Elixir of the Gods

A French Proverb-" The best use of bad wine is to drive away poor relations."

• The dimple was a byproduct of the manufacturing process
• The bottle is easier to hold and pour with a punt.
• The larger the punt the better the wine
• With a smaller flat surface area is less likely to scratch a table
• The bottle is more stable and less likely to topple over
  
• Sediment deposits consolidate in a thick ring at the bottom of the bottle
• Increases the strength of the bottle, allowing it to hold the high pressure of sparkling wine/champagne
• Holds the bottles in place on pegs of a conveyor belt as they go through the filling process in manufacturing plants
• Provides a grip for riddling a bottle of sparkling wine manually in the traditional champagne production process.
  

Don’t Blame Red Wine! 

How many times have you heard red wine causes headaches? It’s just not true. “The sulfites in red wine gives me a headache,” she said, “so I prefer white.” This is a continuing myth. No modern evidence supports the claim that headaches are caused by the sulfites in red wine.

Another myth to go alongside this one is: European wines don’t cause headaches. Just because European laws don’t require the “has sulfites” warning on the label doesn’t mean they don’t have sulfites. The FDA in America requires that wines containing certain levels of sulfites state so on the bottle. The warning is intended only as a warning to that small minority who are in fact allergic to sulfites.

Additionally, all wines contain sulfites. Why? Sulfites are a natural substance found on the grapes, and is a natural preservative. Without the sulfites, the wine would turn to vinegar immediately. The vast majority of wineries add more sulfites to their wines to help them age. Interestingly, most white wines contain more sulfites than red wines. Sweeter whites need sulfur to keep their residual sugars from fermenting. The dryer wines (Chardonnay) need sulfur dioxide because the whites need more protection from oxygen than the reds. Secondly, sulfites are added to kill off nasty bugs in the wineries.

Furthermore, if sulfites were the culprit other common foods like apricots, lunchmeat, sausage and cheese would cause headaches. Reported headaches from these foods are rare. So if sulfites are not the culprit, what is? There are no agreed upon solutions by even a small majority of experts. However, I have a few personal theories. First, I believe the quality of the wine can have a great effect on how you feel after drinking a glass of wine. Stick with the good stuff, not the $2 bottle of wine. Second, most people can drink certain red or white wines but not others, know your body. Also, drink water with your wine. The water helps to moderate the dehydration the wine causes. And, lastly, drink wine as the Europeans drink wine. They drink wine, water and eat healthy food over a multi-hour long meal. The wine is absorbed in small doses. Take a trip to Italy!

They Struck Oil in the Vineyards!

A Northwest couple in the heart of Washington wine country is striking oil. As we all have heard: someone’s trash is someone else’s treasure.  Tons and tons of crushed grape stem, skins and grape seeds are unwanted every year after harvest. So a small company named ApresVin, French for “after the wine,” decided to do something with those winemaking leftovers.

They decided to start with cold-pressed grape seed oil in varietal flavors. Each oil is made from a different grape variety and takes on that wines characteristics. They offer fruity Cabernet Sauvignon, citrusy Riesling and buttery Chardonnay to mention a few. All their oils are excellent to use in cooking. The oils are better than olive oil in that they have a much higher smoke point-485 degree Fahrenheit.

Processing the grape seed into oil produces more by-products. This ground up seed meal, known as press cake is dried and ground some more to make flour. Yes, Merlot or Chardonnay flours. They are even tossing around the idea of Merlot or Chardonnay croutons.