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PATH: News
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Mass Wine Streaking Nixed in China
Posted by perle0 on 2006-12-24 21:50:13
(8096 views) 
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[News]
[China] |
 Chinese wine-makers wanted to highlight a campaign against excessive packaging with a huge "nude run" in the city of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province on Christmas Eve (now, that's a happy holidays for you). Sadly, local authorities failed to issue a permit for what would have surely been a memorable event. Apparently, they considered the event "immoral." But hey...at least they were going to screen the runners to ensure they were easy on the eyes! |
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The Latest Hot Investment: Wine
Posted by perle0 on 2006-12-18 23:25:00
(3918 views)
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[News]
[USA] |
 A recent study by economists at the University of Wyoming found that high-end wine has been an investment with very low relative risk and reliably high returns.
Looking at red Bordeaux auction prices over a period from 1996 to 2003, they found that the average annual return on investments in Bordeaux was between 7.5 percent and 9.5 percent higher than would have been predicted by factors that account for risk, making it a better investment choice than almost any other option. The best investment found in the study was the 1966 Haut-Brion, which posted an average monthly return of about 7.5 percent during their sample period. Still, 75 wines studied were found to have average monthly returns in excess of 1 percent per month.
That's one free-flowing bottle. |
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Aging Wine Electronically--You Choose
Posted by perle0 on 2006-12-11 21:17:55
(5322 views)
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[News]
[Japan] |
 The New York Times ran an article in its Magazine section discussing the creation of Hiroshi Tanaka, a Japanese inventor. It's a machine that uses electricity to "age" wine the equivalent of years of cellaring in only a few seconds. His invention uses electricity to break up the water molecules in the wine, allowing them to bond more completely with the other molecules...the ones that make wine different from water. In theory, at least, that's also what aging can take 10 to 20 years to accomplish. Tasters say that the machine can make a noticeable difference on a young, tannic wine in need of mellowing.
But there's another way.... |
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The Wine Diet--No, Really!
Posted by perle0 on 2006-11-29 01:54:32
(5336 views)
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[News]
[England] |
 A researcher in England named Roger Corder is suggesting that a healthy diet should include fresh foods, especially fruits, reasonable amounts of other foods (even fatty ones), a glass or two of red wine a day, and regular consumption of dark chocolate. Finally--a diet we can all get behind!
Despite what you might think, this diet is not the product of wish fulfillment, but rather of research into longevity in Europe. Doctors have noticed that people die younger in countries that focus on beer and liquor consumption, while the longest-lived Europeans are the French. Investigating further, Professor Corder found that people living in the mountains of Sardinia, an area with the highest concentration of centenarians in Europe, ate neither a low-fat diet nor the traditional "Mediterranean diet" of seafood and olive oil. They did, however, drink wine on a regular basis. |
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Freezing Temperatures Mean Ice Wine Harvest
Posted by perle0 on 2006-11-28 12:47:20
(4269 views)
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[News]
[Okanagan Valley] |
 Looking at temperatures of -17 C (1 F), wineries in the Okanagan Valley in Canada broke out the gloves, extra socks, and thermoses of hot coffee. The conditions are perfect for ice wine, a sweet dessert wine made from frozen grapes. Unfortunately, the conditions were not perfect for harvesting, with wind chills bringing temperatures down to -27 C (-17 F), meaning that the pickers would have a chilly night in the vineyard, risking frostbite to exposed skin. However, such hardships are the norm in the high-risk, high-reward game of ice wine. |
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Want More Wine Enjoyment? Try a Bath
Posted by perle0 on 2006-11-28 11:57:33
(4143 views)
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[News]
[Japan] |
 In Japan, they've come up with a new way to celebrate the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau...bathe in it.
A hot spring spa near Mount Fuji has decided to mark the arrival of the wine (which has become a popular fad in Japan) by pouring 12 bottles a day into one of its open-air pools. Bathers enjoy trying to catch the wine as it's being poured in for a quick slurp. |
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Danger, Will Robinson--That Cheese Doesn't Match
Posted by perle0 on 2006-11-23 23:59:07
(3911 views)
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[News]
[Japan] |
 Researchers in Japan have developed a robot wine sommelier. This nifty gadget can "taste" a wine, identify it by brand and type, and suggest a good cheese or hors d'oevre to accompany it. The robot, a prototype, would currently cost as much as a car and can only be programmed to identify a few dozen wines, but that's still more than many humans can manage. It can be personalized to suit an owner's taste in wines, and can also perform other useful analysis, like determining the relative sweetness of a piece of fruit.
There are a few kinks to be worked out, though. The robot becomes less accurate once a wine has had a chance to breathe, since that process changes its chemistry somewhat. It also has an odd habit of identifying humans as prosciutto or bacon. (I suppose chemically, we're not too different, especially if we've been sweating a bit so we're nice and salty.) |
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Study: Red Wine Negates Health Effects of Being Fat
Posted by perle0 on 2006-11-14 22:35:25
(4810 views)
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[News]
[USA] |
 A new study published in Nature magazine shows that resveratrol, a substance found naturally in red wine (and to a lesser extent, white) may help the overweight to avoid some of the most common ill effects associated with excess pounds. You may still get fat, but at least you'll be fat and healthy (or sufficiently tipsy that you won't care either way).
In the study, three groups of mice were given different diets. One group ate a healthy, low-fat diet. Not surprisingly, these mice were trim and healthy.
A second group ate a high-fat diet with plenty of calories. Again not surprisingly, these mice got fat. They also suffered from many of the same ailments that obese humans are prone to, including diabetes and heart disease. |
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NY Wine and Liquor Suppliers Pay Big for Payoffs
Posted by perle0 on 2006-10-31 12:37:20
(5139 views)
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[News]
[New York] |
| A group of 15 national suppliers of wine and liquor have paid $2.3 million to settle a New York investigation into illegal use of incentives to get retailers and restaurants to favor their beverages. Apparently, these alcohol mavens geve out $9 million in rebates, gifts, etc. between 2003 and 2005 alone to encourage stocking their beverages instead of someone else's. (That's $3 million a year, folks! And you wondered why you find the same wines no matter where you shop!) |
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