King Tut was a tippler and it turns out he liked white wines.
( Most pictures in my blog can be enlarged by clicking on the images. Try clicking on Maddie in my previous blog and you'll see what I mean )
According to researchers at the University of Spain in Barcelona, a research team discovered amphoras believed to have contained white wine. King Tut was sent off to the hereafter with both white and red wines. Wine amphora and wine scenes as pictured above have been found in Egyptian tombs as far back as 3150 BC.
Fast forward about 5000 years and we arrive at BIB's (Bag in the Box or as the Aussies call them Chateau Cardboard)
Wine companies such as Boisset from France and the Centerra wine company with the Vendange series from California claim to be having a measure of success in traditional markets. But really now, BIBS and Tetras might be fun and great for the patio and out among the Ponderosa pines, but would you really bring them out and plunk them on the dinner table while serving an elegant dinner for your guests, or with your Christmas and Easter dinners ? Do I hear dissenting voices? On the positive side, read Nick Lees article in Canada's Wine Access Magazine about the quality of boxed wines.
Help may be on its way, if you like your wine in a bottle . A UK mineral water company has launched the first biodegradable bottle. Now you won't even have to take those bottles back for a refund. They'll self destruct in no time. Of course mineral water and wine are quit different in their chemical composition. It remains to be seen whether the problem of the acidic nature of wine prematurely dissolving your bottle can be overcome. You wouldn't want that to happen before the wine has had a chance to age at least 3 months. What's next? Its summer, enjoy your wine in whatever vessel you prefer.
1 comment:
The graphics in this article are great.
The choice is an indulgence. Few times in history have we been able to make such a choice. Before modern times you just accepted the container you got. I think one of the reasons fancy decanters were used was to avoid having to plunk a bottle down on the table after hauling it up from the vermin-infested cellar.
Like a lot of choices, it depends on the environment. You touched on this aspect, Wilf. One has to look at the occasion and setting and decide whether a BIB or a bottle will make the grade. The BIB are great for singles (people or pours); keep them in the fridge and just take a little at a time. They limit the wine's exposure to additional atmosphere (oxygen).
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