Wine Trivia Inspired by Bruce Jack Wines

Following on from last week's Wine Trivia for a Christmas Quiz and having had a fascinating tasting with Bruce Jack who packed the tasting full of interesting facts I thought it would be fun to include some.  Hope it might prove as inspiration for any Christmas quiz you might have.

1. Why is The Beagle important to Continental Drift

The Beagle was the name of Charles Darwin’s ship which he sailed around Cape Point in the late 1800’s. He stopped at Mouille Point where he saw there were various different rock formations demonstrating that that South America and Australia had crashed into South Africa here  

2. Where else in the world can you find exactly the same rock formation as the one at Mouille Point?

Robe on the Limestone Coast in South Australia has exactly the same rock formation  

3. What is unique about Breedekloof region in South Africa?

Breedekloof is the only region which has a huge flat plain – everywhere else in South Africa is mountainous. In most other wine producing countries you have plenty flat alluvial plains caused by rivers yet Breedekloof is the only area like this in South Africa.  

4. What does vanilla and breast milk have in common?

If you draw a map of vanilla’s flavour compound it is almost identical to the map of human breast milk's flavour compound.  Is this why we find so much comfort in vanilla whether it be in tea, baking or of course wine?  Dr Max Lake wrote about this in his book Scents & Sensuality – and much more!  

5.  How did green peppers cause three people to be given a criminal record?

There are only three countries in the world where wine making legislation is controlled by the government and you can risk a criminal record.  The countries are; 1. South Africa 2. Bulgaria 3. Austria Apparently no one has a criminal record in Austria.  Bruce Jack believes there are currently only three winemakers who have criminal records in South Africa.  All three are due to green peppers!  Two added green peppers into a Sauvignon Blanc tank and one added green pepper essence!  This was when South Africa was trying to make their Sauvignon Blanc taste like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc!  

6. What is thought to be the only wine made using beer yeasts?

Bruce Jack’s Over the Moon wine! There’s a great story behind this since Bruce was trying to make a Sumerian wine. To find out more you’ll have to read the story here and you can buy the wine from me here!

7. What was Napoleon’s White Horse called and what was he more unusually well known for?

Marengo was the name of Napoleon's horse.  Napoleon was the first person to feed oats to horses. Oats are fast growing and not only do they give animals lots of energy but they also absorb carbon.  Bruce Jack plants black oats in his vineyard over winter as one of the many ways to help with carbon sequestration.  Bruce Jack's wine farm is now carbon negative despite only being 60% through their audit.