“Plant a radish. Get a radish. Never any doubt. That’s why I love vegetables; you know what you’re about,” goes the opening in a song from The Fantasticks. Continue reading
Category: Wine & Grapes
Bottles of wine from a vine
How many bottles of wine can be made from a single grapevine? Interesting question. This being wine, no simple answer. Continue reading
Variety and varietal
Wine terms: variety and varietal. What do they mean? Easy answer: variety is a noun. Varietal is an adjective. Continue reading
Cellaring wine
So, you are investigating a wine refrigerator or thinking about building a wine cellar. What do you look for? Continue reading
Vine stems
To destem or not to destem? Crushing wine world question. Continue reading
Grape vine cycle
Grape vines were around long before human beings domesticated them. Today, we bend them to our will with trellis systems, pruning, and propagation through cuttings. But their life cycle remains unchanged. Continue reading
The amazing grape vine
Grape vines are amazing plants. They are gritty survivors. They grow on every continent except Antarctica. They are the highest and best use of agricultural land, especially when planted in wine grapes. Continue reading
Tannins
Wine tannins are the little girl with the curl. When they are good, they are very good indeed. But when they are bad they are horrid. Continue reading
Jean-Luc Baldès Clos Triguedina Malbec, Cahors 2011
Medium ruby-purple color; plum, tobacco, boysenberry on the nose; plum, dark fruits, black cherry, blackberry, pinch of peppermint on the palate. Continue reading
Grape quantity per bottle
How many grapes does it take to make a bottle of wine? Depends, as it so often does in wine. Ballpark: 600 to 800 grape berries. Continue reading
