Winemaking’s roots in the US, an undiscovered Italian wine treasure, and when kosher wine was big with gentiles, too. [level-members]
When it comes to winemaking in the US, most of us naturally think of California. But, there’s a long tradition of winemaking further east, too. After all, European settlers had been a good long while before they followed Horace Greeley’s famous advice: Go west, young man.
So it shouldn’t be surprising to find that places like North Carolina, which was apparently a top wine producer pre-Prohibition, and Kentucky have long-standing traditions.
There, too, Prohibition put the brakes on the industry, though it is now making a comeback in both places. You can read about North Carolina’s rebirth and Kentucky’s comeback in these articles.
Italy can hardly be thought to be flying under anyone’s radar when it comes to wine, but not every varietal is equally well known. Aglianico is one of that country’s unsung stars according to this article from Troy Media.
The article’s claim that “the world’s oldest cultivated grape is its newest wine discovery” may be overstating things a little, particularly on the “newest discovery” front. Lots of folks have been fans for a long time.
Still, it’s not nearly as widely known as many other varietals, and introducing it to your fans and followers will certainly be doing them a service. (And you, if you stock up in advance!)
Finally, wine lovers who have attended a Passover Seder may recoil at the idea, but apparently there was a time when Manischewitz was more widely beloved. (It’s some sticky, sweet stuff …) NPR brings us a report of those days, as hard as it is to believe that anyone would drink Manischewitz without strong family tradition egging them on. Read the full article here. [/level-members]