What is the best grape for wine in the Franken, Germany?

Silvaner makes the best wine due to an extremely short growing season

Grape Break down in the Franken

• Müller-Thurgau 31.4%
• Silvaner 20.4%
• Bacchus 12.2%
• Kerner 4.6%
• Riesling 4.6%

Who developed Pinotage?

Pinotage was developed by Prof. A.I Perold in 1925, when he successfully crossed Pinot noir and Cinsaut, which was then known as Hermitage. Hence the name Pino – tage.

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

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

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

Map of Veneto

Amarone: Is there an inverse relationship with quality and quantity?

If I have to guess it would mean cheaper Amarone.

In 1997 Amarone producers bottled just under 1.6 million bottles of their famed wine. In under 10 years their estimating the 2007 vintage at 10 million bottles produced. Will we see better Ripasso? Get the whole story here.

Vosne Romanee Maps

Organic farming and the 06 Vintage in Burgundy, if Aubert does it....

Picture also from Jaime Goode www.wineanorak.com

This from Jamie Goode's Blog. From a Recent 2006 DRC tasting. Goode asked Aubert about his thoughts on the 2006 vintage, which lead into his thoughts on organic farming and its importance.

"'The wines show that one cannot speak of great vintages or small vintages any more', says Aubert. 'Take the last 10 years: each has had its own character. 2006 was more difficult, certainly, than 2005, but, finally, with a small yield and a lot of care at sorting you have a maturity - both phenolic and sugar - that is at the same level as 2005. The difference is in the style of the wines'.

Aubert says that being organic is very important, and has had an effect on the quality of the wines. The domaine has been organic for 25 years, and part biodynamic for a while. With the 2008 vintage it is fully biodynamic. Yet Aubert thinks the big quality gain is switching to organics from conventional farming, not the move from organics to biodynamics."- Aubert du Villaine of Domaine de la Romanee Conti