#enology

[useless-catalanfacts]

😂 this is a funny video from wine.gini, who runs an Instagram account dedicated to wine. She was visiting the vineyards and wineries of the Empordà (area in the Costa Brava: the north coast of Catalonia) and kept finding an old friend... the Tramuntana.

Tramuntana is the northern wind, which is felt strongly in the Costa Brava but particularly in the Empordà. "Tramuntana" means "between the mountains", because it reaches us through the Massif Central in France and then the Pyrenee mountains in the North of Catalonia. Thus, it's a cold wind.

Interestingly, Gini's caption of this video also mentions why this wind is important for the local vineyards:

Natural protection: the Tramuntana keeps pests and diseases at bay, promoting healthier vines.

Temperature control: it regulates temperatures, preventing stress and ensuring gradual ripening.

Flavour intensity: its cool, dry influence enhances aromas and flavour complexity.

Balanced ripening: grapes reach optimal ripeness slowly, resulting in wines with perfect balance.

[honorthegods]

Researchers Find First Evidence of Wine in Ancient Troy - GreekReporter.com

Researchers have found chemical evidence of wine consumption in ancient Troy, confirming a theory by Heinrich Schliemann.

[cloudedsunshines]

guys anyone have alcoholic ice cream shop name or theme ideas i have a project due in two weeks for my enology business class help

[earlandladygray]

Who knew there were vineyards in Colorado? We tried the fabulous riesling among others, and it certainly was a nice pitstop while driving through the desert!

[the-little-bill]

Having a job that is mentally and spiritually fulfilling is a wonderful thing to have. I feel I belong here and feel accepted. I love it but one of the things I love most is that it allows my curiosity to prosper. I get to work with the plants and explore the vineyard and befriend every little creature I come in contact with

[bajoelsol]

[useless-catalanfacts]

This is the oldest cooper (barrel maker) shop still going on in the world, founded in 1739!

It's Boteria Torner from Vilafranca del Penedès, Catalonia. This artisan shop was founded in the year 1739 and was transmitted from parents to children until 2023, when Agustí Torner, the 8th generation of coopers from his family, was retiring. Nowadays, it's difficult for traditional jobs like this to find young people who want to continue the business, and Agustí couldn't find a successor. When he announced that the shop would have to close, the news reached a family who owns a winemaking cellar in the area, and they teamed up with other people in the sector to buy the shop and continue running it. High quality barrels are very important in the process of making wine, and the Penedès area has many people who work in making wine, since centuries ago. The shop continues and Agustí has told the news outlets how happy he is that the knowledge of this job doesn't get lost.

[useless-catalanfacts]

Sitges, Penedès, Catalonia. Vineyards in autumn.

These vineyards grow a special grape variety used to make malvasia, an aromatic sweet white wine typical from the city of Sitges.

According to legend, a Sitgetan man called Jofre brought the first vines of this variety from the Adriatic coast in the Middle Ages. He participated in the defence of Sicily under the orders of Roger de Llúria (c.1245-1305), and it was there where he first discovered how this drink was made by the friars in a Greek city-monastery called Malvasia, thought to be modern-day Monemvasia.

After centuries of cultivation in Sitges, nowadays malvasia is considered Sitges's most genuine product. It can only be purchased bottled in the town's wine cellars. The most renowned one is Sant Joan Baptista Hospital's cellar, which you can see in the photo.

Photo by Centre d'interpretació de la Malvasia.