World Wine Literature

According to Persian mythology, wine was discovered by a woman. She drank the fermented juice from grapes stored in a jar, went to sleep, and surprisingly woke up cured of a headache, instead of suffering from the world's first hangover as one might have expected.

Wine became the drink of the gods, whether they were Egyptian, Sumerian, or Greek, and the early deities of wine were often women, since they were also associated with fertility. The symbolism of wine, as well as its effect, became potent as it was adopted into religious ritual.


Another source of potent images, the sea, which was crucial to early transport and communication, was given the feminine gender by the Greeks. When the ancient Greek poet Homer sang of "the wine-dark sea" he was linking two forces central in Mediterranean life to create an image which continues to have great emotive power.

In the musical comedy Roman Scandals, produced in 1933, Eddie Cantor finds himself in Imperial Rome where he is employed as the food taster for the evil emperor Valerius (Edward Arnold). Could the last glass of the emperor's favourite wine have been poisoned by his wife Agrippa? Eddie is just about to find out!

The Bible

The Bible has many references to the vine and wine. The first recorded mention is in Genesis, in the ninth chapter, where we learn that Noah planted a vineyard, and that "he drank of the wine and was drunken". This incident was sometimes featured in illustrated versions of the Bible, including an English manuscript of around 1320 known as the Holkham Bible. The State Library's facsimile edition of this manuscript, published in 1954, shows Noah and his sons harvesting grapes, followed by a vivid portrayal of the first recorded drunkard.

Canton to turn out to be a wine lover's destination

Canton will soon be home to a brand new weekend destination for area wine lovers! Gervasi Winery, a 55-acre site currently under construction, will feature a wide variety of wines made from on-site vineyards set amid beautiful surroundings on the city’s northeast end.

The vision of successful businessman and now-agricultural entrepreneur Ted Swaldo, Gervasi Winery is named after Swaldo’s mother. This exciting new project became a reality in December 2008, when Swaldo purchased the property on the site of the former Jabberwalky Tree Farm and began construction. Work to install infrastructure support, relocate trees, and renovate buildings is well underway.

The site’s historic buildings, lush greenery, fertile fields, and five-acre lake offer an ideal location for a winery and vineyard. The complex features a farmhouse built in 1833, a rustic barn, and several other minor structures that will be used in the wine manufacturing process.

The site plan also includes the construction of an stone gate entry, a walking trail on the grounds and other related recreational features. The winery, slated to open in February 2010, is estimated to cost between $2.5 million to $3 million to build – the majority of which is privately funded.

Oliver Winery, Indiana’s Oldest & Largest Winery

Oliver Winery, located just a few miles north of Bloomington on SR 37, is Indiana’s biggest and oldest. Founded in 1972 by IU professor William Oliver, Oliver Winery has grown into a Hoosier powerhouse, producing 700,000 bottles in 2008.

The winery has a timber-framed tasting room, which sits on 15 professionally landscaped acres (yeah, these guys have a full-time landscaper). They offer complimentary daily tasting of their 18 different varieties, from Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Grigio to my own favorite, the Merlot. (My in-laws like their fruit wines, like the Blackberry.)

Manager Bill Oliver, William’s son, works closely with vineyards in Oregon, California, Washington, and Michigan to get the high-quality grapes used to create their wine.

Indiana wine history: It was William Oliver who wrote Indiana’s Small Winery Act that allowed small state wineries to produce up to 100,000 gallons per year, set up tasting rooms, and sell wine on a retail and wholesale basis.

Wine grape production hit by drought and heat

Total Australian wine grape production is forecast to fall by 13 per cent to 1.6 million tonnes in 2008-09, as a result of ongoing shortages of water for irrigation and high temperatures in early 2009, according to a new ABARE report Australian wine grape production projections to 2010-11, released

ABARE’s acting Executive Director, Dr Terry Sheales, said that production was forecast to fall in 2008-09 because of difficult growing conditions in many regions.

“Wine grape growers, particularly in south-eastern Australia, faced shortages of water for irrigation throughout the growing season, and were also hit by a heatwave in late January and early February 2009 which further reduced yields,” Dr Sheales said.

“Yields in many regions of Victoria were also reduced by the bushfires in that state, as smoke taint damaged grapes and some vineyards were destroyed.”

Shiraz is expected to remain the highest-volume wine grape variety produced in Australia in the coming years. Chardonnay is expected to be the next highest volume variety, followed by cabernet sauvignon. Collectively, these three varieties are forecast to account for around 60 per cent of total Australian wine grape production in 2008-09.

In 2009-10, assuming water availability for irrigation improves and there are no extreme weather events, production is projected to increase to 1.8 million tonnes as yields are assumed to return to historical averages. This trend is projected to continue in 2010-11.

Wine stocks to sales ratios are expected to increase in the next few years as production growth is expected to outstrip sales growth. Deteriorating economic conditions and strong competition in key export markets are the main factors behind the expected slowdown in wine sales in the coming years.

“As a result, the increasing stocks to sales ratio is expected to maintain downward pressure on wine grape prices in the next few years,” Dr Sheales said.

This research was undertaken by ABARE and commissioned by the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation.

Wineries

Massachusetts is one of the rising stars in the world of wine. Twenty-four exciting wineries and numerous vineyards are catching the attention of wine lovers everywhere. Gathering from the diversity and steeped in the best of New England traditions, wines are hand crafted with loving care from grapes, fruit, berries, honey and flowers.

The most common grape wine varieties grown in Massachusetts are the vinifera varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris followed by the American Hybrids Vidal Blanc and Cayuga. Massachusetts' wineries present you with a wide variety of wines to complement a delicious spectrum of native foods.