I check most of the major wine websites on a daily basis. Wine Business , Decanter, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and The Drinks Business. Many times I read something in these checks that spark my interest or brings up a question in my mind that I want to explore. Sometimes I will be reading something that has nothing to do with wine and I think of parallels in the wine industry that would be fun to explore. Below are several of these snapshots into my daily mental wanderings that I would love to explore further and may expand into entire blog posts. I’m giving you a chance to weigh in to see what would be most interesting.
Does Champagne Need to Regain its Number 1 Position on the Global Market? Did it really lose it in the first place?
This thought was inspired by two separate articles that were both published within a few days of each other. This post on Wine Business asking “Can Champagne Regain #1 Market Postion as the Most Consumed Sparkling Wine?” This totally sounded like an MW Contemporary Issues question that it got me thinking about the counter question “Should Champagne be worried that they are not the most consumed?” Then this post from the Wall Street Journal “Has Champagne Lost Its Pop?” Both of these could be MW exam questions. I am going to write them up that way but the general premise which I am going to explore is does a drop in volume suddenly equate to a drop in status or prestige. I would assume the opposite but I need to explore it further.
If Prohibition Had Been Repealed Today, Would the Laws Have Been Written the Same Way?
I read about the AirBnB Win in San Francisco from the LA Times in this post last week and was struck by one section that was a quote from a lawyer who worked for the measure opposition.
” Daniel Rockey, an attorney who represents other sharing economy companies, maintains the penalties in Proposition F would have violated a federal law that protects Internet firms. And the Internet Assn., which advocates for companies such as Airbnb and Facebook, said it would be unreasonable to require companies to keep up with a patchwork of regulations that could come from a proliferation of local laws affecting the short-term rental industry. “It would set up the company to fail — and expose them to significant legal liability,” said Robert Callahan, California executive director of the group.”
I had to sit and think about that one for a while. There hidden in this article was a statement saying how ridiculous allowing an entire industry to be driven by local laws is and pointing out that it is unreasonable to require companies to keep up with them. Um, Yes. It is. I’ll leave that right there.
Champagne Helps Boost Memory
Oh my goodness! Where do I start with the questions about this article.
• Are we talking Champagne or are we talking about any wine with bubbles? Well, the authors are British so I will assume the former.
• Does the effect come from the traditional secondary fermentation process? If so, one could assume that any traditional method sparkling wine would have the same effects. If not, are the memory boosting properties an aspect of the growing conditions, varieties, and soils? If that’s the case, then why wouldn’t Chablis have the same properties?
• If it is the secondary fermentation that is the key, then would tank method have the same properties? If not then is it the time on lees that counts?
• If it’s is the time on lees, then one could assume, again, that any traditional method sparkling would work the same. Depending on the type of lees contact, would heavily stirred white wines have the same effects or does it need to be years?
• If it is lees breaking down over years, then one could assume there is a compound within yeast cells which is liberated during the process and should be able to be isolated into a memory boosting supplement.
Clearly the only way for me to dive into this is to find the published study. Only then I will be able to start narrowing down the answers.
Now it is up to you. Which would you be interested in seeing developed?
