This is the weekly column
Some facts and trivia to lighten your mood as we prepare for the horrors of “fall back” when the government gives back the imaginary hour it stole from us on the second Sunday in March.
• Do heavier glass bottles indicate higher quality wine?
Glass weight does not affect wine quality. But there has long been a marketing illusion that better wines come in heavier bottles, and winemakers have tended to put their premier efforts in heavier bottles. But so have lesser wines been put into heavy bottles so sellers can charge more. Happily, there is a mounting movement to reduce bottle weight, which cuts down on CO2 emissions and shipping and other costs.
Symington Family Estates recently switched to lighter bottles for its Cockburn’s Port line. Their new 750 ml bottle weighs 450g down from 585g. Other wineries, especially for wines not made for aging, have shifted to cans and “juice boxes” for even greater savings.
• Will the LED lights in my wine cellar cause light strike in my wine?
UV light and heat are enemies of wine, especially in long-term storage. Traditional lights give off UV and heat. Good news is LED lights give off minimal heat and almost no UV radiation.
• What do the fancy names for bubbles in Champagne mean?
“Mousse” generally refers to the overall fizziness, also the frothy head at the top of the glass. “Perlage” is French for a string of pearls and refers to the column of bubbles rising in the glass. “Bead” basically means the same as perlage.
• What are the most planted wine grapes in the world?
This answer changes and reporting is not uniform, but best answer in 2024 is cabernet sauvignon is the most planted red and chardonnay is the most planted white.
• How do you open a bottle with a wax seal?
Ignore the wax seal. Plunge the corkscrew through the wax and pull. When the cork is pulled, the wax will fall away. Just before you fully remove the cork, you can clean up any wax debris if needed.
• What does the wine descriptor “racy” mean?
Racy is more a style, not a descriptor of quality, smell, or taste. It basically means a wine with vibrant, fresh acidity. While it most often is associated with white wine, red wines can be racy, too. Racy is a positive comment and indicates the wine will “cleanse the palate” and work well with food.
Last round
A friend asked me how much I spend on a bottle of wine?
I said: “About 45 minutes, longer with a meal.” Wine time.
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