondary aroma/flavor that results from time spent on the yeast lees after fermentation. And finally, tertiary aromas and flavors are those that come as a result of a wine’s storage or aging.  Wines stored in oak barrels, for example, possess aromas and flavors (vanilla, baking spices, roasted coffee notes etc.) attributable to the oak.

While the main grapes used to make Cava are the indigenous varieties Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo, Chardonnay is also one of the legally permitted varieties. It can be used on its own or in a blend to add finesse and freshness to the final flavor. As for the main varieties used, Macabeo is fruity and aromatic with good acidity. Parellada is the most delicate of these Spanish grapes, and Xarel-lo gives Cava lots of its personality by contributing good acidity and a generous, round body.

Chardonnay acreage in California is decreasing. Last year there were 85,840 acres of Chardonnay planted in the state. Twenty years ago, there were 96,466 acres.

Numerous factors have contributed to this, including demand challenges, historic low yields, and changing consumer preferences. In fact, across all varieties, in 2024, California experienced its lightest harvest in 20 years—a 23% decrease from 2023—as demand for wine dropped and grape growers struggled to find buyers.

Italian wine producers can now make non-alcohol wine, but the right to do so only became official recently. When the EU regulation for de-alcoholization went into effect in 2021, Italy refused to allow any de-alcoholized wine to carry the designation “wine,” on the grounds that wine without alcohol was an affront to Italian wine culture. Under pressure from wine associations, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida changed his position and production of of de-alcoholized wine is released. By the way, Elton John’s new zero-proof Blanc de Blancs, while made with Northern Italy Chardonnay, is actually processed in Germany and fermented with yeasts that don’t produce alcohol from the outset.

In 1968, the Napa County Board of Supervisors passed a landmark zoning ordinance that made Napa Valley the first agricultural preserve in the United States. The Ag Preserve, as it is known, severely restricts commercial activities and mandates agriculture as the “highest and best” use of Napa Valley land. The Ag Preserve means you’ll never find a Starbucks in the middle of vineyards.

False. Greece—the birthplace of modern wine culture—was a place where wine was certainly revered, but drinking copious amounts or abusing it was definitely not approved of. To prevent intoxication, the Greeks generally diluted wine with water, claiming that only “barbarians” drank wine straight. Homer, Plato, Aristotle, and Hippocrates all wrote of wine’s beneficial effects on thought and creativity. For the ancient Greek man, drinking wine moderately was an intellectual pursuit. Additionally, the Greeks felt that taking in certain aromas was necessary to keep the body in harmony with nature, and floral-smelling wines in particular were prized since floral scents were thought to be particularly beneficial to the brain.

False. Millennials have officially surpassed Boomers as the largest group of wine consumers in the US. According to a study released by the Wine Market Council this week, Millennials now account for 31% of wine drinkers in the US, followed by Baby Boomers and Gen Z (tied for second at 26% each). The study also showed a generational shift in stylistic preferences. While the Boomer generation prefers big, bold reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Millennials prefer to drink wines like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Merlot.

Both Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino are red wines made from the indigenous Italian grape variety Sangiovese. Both regions are within the province of Tuscany. Sangiovese is an ancient variety with many genetic subtypes (clones), and these may differ in each region.  But in general, Sangiovese in Tuscany makes a fairly sleek red wine evocative of earth, dried rose petals, cigar box, and a terrific mouthwatering saline quality.

False. Body and flavor intensity are not correlated in wine (even though they seem like they would be). Two perfect examples are Riesling and Pinot Noir. Both wines can be light in body but intense in flavor.

That would be Spain.  Spain has the most vineyard acreage globally, covering nearly 13% of the world’s total vineyard surface area. But despite having the most land under vine, Spain’s wine production is typically lower than that of France and Italy. That’s because so much of Spain’s vineyard land is comprised of low-yielding vines that are spaced (because of lack of water) far apart.

In 496 AD, the first King of France—Clovis I—was baptized (as an adult) and crowned king in Champagne’s stunning cathedral of Reims. As a result, the city of Reims and the Champagne region took on a “sacred role” as the location where nearly all subsequent French monarchs would henceforth be crowned.

Both are words essential to understanding the wines of the Veneto in Italy. Appassimento is the process of drying harvested grapes in order to raisinate the grapes and concentrate their sugars. The process takes months and is done either by spreading the grapes on straw mats or by hanging them up in special drying rooms. Passito is a more general Italian term for any wine made from grapes that have been dried or partially dried by undergoing the appassiemento process.

White wine continues to lead American wine consumption, with the U.S. remaining the world’s top consumer of white wine. According to The Wine Economist, white wine will continue to gain ground, replacing a market once dominated by red wine. The shift toward white wine reflects increasing global interest in lighter, more refreshing styles.

Grown mostly in the region of Puglia, in southern Italy, Primitivo came to Italy via Croatia, where it’s known as Tribidrag or Crljenak Kaštelanski. In the 1990s, DNA typing at University of California, Davis revealed that American Zinfandel is identical to Italy’s Primitivo. This discovery allowed Italian producers to legally label their Primitivo wines as Zinfandel, capitalizing on Zinfandel’s popularity. The pendulum later swung in the opposite direction, as some American producers labeled their Zinfandel wines as Primitivo. Meanwhile, the linguistic origin of the name Zinfandel remains a mystery.

Although we sometimes use the terms taste and flavor interchangeably, taste is different from flavor. The world of taste encompasses just five concepts: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami. (A possible sixth taste—kokumi—has also been identified.) Wine can possess any of these five tastes, including saltiness, although there’s only a miniscule amount of actual salt—sodium chloride—in wine. Flavor, as distinguished from taste, is a larger cognitive concept. Flavor is comprised of taste plus aroma, appearance, mouthfeel, and even sound. Certain colors, for example, are associated with certain flavors (it’s well documented that red correlates with sweetness; why else would the can of a famous cola be red?). And sensory scientists attribute some of the flavor of Champagne to its wonderful breathy sound.

It’s true that many Burgundian Premier Cru wines state exactly which vineyard the grapes came from. Volnay 1er Cru “Les Caillerets” for example. However, when a winemaker blends grapes from multiple Premier Cru vineyards in the same village, no vineyard name is required.

Sulfites occur naturally during fermentation as a byproduct of yeast metabolism. While many winemakers do add additional sulfites as a preservative to prevent oxidation and bacterial spoilage, all wines contain at least some organically occurring sulfites. Even wines labeled “no sulfites added” still contain the naturally produced sulfites from fermentation.

The terms maderization and oxidation are not the same. During maderization, wine is intentionally heated in a process known as estufagem, either in large vats or in barrels inside a heated, sauna-like room. The term comes from the word Madeira. Madeira wines are fortified, oxidized, maderized, and then aged, often for a long period. Oxidized simply implies that the wine has been exposed to usually a significant amount of oxygen.

Since Neolithic times (approximately 12,000 years ago), tannins derived from the bark of specific trees (the word “tanning” is derived from the Gaulic tannum, meaning “oak bark”) were used to prevent the spoilage of animal skins.  Plant tannins have antimicrobial properties which help to preserve the hide, and astringent properties that draw out moisture—turning the hide into durable leather. An alternative method of “tanning” hides developed during the Industrial Revolution of the 1800’s, introduced the use of chromium salts instead of natural tannins.

The French were the first to talk about the concept of terroir, so it’s no wonder they are convinced Nature makes the wine. So much so that there has never been a French word for winemaker. Instead, the term commonly used, vigneron, portrays a person’s role as more humble. Vigneron means “grape grower.”

Being the perfect pairing for Champagne isn’t an oyster’s only claim to glory. Oysters are the most common pearl-forming mollusk in the sea. When an irritant such as a grain of sand enters the shell, the oyster coats it with a substance called nacre—otherwise known as mother-of-pearl. However, oysters aren’t the only ones who can perform such a feat. There are several species of clams and mussels that can create pearls, but they are very rare and don’t do it as efficiently as oysters do. August 5^th is National Oyster Day.

Cava is made using the same method as Champagne, “methode Champenoise”—also known as the “traditional method.” During this process, the secondary fermentation takes place inside each individual bottle which creates fine bubbles, and results in complex flavors and a finessed texture. Prosecco is made using the “charmat method.” During this process, the secondary fermentation (which gives the wine its bubbles) is performed in a large, pressurized tank, resulting in simple, fresh, and fruit-forward sparkling wines. International Cava Day is July 12^th.

This is one of the dimensions in which wine is not like food. With food, if you smell, say, a steak, you are 100% certain you are going to taste steak flavor. But in wine, flavor does not always follow from aroma. You might smell, say, cherries, but when you taste the wine, its flavor is reminiscent of licorice, espresso, and damp earth. Many wine drinkers assume this schism denotes a poorly made wine. But the opposite is true. A divergence between aroma and taste is far more likely to happen with great wine which, by definition, is complex. With a great wine, a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors reveal themselves sequentially over time, and the sensations aren’t necessarily related or predictable. Part of the “head trip” of a bottle of great wine is that it can be completely fascinating over the course of a two-hour dinner.

China comes in second on that score. The leading importer of spirits in the world is the US which imported $10.8 billion worth of spirits in 2023. Among the most popular imports: Scotch (from the UK), Cognac (from France), and Tequila (from Mexico).

According to reporting in The Manual magazine, a plane’s cargo hold and cabin are both pressurized, so your bottles won’t explode due to altitude. The real risk is from rough handling, so pack everything securely to prevent breakage. US Customs allows travelers aged 21 and older to bring back 1 liter of alcohol duty-free. You can bring more, but you may be required to pay duty fees depending on the quantity of alcohol and your state’s regulations.

Each resident of Vatican City consumes 99 bottles of wine per year according to The Drinks Business. This is almost double the amount of wine consumed per person in Italy or France. The Vatican is a tiny city-state, with roughly 800 citizens in a 0.17 square mile area (that’s about one-eighth the size of Central Park). The Vatican is the largest importer of wine per capita in the entire world, with 96% of those wines coming from Italy.

Although Piedmont, Italy is widely known for stunning Barolo and Barbaresco made from Nebbiolo grapes, the second most planted grape in Piedmont—after Barbera—is Moscato. The town of Asti in Piedmont will forever be linked with Moscato. The two Moscato-based wines take their names from Asti: the gorgeous, low-alcohol wine Moscato d’Asti, and the slightly sweet commercial sparkling wine, Asti (formerly known as Asti Spumante). Today is World Moscato Day.

The word julep is derived from the Persian word gulab which means “rosewater.” The original Mint Julep was a medicinal rosewater-based drink mixed with herbs, spices, and sugar. It was first mentioned in European medicinal texts in the 1700’s and eventually made its way to the US. Juleps soon became regional cocktails and were made with local spirits. In 1939, the Mint Julep was named the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, which takes place tomorrow, May 3^rd.

Pritchard Hill, a stunning area in Napa’s eastern hills, is indeed famous. Among the wineries located there are Chappellet, Colgin, BRAND Napa Valley, Continuum, and Ovid. But Pritchard Hill is not Napa Valley’s newest AVA. Crystal Springs is. Crystal Springs is located in the northeastern foothills of the Valley, roughly between St. Helena, Calistoga, and Howell Mountain. There are now 17 AVAs within the Napa Valley.

False. Technically Prosecco—a DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata)—can only be made in northeastern Italy, just south of the Alps, and only from Glera grapes. Most Prosecco is made by the Charmat method in which a second fermentation takes place in large, pressurized tanks (not in each individual bottle as is the case with Champagne, Cava and most California sparkling wines). The Charmat method is fairly quick and easy, which is one reason Prosecco tends to be a good value. While Prosecco can only come from Italy, a company in California is now making CalSecco™—made like Prosecco but using grapes from California including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Chenin Blanc, French Colombard, and Pinot Grigio.

Non-alcoholic wines can absolutely be corked. TCA (Trichloroanisole)—also known as “cork taint”—in wine is the result of a complex chemical reaction between mold, chlorine and plant phenols. Alcohol has no effect on the reaction. You can even detect TCA when you buy certain fruits and vegetables, like baby carrots.

The human body can taste faster than it can see, touch, or hear. Taste perception is swift because the tongue and mouth (assisted by the nose) are the body’s primary defense against poison.

Chalk is not a plant or an animal; it is a type of rock, specifically a sedimentary rock, formed from the accumulated shells of tiny marine organisms, making it essentially the remains of animals, not a living organism itself.

True. As a popcorn kernel heats up, the moisture inside begins to expand. When the temperature inside the kernel reaches about 347° Fahrenheit, the pressure inside will reach 135 pounds per square inch, forcing the kernel to burst open. That pressure not only catapults the newly popped kernel into the air; it also increases to 40-50 times its original size. Enjoy some this Sunday, National Popcorn Day, with a glass of really good Chardonnay (which is great with popcorn).

When a wine is described as tasting buttery, that flavor came, not from the barrels, but from malolactic fermentation. During malolactic fermentation, a by-product called diacetyl is produced. Diacetyl is the molecule that makes butter taste buttery. So, wines that have experienced malolactic fermentation—like Chardonnay—are often buttery.

True. You can find lagers in almost any part of the world. They can be light and refreshing like Helles lagers, pilsners, and Mexican lagers, or even dark and chocolatey like the German Schwarzbier. A lager is a bottom-fermented beer (the yeast used in fermentation settles to the bottom of the brewing vessel) which occurs slowly at low temperatures—between 45° and 55° F. December 10^th is National Lager Day.

Limestone and chalk are not exactly the same. Specifically: chalk is limestone, but limestone is not necessarily chalk. Here’s the story: Limestone is a marine sedimentary rock made from seashells and fine-grain precipitates of calcium carbonate. It can form under a variety of conditions; therefore, there are many different types, including chalk and marl (calcium carbonate mixed with clay and silt), both of which are found in the soils of Champagne. Not all types of limestone are conducive to grape-growing — but chalk is. Defined as soft limestone that is porous, chalk allows for easy root penetration. It provides good drainage and works well with high-acid grapes. It is, as a result, especially appreciated in Champagne, where the climate leads to grapes with high acidity and the rainfall requires good drainage.

Although it is now famous in Argentina, Malbec’s ancestral home is Cahors, a tiny, ancient wine region in southwest France. The word malbec is actually a nickname for the grape’s true ampelographic name: Côt. In the nineteenth century, Malbec was a slang term for someone who spoke badly of others. There must have been a lot of malbecs in Cahors, for the word became a common surname—and an affectionate term for the local grapes.

Originally, the punt was a way of preventing the jagged pontil mark—the point left over after a glass bottle was blown and shaped–from scratching the surface of a table, since the pontil mark would be folded up inside the bottle forming the punt. When mold-made wine bottles were introduced, the punt remained since it also added stability to the bottle when it was upright. Today, this is especially true of bottles under pressure, such as sparkling wine and Champagne bottles.

Vinho Verde got its name because the fragrant, zippy white is drunk very young—in fact, often the younger the better. For that reason, many Vinho Verde producers don’t even bother putting a vintage on the label.

The majestic Château d’Ussé in the Loire Valley was the inspiration for Charles Perrault’s most famous work, “Sleeping Beauty.” Two other famous women with connections to the Loire Valley are Coco Chanel and Joan of Arc. Coco Chanel—fashion legend and the inventor of the little black dress—was born there in the village of Saumur, and it was in the village of Chinon that the peasant girl Joan of Arc presented herself to the Dauphin, later Charles VII, and asked to head his army.

According to the most recent Napa County Agricultural Crop Report, Cabernet Franc is the most expensive red wine grape variety, at a price of $10,419 per ton. Only 3,126 tons of Cabernet Franc were harvested last year. Significantly more Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested (72,423 tons), at a price per ton of $8,819 making it the second most expensive red wine grape variety in Napa County.

Labeling a wine based on the variety of grape used to make that wine has been commonplace in the New World since the late 1960s. (In Europe, of course, wines are far more commonly labeled according to the place where the grapes were grown.) In the United States, the first varietally labeled wines were required by federal law to be composed of at least 51 percent of the variety named. In 1983, the minimum was raised to the current level of 75 percent. States and specific appellations can choose to exceed (but not fall short of) the federal regulations.

The highly regarded grape Pinot Noir takes its name from the French word pin, meaning pine. It’s a reference to the fact that the small clusters of Pinot Noir grapes are shaped like pine cones.

In California, each vineyard worker will pick, on average, 1 ½ to 3 tons of grapes a day. In fact, many harvest workers will pick about 2 tons a day every day for a  month or more. (Each ton of grapes makes about 60 cases of wine.)

A châ​teau is a single estate composed of vineyards surrounding a building where the wine is made. The word château is commonly used in Bordeaux, and some châteaux can be quite palatial (although they don’t have to be). The word domaine is generally used in Burgundy. A domaine is a collection of vineyard parcels, all of which are owned by the same person or entity. Usually these parcels are small and may be located in different villages and appellations.

The first years of a vine’s life are concentrated on creating a solid trunk and a deep, healthy root system. It takes about three to five years for a new vine to produce grapes that are usable for winemaking. The investment in a vineyard, therefore, is one of both money, time, and patience.

In France, blending white and red wines that have finished fermentation to make a rosé is prohibited, with an important exception: Champagne. In the Champagne region of France, a common way of making rosé Champagne is by blending a small amount of still red wine (Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier) with the still white (Chardonnay) base wine before bottling the wine for the second fermentation (which creates bubbles).

Both sparkling wines and Champagnes can be “corked”—that is, tainted with TCA, a compound that causes musty aromas and flavors in wine. And when they are, it can be more noticeable. This is because sparklers are more aromatically delicate and because the bubbles have the effect of volatilizing the compound, that is, making it smell more pronounced.

Besides a feeling of fullness and roundness on the palate, alcohol contributes a slight sense of sweetness. For example, wines that are generally high in alcohol—like some California Zinfandels and Australian Shirazes—often have a slightly sweet berry flavor. That sweetness comes in part from the alcohol created during fermentation.

Just ten years ago, Ready-To-Drink cocktails made up less than 3% of the total volume of alcoholic beverages sold in the U.S. In 2022, the number grew to 12%—larger than the volume of the entire wine market in the U.S. According to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, this growth was almost entirely fueled by the popularity of hard seltzer. While the projected rate of growth for RTD cocktails has slowed, the total volume of RTD cocktails sold in the U.S. remains greater than the total volume of wine sold in the U.S.

While the vast majority of Sancerre is a dry racy white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, a tiny amount of red Sancerre does exist. It’s made from Pinot Noir, which makes up approximately 20% of the region’s vineyard plantings.

This is one of the most counterintuitive facts about wine, for it certainly seems reasonable that a deeper, more intensely colored wine would have a flavor to match. But that’s not how it works. A wine’s color is not a predictor of the intensity of its flavor. Pinot noir is a great example. A Pinot that’s positively riveting and rich in flavor may have a faint brick-red color that looks anything but intense. Wine pros learn not to “taste” with their eyes.

Over the two thousand years of Pinot Noir’s known existence—the grape may be much older—it has spawned a number of tasty genetic mutations of itself, including Pinot Grigio. Also known as Pinot Gris (gris means gray in French), the pinkish-gray hued grape is the result of a color mutation in Pinot Noir. Pinot Grigio has a lower concentration of pigment and is therefore used to make a white wine instead of a red wine.

Some Chardonnays have a noticeable butteriness due to diacetyl—a buttery-tasting compound that is a by-product of malolactic fermentation. This is the process in which beneficial bacteria turn the sharp-tasting malic acid in wine to softer lactic acid. Not all Chardonnays go through malolactic fermentation, but those that do will often taste buttery. Butteriness in Chardonnay does not come from oak, although many wine drinkers assume this is the case.

In France, the fundamental concept of terroir as the dominant factor shaping a wine’s character became pervasive and flourished. Historically, the French have been so convinced that Nature makes the wine that there has never been an exact French word for winemaker. Instead, the term commonly used, vigneron, portrays a more humble role. Vigneron means “grape grower.”

Body is often poorly understood and misconstrued. A wine’s body tells you nothing about the quality of a wine, or the intensity of its flavors, or how long the finish will be. Think about great sorbet. It’s very light in body, but the quality, flavor intensity, and sustained impact of its flavor can be riveting. Body is related to alcohol content. The more alcohol a wine has, the fuller its body will be.

There are several examples of this in the U.S., notably the AVAs Walla Walla and Columbia Gorge, both of which are in Washington and in Oregon. In fact one prominent AVA spans three states. The Columbia Valley AVA is over 11 million acres in size and is spread over parts of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

If you were to draw a parallel line down a map of the world, you would see (perhaps counterintuitively) that most of Chile’s wine regions lie east of New York City. Most of Chile’s vineyards are centrally located in the country, with the Andes Mountain Range to the East and the Pacific Ocean to the West.

During the Roman Empire, poisoned beverages were a preferred method of assassinating one’s rivals.  By the Middle Ages, a kind of “poison epidemic” had grown, stimulated by an increase in public apothecaries throughout Europe. To prove that the wine being served wasn’t poisoned, a host would pour some of the wine from his guest’s glass into his own glass and drink it. A guest who trusted the host would just clink the glass instead of requiring his host to drink some of his wine. This gesture of trust evolved into a rite of celebration.