Expat Unplugged Diary

Boxed-wine was a curse word in my household growing up. The  likelihood of catching my mother with a glass of Rose or White  Zinfandel? Absolutely not!  On the other hand, a glass of red with  dinner? Why not?!

You would assume growing up around such an oenophile (lover of wine) I  would know at least the bare minimum about wine, but sadly this is not  the case. I am proudly able to distinguish the difference between a red  and a white wine, but my talent stops there. Just ask MissMalini, I was  utterly useless during our Sula Tasting in distinguishing flavors, but  our lovely wine connoisseur did give us a  the helpful hint that ‘most  people just make up what they taste anyways’.

This Friday, in honor of heading to Sulafest 2011 for a weekend full  of making up flavors and scents, is all about wine and bubbly champagne.

Oenophilia: For the Love of Wine

Oenophilia
Oenophilia

1. The word “toast,” which means wishing good health originated in ancient Rome. A piece of toasted bread was literally dropped into wine back then. Could you imagine the looks of horror you would receive if you tried that today? …Tempting.

2. The soil of one of the vineyards in France is considered so precious that it is mandatory for workers to scrape the soil off their shoes before they leave.

3. Feet give me the heebie jeebies, so finding out that grape stomping at festivals and vineyards is solely for entertainment purposes gives me an immense sense of relief. If you must stomp grapes and use the juice, please make sure to use a mass amount of chemical disinfectant and rinse properly before squishing the fruit between your toes.

4. Dom Perignon wasn’t blind! He also did not create champagne nor did he exclaim, ‘Come quickly! I am tasting stars!” Even though I do favor Perrier- Jouet Rose, Dom is still is my favorite monk to date.

5. One of the cutest keepsakes I have ever seen was a massive bowl of meaningful corks at a friend’s house. Beginning from the bottle on the night of her engagement, she has kept every cork from significant events and mark the date and description. At any point during a day, she can go fishing for memories such as her wedding or the birth of her daughter. Adorable.