California is high on the list
The state of California is 4th in wine production—only after France, Italy and Spain.
In the 1940s, California’s primary fruit crop was not grapes, but prunes. Now, no other state in the U.S. produces more wine.
The first wine grapes in California were planted by the Franciscan missionary Father Junipero Serra, who grew a variety called the Mission grape in 1769.
History tidbits
After signing the Declaration of Independence, the forefathers toasted each other with glasses of Madeira.
The world’s oldest wine cellar is in the Titanic, and yes, the bottles are there and still intact.
Wine is usually made from grapes, yet in some parts of the world, it can be made from rose petals, pumpkins, chocolate, snakes (!) or honey.
Pop culture
A favorite candy in Japan is wine-flavored Kit Kats.
Prince Charles uses wine to power his vintage Aston Martin.
The world’s oldest person (122) says she owes it all to her diet of port wine, olive oil and 2 pounds of chocolate per week.
Bubbles
In ancient Greece, bubbles in wine were attributed to the phases of the moon or to evil spirits.
A Champagne bottle holds about 70-90 PSI of pressure or about twice as much as your car tire.
There are about 20 million bubbles in a glass of Champagne.
The shape of the original shallow sparkling/Champagne glass (coupe style) is said to be a tribute to the breast of Marie Antionette.
Marilyn Monroe once took a bath in Champagne. According to a biographer, this required 350 bottles. (Don’t try this at home.)
Cool stats
10,000 varieties of wine grapes exist worldwide.
One glass of wine consists of juice from one cluster of grapes.
Seventy-five grapes comprise one cluster.
One grape vine produces 10 bottles.
One acre can contain 400 vines, resulting in five tons of grapes.
