Editorial Comments:  After my brief research, I learned that this fellow, Dom Perignon, became blind in his adult life and for that reason, he was appointed as a "cellar-master" in the Abby.  In the dark cellar, he did not have to deal with tasks that require the bright light, as found outside in the vineyards.  There he toiled and experimented with a new way of making wine.  As a result, he discovered the best method of making Champagne.  The story has it that Dom had heightened his tasting skills to compensate for the loss of sight.  Wow!  I'd declare that Dom Perignon and the famed deaf Beethoven lived parallel lives in 17th century, losing one of their sensory senses at approximate the same age and bringing themselves to the best and, hence, creating a masterpiece that has stood the test of time!

Fun fact:  Champagne is the sparkling wine made only in Champagne, France.  Any other sparkling wine made in any other region, or other country is NOT a Champagne.  That is what French people try to tell us and we have to abide by their wish.  Most Champagne is made from of Chardonnay, or Pinot Noir, or a blend and of course, they are grown in Champagne, France.  California/Washington/Oregon or any other region can make sparkling wine with their own Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir, but they cannot label their bottles with the name of "champagne".

WineMaking:  Why is Champagne (or other sparkling wine) so bubbly?  The processes for wine making for red/white wines and for sparkling wine are similar for the first few stages, but after bottling, sugar and yeast are added to make a second fermentation in Champagne/sparkling wine.  The bottles are then sealed very tightly with corks.  Carbon dioxide which is the by-product of this sugar-yeast blend is trapped in the bottle and after months or years of aging, causes the bubbles when Champagne/sparkling wines are opened.  (this is the traditional method; there are two other methods but they aren't as good).

Answer to the trivia question from the last issue:  Which of the following rules for wine tasting is incorrect?:  d) chew mints to clean your palate and tongue between tasting wines.  Like chewing gum, mint will dull your sense of taste and also your sense of smell.  Worse yet, it will cloud your ability to judge the fine quality of wine.  Try to avoid such sweeties for a couple of hours prior to wine tasting.

Today’s trivia question:  Chianti:

a) is any rose Italian wine
b) whose wine must come from a small district in Tuscany, Italy
c) is light wine in a special wine bottle, whose base is covered with woven raffia

( answer in the next Deaf Grapevine newsletter, April/May/June ‘08 )

Wine of the month: While Dom Perignon champagne is the best, we cannot afford this sparkling wine as it is very expensive, over $100!  I would recommend Washington state's Domaine Ste. Michelle.  It is considered a best buy as featured in a number of wine magazines, including Sunset (November 2007).

Humor of the Month:
Holiday’s Drinking . . . (submitted by Ed Ingham)

I just read an article on the dangers of alcoholic drinking,
Which scared the *HIT out of me.
So that's it . . . After today, no more reading!
(just continue drinking wine)

Enjoy the New Year, 2008!!