Little Known Wine Facts

Did you know that a glass of wine was actually enjoyed in space? It was 1969 and astronaut Buzz Aldrin bought a vial of wine with him. A small vial of wine boldly goes were no beverage has gone before. Just before stepping onto the moon, feeling a little anxious, Buzz Aldrin took communion.

i’m always reading about wine, and I love finding interesting little titbits like the one above .

People are surprised to hear white wine contains more sulphites

Benjamin Franklin has been quoted as saying wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. Here are a few more interesting things

Wine Flavored Kit Kat bars are actually a thing
There is a free wine fountain in Italy. It recently opened. Believe me, it wasn’t there when I was in Italy almost 4 years ago, I’d still be there. It’s located in the Abruzzo region of Italy just outside of Rome.
Not all wines are vegan, some use a filatration process that uses animal byproducts like gelatin.

Drinking to one’s health, actually started in Greece. The host took the first sip to prove to his guests he wasn’t trying to poison them.
How many grapes are in a glass of wine? A glass of wine typically contains one cluster of grapes which is approximately 75.
Women tend to be better winetasters, only because their sense of smell is a little better, especially in their reproductive years. Those years may be far behind me, but a glass of wine still smells pretty good.

So as you can see, I was in a bit of a mood to cook and try some new recipes last night. On the menu for last night and today were homemade chicken fingers, chicken skewers, chicken fajitas, crispy roasting potatoes just to name a few. But would you like to know my favourite thing I made last night?

It’s a mint cilantro chutney, it is SO easy and so delicious. I used it as a dipping sauce for my chicken skewers, and all through the night I couldn’t stop dipping different foods in it, it’s that good. A store in my area had all kinds of fresh herbs on sale this past week, including mint & cilantro as well as parsley. This recipe contains plain yogurt, chopped mint, chopped cilantro, some fresh lemon juice, a little bit of garlic and a dab of sugar. I found a recipe online but I didn’t include the ginger or the cloves that it called for. Its here.

And now for my Wine of the week…..

When I visited California and the Napa Valley region 20 years ago, one of my favourite places was Francis Ford Coppola‘s winery and wine tasting room. I actually went back an additional 2 times. Upstairs was a display where he showed a piece of paraphernalia from every movie he directed, and even had his Oscars on display. My friend Richard texted me a picture of this wine 2 weeks ago, saying how much he enjoyed it with friends, and I decided to feature it again as my wine of the week. Francis Ford Coppola, being Italian, has a long history with wine. His grandfather used to make it in the New York apartment using vats he made himself. Francis Ford Coppola doesn’t make wine in his basement, he has perfected the art of making wine. This Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied, decadent, delicious and priced under $24 a bottle.