4 Little - Known Wine Facts

Wine is one of those things that people like to be able to talk about. And while some people can carry on a good wine-related conversation, most people wing it...........

Take a look at these amazing wine facts

1. Grapes may have made the first beer

If wine wasn't the first alcoholic beverage, then the yeast from grapes was used to make the first beer. In history as in the barroom, wine has its advocates and beer has its advocates, and some historians believe people made beer before they made wine.  But the skin of the grape proved to be essential even in this process. The yeast from the foam of the skin of fermenting grapes is a catalyst to fermenting honey, fruits and barley, which is the start of a good beer

2. Women get drunker on wine than men.

This is because women have less of an enzyme in the stomach to metabolize wine. Men have more of an enzyme that degrades alcohol, and, in general, men can safely consume twice the amount of alcohol as women because of this and other metabolic differences.  Of course, women enjoy more protection from alcohol-related liver disease if they simply eat while they drink.  So if you're going to open a bottle, maybe it's wise to keep some snacks on hand, too.

3. Global warming may have an impact on wine production

Scientists issued a dire report in 2006 that said rising temperatures could render Napa Valley in California unsuitable for growing several types of premium grapes.  A more recent study, released in July 2011 by scientists at Stanford University, suggested that farmers will still be able to grow the grapes, but not in California. The study, which assumes an increase in temperature of 2 degrees Fahrenheit (-16.7 degrees Celsius) in the next 30 years, suggests that the growing of pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon grapes could shift to the Willamette Valley in Oregon and the Walla Walla Valley in Washington.

The growers need a temperature of about 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) for the most delicate grapes. In this latest study, they found that we won't lose the wines, but that they may no longer be the crown jewels in the offerings of California growers.

4. The wine cork is not for smelling.

The cork is actually for examining. If you have the good fortune to sit down in a restaurant with a wine steward, you're not going to make a great impression by sniffing the cork when he hands it to you.  In truth, he's presenting you the cork to examine. Check to see if it's all in one piece; a fragmented or moldy cork might mean a lower quality wine.

With the best wines, the cork will display the date and other information, as well.

For more information and more little known facts, check out the links below:

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/10-little-known-wine-facts.htm#page=7

http://interestingthings.info/food-and-beverages/10-interesting-facts-wine-know.html