Surprising Wine Facts

Rumble in the Jungle

Talk about a tragedy. 30 million gallons of wine were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Pin a rose on your nose

Wine connoisseurs are down with the lingo. For instance, the smell of young wine is called an “aroma” while a more mature wine offers a more subtle “bouquet”.

To decant or not to decant

A decanter is used mainly to remove sediment from older red wines. Also, it can be used to open up young red wines. Otherwise, wine will "breathe" enough in your glass and decanting is not necessary.

Breaking up isn’t hard to do

If you’re going to break a wine bottle, do it right. Since the coloured glass of wine bottles is a favorite in different types of artwork such as mosaics and wall murals, artists have devised a safe way to go about breaking bottles. While wearing protective eyewear and gloves, a clean, label-free bottle is placed in a double layer of grocery bags on top of a flat workspace that has been covered with layers of old newspapers. Then it’s just a matter of hammering the bottle into pieces of the desired size.

Excuse Me, There’s an Aardvark on My Wine

In the past few years you may have noticed that wine has been overrun by an entire zoo full of different animals— at least as far as wine labels are concerned. These labels are what wine makers affectionately refer to as “critter labels.” It may interest you to know that a study by ACNeilsen found that so called “critter” wines accounted for $600 million out of $4 billion in total wine sales in 2005 and have been on the rise ever since.

Red or white for the win?

Some prefer red, others only drink white, while most of us fall somewhere in between. But which reigns supreme? You might be interested to know that the reds are ahead by a nose, accounting for 55% of wine sold in restaurants in North America. If it’s any consolation to the white wine drinkers out there, just remember your silver medal means more wine for you.

Wine and Punishment

The code of Hammurabi is one of the oldest known set of laws in existence. Apparently, a law exists in the code that dates back to 1,800 B.C. that enforces deceptive wine merchants to be drowned in the river. Talk about drowning your sorrows.

A Posh Vineyard

Celebrity-owned vineyards have become very popular lately. For example, David Beckham purchased a vineyard in California's Napa Valley for his wife Victoria's 34th birthday.

Breaking Bottles

Ever wonder why boats are christened with champagne? The ritual started with the Vikings, who christened boats with human blood in hopes of pleasing their gods. Eventually they were convinced that red wine would work just as well, which led to the use of champagne. Since champagne tends to attract fewer sharks in the water, this change was probably for the best.

For Personal Use Only

Although it isn't legal to make your own liquor at home, you are in fact allowed to create your own wine. This is because you need a still to make liquor, as described in the Excise Act of Canada. You can give away bottles of your homemade wine, but it is actually illegal to sell it. But that just means there's more for you.

Battle Of The Wines

In 1979, French food and wine magazine Gault Millau organized the Wine Olympics. The competition included 330 wines from 33 countries that were judged by 62 experts from ten countries.

Don’t Burst Our Bubbles

The fizzy bubbles in sparkling wine that we all love were originally seen as a defect, as it was thought to distract the tongue from the wine's flavour. Imagine, life without those playful bubbles tickling our tongues. We can hardly fathom the thought!

The Sound of Moscato

Moscato has been making a splash on the music scene lately. Sales have been increasing thanks in part to rap royalty like Kanye West, T.I., and Drake mentioning the sweet and fragrant wine in songs such as "Lighters Up" and even in interviews.

Leading the Wine Way

Who would have thought a retired German soldier could become the father of Canadian wine making. His name is Johann Schiller, and in 1811 he applied his wine expertise to 400 acres of grapes planted in the Niagara region of Ontario. He led the way for many great vineyards to come in Canada.

The Waiting Game

Wine may evolve over time, but apparently, most people don't usually wait for that to happen. Approximately 90% of the world's wine is consumed within two years of its vintage date. Some people just can’t wait to enjoy their wine!

A Whole Lot of Wine

How do you build the largest wine bottle in the world? An American glass designer and a Czech glass company have done it, creating a 264 pound bottle. It takes up to five weeks, is a multi-person job, and is made from several pieces of technical glass that is used for test tubes.

Keep Your Leftovers

If there’s leftover wine at the bottom of your bottle, don’t let it go to waste. Use it to make wine vinegar. Mix equal parts of white vinegar with your wine, and leave it in the bottle for a month. It’s a great way to finish off the bottle and add great flavour to a salad!

Where There's Wine There's a Way

Wine enthusiasts were forced into desperate times during the prohibition. Although wine production dropped from 55 to 3.5 million gallons during this period, making wine at home largely increased. Citizens were allowed to make 200 gallons of non-intoxicating cider a year. But, since non-intoxicating cider was never really defined, it was easy to find loopholes.

Down to the Wire

Have you ever wondered what the wire cage covering the cork on a champagne bottle is referred to as? It is called a "muselet." It originates from the French word "to muzzle." That's the kind of muzzle you would want to take off!

Liquid Currency

If you were around in ancient times, you would know that wine was used as a universal currency. It was very common for Greeks to trade wine for metals, and Romans often traded wine in return for slaves. Sounds like quite the trade off.

You Can't Judge a Grape by its Label

You may never know what exact year your wine was bottled in. That’s because in the Northern Hemisphere, the growing season occurs from May to September. Once the grapes are harvested, it’s so late in the year the actual bottling often ends up happening the next year, or even two years for some barrel aged wines.

What Part Did Wine Play in the Creation of Coca-Cola?

Coca-Cola should give many thanks to the wine industry. Back in the 1850s, European wines were fortified with coca extract, and then produced in America. Due to local prohibition laws,a non-alcoholic version had to be produced. This is how Coca-Cola was ultimately invented.

The Wine-iest Place on Earth

Which country is responsible for producing the most amount of wine in the world? It happens to be Italy. With over 2000 planted grape varieties, Italy has been producing wine for over 2800 years.

Wine And Chocolate For Your Heart

Chocolate and wine have more in common then you think. Red wine and chocolate both happen to be rich in phenolics. These are chemicals that help lower the risk of heart disease and assist in the prevention of artery clogging. In comparison, the average amount of phenolic resins in a typical chocolate bar is the same as in a glass of red wine. So why not treat your heart to both this Mother's Day?

Bordeaux Has A Not So Boring History

Bordeaux, a region popularly known for their red wines, was once better known for their whites with over 80% of their land dedicated to its production. In the 1970s, political and social factors began to split the region, contributing to the transition of popularizing their reds.