WINE LOVERS OF THE WORLD UNITE --- WINOS TOO

 I am asking for help on this one.  I am not a wine drinker, not since Ripple seared my taste buds years and years ago.  You know the brand, "Every Wine Sold Before Its' Time"!!!  I found this fascinating story, about a connection between Wine and the Moon.  Yes we all know too much wine can make one moon, but this is a study about Wine and the Moon.

It sounds a lot like the story of the physiological wards acting up during a full moon, which most science says is nonsense, but if you talk to nurses who have practical, first person, hands on experience they will tell you there IS a connection.  So I am asking all of you with experienced wine palates, have you ever noticed any times that you imbibed with wine anything that would support this Wine/Moon theory?

BAD WINE DAY!!??  IT IS THE MOON!!

by: David Leask,  from: NEWS.Scotsman.com, Published Date: 19 April 2009

FANCY some wine today? Don't bother. A growing number of experts – including those working for some of Britain's biggest supermarkets – reckon this is the worst possible day for a glass of the old vino.

 

They have come to the remarkable conclusion that wine changes its taste with the lunar cycle. And most of yesterday and today is a Root period, when the moon casts an unpleasant flavour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tesco and Marks & Spencer, it emerged yesterday, now only invites their critics to taste their ranges when the moon-related biodynamic calendar dictates that wines will be at their best.

Both firms, who between them account for a third of all the bottles sold in Britain, are paying increasing attention to a moon calendar published for nearly half a century by a German great-grandmother called Maria Thun. She has divided the days of the year into 'fruit', 'flower', 'leaf' and 'root' – the first two are best for drinking wine, the second two worst

 

 

 

Pierpaolo Petrassi, Tesco's senior product development manager, admitted his firm held its tastings in line with the calendar. "Our first choice is a fruit day. We seek to avoid root and leaf days.

 

 

 

"It may be a little step beyond what consumers can comprehend. We have so many other things to educate consumers about."

Tesco has been scheduling its wine tastings in line with the calendar for two years, but is only now admitting it.

M&S winemaker Jo Ahearne is another convert. "Before the tasting, I was really unconvinced, but the difference between the days was so obvious I was blown away," he said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Motion, a London wine merchant, said: "I live in the city and don't think much about nature, but it is clear it has an influence."

Some other retailers, including Waitrose, are less certain. So are most scientists, who point out that the ultimate inspiration for Thun's calendar is Rudolf Steiner, who came up with the notion after reportedly consulting with spirits, although not of the liquid variety.

 

 

 

Steiner, a well known educational reformer, also believed that the moods of humans could cause earthquakes. (Maybe, but it IS known that drinking too much wine can make one think there is an earthquake!--Dr.Oh) That hasn't stopped vinegrowers in some parts of the world, including France and the US, using assorted biodynamic fertilisers, of no known scientific value, on their crops.

For those still in the mood for a tipple, the best time to imbibe this week will be between 8pm on Wednesday and 11am on Thursday. Next weekend looks good too.

It will be a fruit period between 6pm on Friday and throughout Saturday. And anyone who really must have a drink tonight should wait until after 10pm. The wine will taste better: Granny Thun said so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those wishing more information on this, a link:  http://www.gardeningbythemoon.com/lunarfacts.html

It deals more with planting experiments based on Granny Thun's ideas, but very interesting.--JohnOh

 

 

 

  

PLONK THIS!! or EVERY WINE BEFORE ITS' TIME.

I had never  heard the word "PLONK" before today. At first I thought it might have been a misspelling.  But then searched and found this from an Australian wine site:

"Let's get it straight...Plonk, a term used to describe cheap wine, especially cheap red wine, is commonly known in the UK and to a lesser degree in the USA.

It’s so set as part of British English that many people are surprised to learn that it’s originally Australian. Yes!

In the land of Aus you no doubt would at some time have encountered references to “plonk bar” and “plonk shop” for a wine bar or shop, plonk-up for a party, and plonked-up for intoxicated.  (by Ozychyck)

I love it when I learn something new, like I never knew I had ever been plonked-up before now!  Gotta luv the Aussies, so creative in so many ways.

And now some disquieting news for you wine connoisseurs:

ELECTRICITY CAN TURN CHEAP PLONK INTO VINTAGE WINE IN MINUTES, SCIENTISTS CLAIM

by Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent, Telegraph.co.uk

Researchers - and some vineyards - are developing electrical equipment that accelerates the ageing process, turning young wine from an undrinkable bitter grape juice into a quaffable beverage fit for any table.

The system being developed in China - which has a burgeoning wine industry - works by speeding up the normal chemical reactions in wines that can take up to 20 years.

According to the researchers, the results have been "striking" and have fooled some wine experts in taste testings.

Even the cheapest of wines are usually only drunk after six months. Most, especially reds, take longer to achieve the required balance and complexity. The finest can take 20 years or more to reach their peak.

During ageing, wine becomes less acidic as the alcohol reacts with organic acids to produce a plethora of the fragrant compounds known as esters.

Unpleasant components precipitate out and the wine becomes clearer and more stable. Red wines mellow and become less bitter.

A team led by Xin An Zeng, a chemist at the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, came up with the idea of pumping the rough wine through a pipe that ran between two titanium electrodes, connected to the mains.

For the test wine, the team selected a three-month-old cabernet sauvignon from the Suntime Winery, China's largest producer.

Batches of wine spent one, three or eight minutes in the electric fields.

The team then analysed the treated wine for chemical changes that might alter its "mouth feel" and quality, and passed it to a panel of 12 experienced wine tasters who assessed it in a blind tasting

 

With the gentlest treatment, the harsh, astringent wine grew softer. Longer exposure saw some of the hallmarks of ageing emerge – a more mature "nose", better balance and greater complexity.

The improvements reached their peak after 3 minutes at 600 volts per centimetre: this left the wine well balanced and harmonious, with a nose of an aged wine and, importantly, still recognisably a cabernet sauvignon.

 

Although Zeng cannot yet explain how exposure to an electric field alters the wine's chemistry, his results show that under the right conditions the technique can accelerate some aspects of the ageing process.

 

 

"Not only can it shorten a wine's normal storage time, it can also improve some lower-quality wine," he said.

Five Chinese wineries have begun trials.