Interesting wine facts

October 27, 2009 | In: Food facts

There are 20 million acres are planted to grapes worldwide.

There are 10,000 wine grapes varities worldwide.

There are about 400 species of oak, though only about 20 are used in making oak barrels.

When Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii in volcanic lava, it buried more than 200 wine bars with it.

The famous Chateau Petrus in Pomerol makes the world’s most expensive Merlot, which sells up to $2,500 or more.

Thomas Jefferson’s salary was $25,000 per year – a princely sum. In 1801 he spent $3,000 for wine.

The longest recorded champagne cork flight was 177 feet and 9 inches, four feet from level ground at Woodbury Vineyards in New York State.

Foot treading of grapes is still used in producing a small quantity of the best port wines.

30 million gallons of wine were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Sauvignon Blanc is also called Fume Blanc, and is a popular choice for fish and shellfish dishes.

The vintage year on a wine label is the harvest year of the grapes from which the wine was made.

Poor soil quality tends to produce better wines. The trick is to challenge the vines by making them work harder.

Although the average life span of a grapevine is 25 years, grapevines are actually capable of producing grapes for more than 100 years.