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red-wines-recipes · 4 years

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Cheers - Its Wine

Wine is one of the most fascinating drinks among the European citizens. It is an alcoholic beverage prepared from the fermented grape juice. Grapes have the chemical property of carrying out fermentation without the utilization of sugars, enzymes or other nutrients. It is prepared fermenting the crushed grapes with the different types of yeast strains. Yeast consumes all the sugars present in grapes and converts them into alcohol. Different types of grapes and different strains of grapes are responsible for the production of different types of wines. Apples and berries are also utilized for the preparation of wines and the wines obtained are named after the name of the fruit like apple wine or elderberry wine or are popularly name as fruit wine or country wine. Barley and rice wine are prepared from the starch based materials and resemble beer and spirit more than wine and ginger wine is fortified with brandy. The term wine is used for these beverages because of their high alcoholic content. The commercial use of the term English wine is under the government control.

Wine has a very rich history which is 6000 BC old and is thought to have originated in the borders of Georgia and Iran. The wine was prepared in Europe for the first time about 4500 BC ago in the Balkans and was very common in Rome, Thrace and ancient Greece. Wine also deserves an important role in religion throughout the history. The Greek god Dionysus and the Roman god Bacchus symbolize wine and the wine is used in the catholic and Jewish ceremonies. The word wine has originated from a Proto-Germanic word winam which means grape. The earliest cultivation of grapevine Vitis vinifera first started in Georgia. Wine has been prepared in India from the Vedic times. Viticulture started in India first in the Indus valley where grapevines were introduced for the first time from Persia about 5000 BC ago. Chanakya, the chief minister of the Emperor Chandragupta Maurya has discussed about wine in his writings about 4th century BC ago and has designated wine by the term Madhu. He has focused on the side effects of wine and has strongly condemned the use of wine.

Wine is prepared from more than one varieties of Vitis vinifera like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay and Merlot. When one of these varieties is used the resultant is termed as varietal. The world's most expensive wines come from the regions like Bordeaux and Rhone Valley are blended from different varieties of the same vintage. Wine can also be prepared from the hybrid varieties of grapes obtained by genetic cross breeding. Vitis labrusca, Vitis aestivalis, Vitis rupestris, Vitis rotundifolia and Vitis riparia are native North American varieties of grapes grown for the production of jams, jellies or sometimes wine.

Hybridization is a different process so cannot be confused with grafting. Most of the world's grape vineyards are planted with the European variety of grapevine Vitis vinifera grafted with the North American species rootstock. This is basically done because the North American species are resistant to Phyllosera a root louse that damages the roots of grapevines resulting in death. In the late 19th century most of the vineyards of Europe were destroyed by a bug leading to deaths of grapevines and heavy economic loss. Grafting is a common practice in all wine producing nations except Argentina, Chile and Canary Islands and only these areas include vineyards free from any devastating pests. Associated with wine production terroir is an important concept that includes variety of grapevine to be used, elevation and shape of vineyard, type and chemistry of soil, climate and seasonal conditions and the local yeast cultures to be used. The fermentation, ageing and processing of wine in terroir may result in good wine production.

The classification, production and sale of wine are under the control of government in many parts of the world. European wines are classified on the basis of the regions where they are produced while non-European ones are classified on the variety of grape used. Common examples of locally recognized non-Europeans regions for wine production include Napa Valley in California, Columbia Valley in Washington, Barossa and Hunter Valley in Australia, Central Valley in Chile, Hawke's Bay and Marlborough in New Zealand and Niagara Peninsula in Canada. Some blended wines are sold by a particular trademark and are under strict rules and regulations of the government for example, Meritage is a generally a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and may also include Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. The commercial use of the term Meritage is possible only after getting license from the Meritage Association. France uses different systems based on the concept terroir for classification. Greece and Italy classify on the basis of the regions where they are prepared. New World ones are classified on the variety of grapes used for preparation.

A vintage wine is one that is prepared from the grapes grown in a particular season of the year are labeled as vintage. Variations in the character of wine may vary due to palate, colour, nose and development. High quality wines taste better if are stored properly for a long time. Habitual wine drinkers generally stored the bottles of vintage wine for future consumption. For a wine to be called as vintage wine in United States the American Viticultural Area has passed certain rules like the vintage wine must contain 95% of the its volume of the grapes harvested in that year. All the vintage wines are bottles in a single batch so that all may have the similar taste. Climate plays an important role in character of wine as it affects its flavour and quality strongly. So we can say that vintage wines are characteristic of a particular vintage. Superior vintages from a reputed producer and region fetch higher prices of wine than average vintages. Non-vintage wines can also be blended from more than one vintage for consistency a process which allows wine makers to keep a reliable market image and maintain sales even in bad years.

Wine tasting is sensory examination and evaluation of wine. Wines are made from the chemical compounds that found in fruits, vegetables and spices. The sweetness of measured by the amount of sugar left in wine after fermentation, relative to the acidity present in wine. Dry wine has a very small percentage of residual sugar. Individual flavours in the wine can be easily detected as the grape juice and wine contain terpenes and esters as chief components. Experienced tasters can easily identify the type and flavour of wine. Chocolate, vanilla and coffee also act as flavouring agents for wine. Wine aroma comes from the compounds present in wine which are released on being exposed to air. Red wines are highly aromatic. Outstanding vintages from best vineyards fetch good prices in the market around $US 30-50 dollars per bottle. The most commonly purchase wines in Europe include Bordeaux, Burgundy and cult wines. The wine grapes grow almost between thirty to fifty degrees north or south of the equator. The world's southernmost vineyards are present in the Central Otago of New Zealand's South Islands near the 45th parallel south and the north most are in Flen, Sweden just north of 59th parallel north. UK was the largest producer of wine in the year 2007.

Wine is the most important and popular beverage of European and Mediterranean cuisines participating in the simple as well as complex traditions. Apart from its popularity as a beverage wine is also a good flavouring agent particularly used stocks and braising as its acidity imparts a different taste to the sweet dishes. Red, white and sparkling wines are very popular and are known as light wines as they conatin only 10-14% alcohol content by volume. Desert wines contain 14-20% alcohol and are sometimes fortified to make more sweet and tasty. Some wine labels suggest that after opening the wine bottle they must be allowed to breathe for few minutes before consuming while others recommend drinking the wine immediately after opening. Decanting is the process of pouring the wine in a special container for the purpose of breathing only. Decanting the wine with the help of filter removes the bitter sediments that may have been formed in the wine. Sediments are more easily formed in the older wines.

During aeration the exposure of younger wines to air adds flavour as well as aroma to them and also makes them smoother. Older wines lose their flavour as well as aroma if exposed to air for a long time. Exposure of wines to air does not benefit all types of wines. Use of wines in religion and ceremonies has been known since ancient times. Wine is an integral part of Jewish laws and traditions. Kiddush is a blessing recited over grape juice to sanctify the Jewish holiday. In Christianity wine is used in a sacred rite called Eucharist which originates in the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper in which Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples and commanded them to do the same in remembrance to me. Beliefs about the nature of Eucharist have been disputed among different Christian denominations. The use of alcohol has been strictly prohibited in the Islamic law. Iran and Afghanistan had a wine industry that vanished after the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Excessive consumption of wine affects the human body. Every 100 gram of red wine provides about 85 Kcal energy, 2.6 g carbohydrates, 0.6 g sugars, 0.0 g fat, 0.1 g proteins and 10.6 g alcohol. Epidemiological studies have shown that moderate consumption of wine reduced death rate by preventing heart attack. Population studies have observed a J curve association between wine consumption and risk of cardiac failure. This suggests that heavy drinkers are at higher risk of getting heart attack than moderate drinkers and non-drinkers. Studies have shown that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages reduces the risk of cardiac arrest but this association is very much strong with the wines. Some studies have proved red wines to be best over white wines. Red wine contains more polyphenols than white wine so is much more protective against cardiovascular disease.

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claudia1829things · 5 years

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"THE FAVOURITE" (2018) Review

"THE FAVOURITE" (2018) Review From the moment I first saw the trailer for Yorgos Lanthimos' 2018 Oscar nominated comedy-drama, "THE FAVOURITE", I wanted to see it. Badly. Being something of a penny pincher, I had figured I would not get a chance to see the film until its release on DVD, cable television or streaming television. But my sister, who also wanted to see the film, finally convinced me to spend a few extra dollars to see the film while it was still in limited release.

What was the reason behind my fervent desire to see "THE FAVOURITE"? One, it was a period film . . . and I am a sucker for the genre. Two, the movie was set during the reign of Queen Anne of Great Britain, a period I have not personally seen on screen since my viewing of the 1969 miniseries, "THE FIRST CHURCHILLS". And three, judging from the trailer, the movie struck me as funny, witty and very original. I love originality. "THE FAVOURITE" is basically Lanthimos' take on the political rivalry between two of Queen Anne's courtiers and cousins - Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough and Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham - for her favor. The movie begins with then Abigail Hill's arrival at Kensington Palace to serve as a scullery maid (?). Abigail, whose father had lost his fortune during a game of whist, owes her job to her cousin, Sarah Churchill. The latter is the Queen's premiere courtier and has an emotional hold over the monarch, due to their sexual affair. However, Sarah's powerful standing in Court begins to decline when Abigail manages to win the Queen's favor after using her to help relieve the latter's pain from the gout. Abigail and the Queen eventually begins an affair and former's standing in Court not only increases, but also threatens Sarah's. Lanthimos' movie had a lot going for it. Thanks to his screenplay, "THE FAVOURITE" featured political intrigue . . . well, somewhat; and three lead characters and a supporting character that proved to be fascinating. Queen Anne's twelve-year reign proved to be volatile than I had ever surmised. To be honest, I have not given a thought about Anne's reign since watching "THE FIRST CHURCHILLS" a long time ago. The movie did occasionally focused on the conflicts between the Tory and Whig parties. Abigail Masham, like Queen Anne and Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford, favored the Tory party and Sarah Churchill favored the Whigs. The latter party supported Britain's participation in the War of the Spanish Succession aka Queen Anne's War, and the Churchills had benefited from John Churchill's command of British troops during it. Due to Sarah's emotional control over the Queen, the Whigs under Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin maintained control over Parliament. However, that changed after Abigail's arrival at Kensington Palace due to Lord Oxford's insistence that she spy on the Queen's relationship with Sarah and later, her growing favor with the monarch. The movie touched upon all . . . or, most of the political aspects surrounding Queen Anne's Court. However Yorgos Lanthimos, along with screenwriters Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, had decided to focus upon the emotional and sexual triangle that had formed between Anne, Sarah and Abigail. Watching this triangle unfurl was like being sucked into some emotional vortex - fascinating and at the same time, dangerous and volatile. Davis, McNamara and especially Lanthimos provided moviegoers with a period biopic that certainly skewered from the usual output from both the Hollywood industry and the film industry overseas. Both the best and the worst aspects of all three women and some of the supporting characters seemed to be on display. Some critics have claimed that "THE FAVOURITE" is basically a satire on period dramas. I agree, but it also struck me as a cautionary tale about the acquirement, use and abuse of power. This cautionary tale especially seemed to encompass the Abigail Masham and Lord Oxford characters, as they use Queen Anne to overcome Sarah Churchill's control of the Court and the Whigs in Parliament. But this theme of abuse of power also touched upon Sarah Churchill and her attempts to maintain her control and the Queen herself, who becomes increasingly determined that she would be the one in control and no one else. The production's visuals and designs proved to be first-rate. Robbie Ryan had received both an Academy Award nomination and a BAFTA nomination for the film's excellent photography. I thought his photography captured the beauty and color of the movie's English locations. Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton won a well-deserved BAFTA award and earned an Oscar nomination for the movie's production designs. Both Crombie Felton did a superb job in re-creating the look of Queen Anne's Court of the early 18th century. And what can I say about Sandy Powell's costume designs, which earned an Academy Award nomination and won a BAFTA? I thought she did an excellent job in re-creating . . . well, almost re-creating the fashions of early 18th century England as shown below:

Powell's designs are not completely historically accurate. Although she accurately shaped the costumes, Powell made them from Nigerian fabrics found in London. And the costumes' color schemes seemed to feature white, blue, gray and black. Very original, very beautiful, but not particularly accurate. I certainly had no complaints about the cast. Most of the supporting cast for "THE FAVOURITE" - Joe Alwyn, James Smith, Edward Aczel, and Mark Gatiss - all gave solid performances. However, I must admit that there were times when Gatiss, who portrayed the Duke of Marlborough, barely seemed visible and obviously wasted in this film. However, there was one supporting performance that really impressed and entertained me. It came from Nicolas Hoult, who portrayed English statesman and occasional sadist, Robert Harley, the Earl of Oxford. Was the real Lord Oxford a sadist? I have no idea. But he did try to gain Abigail's assistance to gain favor with Queen Anne with no scruples. Hoult managed to capture his character's slightly sadistic, yet ambitious nature with such subtlety and skill that I found myself enjoying his performance more than any other in the film. If I must be frank, the true backbone or backbones of "THE FAVOURITE" proved to be the three leading ladies - Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. As much as I enjoyed Hoult's performance, I realize that this movie would have been nothing without them. Many may wax lyrical over Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara's Oscar nominated screenplay, Sandy Powell's costumes or Yorgos Lanthimos' direction. But the performances of the three actresses made this movie and all three gave superb performances. Olivia Colman won just about every (or nearly every) acting award under the sun for her portrayal of Queen Anne of Great Britain. What I admire about her performance is that she gave emotional depth to a character that was in danger by the screenplay into devolving into a caricature of an idiot savant. I could probably say the same about Rachel Weisz's portrayal of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. There were times when the Sarah Churchill character seemed in danger of drifting into some stereotype of the "butch" lesbian trope. If it were not for Weisz's excellent acting, for which she received an Oscar nomination and a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actress, I would have lost all interest in the character. Emma Stone was lucky that her character Sarah Hill Masham, Baroness Masham never drifted toward the edge of caricature. In a way, she had it easier than Colman and Weisz. But I admire her performance for two reasons. One, she had to master some kind of upper-class English accent without overdoing it. And two, the actress did an excellent job of revealing Abigail's cold ambitions behind the warm and feminine facade, layer by layer. And yet . . . despite my admiration for the cast's performances, the film's visual style and certain aspect of its narrative; I did not like "THE FAVOURITE". I did not hate it like some who did. But I did not like it. The movie seemed like a cinematic version of a drama queen. The cinematic epitome of pure titillation. When it comes to historical accuracy in films and television, I seemed to have mixed views. I can tolerate it, if it works for me. I tolerated Sandy Powell's historically incorrect costumes. I tolerated the fact that the Earl of Oxford character, as portrayed by Nicholas Hoult, was a good 15 years younger than the real Lord Oxford during the film's setting. And I tolerated the historically inaccurate characterizations of the film's three leading characters . . . only to a point in which I admired their performances. But the movie had crossed too many lines for my tastes. Queen Anne kept rabbits as pets to symbolize the 17 children she had lost? Rabbits as pets? During the early 18th century? They were either regarded as food or pests over three centuries ago. What was the point of those rabbits in the first place? What did her lost children have to do with the movie's narrative, other than reveal Abigail as some uncaring monster? Was that it? What happened to Anne's consort, Prince George of Denmark? Her husband who was still alive when Abigail Masham née Hill first joined the Queen's Court? Why was he kept out of the movie, but not Sarah or Abigail's husbands? His death had proven to be one of the main reasons why the Queen and Sarah first became estranged in the first place. Anne had loved him very much and Sarah's dismissive attitude toward Prince George's death sparked the beginning of the two women's estrangement. Why did the film failed to mention that Abigail was also related to Lord Oxford, as well as Sarah Churchill? And why on earth was her first position at the Queen's Court as a scullery maid? A scullery maid? Seriously? Someone with her blood connections? Both Sarah and Lord Oxford would have found it socially embarrassing to have a cousin working as a scullery maid within the Queen's household. And of course, there were scenarios and scenes that left me scratching my head. One of the scenes I refer to is that ridiculous scenario in which Abigail had poisoned Sarah and had the latter dumped at some whorehouse outside of London. One, it was stupid plan that could have easily backfired. And two, what was the movie trying to say? That Abigail was familiar with places before her arrival at Court? And could someone please explain the reasoning behind the scene that featured a nude, giggling fat man being pelted by blood oranges by Lord Oxford and his cronies. What was the point of that scene? What exactly was Yorgos Lanthimos trying to say? Also, what was the point behind Samuel Masham's line dance performance (courtesy of actor Joe Alwyn) in the film? What was that about? Or was it another scene for shock value? Honestly, scenes like Sarah in a whorehouse, the pelted naked man and Masham's dance routine are just examples of the absolute, over-the-top nonsense that I had found in this film. But what really pissed me off about "THE FAVOURITE" were the changes that Lanthimos, Davis and McNamara made in regard to the history between Queen Anne, the Duchess of Marlborough and the Baroness Masham. What was the point in these changes? It seemed as if the director and the screenwriters had striped away a great deal of the historical conflict between the three women in order to convey a tale of a sexual triangle filled with ambition and passion. And nothing else. This struck me as unnecessary and frankly, a little insulting as a woman. It almost seemed as if the movie found it difficult to take the political beliefs and/or abilities of three women seriously, especially Queen Anne. The estrangement between the Queen and Sarah, along with Abigail's ascendancy was pretty interesting in real life. Aside from showing Sarah's political influence within the Court, the movie never really explored the political differences between the Queen and Sarah . . . or the fact that Abigail genuinely shared the former's Tory politics. Or that Queen Anne had not only grown weary of Sarah's bullying nature, but also resentful of the latter's Whig politics. Instead, moviegoers were presented with a tale mainly about sexual power, with very little politics involved. In fact, there is no real proof that Queen Anne was ever in any sexual relationship with either Sarah or Anne. I dislike the fact that Davis and McNamara's screenplay solely blamed Abigail for the Queen and Sarah's estrangement. In reality, Sarah was the main instigator of her own political downfall. In fact, she was also the main reason behind her own downfall within King George II's Court, some twenty years later. I realize that Davis, McNamara and Lanthimos wanted a "Eve Harrington" figure and they saw Abigail Masham as the perfect figure for this. But if they had wanted a LGTBQ remake of "ALL ABOUT EVE" that badly, why not create original characters for this movie? Why use historical figures who were never proven to be gay in the first place? One more thing, it took me a while, but I finally realized that "THE FAVOURITE" reminded me of another movie. I am speaking of the 1989 comedy about a divorce called "THE WAR OF ROSES". Like "THE FAVOURITE", the 1989 movie started out as a movie filled with sharp humor and devolved into something ugly and lurid. And in the case of "THE FAVOURITE" . . . laced with exploitation. I hate to say this, but "THE FAVOURITE" proved to be a major disappointment for me. Perhaps this would teach me not to judge a film, based upon a trailer. When I first saw it, I had assumed that the film would be a satirical comedy with strong political overtones. Instead, I found myself watching a film in which the comedy became repetitive and not as funny as I had originally assumed . . . and a movie with the historical background changed drastically for the sake of shock value and sheer exploitation. Director Yorgos Lanthimos, along with screenwriters Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, pretty much ruined this film for me. And not even the excellent performances of Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz or Emma Stone could save it, as far as I am concerned.

#the favourite #the favourite 2018 #yorgos lanthimos #queen anne #sarah duchess of marlborough #abigail baroness masham #olivia colman #rachel weisz #emma stone #nicholas hoult #joe alwyn #james smith #mark gatiss #all about eve #the war of the roses 1989

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winechillerreview-blog · 5 years

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Cheers - Its Wine

Wine is one of the most fascinating drinks among the European citizens. It is an alcoholic beverage prepared from the fermented grape juice. Grapes have the compound land of carrying out fermentation without using sugars, enzymes or other nutritional supplements. It's prepared fermenting the smashed grapes with the different kinds of yeast strains. Yeast consumes all the sugars found in grapes and converts them to alcohol. Different kinds of grapes and different strains of blossoms are responsible for the creation of different types of wines. Apples and berries are also utilized for the preparation of wines and the wines obtained are called after the name of the fruit like apple, berry or elderberry wine or are popularly name as berry wine or country wine. Barley and rice wine are prepared from the starch based substances and resemble beer and soul more than ginger and wine wine is fortified with brandy. The term wine is utilized for these drinks because of their high alcoholic content. The commercial use of the expression English wine is under the government control.

Wine has quite a rich history which is 6000 BC old and is thought to have originated from the borders of Georgia and Iran. The wine was ready in Europe for the very first time about 4500 BC past in the Balkans and has been quite common in Rome, Thrace and ancient Greece. Wine also deserves a significant part in faith throughout the history. The Greek god Dionysus and the Roman god Bacchus symbolize wine and the wine is used from the catholic and Jewish ceremonies. The term wine has originated out of a Proto-Germanic word winam which signifies avocado. The earliest cultivation of grapevine Vitis vinifera first began in Georgia. Wine was prepared in India from the Vedic times. Viticulture began in India first in the Indus valley where grapevines were released for the first time from Persia roughly 5000 BC ago. Chanakya, the chief minister of the Emperor Chandragupta Maurya has discussed about wine from his writings about 4th century BC past and has given wine by the word Madhu. He's concentrated on the negative effects of wine also has suggested the use of wine.

Wine is ready from Multiple varieties of Vitis vinifera such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay and Merlot. When one of these varieties can be used the consequent is termed as varietal. The world's most expensive wines come from the areas like Bordeaux and Rhone Valley are blended from different varieties of the identical vintage. Wine may also be ready from the hybrid varieties of grapes obtained by hereditary cross breeding. Vitis labrusca, Vitis aestivalis, Vitis rupestris, Vitis rotundifolia and Vitis riparia are native North American varieties of grapes grown for its production of jams, jellies or occasionally wine.

Hybridization is not the same procedure so can't be confused with grafting. Most of the world's grape vineyards are planted with the European assortment of grapevine Vitis vinifera grafted with the North American species rootstock. This is essentially done because the North American species are more resistant to Phyllosera a root louse that damages the roots of grapevines resulting in death. In the late 19th century most of the vineyards of Europe were destroyed by means of a bug leading to deaths of grapevines and significant financial loss. Grafting is a common practice in all wine producing nations except Argentina, Chile and Canary Islands and only these areas include vineyards free of any devastating pests. Associated with wine manufacturing terroir is an important concept that includes number of grapevine to be used, elevation and contour of vineyard, kind and chemistry of soil, climate and seasonal conditions and the local yeast cultures to be utilized. The fermentation, ageing and processing of wine at terroir might lead to good wine production.

The classification, manufacturing and sale of wine are under the control of authorities in many parts of the world. European wines are grouped on the grounds of those regions where they're produced while non-European types are categorized on the variety of grape used. Frequent examples of locally recognized non-Europeans areas for wine production comprise Napa Valley in California, Columbia Valley in Washington, Barossa and Hunter Valley in Australia, Central Valley in Chile, Hawke's Bay and Marlborough in New Zealand and Niagara Peninsula in Canada. Some blended wines are offered by a specific signature and therefore are under strict rules and regulations of the government by way of instance, Meritage is a normally a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and may also include Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. The industrial usage of this expression Meritage is possible just after obtaining license in the Meritage Association. France uses different systems based on the concept terroir for classification. Greece and Italy classify on the basis of those regions where they are ready. New World ones are classified on the range of grapes used for preparation.

A vintage wine is one that is prepared in the grapes grown in a particular period of the year are labeled as vintage. Variations in the style of wine can vary as a result of palate, colour, nose and development. Premium quality wines taste better if are stored properly for a long moment. Habitual wine drinkers generally stored the bottles of vintage wine for future consumption. For a wine to be called vintage wine in United States the American Viticultural Area has passed specific rules such as the classic wine must contain 95 percent of the its volume of the grapes harvested in that year. Each of the classic wines are bottles in one batch so that all might have the similar taste. Climate plays a significant role in nature of wine since it impacts its flavour and quality strongly. So we can state that classic wines are characteristic of a specific vintage. Superior vintages from a trusted producer and area fetch higher prices of wine compared to average vintages. Non-vintage wines may also be mixed from more than one classic for consistency a procedure that permits wine manufacturers to keep a trusted market picture and keep sales even in bad years.

Wine tasting is sensory examination and evaluation of wine. Wines are made from the chemical substances that found in fruits, spices and vegetables. The sweetness of measured by the quantity of sugar left in wine after fermentation, comparative to the acidity present in wine. Dry wine has a very small proportion of residual sugar. Individual flavours from the wine is easily detected since the cherry juice and wine contain terpenes and esters as principal elements. Experienced tasters can easily recognize the kind and flavour of wine. Chocolate, vanilla and coffee also act as flavouring agents for wine. Wine aroma comes from the compounds present in wine which are released on being exposed to atmosphere. Red wines are highly aromatic. Outstanding vintages from best wineries bring good prices in the marketplace around $US 30-50 bucks per jar. The most commonly purchase wines in Europe comprise Bordeaux, Burgundy and cult wines. The wine grapes grow nearly between thirty to fifty degrees north or south of the equator. The world's southernmost vineyards are present in the Central Otago of New Zealand's South Islands near the 45th parallel south and the north most have been in Flen, Sweden only north of 59th parallel north. UK was the largest producer of wine in the calendar year 2007.

Wine is the most essential and favorite beverage of European and Mediterranean cuisines engaging in the simple in addition to complex traditions. Apart from its popularity for a drink wine is also a fantastic flavouring agent especially utilized stocks and braising as its acidity imparts another taste to the candy dishes. Red, white and sparkling wines are very popular and are called light wines as they conatin just 10-14% alcohol content by volume. Desert wines contain 14-20% alcohol and are occasionally fortified to make more sweet and tasty. Some wine labels imply that after launching the wine bottle they must be allowed to breathe for couple of minutes before consuming while others recommend drinking the wine immediately after opening. Decanting is the process of pouring the wine in a special container for the function of breathing just. Decanting the wine with the assistance of filter removes the sour sediments that may have been formed in the wine. Sediments are more readily formed in the elderly wines.

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makingscipub · 4 years

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Gene drive and grey squirrels: Science and media

At the beginning of January 2019 an article, entitled “Accelerating Evolution” appeared in The Biologist, a journal published by the Royal Society of Biology (The Biologist 66(6) p18-21). The authors, Bruce Whitelaw and Gus McFarlane, work at the Roslin Institute in Scotland which was involved with the creation of Dolly the cloned sheep in 1996, coincidentally the occasion of my first ever article in the field of science and society studies (Nerlich et al., 1999).

Gene drive and… squirrels

The paper is about gene drives, that is, “how this technology works, and how it could be used in conservation and agriculture as well as public health”. The Royal Society of Biology announced it on Twitter as “Bruce Whitelaw and Gus McFarlane look at new uses for artificial gene drives – from fighting lice on fish farms to helping amphibians battle fungal diseases”.

Although the paper by Whitelaw and McFarlane does not particularly focus on grey squirrels, they became the centre of attention in the (rather limited) newspaper coverage that followed. This is perhaps not surprising, as McFarlane is just starting a project entitled “Gene drives for controlling the invasive Grey Squirrel in the UK”.

Grey squirrels were introduced to the UK from North America in the 19th century and are regarded as threatening the survival of red squirrels, native to the British Isles. (In this short post I can’t go into the controversies surrounding the definition of invasive or introduced species in general and how to deal with grey squirrels in particular, although this is a fascinating topic, see here and here for example).

One of my garden squirrels

As readers know, I am interested in the way ‘gene drive’ is being communicated in public. I have written blog posts about various types of gene drive used mainly in efforts to eliminate malaria carrying mosquitoes. I have also written one post about gene drive in mice. Grey Squirrels are a new addition to my ‘gene drive in the media’ surveillance efforts. (Although they peaked their heads out of some articles in 2017, also referring to work on rodents by Whitelaw and McFarlane, but were sort of swamped by stories about mosquitoes)

The current article by Whitelaw and McFarlane starts with a very good description/definition of what ‘gene drive’ is, which is really worth reading. It then goes on to describe what gene drives could achieve in terms of not only eliminating invasive pests, such as rabbits in Australia, possums in New Zealand, grey squirrels in the UK and rodents more globally, but also conserving species, especially mammals and amphibians, from moose to fish (here the issue is how to deal with “the pressing issue of sea lice in fish farming or the eradication of the New World screwworm”).

Gene drive and media coverage

Nine articles overall reported on this in the English Language News, most from the UK, with a focus on Scottish newspapers, and one article from New Zealand, a country also interested in gene drive for the elimination of invasive pests. I later also found an article not recorded in Nexis, the news database I used, published in The Australian (which, apart from the title, is equivalent to the one published in The Sunday Times).

All the news reports focused on the grey squirrel, a mammal which had only been mentioned once in the original paper in The Biologist! None of the other mammals alluded to in the paper make an appearance in the newspapers, but are replaced instead by minks, ring-necked parakeets and muntjac deer, for example.

Here is the list of the articles I looked at:

Mission to save Britain’s red squirrels by altering DNA of rival greys so they die out is launched by same team of scientists who cloned Dolly the sheep, Lara Keay For Mailonline, MailOnline, SCIENCE; Version:1, (January 5, 2020 Sunday)

First they cloned Dolly the sheep. Now they’re targeting grey squirrels; Researchers plan to engineer males to spread infertility through the grey population and bring red squirrels back to Britain, Jonathan Leake, The Sunday Times (London), NEWS; Pg. 3, (January 5, 2020 Sunday)

Dolly the Sheep scientists hope DNA editing can wipe out grey squirrels, Martyn Mclaughlin, Scotsman, (January 5, 2020 Sunday)

Red squirrels to thrive again in Britain as new plan considered to eradicate grey breed; RED SQUIRRELS could soon be thriving in Britain again as a new plan to put an end to destructive grey squirrels is being developed., Wesley Hudson, Express Online, (January 5, 2020 Sunday)

DNA ‘edit’ could stamp out grey squirrel pests, Andrew Levy, Irish Daily Mail, NEWS; Pg. 17, (January 6, 2020 Monday)

DNA TWEAK THAT COULD WIPE OUT GREY SQUIRREL INVADERS, BY ANDREW LEVY, DAILY MAIL (London), (January 6, 2020 Monday)

DNA ‘edit’ that could wipe out grey invaders, Andrew Levy, Scottish Daily Mail, NEWS; Pg. 25, (January 6, 2020 Monday)

DNA edit to end grey squirrels, Jonathan Leake, thetimes.co.uk, NEWS; Version:1, (January 6, 2020 Monday)

Gene edit may wipe out pests, Marlborough Express (New Zealand), NEWS; NATIONAL; Pg. 15, (January 6, 2020 Monday)

Gene drive and DNA editing

The first article appeared in the Mail Online and introduced ‘gene drive’ as ‘DNA modification’ and ‘altering DNA’ in male grey squirrels so they can pass on infertility to female greys. Other articles talk mainly about ‘editing DNA’ (‘gene edit’ occurs once, ‘DNA tweak’ once, ‘engineer’ once, ‘team of genome engineers’ once). ‘Gene drive’ is generally defined as editing grey squirrels’ DNA to ensure females are born infertile, and as “designed to spread relentlessly through the population”. (Express and elsewhere)

Many articles enumerate all the many ways in which grey squirrels pose a danger to red squirrels. Some articles also provide accounts of how they pose a threat to trees, something that is discussed in the context of climate change and tree planting initiatives.

The main actors

The main actors quoted in the articles are Bruce Whitelaw and Gus McFarlane of the Roslin Institute, the European Squirrel Initiative that funds their research and its spokesperson Andrew Kednall, Jennifer White of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals who opposes such research, Sir Harry Studholme, chairman of the Forestry Commission and also Craig Shuttleworth an ecologist.

The main metaphors: War and destruction

When you read the article in The Biologist you’ll be hard pressed to find any interesting metaphors, apart from, perhaps, the title. What about the reporting on this article, also based on interviews with the above actors? I was not surprised to see that the articles all use the language of war and battle, of killing and of enemies, something that, it seems, the scientists and other stakeholders had tried to avoid in the original article and in the interviews.

Although never used in the original article, ‘wipe out’ or ‘wiping out’ is used six times in the nine press articles together with ‘targeting’ and ‘stamp out’. This framing of ‘invasive species’ through the lens of war is common, just as it is in talk about the management of infectious diseases (see Larson, Nerlich and Wallis, 2005).

In the articles here, grey squirrels are said to be: a ruinous blight, a big, brash invasive species, invaders, pests; they carry a deadly virus, advance relentlessly, are on the march, wreak havoc; no tree is safe from them and they lead a destructive reign; as opposed to red squirrels which are said to cling on for survival, needing to be saved and should allowed to thrive again.

Opponents of gene drive also stress that red squirrels are intelligent, sensitive beings. The scientists involved stress, by contrast, that gene drives allow local communities to humanely control pests.

What about the cloning connection? Most articles mention this at the beginning and/or in the headline but don’t make a lot of it. One article tries to project negative framing from one onto the other in the headline “First they cloned Dolly the sheep. Now they’re targeting grey squirrels” (The Sunday Times).

Responsibility and community

In contrast with the newspaper reporting, the Roslin scientists not only avoided gory metaphors, they also wrote about the risks of their work and the need for community engagement, saying:

“Although gene drive technology still faces significant scientific, political and social hurdles, we are optimistic of its future potential and as such have chosen to highlight prospective applications of the technology in this article. However, it must be noted that before any of these proposed applications are deployed there is a requirement for in-depth analysis of the ecological implications, as well as the need for broad community engagement with those that may be affected by the release of a gene drive.”

This was, strangely, not picked up in the articles, despite being a major topic in previous reporting on gene drive in mosquitoes, for example (a topic we are just exploring).

Future research

In ongoing research, focusing mainly on mosquitoes not mammals, we investigate whether this pattern, of journalists using war metaphors and war narratives and scientists focusing on responsibility and ethics, holds up in a larger corpus, and if so why.

Image: Photo of greeting card – Quilled Squirrel by Quilling Card, handcrafted in Vietnam

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