Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Complete List of Italian DOCG's as of today

Complete Listing of Italian DOCG Wines (as of March 2009): 44

Abruzzo (1)
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo “Colline Teramane”

Campania (3)
Fiano di Avellino
Greco di Tufo
Taurasi

Emilia Romagna (1)
Albana di Romagna

Friuli-Venezia Giulia (2)
Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit
Ramandolo

Lazio (1)
Cesanese del Piglio

Lombardia (5)
Franciacorta
Oltrepo Pavese
Sforzato della Valtellina
Valtellina Superiore
Moscato di Scanzo (new)

Marche (2)
Conero
Vernaccia di Serrapetrona

Piemonte (12)
Asti spumante - Moscato d’Asti
Barbaresco
Barbera d’Asti
Barbera del Monferrato Superiore
Barolo (Chinato, as well, falls under this DOCG)
Brachetto D’Acqui o Acqui
Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore o Dogliani
Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore
Gattinara
Gavi o Cortese di Gavi
Ghemme
Roero

Sardegna (1)
Vermentino di Gallura

Sicilia (1)
Cerasuolo di Vittoria

Toscana (8)
Brunello di Montalcino
Carmignano
Chianti
Chianti Classico
Elba Aleatico Passito (new)
Morellino di Scansano
Vernaccia di S.Gimignano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Umbria (2)
Montefalco Sagrantino
Torgiano Rosso Riserva

Veneto (5)
Bardolino Superiore
Recioto di Gambellara
Recioto di Soave
Soave Superiore
Conegliano Valdobbiadene and Colli Asolani (new)


Posted on Vinowire.com

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Cuba's Four Tabacco Regions


Name four tobacco regions of Cuba.

Semi Vuelta Abajo : Home of the Habano cigar, particularly the plantations found within the regions of San Luis and San Juan.

Partidos
Remedios
Oriente

South African Wine Map and Question


Name six coastal wine regions of South Africa.

Tulbagh
Paarl
Darling
Swartland
Stellenbosch
Cape Point




Jaime Goode on SA wine regions

Monday, March 16, 2009

Random Trivia

Wine Trivia Facts

  1. According to scientist Bill Lembeck there are approximately 49 million bubbles in a bottle of Champagne.
  2. The word Alcohol is derived from the Arabic language (al kohl or alkuhl). Consider the fact that a large proportion of the Arabic population is forbidden from consuming alcohol for religious reasons.
  3. The largest cork tree in the world is known as 'The Whistler Tree'. This tree is located in the Alentejo region of Portugal and averages over 1 ton of raw cork per harvest. Enough to cork 100,000 bottles of wine.
  4. The average number of grapes it takes to produce a bottle of wine: 600.
  5. Dom Perignon did not invent champagne, it had existed for several years. What he did invent was the mushroom shaped cork and wire cage that allowed the sparkling wine to be safely bottled. Previous attempts had all ended with popped corks.
  6. In Fairbanks, Alaska, it's illegal to feed a moose any alcohol beverage
  7. The first commercial U.S. winery, established in 1823, was located in Missouri.
  8. During prohibition, an interesting product called the 'Grape Brick' was sold to thousands of wine-parched households across America. Attached to the 'brick' of dried and pressed winegrape concentrate was a packet of yeast, and the stern warning, "Do not add yeast or fermentation will result."
  9. The corkscrew was invented in 1860
  10. Most popular varietals in Napa Valley (in order of popularity)
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Chardonnay
  • Merlot
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Pinot Noir
  • Zinfandel