Have you ever wondered why in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries red wine is what other countries call red wine? In case you hadn’t noticed, in other languages red wine is called red wine in English-speaking countries, vin rouge in French or vino rosso in Italian.
The origin of this denomination comes from Latin, since tinto comes from “tinctus”, also translated as dyed. This qualifier appeared in the XVII centuryAt that time, in order to obtain red wine, white wine was used as a base, since it was more economical. was tinged with the darkesthence its original name was stained wineIt later became known as red wine.
Also, in relation to this curious fact, it is worth mentioning that grape must actually has no color, and the different shades available on the market are obtained through the maceration of the dyes in the grape skins, did you know that?
But these are not the only peculiar anecdotes that revolve around the world of wine, do you want to know other curiosities? Here are some that we believe may be extremely interesting for lovers of this exquisite beverage.
Important insects in winemaking
Yes, as you read, there are two flying insects of great importance.
The first are bees, and their main task in the ecosystem is to act as pollinators of all types of flowers. Thanks to this process of pollen transport, fertilization and the creation of seeds and fruits are facilitated.
On the other hand, ladybugs. These are also extremely important for wine, more specifically for vineyards, as they are a great threat to mite, mealybug and aphid pests, which tend to be invasive in the vineyards, eating the plants. In addition, as it is a natural “predator”, the taste of the wine is not modified.
How interesting it is to see how nature can intervene in a process created by humans, don’t you think?
Why is red wine consumed at a different temperature than white wine?
Another of the great curiosities of the wines is the temperature at which each of them is drunk. Surely on more than one occasion you have heard that white wines are drunk cold, while red wine should be at room temperature. But, in addition to the culinary reasons about the possibility of better tasting the flavor of each wine at a certain temperature, do you know where this tradition comes from?
In the past, wine was kept cold naturally, given the low temperatures in the cellars of homes. At the moment of consumption, it was left to warm up in the dining room, in order to perceive all its aromas, since at low temperature this is not possible.
In the case of white wine, it was preferred to maintain its freshness even during its consumption, since it tended to be excessively acidic, thus reducing its strong flavor.
Is this true?
Finally, it should be noted that not all grapes harvested are used to make wine, some are simply for direct consumption. We love to eat them too, who are we kidding?
And you, do you know any other curiosity about the world of wines?
