Who are the world’s biggest wine drinkers?

Following a popular response to my ‘Did you Know’ column last month, I have decided to furnish readers with some more treats of fascinating and bizarre wine-related trivia

DID YOU KNOW?

     The etymology of the word ‘bistro’ is allegedly attributed to wine-drinking Cossacks who lived in Paris in 1814? Their thirst for the grape was legendary and they asked waiters to bring drink to them ‘bistro’, which is the Russian word for ‘fast’.
     Starting in 2003, there is a Shiraz on the Romanian market? Known as ‘Syrah’ in French and ‘Balsamina’ for Argentinians, this is currently one of the world’s most fashionable wines. Although its origins cannot be perfectly determined, there is speculation about its middle eastern heritage, due to the resemblance of the wine’s name to the Iranian town of Schiraz.
     There are three types of thirst: Natural or physiological thirst, which is a demand for liquid by a dehydrated body. Pathological thirst, which is related to serious body disorders, such as diabetes. Finally there is a physical thirst for pleasure, which can include an urge for wine, due to its flavour and alcohol content. This last type is what differentiates (among other things) us humans from animals.
     The hotel business first began in France in the 13th century? Places where travellers could stay overnight were originally authorised and taxed to sell wine.
     Tchoubouk is a type of grape from Turkey?
     Inhabitants of Luxembourg are the world’s biggest consumers of wine? They are followed by the French and Italians. Heavier drinkers than Romanians include wine lovers from Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Germany and Australia.
     Some wines can be cleansed with fresh blood? This is the blood of cattle and other types of cleansing include egg-white, clay and jelly.
     Romanian brandy (vinars) is based on the technology used in the Cognac region? In this way, the process of making vinars is based on distilling wine, not from the alcohol content of cereals.
     Wine’s oxidation, when it comes in contact with Oxygen, is also increased by light owing to some photo-sensitive pigments?
     Louis Pasteur is considered to be a parent of the modern science of studying wines? The ‘pasteurisation’ used in milk production is an invention meant to protect wine from bacteria and diseases.

Catalin Paduraru
www.vinexpert.info