Sauvignon Blanc is second in popularity in the U.S. behind Chardonnay.

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Sauvignon Blanc is second in popularity in the U.S. behind Chardonnay. What is its other name?

Sauvignon Blanc is the same wine as Fumé Blanc. Rumor has it that Robert Mondavi first used this name in the 1960's to help popularize Sauvignon Blanc. He figured the American public had trouble pronouncing "Sauvignon" and would prefer to say "Fumé".




Quivira Winery's classic blend used to make their Cabernet "Cuvée" is a time-honored winemaking process adopted from Bordeaux. What synonymous term is used by many winemakers to denote the 'Bordeaux Blend'?

The name "Meritage" ('merit' plus 'heritage') is often used in the U.S. to label wines with classic Bordeaux Blends. Red Meritage usually includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and sometimes Petite Verdot and Malbec. Meritage whites usually include Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a small amount of Muscat.



Both featured wines this month have been grown on "disease resistant AxR#1" root stock. What is AxR#1?

AxR#1 rootstock was developed in 1876 by the French and is a cross between two vinifera varieties that allow vines to produce lots of fruit and is resistant to many diseases. It is literally the foundation upon which the modern revolution in California table wine was build. Like the Europeans though, Californians are discovering its weakness against the root eating louse, phylloxera.





Quivira Vineyards & Winery was featured in our Gold Wine Club in 1993! These three trivia questions are from the Wine Wizard section of our monthly newsletter, The Wine Press that goes out in each shipment of wines.