Shepfact!

[shep_shepherd]

Here's today's Shepfact:

Despite 89% of wine in the united States of America being produced in California, all fifty states currently produce wine of some type.

Comments

[schnee]

Even Alaska?

[shep_shepherd]

Apparently so!

http://www.alaskawildwine.com

[schnee]

Interesting, although I'm enough of a snob to not consider these wines, given they're not made from grapes.

Wikipedia actually lists an actual winery in the state, but it's unclear whether they grow their stuff locally, and their claim that they "specialize in crafting personal, micro-brewed batch of wine" makes me a little suspicious, too. "Brewed"?

[shep_shepherd]

I was given to believe that wine could be made from any fermented fruit juice.

[schnee]

Of course you can make a wine-like beverage from just about any fruit - grapes aren't special in that regard -, but does the result deserve to be called "wine" in the strictest sense?

It's probably a pointless semantic argument, but for me, "wine" implies "made from grapes" - just like, say, "malt whisky" implies "made from malted barley" and not "distilled from molasses and with artificial malt flavor added".

[shep_shepherd]

I consider sake to be wine, even though it's made from rice. Ditto barley wine.

[silent_o]

Wikipedia agrees with you.

[chibiabos]

You beat me to the punch with this question!

[schnee]

MMMmm... punch. ^^