Wine trivia is endlessly fascinating. Even if you are not an avid wine drinker, you will be able to find something that interests you. In learning about wine, you might even find something new you’d like to try!
Speaking of something new, check out our innovative Twisted Wines, available to ship to your home!
Wine Trivia 101
Let’s get started with wine trivia you’ve probably never heard before!
GRAPES
This little, humble fruit brings a lot to the table (and the glass). Here are some facts about grapes that will wow your friends and family.
- The grape planted most widely in the world is Cabernet Sauvignon
- To make one bottle of wine, you need about 2.5 pounds of grapes
- How many grape vines do you think there are in one acre? Around 400!
- Today, there are an excess of 10,000 varieties of grapes used to make wine
- Unfortunately, the kind of grapes you find at the grocery store aren’t one of them. Supermarket grapes aren’t good for winemaking due to their thin skins and the amount of seeds.
BOTTLES
You might not think there would be very much wine trivia related to the humble bottle, but you’d be wrong! The wine industry is pretty particular about things like bottles and labeling, so read on!
- The typical wine bottle contains 750 ml.
- Have you ever heard of a “magnum” size bottle of wine? It’s pretty much what it sounds like–a giant bottle of wine. A magnum bottle is typically the size of two standard bottles of wine.
- Magnum isn’t the last word in giant wine bottle sizes, though. Not by a long run. The largest wine bottle size by far is the Nebuchadnezzer. This monster contains the equivalent of 20 standard bottles of wine!
- A standard bottle of champagne boasts around 90 million bubbles, although estimates vary widely. Some experts say there are around 50 million, and others as low as 1 million. We’re not going to argue with them!
- To encourage all those bubbles (however many there are), champagne bottles are made from a thicker glass. Thicker glass can stand up to the pressure that carbonation creates.
- Do you know what Mis en Bouteille au Domaine means? If you see that on a bottle of wine, it means that the estate where the grapes were grown bottled the wine themselves.
- If someone asked you to to order a case of wine, do you know how many bottles you’d receive? A standard case of wine contains 12 bottles.
TWISTED WINE TRIVIA
Now it’s time for the really weird and surprising stuff. Not all wine trivia has day-to-day uses, but it’s definitely still interesting.
- Ever wondered if wine is vegan? Actually, most wine isn’t–that’s due to something called a fining agent, which reduces bitterness, astringency, or both. Many wines might include egg or even fish bladder to accomplish this task!
- Another name for fish bladder properties in alcoholic beverages is isinglass. It doesn’t make your wine taste like fish, however, due to the form they winemakers use. Isinglass tends to show up in white wines.
- There’s a 24/7 wine fountain in Italy. You can get a drink along the Cammino di San Tommaso, where pilgrims and tourists travel to Ortona. This Italian city is home to relics of St. Thomas the Apostle.
- This isn’t the only wine fountain in the world, however. The winemakers behind Italian version were apparently inspired by one in Spain, along the Camino de Santiago. There, pilgrims and tourists travel to venerate relics of St. James the Apostle.
- Did you ever wonder why we call it a “toast”? We don’t usually pair toast with wine. The Ancient Romans did, though–they found dropping a slice in their glass reduced acidity!
- If you didn’t already know this, women have a better sense of smell than men. For this reason, women often make better wine tasters!
- Japan is home to so many wonderful things: sushi, high tech toilets, and also, wine Kit-Kats. Yes, the Japan market has available for purchase Sparkling Wine Kit Kats. You can also get them in various Sake flavors!
WINE QUOTES
Because wine has been around for thousands of years–ancient Greeks and Romans were both fans–there are tons of Biblical wine quotes. Really!
Here are a few:
- Psalm 104, verse 15 says God made wine for people to “gladden their hearts.”
- Later, in the New Testament, St. Paul instructs Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23 to, “Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.”
- Last, but not least, there is the famous story in which–at his mother’s urging, no less–Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding.
Of course, there are many famous people throughout history who have been known to have opinions on wine. There is a quote attributed to the great Napoleon Bonaparte: “In victory, you deserve Champagne. In defeat, you need it.”
Even the Founding Fathers had wine quotes! Benjamin Franklin is thought to have said, “The discovery of a wine is of greater moment than the discovery of a constellation. The universe is too full of stars.”
For More Twisted Wine, Check Out Z&M
We hope you found something that you can share to wow your family and friends. However, at Z&M, we’re anything but snobs when it comes to wine. We believe the best wine is whatever you like, and whatever brings friends and family together.
If you love Twisted wine trivia, you’ll love our Twisted wines. We’re always tinkering and we love coming out with something new for our community to try! We like to leave the fancy stuff to the grownups.
If it’s not fun, why bother?
We cater to a clientele that understands good times and good wine. If that sounds like you, stop by our winery in Leavenworth or our vineyard in Lawrence for a tasting. There’s usually an exciting event or two on the calendar, so be sure to follow us on socialmedia.