8 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Wine

Even when you are a wine lover, studying and learning everything there is to learn about this divine drink, these 8 facts may surprise you!

1. Oenophobia is the fear of wine. Yup, that exists.
2. The Vatican habitants drink the most wine per capita in the world. They drink 99 bottles of 75 cl per capita each year! One caveat though. The Vatican has (almost) no children living there and most of them are male
3. The smell of an old wine is called a ‘bouquet’, whereas the smell of a young wine is called an aroma.
4. Most wine lovers drink their wine at the wrong temperature. This is absolutely true.  According to Patrick Cappiello, one of USA’s top sommeliers, the 2 biggest mistakes people make is drinking white wine ice cold (5°C/41°F) and serving red wine at room temperature ( nowadays sometimes up to 23°C/73°F. These are the ultimate fails. Here you find a list of grapes with the right temperatures that can help you.
   

6. Noble grapes are the basis of almost all wines. Noble grapes are grape varieties that have a widespread appeal, and are produced in all the largest wine producing regions all over the world. There are 9 white noble grapes and 9 red noble grapes. 
7. Cork taint can ruin your wine Sommeliers let you taste the wine you picked out at the restaurant so you can judge if the wine is tainted with TCA. TCA numbs the aromas in your wine. 1 bottle per 8 cases of wine will smell like cardboard or will not taste their best. That’s why you need to taste a sip first before you buy a whole bottle
8. The most expensive bottle of wine ever sold is a 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet valued at $500,000. This was a 6 liter bottle and all the proceeds went to charity. 
9. Women are better wine tasters. Because wine tasting has so much to do with smell, and women (especially those of reproductive age) have a better sense of smell than men. 

Do you want to enjoy your wine at the optimal temperature and taste?
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