Think big. I want to become a Wine Academy. On September 3, 2018, I started the WSET Diploma Course, which ultimately—if you add a thesis afterward—results in the title of Wine Academy. In part 5, I'll talk about the first lesson, Unit 3 (All the Wines of the World).
It's the end of January and I'm walking into Woerden Castle. Over the next two days, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Austria, and North and South America are on the agenda.
You can read (or listen to ) the general theory everywhere, and chances are I'll write it down again sometime, but not today. Today I'll share two interesting tidbits I hadn't heard before.
The Zweigelt grape variety was developed by Professor Zweigelt, a Nazi.
Say what? Yes, Frits Zweigelt lived from 1888 to 1964 and developed a cross between Saint Laurent and Blaufränkisch in 1922. Unfortunately, it wasn't just innocent lab work; the man also had close ties to the Nazi party. Oddly enough, the grape was simply called "rotburger" until 1975, but was changed to Zweigelt as a tribute to its creator. Awkward.
A group of activists has emerged demanding a name change. This is part of their "Abgezweigelt" campaign. What will the new name be? The group suggests "Blauer Montag ," referring to the "Blue Monday" that can occur after a turbulent weekend. Farmers have already signed up to participate. An update will follow soon.
How a TV show transformed red wine consumption in America.
For years, attempts had been made to get Americans drinking wine, but no one succeeded. Until, in 1991, the TV program 60 Minutes broached the subject. The presenters examined the health gap between the French and the Americans. The former were portrayed as eating nothing but foie gras, baguettes, and cheese; the Americans ate less fat and exercised more. Yet, the French suffered less from cardiovascular disease. How was that possible?
The answer? Red wine. The TV show changed everything. All of America switched to red wine! A nice story, but there are some caveats to this conclusion. The French generally ate healthier (fresh vegetables instead of processed food , in addition to foie gras ), they took their time, cooked more, and so on. Yet, it was wine that made the difference, driving a significant boost in consumption and production. And not just of French wines. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of California wineries more than doubled.
Also interesting: it seems that people drank mostly Merlot. This supposedly led to the film Sideways, in which the protagonist dismantles Merlot and puts Pinot Noir on a pedestal. This again caused fluctuations in sales, but let's not sugarcoat it. Merlot remains one of the most important grape varieties in the world today.
Learn more at Winefolly
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The Road to Weinakademiker - Part 6 (Spirits and D1)
The Road to Weinakademiker - Part 4 (FAQ)