Wine Blog

Facts, News and Tips for a Better Wine Tasting.

Vintage Wine Shoppe Extra Tastings – Everything Alabama Blog
From Thursday March 18 – 22, the Spring Break Wine Sale will offer a 15% discount on cases of wine, mix or match, and a gift sale with most gifts at 25% off. Friday’s weekly tasting on March 19, from 5- 6:30 p.m. will feature “Spring Favorites.”


The Botanist and the Vintner: How Wine Was Saved for the World
In the mid-1860s, after countless centuries of bearing the fruit that would become wine, French grapevines began to wither and die in ever increasing numbers and no one knew why. It started in southeastern France, in the Rhone Valley, as Christy Campbell tells the tale in his masterful The Botanist and the Vintner. Within 30 years the inexorable rolling disaster that was the phylloxera infestation had reached into every nook and cranny of France’s wine making regions, destroying nearly all. Everywhere the wine grape grew–England, Spain, Italy, Germany, Eastern Europe, and even Australia–phylloxera appeared and took no prisoners. Except for American grape vines. The little bug didn’t seem to have much taste for the skunky wines of native American grapes.

Christy Campbell, British journalist and, if The Botanist and the Vintner is any example, master storyteller, waltzes the reader into the middle of a fascinating tale of discovery and combat and never stops dancing. The book reads like a detective novel, a page-turner you can’t put down. And it’s about a bug, phylloxera, a root-sucking aphid that absolutely wiped clean the grand vineyards of France and thrived in defiance of both peasant remedy and all that “modern” science could bring to bear.

The modern science of the time, mind you, included debating Darwin’s new theory of evolution. So it’s really at the beginning of discovery and scientific technique. Despite a French government prize of 300,000 gold francs for a remedy, it took 30 years and more to pinpoint the reason for the vineyard die-off, and a practical way of defeating the organism. Grafting onto American rootstock – a rootstock that was the initial cause of the disaster – won the day though not the reward.

Campbell both begins and ends his tale in California’s Napa Valley, where phylloxera once again raised its nasty little head toward the end of the 20th century, about 100 years after the struggle in France. It cost millions of dollars to bring the bug to bear. But this time part of the solution turned in a transgenic direction which is, of course, a threat with a completely different vintage. –Schuyler Ingle

Customer Review: A threat to all wine
For 20 years in the mid-1800s phylloxera threatened the wine industry in Europe

Many botanists, entomologists and vintners played a role in identifying the phylloxera, studying its life cycle and devising a means to defeat it. Although he doesn’t get much credit in this book, T. V. Munson in the US was crucial in identifying louse resistant vines. Planchon, a professor at the prestigious Montpellier School of Pharmacy, gets credit for identifying the phylloxera aphid as the cause and for tracing its origins to the States.

The book is wonderful in describing Planchon’s efforts to convince French growers and scientists that the louse was responsible. It also is wonderful at tracing the differing responses of wine regions as they became infest with the louse.

The French government offered a large cash prize for a solution to the problem; “solutions” included exorcism, mesmerism, “electrical commotions”, marching bands, and a marvelous “beating wheelbarrow,” with hammers that would pound the soil. Serious consideration was given to an even more absurd solution: make wine from American grapes. The country-life correspondent for Le Temps, after attending a half-dozen tastings of American wines, reported that “not one of those who took part had the courage to empty his glass.”

Nonetheless, by grafting French vines on American roots, the louse was defeated. Despite my carping about how Munson is portrayed, this is an excellent wine history.

Robert C. Ross 2008

Customer Review: you don’t have to be an enologist
How refreshing to read a book about wine history that is not totally layperson, but not textbooky. Fascinating read about the history of the relationship between European and American vines and indeed, how wine was saved for the world. Anyone interested at all in wine should read this book.

According the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, they have found that grapes and raisins can cause poisoning in dogs when eaten in large quantities. This is something that dog owners should be aware of if you normally give your pet fruits and vegetables as snacks.

The Center managed 140 grape/raisin poisoning cases from April 2003 to April 2004. According to their information, out of these 140 cases, over 50 of these dogs developed symptoms of toxin poisoning ranging from vomiting to kidney damage and kidney failure. Seven of the dogs died. At this point, no one really knows what is in this fruit that causes such a problem in dogs.

What Are The Symptoms?

The toxic symptoms can vary, but most of the signs exhibited by canines include lethargic behavior, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of kidney failure within 6 to 24 hours of eating this fruit. Should you come home to find that your dog has eaten the bunch of grapes sitting on the table or a packet of raisins, take them to your veterinarian immediately.

However, please be advised that your veterinarian may not even be aware that grapes and raisins can cause severe toxicity in your dog… so you may need to educate your veterinarian on this. Be insistent and have blood tests done immediately.

How do you know if your dog has eaten too much grapes or raisins? Here’s a true story to give you some idea:

One lady lost her Australian Shepherd/Saint Bernard mix to renal failure after her dog ingested one cup of raisins. Keep in mind that this would be a fairly large dog. After the dog began vomiting later in the day she took her dog into her veterinarian. The vet believed it was only an upset stomach and sent the dog home. It wasn’t until a few days later when the dog’s condition hadn’t improved that blood tests were finally taken. Unfortunately, by then acute renal failure had developed and the dog died, despite the aggressive treatments given.

What Is The Treatment Provided?

Care and management of this toxic poisoning will most often consist of induced vomiting, stomach pumping and administrating activated charcoal to prevent the absorption of the toxins by the body. This will most likely be followed by intravenous fluid therapy for at least 48 hours.

In addition, blood tests will have to be taken to check on the elevation of blood calcium levels (Hypocalcaemia), as well as on the elevation levels of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and phosphorus, all of which affect kidney function.

Unfortunately in some cases, even aggressive treatment may not work due to the dog’s poor response to the treatment or length of time between realizing that your dog is showing signs of poisoning and getting help. Kidney damage and failure is very likely, which could result in death. Therefore it is imperative that you get veterinary help as soon as possible. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear if you know your pet has eaten several raisins and/or grapes.

If you have been feeding your pet these fruits on occasion as a snack (one or two grapes now and again probably won’t do any damage), it would be wise to stop the practice altogether. There are many other safe and healthy alternatives such as apples, carrots and celery that dogs are quite happy to snack on instead.

By Rose Smith, ? 2006

About the Author:

Rose Smith owns Caring For Canines which provides information on natural & holisitic methods that you can follow so your dog will have a long and healthy life. Read articles about canine nutrition, pet health care, natural medications, and more. Visit: http://www.caringforcanines.com


Chocolate Decorated Cake Single Layer 8″ RoundTopped with Tropical Punch and Grape Butterfly Gummie Our single layer cakes are baked fresh with only the finest ingredents. They are great for a birthday surprise, and you can include your own special message on a gift card.

Baboons Steal Chardonnay Grapes, South Africa – Right Juris

Baboons Steal Chardonnay Grapes, South Africa
Right Juris
It seems that these old world monkeys have a taste for the Chardonnay grape grown in South Africa's Western Grape wine region. Baboons have been thieving

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Hubba Bubba Max Bubble Gum with Grape Berry Flavor By Wrigleys – 5 Pieces / Pack, 18 / Case
INDICATIONS: Delicious chunks of bubblegum packed with Grape Berry Flavor! So berry berry good,it blow you away.