Looking Bacchus

Delve deeper into the wonderful world of wine, and you open up an entire spectrum of facts, eccentricities and funny quirks.

Until local authorities began to ensure water supply was safe from disease, wine and ale were the chosen beverage for urban populations. Roman legions learned to ensure their camps were constructed downstream of their water supply—a practice that is recommended to this day. To the Romans, wine shops and taverns were what pubs are to today’s population. While the oldest public house in Dublin dates back to the 14th century, archaeologists have determined that Pompeii boasted no less than 200 wine establishments before it was covered by the cataclysmic detritus from Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.

What is even more fun to consider, is that we continue to enjoy varietals that were commonplace within the Roman pantheon of grapes. Trebbiano is among the most planted varietals in the world, and remains, to this day, a constant of Italian wine production. In France it is known as Ugni Blanc—every time you kick back and enjoy a Cognac reflect that this sipping treat is made from trebbiano.

Gentlemen will generally insist that women sample the wine in restaurants, because they have a more sensitive reception to the aromatic nuances of wine. An Italian study purported that women who imbibed two to three glasses of wine per day were more lively in their approach to life in general, and their partner in particular.

In moderation, wine offers health benefits in the reduction of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and gum disease. On the other side of the coin, excess drinking can promote cancers in the esophagus, digestive tract and breast. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
If you are familiar with the Californian white wine named Conundrum, you are aware that this treat is a seasonal blend of grapes selected from various Californian AVAs. Usually a blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, muscat, semillon and viognier, each varietal adds its unique imprint into the blend. The percentage of each varietal depends on the vintage, and reflects the year’s harvest results.

Mackenzie Brisbois recently assumed the mantle of resident winemaker at Devils Wishbone and has since launched a mini County Conundrum that is a blend of chardonnay (from away) and estate-grown riesling and pinot gris. The result is an exceptionally approachable wine, displaying harmonious flavour attributes from each varietal. It is a perfect sipper that embraces citrus, tropical, and tarte au poire notes.

Well priced at $18 a bottle, it is available at the winery on County Road 7.