Sorry, this should’ve been in first thing this morning but I was having trouble posting. Carole H also reports trouble today, but everything should be working now. Email me at biggs@commercialappeal.com if you spot problems.
The question was: What is a tastevin?
The answer is that it’s the wine-tasting cup worn by sommeliers on a chain or a ribbon around the neck.
Trivia
Responses to “Answer to the question”
October 24th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Excuse me, but the idea of sommeliers in restaurants wearing tastevins on a ribbon around their necks is pure pretension. The tastevin was invented centuries ago in Burgundy as a tasting device in the dim, candle-lit cellars of wine producers. The shallow shape and the bumps in the “dish” part were intended to reflect candle-light through the wine inside the tastevin. Wine producers in Burgundy long ago (or maybe not SO long ago for some) got electricity, and the cellars I have visited in the region are now illuminated by real light bulbs. You won’t see a tastevin anywhere.
October 24th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Excuse you back, but I see one right here. The question was: What is a tastevin? Whether it’s used infrequently or not at all is irrelevant. People generally no longer use butter churns, also likely due to the widespread use of electricity, but they’re still butter churns.
So the answer is correct, but it’s good of you to share your knowledge of wine.
October 25th, 2007 at 10:24 am
Didn’t mean to be snarky (and certainly not toward my colleague and fellow W&D blogger!), but I meant that the people putting together the food trivia game should have researched this question and answer more thoroughly. Consumers who buy this game would do so because they are interested in food and wine; I thought the answer here should have been more complete.
October 25th, 2007 at 10:49 am
but it is quite funny what some of the wine guys wear.. i don’t know if i should salute them, shake their hand, kiss a ring… they are wearing more medals than Patton…
4 comment.