Wine and Local Trivia

(Little tidbits about Wine and Local Paso Wine Facts)

There is a major revolution taking place in the wine closure business.  Corks or Screw Caps!  Back in the 60's screw caps got a bad name because of cheap wines line "Boone's Farm".  Many serious wine drinkers refused to accept wine in screw caps.  Things are changing.  Many excellent wines are now bottled with screw caps.  What would be the primary reason corks have been replaced by Screw Caps?

	a)	Better Aging
	b)	More Environmentally Friendly
	c)	Cheaper
	d)	Less Tainted Wine

Answer:  d)  Although many people believe the use of cork is harmful to the environment cork is a renewable resource and potentially less harmful than the use of Screw Caps.  Cork is harvested from the barks of Oak trees and does not harm the tree in the process.  The movement to screw caps is an effort to reduce the amount of wine taint caused by 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA).  Estimates vary on the amount of TCA (corked) wine, but estimates have been as high as 7%.  Cork is still the preferred closure for aging wines. 

My thoughts are simple.  If it's a wine I expect to drink within 3 to 5 years a screw cap is fine,  but a wine I expect to age over 5 years cork is preferred.

One last comment,  Boone's Farm isn't considered wine any longer.  It's now marketed as a malt beverage.  As a malt beverage it can be sold in more locations with less tax.  EJ Gallo at work again.

Most people have left a bottle of wine open for a period of time.  So the question is,  What happens to wine when it is left open for an extended period of time?

	a)	Sherry
	b)	Vinegar
	c)	Just Sour Wine
	d)	All of the Above

Answer: (d) All of the above.  Sherry is an oxidized wine from Spain which is made by allowing wine to oxidize.   

If a particular bacteria is present (Acetobacter),  wine (ethyl alcohol) is converted into acetic acid which is Vinegar.  The word Vinegar is derived from the Old French expression vin aigre which means Sour Wine. 

What is Mount Diablo Meridian?

	a)	Local Wine Blend
	b)	Survey Baseline
	c)	Vineyard on Hwy 46 West
	d)	None of the Above

Answer: (b) Survey Baseline.  Meridians are longitudinal lines of the earth.  The principle Meridian that passes though California is the Mount Diablo Meridian.  The intersection of the Mount Diablo Meridian and Mount Diablo Base is the reference point for most surveys in California and all of Nevada.

A little Real Estate Trivia which could be encountered locally.  Assume you were purchasing a winery and vineyard and the statement was made that " emblements" were not included in the sale.  What would this mean?

	a)	Winery Inventory not Included
	b)	TTB Bond not included
	c)	Grape Harvest not included
	d)	None of the Above

Answer: (c) Grape Harvest not included.  Emblements in Real Estate terminology means harvested crops.  Real Estate law isn't absolutely clear on who would own the current years crop if not specified in the contract especially if the sale took place just before harvest time.  That's why it would be best to specify and the established Real Estate term would be Emblements. 

The Paso hillsides are so beautiful this time of year.  It also reminds us of years past before Paso was known for it's great wine it was considered the _________ City?

	a)	Pistachio
	b)	Walnut
	c)	Almond
	d)	None of the Above

Answer: (c)  Almond.  California is the largest producer of almonds in the world, and 75 years ago Paso Robles had the highest concentration of almond trees anywhere in the world.  Almond production is still an important product, but much of the production has moved to the Central Valley.  Both Walnuts and Pistachios are grown locally,  but if you think historically Pistachios are relatively new to the US.  Iran is the largest producer of Pistachios in the world.  Pistachio is a Farsi (Persian) word.  

Zinfandel is often considered California's grape,  but it's origin is Croatia.  Zinfandel has a sister grape which was also traced back to Croatia.  What is Zinfandel's sister grape?

	a)	Tempranillo
	b)	Primitivo
	c)	Trebbiano
	d)	None of the Above

Answer: (b)  Primitivo and Zinfandel are very closely related and can both be traced back to a common ancestral grape variety from Croatia.  Actually Primitivo has many of the same Zinfandel characteristics.  

If you own land in Paso Robles, which of the following is not in the "Chain of Title" for your property?  
 

	a)	Pedro Narvaez
	b)	US Government
	c)	Petronillo Rios
	d)	None of the Above

Answer: a)  This is somewhat a trick question testing the knowledge of Paso Robles history and land ownership. 

The Mexican Government granted Pedro Narvaez approximately 25,000 acres which included what is now Paso Robes.  After the war between the US and Mexico was resolved and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed the US issued Patents to those who could prove ownership.  The original Land Patent for the Rancho El Paso Robles was issued to Petronillo Rios.  "Abstract of Title" or more commonly "Chain of Title" documents ownership to the original Land Patent.  

What is a "Claret" wine?

  

	a)	Red Wine from Bordeaux
	b)	Any Red Wine Blend
	c)	A Rose Wine
	d)	All of the Above

Answer: d) All of the Above

The meaning of Claret is very dependent upon time and location.  The word originally referred to a Rose wine exported from Bordeaux to England derived from the French word for pale, clairet .  Today, it is more specially the English (British) term for any red wine from Bordeaux and it's usage is strictly controlled by the European Union.  The more common usage in the US is to refer to any red wine blend made in a Bordeaux style,  but there are no formal restrictions on it's usage in the US.  It's important to note that the word Claret has no formal usage in France except on wines designated for British export.

So, maybe this question isn't local other than the love of good chili.  Chili has become an American favorite.  It actually has a fairly young history for such a popular American dish.  What city is considered the Chili capital of the world, Boasting the most chili served and most chili restaurants per capita.

	a)	San Antonio
	b)	Albuquerque
	c)	Cincinnati
	d)	Memphis

Answer: c)  Cincinnati

Unless you're spent time in Cincinnati you probably would never have know it,  but Cincinnati is the Chili Capital of the World.  There are Chili Parlors on almost every street corner.   A very unique style of Chili served is what are known as "ways"  A 2 way is chili over spaghetti; a 3 way is chili over spaghetti with cheese; a 4 way has diced onions added; and the famous 5 way has kidney beans.  The largest Chili Parlor chain is Goldstar with over 100 restaurants.  Additional chains include Skyline and Empress (the original).  Each chain has their own slight variations of recipe,  but the style of presentation varies little between them. 

A question of taste.  Many white wines in particular have a characteristic buttery flavor.  What is the source of this buttery flavor?
 

	a)	Malic Acid
	b)	Lactic Acid
	c)	Milk used as a Fining Agent
	d)	Characteristic of Chardonnay Grape

Answer: b) Lactic Acid

Although a common characteristic of many Chardonnay wines, the buttery flavor is not a natural grape characteristic,  but the taste of Lactic Acid, the same acid found in Milk. Lactic acid is not a natural component of grapes,  but is formed by the conversion of Malic acid to Lactic acid by secondary fermentation. 

Most of you have seen the movie "Sideways". In the movie, Miles coveted a special bottle of Wine.  What was the Winery and varietal of that special wine?

	a)	Sea Smoke - Pinot Noir
	b)	Silver Oak - Cabernet Sauvignon
	c)	Cheval Blanc - Merlot
	d)	None of the Above

Answer: C) Cheval Blanc - Merlot

Yes, the very special bottle of wine while Miles cherished so much was a Cheval Blanc which blends two grape varieties to form their great wines,  Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  Merlot is normally the predominate grape in this wine, but varies by vintage. 

 What do Paso Robles, American Idol, and "So, You think you can Dance" have in common?

	a)	Reality Show, "Cork Screwed" was based on a Local Paso Winery and produced by the same producers
	b)	Villa San-Juliette located in San Miguel is owned by the producers of both American Idol and "So, You think you can Dance"
	c)	Both A and B
	d)	No Relationship.

Answer: C)  Both A and B

Nigel Lythgoe, Formerly one of the producers of American Idol and current Judge and Producer for "So, You think you can Dance" in partnership with Ken Warwick, one of the American Idol producers and Producer of "America's Got Talent" purchased acreage in San Miguel to build a winery.  Their exploits of this process were video graphed into a reality TV show, Corkscrewed.

The label for the new winery is Villa San-Juliette. 

 What does Black Wine or Ink Wine refer to?

	a)	Wine Produced in Cohors region of France
	b)	Wine made from Grapes with Red flesh such as Alicante Bouschet
	c)	Wine that is left too long on the skins can take on such a deep color that it can be used as Ink.  Ernest Hemingway wrote many of his great works using this ink.
	d)	None of Above

Answer: A) Wine from the Cahors region of France. 

The wines produced in the Cahors region has a characteristic of being very deep in color and almost black.  They are almost totally opaque wines are made predominately from the Malbec grape and must contain at least 70% Malbec. 

Cahors has been reported to be one of Ernest Hemingways' favorite wines.  So he may have penned some of his great work with it,  but not in the literal sense.  

 What does the term "Toasted Head" refer to?

	a)	A Rock Band
	b)	A brand of Wine
	c)	Scorched ends of Wine Barrels
	d)	All of the Above

Answer: D) All of the Above

There was a hot band in the LA area known as the Toasted Heads.  RH Phillips has a second wine brand which has gotten a lot of popularity known as Toasted Head.

As it truly applies to wine, toasted head refers to the fact that the ends or heads of a wine barrel are toasted.  Winemakers have a lot of choices in barrels to impart that special flavor.  Various types of Oak (Appalachian, American, French, Hungarian) and the amount of scorching or toasting done to the oak.  One of the choices is if the Heads are toasted or not.   

What is the difference between Port and Late Harvest wine?

	a)	None, Port is a late harvest wine from Portugal
	b)	Port is a mixture of Brandy and wine.
	c)	Late Harvest in another name for Ice Wine, much different than Port.
	d)	None, They are both fortified wines

Answer: B) Port is a mixture of Brandy and wine.  Port is a fortified wine from Portugal.  Fortified wines and Late harvest wines are both very sweet and contain higher alcohol levels than table wines, but the sugar levels are obtained by very different methods.  Late Harvest wines have a very high sugar level because the fruit is allowed to stay on the vine longer and reach very high sugar levels.  Too much sugar to be fully fermented.  Port as a Fortified wine has distilled wine (Brandy) added to halt the fermentation before all the sugar has been consumed.  Leaving a very sweet wine, high in alcohol.  

If you had picked D you could be correct by some viewpoints.  The US considers wine to be Table Wine (up to 14% alcohol), sparkling wines , or Fortified Wine.  Although Fortified doesn't have a strict definition it could be implied that any wine which is greater than 14% alcohol and not sparkling would be considered fortified.

Who was Ignacy Paderewski?

Answer: d)  Igancy Padereski was an early vineyard owner and vintner in Paso Robles.  Padereski had purchased 2000 acres in the early 1920s in the Adelaide area and planted Petite Syrah and Zinfandel grapes. His wine was made at the York Mountain Winery.  He had discovered Paso Robles after he had resigned his position as Independent Poland's first Prime Minister.  Paderski already a famous Pianist resumed his music career and was touring the world.  He fell in love with Paso Robles and is now considered a native son after his short residency.

Answer: c, d.  The primary blending grape with Syrah in the Northern Rhone Valley is the white wine grape Viognier.  Some regions of Northern Rhone do not allow any blending so that would make d an acceptable answer.  Grenache and Mouvedre are allowed in Southern Rhone wines. 
 

Zinfandel is often referred to as America's Grape due to its long history.  Paso Robles shares that long history of producing Zinfandel grapes. In the 1920's and 30's Paso Zinfandel grape production expanded considerably.  What year was the first commercial winery established in Paso Robles producing Zinfandel wine and who was responsible?
 

	a)	1918, Dusi
	b)	1933,Nerelli
	c)	1885, York
	d)	1962, Hoffman

Answer: c, York.  Andrew York first produced Zinfandel wine for sale in San Luis Obispo and as far away as San Francisco in the mid 1880's.  It is the oldest continuously operating winery in the area.  Dusi is known for significant contribution as a Zinfandel grower in the area from the 1920's.  Nerelli was the first to bond a winery locally after Prohibition was ended.  Hoffman was an early pioneer in Pinot Noir production in the 1960's and 70's.

Paso Robles produces excellent red wine, but white wine grapes are the most planted in the world.  What is the most planted wine grape in the world?
 

	a)	Chardonnay
	b)	Airén
	c)	Colombard
	d)	Chablis

Answer : b) Yes, Airén is the most planted grape in the world, and if you have never heard of it join the group.  Spain has millions of acres of Airén planted.  Much is used to product cheap white wine but mainly Brandy.  Chardonnay is the most planted white grape of California, Colombard (French Colombard) is second.  Chablis is a sub-region of France's Burgundy know for it's Chardonnay.

Since it's New Year's most everyone think of Champagne for that festive celebration.  Don Perignon is often credited with inventing Sparkling Wine we now know as Champagne,   but an Englishman, Christopher Merrett actually invented sparkling wine.  What contribution did Dom Perignon actually make to the development of Champagne.
 

	a)	First to Use Black Grapes (Pinot Noir)
	b)	Invented Wire Basket for Cork
	c)	Dom Perignon was a Marketing Name, He didn't actually exist
	d)	None of the Above

Answer; b)  Christopher Merrett was an English physician and scientist who actually invented Champagne.  Dom Perginon, about 30 years later added his contribution of inventing the Wire Basket and Cork we are familiar with on Champagne bottles.

  What famous Wild West Outlaw had roots in Paso Robles?
 

	a)	Frank & Jesse James
	b)	Billy the Kid
	c)	Doc Holiday
	d)	None of the Above

Answer: a)  Frank and Jesse James.  Frank and Jesse's Uncle Dury James lived on a ranch on the Paso Westside.  Dury's cabin is still there today about 1/2 mile east of Norman Winery.  Frank and Jesse visited their uncle often.  They would hangout frequently at the Old Paso Inn.  

A very common term on wine labels is the simple expression "Table Wine".  In Europe this expression would mean wine which was not of sufficient quality to receive the appellation or even regional designation.  In the US there is a legal definition for "Table Wine". What is the meaning of Table Wine on a US Wine Label?
 

	a)	Same as Europe, Poorer quality Wine
	b)	Still, Non Fortified Wines
	c)	Non-Vintage Wine
	d)	None of the Above

Answer: B.  Wine in the US falls into one of 3 categories,  Table Wine: Wine less than 14% alcohol;  Fortified Wine: Wines greater than 14% alcohol; and Sparkling Wine: In-Bottle Fermentation Wines.  Table Wine has no designation of Quality, only alcohol content.

Last month we learned that the dimple in the bottom of a wine bottle is known as either a Punt or a Kick.  So, What is the purpose of the Punt?

	a)	No Modern Purpose, A Tradition from when bottles were hand blown
	b)	A place for settlement to accumulate with red wine
	c)	Bottle Strength
	d)	All of the Above

Answer: Either A. or D There is no clear consensus on why the Punt still exist in bottles.  Modern glass bottle making processes do not require it as hand blown techniques did.  When bottles were blown by hand it also was thought that it was more sturdy.  This has also lead to the strength hypothesis.  Some strongly believe it's to hold the settlement of red wines, but then again it's common on sparkling wine bottles.  It's also theorized that it allows sparkling wine bottles to stack easier for riddling,  why is it on red wine bottles.  It has become somewhat a symbol of wine quality.  Red Wine produces in particular will order bottles with the most pronounced Punt for their premium wines.

Answer: c. Dimple in Bottom of Wine Bottles.  The Dimple in the bottom if Wine Bottles is called a Punt and also has been referred to as a Kick or Kick-up.  Next month will explore it's purpose.

Answer: e.  All of the Above.  The Wine bottle definitions are as follows:

What famous couple spent their honeymoon in Paso Robles?

	a)	Clark Gable and Carole Lombard
	b)	Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio
	c)	Humphy Bogart and Lauren Bacall
	d)	None of the Above

Answer: B.  Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio.  Yes, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio spent the first night of their honeymoon in the Clifton motel on the south side of Paso.  Joe and Marilyn were married in San Francisco in January of 1954 and were in route to Palm Springs.  Matter of fact, although no longer a motel, the building is still on the corner of 1st and Spring.

What is Chai?

	a)	Tea, Indian Tea, or Spiced Tea
	b)	Hebrew for Living
	c)	Wine Barrel Storage Room
	d)	All of the Above

A rather common designation on American wine labels is the word "Reserve".  What does this mean?
 

	a)	Same as Estate
	b)	Only the top 10% of Estate Grapes are used
	c)	"Reserve" this wine for special occasions
	d)	Nothing

Answer:  D. Nothing.  Although in Europe the word Reserve has very strict legal definition, in the US it can mean anything.  Some wineries use it to designate their best wines,  Some to designate more oak,  and some slap the word on their worse junk wine.

White Zinfandel is referred to as the 3rd largest varietal produced in the US.  Most know it's not a different grape,  but the question is; what Napa winery created the wine style we know as White Zinfandel today?
 

	a)	Berringer
	b)	Meridian
	c)	Sutter Home
	d)	Charles Shaw

Answer:  C.  Sutter Home.   White Zinfandel has been produced in California since the 1880's, but previously produced in a dry Rose style.  In the 1970's Sutter was a major producer of traditional Zinfandel.  Common in that process is the draining off of a portion of the juice before fermentation to create a richer more flavorful Zin.  Often the byproduct excess juice was fermented also.  One time a fermentation got "stuck" leaving a high residual sugar content wine.  White Zinfandel as we know today (either love or hate) was created.

Answer:  b or c, The original Champagne glass was said to have been molded from the breasts of the beautiful Helen of Troy.  Later in historical time, Marie Antoinette ordered that the champagne glass be remolded in the shape of her own breasts. Larger.   

Answer: (b) Croatia.  Zinfandel was at one time thought to be indigenous to California due to it's extensive plantings here.  DNA analysis has linked Zin to the primitivo grape Italy's Puglia region.  Most recent DNA analysis has determined that Zinfandel is a DNA match of the Crljenak Kastelanski grape  from Croatia.  Primitivo is now considered a clone of the Zinfandel/Crljenak Kastelanski grape.  I'm not aware of any Primitivo grown in the Paso area, but Mosby in Santa Barbara County produces an excellent Primitivo from San Luis Obispo fruit.

Answer:  (c) There are 8 grape varietals allowed to be used in Bordeaux wine.  Those are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Sauvigonon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle. 

Chardonnay is  a Burgundy grape variety.

So next time you look at a vineyard think that each acre of grapes will become 45,000 glasses of wine.
 

Answer:  Non of the Above.  California does not have a state grape varietal.  There was legislation recently proposed to make Zinfandel the State Grape of California, but this was not approved. 

Answer:  Fosters.  Meridian is the largest winery operation in the Paso Area with 800,000 cases per year.  Meridian is owned by Beringer-Blass who is then owned by Fosters.  Delicato buys a lot of fruit from the Paso area, but I'm not aware of any winery ownership. Delicato has annual production of 1.6M cases.  Jim Bean is the owner of Wildhorse. J Lohr is growing quickly and currently producing 740,000 cases per year.    So if you answered J Lohr you may be correct soon.  Case production based upon information from Paso Wine.  Delicato production from Wine Business Monthly.
 

Answer:  There are two correct answers, York Mountain and Central Coast.  Most people think of York Mountain as  a Paso  Robles wine,  technically, York Mountain is a separate  AVA (one of the smallest).  The are two wineries located in the York Mountain AVA (York Mountain and Stephens).  San Luis Obispo is not an AVA, wines can be identified by AVA, County, or State of grape source. Central Coast AVA includes all counties from San Francisco Bay to Santa Barbara.