Comparing Food and Drink Habits of Old World Wine Countries

Discover the food and drink habits of two of the Old World Wine countries we have studied in this course and examine how they relate to their respective cultures. Analyze the components of wine labels to discover these cultural differences.

Resources for Research:

• Textbook
• PowerPoint slides
• Wine, food and culture related websites. Avoid Wikipedia.

Instructions:

1. Choose two (2) of the wine labels below.

2. Provide an analysis of each wine label. Consider and state the following information gained from the wine labels:

• What is the country of origin?
• What is the appellation or sub-region?
• What is the name of the producer?
• What is the vintage year or is it a non-vintage wine?
• What is the grape variety (or grape varieties) used to make this wine?
• Describe any special attributes of this wine. You may consider the following ideas but not all will apply to each wine: geography of region, climate of region, wine making techniques, ageing techniques. List and describe 3 attributes for each wine.
• (Point form/bullet point answers acceptable)

3. For each of the two countries you have discovered through the wine labels, list and describe 5 facts you find interesting about the culture and traditions of these countries.  (Point form/bullet point answers acceptable)

4. Using the analytical approach to wine and food pairing, choose a dish or a meal that would pair well with each of your chosen wines.

• Why did you choose this pairing?
• Using the analytical approach to wine and food pairing we studied in Week 5, state why you think this would make a good pairing.
• Provide 2 or more reasons for your pairing.
• (Short answer or point form/bullet point answers acceptable)

5. Relate and Reflect: Considering the wines, food and cultural facts you have learned about these countries, how are these cultures similar to or different from your own culture? Give 2 examples of similarities and 2 examples of differences to your own culture for each of the two cultures you have chosen.