If you answer “yes” to three or more of the wine-focused questions that follow, you are a true wine geek.
And I mean that in a good way!
• Did you know that wine grapes are still being grown in a one-acre vineyard that Thomas Jefferson planted more than 200 years ago? Of course, the grapevines and varieties are different today than in Jefferson’s time, but that should not come as a surprise. History shows that Jefferson himself replanted the vineyard several times in search of the best varieties for the site.
• Did you know that a line of wines based on the global TV hit “Game of Thrones” has been introduced? The various wines — reds and whites are included — are linked to the show’s feuding clans, all under the “Wines of Westeros” banner.
• Did you know that it’s now possible to experience the mellowness-inducing pleasure of wine and the flavor of coffee… together? Friends Fun Wine has introduced coffee-flavored wine in a can. What I’m wondering is how the company beat Starbucks to the punch.
• Did you know that fans of Barolo and Barbaresco wines should be able to enjoy their favorite elixirs for decades to come? Those two winegrowing regions in Italy have been granted UNESCO “World Heritage Site” status by the United Nations’ World Heritage Committee. The Champagne and Burgundy regions of France will be considered for that status in 2015.
• Did you know that Wine Enthusiast Magazine has released its 2014 list of America’s best wine restaurants? It’s included in the August issue, which also features a list of top BYOB restaurants.
• Did you know that Veuve Clicquot has buried 300 bottles and 50 magnums of Champagne in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Finland? It’s part of an experiment to compare aging potential with cellar-aged wines. Four years ago, 168 bottles — some dating back to 1839 — were discovered in the same place, and some were still drinkable
