B. F. Brisac

B. F. Brisac (September 15, 1858 – January 6, 1940) was an American business executive and humanitarian known for his work with the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and other humane organizations in the early 1900s.
Early life and career.
Brisac was born Belnore Felix Brisac in San Francisco, CA in 1858, the son of Felix and Virginia (Grain) Brisac. His father was a French expatriate in the line of the Dukes of Brissac. His mother was the daughter of French-American painter and scenographer Fredrick Grain. He had two brothers, Camille (1851–1855) and Norline (1856–1903).
Known professionally as B. F. Brisac, Belnore began his career working for Murphy Grant & Company (importers and jobbers of dry goods) in San Francisco in 1877. When his father died in 1882, he went to work as an insurance soliciter with The Liverpool & London & Globe Insurance Company (LLG), filling the position his father had held there. He later became a broker and continued his affiliation with LLG for the next thirty years.
Brisac also invested time and money in Bay area development ventures. A proponent of the modern Olympic Movement, he joined and later became a Director of the Olympic Club. He owned stock in the Olympic Salt Water Company (1894) and was vice president and general manager of the Boulder Creek Electric Light and Water Company which he helped found in 1903.
Work on insurance reforms.
Following the San Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906, many wealthy families abandoned the city, some never to return; Brisac chose to stay. Working from the basement of their damaged office building, he and others at LLG began processing insurance claims within days of the fire being put out. The Mayor of San Francisco had declared martial law and issued a shoot-to-kill order for looters. To speed the payouts that would allow families to keep their property, Brisac secured a pass from the Mayor and for weeks traversed San Francisco with a money belt and a pistol for self-protection while paying off claims.
The massive earthquake damage, and the rampant fraud following the fire combined to force many insurance companies to go bankrupt or abandon policy holders, but Liverpool & London & Globe survived and Brisac became an advocate for insurance reforms, working as a member and later Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Insurance Broker's Exchange of San Francisco.
Brisac was involved in San Francisco's reconstruction efforts for over a decade. In 1914, he chaired the Insurance Broker's Committee of the World's Insurance Congress, and invested in the 1914 Panama–Pacific International Exposition, and he continued to contribute to disaster relief efforts such as the 1918 San Jacinto Earthquake Fund.
Along with other survivors, Brisac struggled to come to terms with the death and destruction caused by the earthquake, and he found consolation in the teachings of the new Christian Science. In 1908, he introduced Christian Science lecturer F. H. Leonard to a crowd of 4000 in the Dreamland Rink auditorium in San Francisco. Acknowledging the large turnout, Brisac proposed that the question on everyone's mind was “What is there in it?” and suggested that it offered what humanity was missing – “...reconciliation with god.” In 1913, he was elected First Reader in the newly built San Francisco First Church of Christ, Scientist.
Work with humane organizations.
Brisac grew up in the waning days of the California Gold Rush and witnessed the routine abuse of dray horses and mules on San Francisco streets, and he had known about the work of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals since its founding in 1868. But his involvement with the group didn't begin until the aftermath of the earthquake in 1906, where he assisted in the rescue of trapped and injured animals and helped build water troughs for the horses used in rescue and reconstruction. He joined the Society in 1907 and was active for the rest of his life, as a member (1907–1916), Trustee (1916–1930), and President (1930–1940). At the time of his death, he was also First Vice-President, formerly President of the State Humane Association of California and Director of the American Humane Association active in American Red Star Rescue and Animal Relief.
Family life and later years.
Brisac married Alice M. Hain in 1878 and they had two children - Virginia, born in 1883, and Belnore Brisac, Jr. born in 1888.
When Virginia was nineteen, Brisac and his wife were persuaded by friend and local theatre impresario Reginald Travers to allow her to act professionally. She quickly became a headliner on the West Coast Stock theatre circuit and, in April 1906, married an actor she met while on tour in Los Angeles, California. When the marriage failed in 1911, Brisac made a home for Virginia's four-year-old daughter, Ardel, who lived with them for over ten years before finally rejoining her mother in 1922. Brisac continued to be a surrogate father and mentor to his granddaughter until his death in 1940.
Alice Brisac died in 1924 after a long illness. B. F. remarried in 1930, and he and his second wife continued living in San Francisco until his death ten years later.
Death and tribute.
Upon his death on January 6, 1940, the Board of Trustees of The San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals paid tribute to Brisac in a resolution which read in part: “His was a long, full and beneficent life. Kindness for his fellow men and a deep sense of consideration and responsibility for the welfare of helpless creatures were primary precepts upon which he based his conduct and living. As a humanitarian, his loss will be felt throughout the entire country.”
His ashes were interred in the Brisac family niche, along with those of his wife and others in his family, in the Columbarium at the Mt. Olivet Memorial Park in Colma, California outside of San Francisco.


Mount Edgar Station

Mount Edgar Station, often referred to as Mount Edgar, is a pastoral lease that once operated as a sheep station but now operates as a cattle station.
It is located about south east of Marble Bar and south east of Port Hedland and in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The property is bounded by Yarrie Station.
The property was established in 1890 by George Dudley (known as Dudley) and Alfred Howden Drake-Brockman (known as Howden), who both died early in the 1900s. In 1903 it was owned by Messrs Corboy and Company, who produced the first wool clip of 61 bales of wool.
Copper was being mined at the property in 1907.
W.J. Corboy still owned the property in 1908, when he placed it on the market. The property was advertised as occupying an area of and was stocked with 6,000 sheep and 180 cattle. It had 10 wells fitted with windmills and had of fencing.
In 1925 many windmills were destroyed and station property wrecked at Mount Edgar Station by a cyclone that passed through the area.
Employees at the station walked out on strike in 1946. By 1949 agreements for improved conditions and pay were negotiated at both Mount Edgar and Limestone stations and the strike was effectively ended.


Beaujolais

Beaujolais ( , ) is a French "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" (AOC) wine generally made of the Gamay grape, which has a thin skin and is low in tannins. Like most AOC wines they are not labeled varietally. Whites from the region, which make up only 1% of its production, are made mostly with Chardonnay grapes though Aligoté is also permitted until 2024 (on condition the vines were planted before 2004). Beaujolais tends to be a very light-bodied red wine, with relatively high amounts of acidity. In some vintages, Beaujolais produces more wine than the Burgundy wine regions of Chablis, Côte d'Or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais put together.
The wine takes its name from the historical Province of Beaujolais, a wine-producing region. It is located north of Lyon, and covers parts of the north of the department of Rhône, the Rhône-Alpes region and southern areas of the department of Saône-et-Loire, in Burgundy. While administratively considered part of the Burgundy wine region, the climate is closer to that of the Rhône, and the wine is sufficiently individual in character to be considered apart from Burgundy and Rhône. The region is known internationally for its long tradition of winemaking, for the use of carbonic maceration, and more recently for the popular Beaujolais nouveau.
History.
The region of Beaujolais was first cultivated by the Romans who planted the areas along its trading route up the Saône valley. The most noticeable Roman vineyard was "Brulliacus" located on the hillside of . The Romans also planted vineyards in the area around Morgon. From the 7th century through the Middle Ages, most of the viticulture and winemaking was done by the Benedictine monks. In the 10th century, the region got its name from the town of Beaujeu, Rhône and was ruled by the Lords of Beaujeu until the 15th century when it was ceded to the Duchy of Burgundy. The wines from Beaujolais were mostly confined to the markets along the Saône and Rhône, particularly in the town of Lyon. The expansion of the French railroad system in the 19th century opened up the lucrative Paris market. The first mention of Beaujolais wines in English followed soon after when Cyrus Redding described the wines of Moulin-à-Vent and Saint-Amour as being low-priced and best consumed young.
In the 1980s, Beaujolais hit a peak of popularity in the world's wine market with its Beaujolais nouveau wine. Spurred on by the creative marketing from wine merchants such as Georges Duboeuf, demand outpaced supply for the easy-drinking, fruity wines. As more Beaujolais producers tried to capitalize on the "Nouveau craze", production of regular Beaujolais dropped and an eventual backlash occurred in the late 1990s and early 21st century. By this point, the whole of Beaujolais wine had developed a negative reputation among consumers who associated Gamay based wines with the slightly sweet, simple light bodied wines that characterized Beaujolais Nouveau. Producers were left with a wine surplus that French authorities compelled them to reduce through mandatory distillation. In response, there has been renewed emphasis on the production of more complex wines that are aged longer in oak barrels prior to release. Recent years have seen a rise in the number of terroir driven estate-bottled wines made from single vineyards or in one of the Cru Beaujolais communes, where the name of the commune is allowed to be displayed on the label.
Gamay grape.
Gamay noir is now known to be a cross of pinot noir and the ancient white variety Gouais, the latter a Central European variety that was probably introduced to northeastern France by the Romans. The grape brought relief to the village growers following the decline of the Black Death. In contrast to the pinot noir, Gamay ripened two weeks earlier and was less difficult to cultivate. It also produced a strong, fruitier wine in a much larger abundance. In July 1395, the Duke of Burgundy Philippe the Bold outlawed the cultivation of Gamay as being "a very bad and disloyal plant", due in part to the variety occupying land that could be used for the more "elegant" pinot noir. Sixty years later, Philippe the Good issued another edict against Gamay, in which he stated the reason for the ban was that "The Dukes of Burgundy are known as the lords of the best wines in Christendom. We will maintain our reputation". The edicts had the effect of pushing Gamay plantings southward, out of the main region of Burgundy and into the granite based soils of Beaujolais where the grape thrived.
Scandals.
Following the 2001 vintage, over 1.1 million cases of Beaujolais wine (most of it Beaujolais Nouveau) had to be destroyed or distilled due to lackluster sale as part of a consumer backlash against the popularity of Beaujolais Nouveau. French wine critic François Mauss claimed, in an interview given to a local newspaper "Lyon Mag", that the reason for the backlash was the poor quality of Beaujolais Nouveau that had flooded the market in recent decades. He claimed that Beaujolais producers had long ignored the warning signs that such a backlash was coming and continued to produce what Mauss termed "vin de merde" (shit wine). This triggered an outcry among Beaujolais producers followed by an association of 56 cooperative producers filing a lawsuit against the "Lyon Mag" for publishing Mauss's comments.
Rather than sue for libel, the producers sued under an obscure French law that punishes the denigration of French products. In January 2003, the court in Villefranche-sur-Saône found in favor of the Beaujolais producers and awarded USD$350,000 which would put the small, employee owned publication out of business. The bad publicity garnered from the "Shit wine case" was extensive, with several publications such as "Le Monde", "The Times", "The New York Times" and the "Herald Tribune" running critical or satirical articles on the court's decision. In 2005, the highest court of appeal reversed and found that there was no cause of action against the publication, and the Beaujolais winemakers were ordered to pay €2,000 (US$2,442) in court costs to "Lyon Mag".
In 2005, the Vins Georges Duboeuf company was charged with mixing low-grade wine with better vintages after a patchy 2004 harvest. Georges Duboeuf denied wrongdoing, blaming human error and pointing out that none of the affected wine was released to consumers. The production manager directly responsible admitted his actions and resigned, and a court found that both "fraud and attempted fraud concerning the origin and quality of wines" had been committed. Fewer than 200,000 liters of the company's annual 270 million liter production were implicated, but L'Affaire Duboeuf, as it was called, was considered a serious scandal.
In December 2007, five people were arrested after reportedly selling nearly 600 tonnes of sugar to growers in Beaujolais. Up to 100 growers were accused of using the sugar for illegal chaptalization and also of exceeding volume quotas between 2004 and 2006.
Climate and geography.
Beaujolais is a large wine-producing region, larger than any single district of Burgundy. There are over of vines planted in a stretch of land that is between 7 and wide (11 to 14 km). The historical capital of the province is Beaujeu ("Bôjor" /"Biôjœr" in Arpitan) and the economic capital of the area is Villefranche-sur-Saône ("Velafranche"). Many of Beaujolais vineyards are found in the hillside on the outskirt of Lyons in the eastern portion of the region along the Saône valley. The Massif Central is located to the west and has a tempering influence on Beaujolais' climate. The region is located south of the Burgundy wine region Mâconnais with nearly 100 "communes" in the northern region of Beaujolais overlapping between the AOC boundaries Beaujolais and the Maconnais region of Saint-Véran.
The climate of Beaujolais is semi-continental with some temperate influences. The proximity of the Mediterranean Sea does impart some Mediterranean influence on the climate. The region is overall, warmer than Burgundy with vines that consistently fully ripen grapes. By the time that the Beaujolais Nouveau is released in late November, the foothills in the western regions will have normally seen snow. A common viticultural hazard is spring time frost.
The soils of Beaujolais divide the region into a northern and southern half, with the town of Villefranche serving as a near dividing point. The northern half of Beaujolais, where most of the Cru Beaujolais communes are located, includes rolling hills of schist and granite based soils with some limestone. On hillsides, most of the granite and schist is found in the upper slopes with the lower slopes having more stone and clay composition. The southern half of the region, also known as the "Bas Beaujolais", has flatter terrain with richer, sandstone and clay based soils with some limestone patches. The Gamay grape fares differently in both regions-producing more structured, complex wines in the north and more lighter, fruity wines in the south. The angle of the hillside vineyards in the north exposes the grapes to more sunshine which leads to harvest at an earlier time than the vineyards in the south.
Appellations.
The new rules for Beaujolais appellations were issued by INAO in 2011
There are 12 main appellations of Beaujolais wines covering the production of more than 96 villages in the Beaujolais region. They were originally established in 1936, with additional crus being promoted in 1938 and 1946, plus Régnié in 1988. About half of all Beaujolais wine is sold under the basic Beaujolais AOC designation. The majority of this wine is produced in the southern "Bas Beaujolais" region located around the town of Belleville. The minimum natural alcohol level for the grapes is 10%, and the maximum yield is 60 hl/ha (65 hl/ha for a bumper crop) The wine may be labeled as "Beaujolais Supérieur" in case the minimum natural alcohol level for the grapes is 10,5%, and the maximum yield is 58 hl/ha (63 hl/ha for a bumper crop). Exactly the same limits are effective for "Beaujolais-Villages". Maximum chaptalization levels are established at 3 g/l (glucose + fructose).
Beaujolais Crus.
The 10 Beaujolais Crus differ in character. The following three crus produce the lightest bodied Cru Beaujolais and are typically intended to be consumed within three years of the vintage.
The next three crus produce more medium bodied Cru Beaujolais that Master of Wine Mary Ewing-Mulligan recommends needs at least a year aging in the bottle and to be consumed within four years of the vintage.
The last four crus produce the fullest bodied examples of Cru Beaujolais that need the most time ageing in the bottle and are usually meant to be consumed between four and 10 years after harvest.
Beaujolais Nouveau.
The early history of Beaujolais Nouveau can trace its roots to 19th century when the first wines of the vintage were sent down the Saône to the early bistros of Lyon. Upon their arrival signs would be put out proclaiming "Le Beaujolais Est Arrivé!" and its consumption was seen as a celebration of another successful harvest. In the 1960s, this style of simple Beaujolais became increasingly popular worldwide with more than half a million cases of it being sold. In 1985 the "Institut National des Appellations d'Origine" (INAO) established the third Thursday of November to allow for a uniform release date for the wine. Wines are typically shipped a few days earlier to locations around the world where they must be held in a bonded warehouse till 12:01am, when the wines can be first opened and consumed.
Today, about a third of the region's production is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau, a marketing name created by Georges Duboeuf for the local "vin de l'année". It is the lightest, fruitiest style of Beaujolais and meant for simple quaffing. Any Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages AOC vineyard can produce Beaujolais Nouveau. The grapes are harvested between late August and early September. It is fermented for just a few days and released to the public on the third Thursday of November - "Beaujolais Nouveau Day". It is the first French wine to be released for each vintage year. In 1992, at its peak, more than half of all Beaujolais wine was sold as "Beaujolais Nouveau". The wines are meant to be drunk as young as possible, when they are at their freshest and fruitiest. They can last up to one or two years but will have lost most of their characteristic flavors by that point.
Viticulture and grape varieties.
The Beaujolais region has one of the highest vine density ratios of any major worldwide wine region, with anywhere from 9000 to 13,000 vines per hectare. Most vines are trained in the traditional gobelet style, where the spurs of the vines are pushed upwards and arranged in a circle, resembling a chalice. This method has its roots in the Roman style of vine training and has only recently begun to fall out of favor for the guyot method which involves taking a single or double spur and training it out horizontally. Harvest usually occurs in late September and is almost universally done by hand rather than with the use of mechanical harvesters. This is because the Beaujolais wine-making style of carbonic maceration utilizes whole bunches of grape clusters that normally get broken and separated by a mechanical harvester.
The Gamay grape, more accurately known as Gamay noir à Jus blanc to distinguish it from the Gamay teinturier grapes with red juice and different from the Napa Gamay and the Gamay Beaujolais grapes of California, is the most widely planted grape in Beaujolais, accounting for nearly 98% of all plantings. The remaining plantings are mostly Chardonnay. Aligote vines that were planted prior to 2004 are permitted in wine production, but the entire grape variety is being phased out of the region by 2024. According to AOC regulation, up to 15% of white wine grape varieties can be included in all Beaujolais red wines from the basic Beaujolais AOC to the Cru Beaujolais wines, but in practice the wines are almost always 100% Gamay. Pinot noir, which has very small plantings, is also permitted, but that grape is being phased out by 2015 as Beaujolais winemakers continue to focus their winemaking identity on the Gamay grape. The characteristics that the Gamay grapes adds to Beaujolais are a deep bluish-red color, high acidity, moderate tannins, and light to medium body. The aroma associated with the grape itself is typically red berries.
Since the 1960s, more focus has been placed on the choice of rootstocks and clonal selection, with six approved clones of Gamay for the wine region. In recent years the rootstock Vialla has gained popularity due to its propensity to produce well in granite soils. The SO4 and 3309 rootstocks also account for significant plantings. Clonal selection of the Gamay grape has shifted towards an emphasis on smaller, thicker-skinned berries.
Winemaking and style.
Beaujolais wines are produced by the winemaking technique of semi-carbonic maceration. Whole grape clusters are put in cement or stainless steel tanks with capacities between . The bottom third of the grapes gets crushed under the weight of gravity and resulting must begins normal yeast fermentation with ambient yeasts found naturally on the skins of the grapes. Carbon dioxide is released as a byproduct of this fermentation and begins to saturate the individual intact grape berries that remain in the barrel. The carbon dioxide seeps into the skin of the grape and begin to stimulate fermentation at an intracellular level. This is caused, in part, by the absence of oxygen in the winemaking environment. This results in a fruity wine without much tannin. In the case of Beaujolais nouveau, this process is completed in as little as four days, with the other AOCs being allowed longer time to ferment. As the grapes ferment longer, they develop more tannins and a fuller body. Maximum length of the "cuvaison" for Nouveau wines is limited to 10 days.
After fermentation, the must is normally high in malic acid and producers will put the wine through malolactic fermentation to soften the wine. The process of chaptalization, adding sugar to the grape must to boost alcohol levels, has been a controversial issue for Beaujolais winemakers. Historically, Beaujolais producers would pick grapes at ripeness that were at minimum potential alcohol levels of 10-10.5% and then add sugar in order to artificially boost the alcohol levels to the near the maximum of 13-13.5%. This created wines lacking structure and balance to go with the high alcohol body and mouthfeel. The recent trend towards higher quality wine production has limited the use of chaptalization in the premium levels of Beaujolais wine. Filtering the wine in order to stabilize it is practiced to varying degrees by Beaujolais winemakers. Some producers who make Beaujolais on a large commercial scale will filter the wine aggressively to avoid any impurity or future chemical reactions. This can have the negative side effect of diminishing some of the wine's unique fruit character and leave a flavor that critics have described as Jell-O-like.
Basic Beaujolais is the classic bistro wine of Paris; a fruity, easy-drinking red traditionally served in 1 pint glass bottles known as "pot". This is epitomized in Beaujolais Nouveau, which is fermented for just a few days and can be dominated by estery flavors such as bananas and pear drops. Basic Beaujolais and Beaujolais nouveau are meant to be drunk within a year of their harvest. Beaujolais-Villages are generally consumed within 2–3 years and Cru Beaujolais has the potential to age longer, some not even fully developing till at least 3 years after harvest. Premium examples from Chénas, Juliénas, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent can spend up to 10 years continuing to develop in the bottle and in very good vintages can take on Burgundian qualities of structure and complexity.
Wine industry.
The Beaujolais wine industry is dominated by the more than 30 "négociants" who produce nearly 90% of the wine sold outside the Beaujolais region. Many of these "négociants", such as Maison Louis Jadot (which owns Moulin-à-Vent-based Château des Jacques) and Bouchard Père et Fils, are based in Burgundy. One of the most well known Beaujolais producers is the "négociant" Georges Duboeuf. There are more than 4000 vineyard owners in Beaujolais and the fractional amount that is not sold to "négociants" are bottled by the nearly 20 village co-operatives with a growing amount being estate bottled. Very little of the estate bottled Beaujolais wines are exported into the United States or United Kingdom though a few exporters specialize in this small niche—the most notable being Kermit Lynch and Alain Jugenet.
Serving and food pairing.
Wine expert Karen MacNeil has described Beaujolais as "the only white wine that happens to be red". Similarly, Beaujolais is often treated like a white wine and served slightly chilled to a lower temperature, the lighter the style. Beaujolais Nouveau, being the lightest style, is served at about . Beaujolais AOC and Beaujolais-Villages are generally served between . Cru Beaujolais, especially the fuller bodied examples, can be treated like red Burgundy wine and served at . The wines rarely need to be decanted. In Beaujolais, it is traditional to soak the bottles in buckets of ice water and bring them out to the center villages for picnics and games of boules.
Beaujolais wine can be paired with a variety of food according to the lightness and body of the wine. Beaujolais Nouveau is typically used as an apéritif with basic Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages doing well with light fare, like picnics and salads. The lighter Cru Beaujolais pair well with poultry and the heavier Crus pairing better with red meats and hearty dishes like stews. In Norway, Beaujolais is a favorite with cod and bacalhau dishes. According to Lyon chef Paul Bocuse, Beaujolais wine is used to make a traditional regional dessert involving a glass of sliced peaches, topped with blackcurrants and drenched in chilled Beaujolais wine.


Bardolino DOC

Bardolino and Bardolino Superiore are Italian red wines produced along the chain of morainic hills in the province of Verona to the east of Lake Garda. Bardolino takes its name from the town Bardolino on the shores of Lake Garda and was awarded "Denominazione di origine controllata" (DOC) status in 1968. The "Superiore" is a stronger aged wine, and was promoted to "Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita" (DOCG) status in 2001. The blend of grapes used to produce the wine primarily includes Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. Up to 15% of the blend is allowed to include Rossignola, Barbera, Sangiovese, or Garganega, in any combination.
Wine region.
Located on the south eastern shores of Lake Garda, the "classico" zone surrounds the towns of Bardolino, Affi, Cavaion, Costermano, Garda, and Lazise.
Beyond the "classico" zone to the south are flat, fertile plains where Bardolino wine is produced from high grape yields. About 45% of the production comes from the Bardolino Classico region, but unlike its neighboring Veneto DOCs - Soave and Valpolicella - any "terroir" driven quality difference seems to be minimal between the wine produced in the classico region and that from the greater DOC zone.
Grapes and wine.
Although the three main grapes used to produce Bardolino are also used to produce Valpolicella, the two wines are quite different. This is partly because Bardolino generally contains less Corvina which adds body and structure and more Rondinella which has a relatively neutral flavor profile. Yields in Bardolino also tend to be higher than the 13 tonnes per hectare officially prescribed in DOC regulations. Minor blending grapes, such as Rossignola, Barbera, Sangiovese, and the white grape variety Garganega, are also permitted up to 15% total.
Other versions of Bardolino include a "Superiore", which has at least 1 extra percent of alcohol and must be aged at least a year before being released, a "rosé", known as "Bardolino Chiaretto", a lightly sparkling "frizzante", and a "novello". The Bardolino "novello" was first produced in the late 1980s in a style that mimics the French wine Beaujolais nouveau.


The Sadie Family

The Sadie Family is a South African producer of wine located in the Swartland region. Following the emergence of flagship wines Columella and Palladius, winemaker Eben Sadie has been described as an "enfant terrible", South Africa's first certified celebrity winemaker, and by supporters as "one of the greatest and most original winemakers in the southern hemisphere" and he has also branched out to other wine regions such as in Spain.
History.
Prior to his career as a winemaker, following a period as a surfer, Eben Sadie traveled and worked in several of the world's wine regions, including Germany, Austria, Italy, Oregon and Burgundy. Having returned to South Africa, Sadie found work under Charles Back at The Spice Route in 1998, eventually becoming the chief winemaker and a resource Back described as "national asset for the South African wine industry".
The solo venture The Sadie Family was founded in 1999. The initial vintage of Columella in 2000 began on an exceptionally small scale, with a production 17 barrels, approximately 5000 bottles. The first two vintages were produced at Back's Spice Route facilities until Sadie established Sadie Family Wines with R9000, and 14 barrels. The company consists of three employees, in addition to Eben Sadie, his brother and sister. The initial vintage of the Palladius was in 2002 with a production of seven barrels, just under 2000 bottles.
The Sadie Family has enjoyed success beyond any other modern South African wine producer as Columella is the most highly rated South African wine, and the only to achieve a 95-point rating by US wine magazine "Wine Spectator". In defense of Columella's high retail price per bottle, Sadie states the wine is unusually costly to make.
Sequillo Cellars.
The Sadie Family has also produced, since 2003, the label Sequillo Cellars in partnership with Cornel Spies, to some degree considered The Sadie Family's more affordable second wines.
Eben Sadie stopped producing this wine in 2015. He is now focusing on his Old Vine Series, Ouwingerdreeks. 8 different wines from the oldest vineyards in South-Africa.
Terroir al Límit.
Eben Sadie was also involved with Spanish wine producer Terroir Al Límit in the village of Torroja in Priorat, Catalonia. This was joint collaboration with Dominik A. Huber and viticulturist Jaume Sabaté. The project was founded in 2004 and initially drew upon fruit from the vineyards of Dits del Terra owned by Sadie, Arbossar owned by Huber. Despite the northern hemisphere agricultural cycle allowing Sadie to work both vintages he started taking a less prominent role starting in 2012.
The Terroir Al Límit cellars were subject to vandalism in June 2011 when the premises were broken into at night. Tanks were opened allowing wine to spill and casks were contaminated with household bleach.
Sadie ceased all involvement in the project by 2015 and now focuses solely on his wines in South Africa.
Production.
Sadie sources Syrah and Mourvèdre from various "terroirs" located in the Voor-Paardeberg ward of the inland Paarl district, in total covering 48 separate parcels. Biodynamically produced, the grape yield average is extremely low, 1.2 pounds per vine. Vineyard pests are controlled using a seaweed spray. After grapes are hand-sorted, stored in open wooden vats, twice daily trampled for a month, and then moved by buckets to a traditional basket press. Instead of using pumps to move the wine into barrels, gravity is applied.
For the flagship wine Columella, there is a blend of Syrah and Mourvèdre from eight different vineyard sites, and for Palladius there is blended Chenin blanc, Grenache blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Clairette and Chardonnay. There is also produced a bush-vine white varietal wine from Chenin blanc named Mrs Kirsten's Old Vines.
From Sequillo Cellars, there are produced the Sequillo Red and Sequillo White. The red consists of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache, and the white is composed from Chenin blanc, Grenache blanc, Viognier, and Roussanne.


Cabin Creek Ranch

Cabin Creek Ranch, on Cabin Creek at its confluence with Big Creek in the Payette National Forest, near Black Butte, Idaho, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The listing included two contributing buildings, two contributing structures, and 16 contributing sites on .
Year of construction: 1894
Historic function: Domestic; Agriculture/subsistence
Historic subfunction: Single Dwelling; Agricultural Outbuildings; Agricultural Fields; Animal Facility; Secondary Structure
Criteria: event, information potential


Black Forest Horse

The Black Forest Horse () is an endangered German breed of light draft horse from the Black Forest of southern Germany.
History.
Horse breeding in the Black Forest – in what is now Baden-Württemberg – is documented from the early fifteenth century in the records of the Abbey of Saint Peter in the Black Forest. A type of heavy horse, the "Wälderpferd", was used for forestry and farm work; it is conjectured that the Black Forest Horse derives from it. The main area of breeding lay between the northern Hotzenwald to the south and the Kinzigtal to the north. Breeding was concentrated round the monasteries of St. Peter and of St. Märgen; for this reason it was formerly known as the St. Märgener Fuchs.
A breed association, the Schwarzwälder Pferdezuchtgenossenschaft, was started in Sankt Märgen in 1896, and a stud-book was begun in the same year. In 1935, in the Nazi period, it was merged into the general stud-book for Baden. This was restarted after the War, in 1947, under the French administration. The Schwarzwälder Pferdezuchtgenossenschaft was re-founded in the 1990s.
After the end of the Second World War, there were more than 1200 breeding mares registered. With the mechanisation of agriculture and of transport, demand for working horses fell rapidly, and by 1977 the number of mares had fallen below 160. In 2007 its conservation status was reported by the FAO as "endangered". In 2017 a population of 88 stallions and 1077 mares was reported; in 2019 the breed was listed by the Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen in its category III, "gefährdet", "endangered".
A number of stallions stand at stud at Marbach Stud, where artificial insemination is also available.
Characteristics.
The Black Forest Horse is always chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail; no other color may be registered. The coat varies from pale to very dark, sometimes almost black; this, with a pale or silvery mane, is the coloring called in German , "dark fox". Intentional selection for flaxen chestnut coloring began in 1875. In a study of 250 horses of the breed published in 2013, two were found to carry silver genes, but because they were chestnut, the silver was not expressed; it was thought to have been introduced by outcrossing to some other breed in the past.
The Black Forest Horse is a draft horse of light to medium weight, well muscled and with a short and powerful neck. The head is short and dry, the shoulders sloped, and the croup broad and muscular. The legs are clean, without feathering, and the hooves broad and strong.
Uses.
The Black Forest Horse was originally bred for work in agriculture and forestry; it is now used in harness and, more and more often, as a riding horse.


Edward Aylward

Edward Aylward (1894 – February 1976) was an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He was elected unopposed as a Sinn Féin Teachta Dála (TD) to the 2nd Dáil at the 1921 elections for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency. He opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty and voted against it. He stood as an anti-Treaty Sinn Féin candidate at the 1922 general election but was not elected.


Nagendra Kumar Singh

 Nagendra Kumar Singh is an Indian agricultural scientist. He is a National Professor (Dr. B.P. Pal Chair) under ICAR at National Research Centre for Plant Biotechnology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He was born in a small village called Rajapur in the Mau District of Uttar Pradesh. He is known for his research in the area of plant genomics and biotechnology, particularly for his contribution in the decoding of rice, tomato and pigeonpea genomes and understanding of wheat seed storage proteins and their effect on wheat quality. He has also made significant advances in comparative analysis of rice and wheat genomes and mapping of genes for salt tolerance and basmati quality traits in rice.
Education and personal life.
Singh was born on 15 October 1958. His father Late Shri Indrasan Singh was a village-level officer at a Block Development Office in Uttar Pradesh.
He received his early education at the Primary Pathshala in Tilasawa village 1964-68, Junior High School, Jahanaganj 1969-71; matriculation and senior secondary from Wesley Higher Secondary School, Azamgarh, 1971–75; He then did his B.Sc.(Ag.) 1978 and M.Sc. (Ag.) in Genetics and Plant Breeding in 1980 from Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. He was awarded gold medals by BHU for achieving position in the university in both B.Sc. (Ag.) and M.Sc. (Ag.). Immediately after completion of his post graduation from BHU, he moved to Adelaide, Australia on a University of Adelaide Post Graduate Scholarship to pursue his Doctoral Degree which he eventually earned from Waite Agricultural Research Institute, University of Adelaide in 1985, his Ph.D. thesis topic was "Structure and Genetic control of endosperm proteins in wheat and rye". There he was awarded Dr K.P. Barley Prize best post graduate student prize at the university in 1983. He was then awarded the prestigious CSIRO Post Doctoral Award in 1986 and the Queen Elizabeth II Award, by the Australian government in 1988 for his post doctoral research. Though offered a regular position as a research scientist at CSIRO, Sydney, he returned to India to serve the Agricultural Science establishment in India as he was strongly influenced by the Self Reliance (Swadeshi) ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. He works at the Indian Council for Agricultural Research with a motive to make India more self-reliant in area of food security and crop improvement and for the welfare of farmers by playing a leading role in applying the power of Genomics revolution.
Professional achievements.
Singh has worked worldwide with researchers to improve various traits of crops like rice, wheat, pigeonpea and tomato. He has been a part of many national and international research projects in the area of plant biotechnology and genomics.
In 2011 Singh led a group of 31 scientists from all over India and sequenced the pigeon pea genome, it was first time that the genome of a legume was sequenced. The effort was a totally indigenous effort by scientists from ICAR, NRCPB, Banaras Hindu University, Indian Institute of Pulse Research, UAS Dharwad and PDKV Akola. The First Draft of pigeon pea genome sequence was published in J. Plant Biochem Biotechnol.
His professional career began in 1981:


Prairie Creek Fish Hatchery

The Prairie Creek Fish Hatchery near Orick, Humboldt County, California was one of the first small local fish hatcheries developed to improve the area's sport and commercial fishing, and is one of only three remaining hatcheries built in California from 1871 to 1946.
History.
During a survey conducted by north coast streams in 1927, coast cutthroat trout eggs were discovered on Lost Man Creek above the confluence with Prairie Creek. About a year later, traps and a temporary hatchery were built. By the spring of 1928, they had 30 troughs for the 208,000 Coho salmon and 1,400,000 steelhead eggs collected. The constant stream of fresh water needed was delivered through 12-inch flume that was nearly 2,500 feet long from behind a dam on Lost Man Creek. The early success of the temporary hatchery resulted in the continuation of the hatchery experiment during the early 1930s and hatchery steelhead, cutthroat trout, Coho salmon, and King salmon, were released to the wild.
The site of the temporary hatchery was abandoned and the present hatchery was completely rebuilt in 1936 on approximately the same footprint as the 62-acre historic district with the five buildings and seven contributing structures recognized today: the hatchery, superintendent's house, assistant's house, sidewalks, garage shop, shed, pipeline stream crossing, and four of the round outdoor water tanks. The fifth tank was added later. Several buildings were reworked and removed over the time of operation and the dam and reservoir were removed in 1989.
The hatchery continued production of trout and salmon during the 1940s, but as the water supply deteriorated as mechanized logging increased following World War II. Humboldt County began operating the hatchery in 1957. The property was conveyed to Humboldt County by the California State Assembly on 15 September 1961 and continued operation until 31 October 1992.
"Indomitable" salmon.
On 2 December 1964, Hatchery Superintendent Ken Johnson found a 2-year-old marked coho salmon swimming in a tank of newborn fish, exactly where he had been raised two years earlier. To reach the tank, he had to travel from the Pacific Ocean up Redwood Creek, turn into Lost Man Creek, run up a ditch, through a culvert under Highway 101, through a storm sewer, and up the hatchery waste water through a drainage pipe, making a 90 degree turn and a vertical jump inside the pipe. Finally, he rammed through an overhead wire mesh screen, probably by jumping, to get into the rearing pond.
The fish was rapidly nicknamed "Indomitable" by the local press. Looking for how he got into the tank, workers found 72 more marked coho jack salmon of the same age class stuck in the flume or drainage pipe on the way to the hatchling pond. The story of "Indomitable" received massive press coverage, inspired a book, and continues to be cited as one of the amazing feats of animal migration.
From 1974 to 1992 two large redwood sculptures of "Indomitable" were sequentially mounted outside the hatchery. The first, a , two-ton sculpture by Floyd Davis of Gasquet, California was made and installed in 1974 after fundraising efforts by System 99 Vice-President Ed Henke. In 1992, this sculpture was judged too weathered to be displayed. Following donations by Arcata Redwood Company, Miller Farms Saw Shop and Humboldt County Supervisor, Anna Sparks, the second fish was carved on site by Mark Leppanen of Arcata. When the Hatchery was closed on 31 October 1992, the second sculpture was removed and stored at the Arcata/Eureka airport until 14 October 1997 when the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors sold it to the North Coast Co-op grocery store in Arcata for $5,005 and displayed inside the store. Still at Prairie Creek are "Indomitable's" mounting pole, concrete pad and dedication marker. The original Davis sculpture was sold by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and is currently installed outside Buck's of Woodside restaurant.


Sri Karan Narendra College of Agriculture

Shri Karan Narendra College of Agriculture, also SKN College of Agriculture, is a college located in Jobner, Rajasthan, India. It is the first institute for agriculture education to be established in Rajasthan. It is a constituent college of Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University.
History.
Late Rawal Karan Singh of Jobner was inspired by Swami Dayanand Saraswati and established Anglo-Vedic High School in the year 1893. His son Rawal Narendra Singh upgraded the school to Shri Karan Narendra College of Agriculture in the year of Indian independence, July 1947. At the time of creation this was the only institute devoted to agricultural education in the state of Rajasthan in India. At present it has 15 departments and offer B.Sc.(Ag.) Hons, M.Sc.(Ag.) in 9 and Ph.D in 7 subjects. The faculty is 100 strong and the non-teaching faculty is 400 strong. The student enrollment is about 400.
Admission Procedure.
Degrees Offered : B.Sc. (Ag.) Hons, M.Sc. (Ag.), Ph.D
B.Sc. (Ag.) Hons
Admission to B.Sc (Ag.) Hons Part-I is done through Joint Entrance Test (JET) conducted either by the Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner or Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur. The minimum eligibility for a candidate to appear in the JET is that the candidate must have passed 12th of the 10+2 (Academic) scheme of examination with Agriculture/Science groups.
Teaching.
The college imparts training in basic at UG level as well as scientific skills, by PG level (M.Sc.(Ag.), Ph.D) with a view to prepare a student career directly and indirectly concerned with the uplifment of agricultural community.
Departments
The First Batch.
The S. K. N College's very first batch, that had enrolled in this first agriculture college of state in the July, 1947 and they became the part of remembrance in the history of the college, always were as;


Rodale Organic Gardening Experimental Farm

The Rodale Organic Gardening Experimental Farm, also known as the Working Tree Center, is a historic home and farm located in Lynn Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It is important in the history of organic gardening and farming in the 20th century.
History.
The home on the experimental farm's property is a farmhouse which dates to roughly the year 1830. It was altered by J. I. Rodale (1898-1971) in order to improve the quality of life at his residence and further his work during 1940 to 1971. Also added by Rodale were a farm office and greenhouse (circa 1945), turkey/goose coop, tennis court, cabana and pool, pavilion, and clapboard and fieldstone bake house, as well as five garden sites: the cultivated gardens, the stone gardens, the Sir Albert Howard test plots, and the aerobic and anaerobic compost heaps. The farm is important in the history of organic gardening and farming in the 20th century.
Other buildings and structures which pre-dated Rodale's 1940 purchase include: the Pennsylvania bank barn, implement shed, corn crib, and chicken coop.
The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.


Komondor

The Komondor (in Hungarian, the plural form of komondor is "komondorok"), also known as the Hungarian sheepdog, is a large, white-coloured Hungarian breed of livestock guardian dog with a long, corded coat.
Sometimes referred to as 'mop dogs', the Komondor is a long-established dog breed commonly employed to guard livestock and other property. The Komondor was brought to Europe by the Cumans and the oldest known mention of it is in a Hungarian codex from 1544. The Komondor breed has been declared one of Hungary’s national treasures, to be preserved and protected from modification.
Etymology and history.
Komondorok were brought to Hungary by Cumans, the Turkic speaking, nomadic people who settled in Hungary during the 12th and 13th century. The name Komondor derives from Koman-dor, meaning "Cuman dog". The breed descends from Tibetan dogs and came from Asia with the Cumans, whose homeland might have been near the Yellow River. In the late 10th century, Mongols began to expand their territories at the expense of the Cumans, forcing them to move westwards. Fleeing from the Mongols, they reached the borders of Hungary in the 12th centuries. Cumans were granted asylum and settled in Hungary in 1239 under Köten Khan. Komondor remains have been found in Cuman gravesites.
The name "quman-dur" means "belonging to the Cumans" or "the dog of the Cumans", thus distinguishing it from a similar Hungarian sheepdog breed which later merged with the Komondor. The name Komondor is found for the first time written in 1544 in the History of King Astiagis by Kákonyi Péter, in Hungarian. Later, in 1673, Amos Comenius mentions the Komondor in one of his works.
Today, the Komondor is a fairly common breed in Hungary, its country of origin. Many Komondors were killed during World War II and local stories say that this was because when the Germans (and then the Russians) invaded, they had to kill the dog before they could capture a farm or house that it guarded.
The Komondor is related to the South Russian Ovcharka, the Puli and, by extension, the Pumi, the Mudi, the Polish Lowland Sheepdog, the Schapendoes, the Bearded collie, and the Old English sheepdog. In 1947, the Komondor was used to acquire fresh blood in the rare South Russian Ovcharka. In the 1970s, another Komondor cross was made. It is also believed to be related to the Briard, the Catalonian Sheepdog, the Cão da Serra de Aires, the Pyrenean Shepherd and the Bergamasco shepherd, but the Bergamasco has flocks unlike the Komondor.
The two Hungarian breeds of livestock guardian dogs have evolved independently. This is because the Komondor was developed by a group of people who called it the Kuman-dor, the dog of the Cumans, and the Kuvasz was bred by a different people - the Magyars. For much of Hungary's early history, these two peoples lived in separate areas in Hungary, spoke different languages and so did not mix. As a result, their dogs have little, if any at all, admixture.
Description.
The Komondor is a large breed of dogmany are over tallone of the larger breeds of dog. The body is covered with a heavy, matted, corded coat. They have robust bodies, strongly muscled with long legs and a short back. The tail is carried with a slight curl. The body when seen sideways, forms a prone rectangle. The length of body is slightly longer than the height at the withers, approximately 104% of the height at withers. The Komondor has a broad head with the muzzle slightly shorter than half of the length of the head with an even and complete scissor bite. Nose and lips are always black.
The minimum height of female Komondors is at the withers, with an average height of . The minimum height of male Komondors is with an average height of . No upper height limit is given. Komondor females on average weigh between and Komondor males weigh on average between .
Appearance.
The Komondor's coat is a long, thick, and strikingly corded white coat, about 20 – 27 cm long (the heaviest amount of fur in the canine world), which resembles dreadlocks or a mop. The puppy coat is soft and fluffy. However, the coat is wavy and tends to curl as the puppy matures. A fully mature coat is formed naturally from the soft undercoat and the coarser outer coat combining to form tassels or cords and will take about two years to form. Some help is needed in separating the cords so the dog does not turn into one large matted mess. The length of the cords increases with time as the coat grows. Moulting is minimal with this breed, contrary to what one might think (once cords are fully formed). The only substantial shedding occurs as a puppy before the dreadlocks fully form. The Komondor is born with only a white coat, unlike the similar-looking Puli, which can be white, black, or sometimes grayish. However, a working Komondor's coat may be discolored by the elements and may appear off-white if not washed regularly. Traditionally, the coat protects the Komondor from possible wolves' bites as the bites would not penetrate the thick coat. The coat of the Komondor takes about two and a half days to dry after a bath.
Temperament.
The Komondor is built for livestock guarding. Its temperament is like that of most livestock guarding dogs; it is calm and steady when things are normal, but, in case of trouble, the dog will fearlessly defend its charges. It was bred to think and act independently and make decisions on its own.
The Komondor is affectionate with its family, and gentle with the children and friends of the family. Although wary of strangers, they can accept them when it is clear that no harm is imminent, being instinctively very protective of its family, home, and possessions. The Komondor is very good with other family pets, often very protective over them, but is intolerant to trespassing animals and is not a good dog for an apartment. The dog is vigilant and will rest in the daytime, keeping an eye on its surroundings, but at night is constantly moving, patrolling the place, moving up and down around its whole territory. The dogs will usually knock down intruders and keep them down until its owner arrives. Hungarian Komondor breeders used to say that an intruder may be allowed to enter the property guarded by a Komondor, but he will not be allowed to leave or escape.
Uses.
The breed has a natural guardian instinct and an inherent ability to guard livestock. An athletic dog, the Komondor is fast and powerful and will leap at a predator to drive it off or knock it down. It can be used successfully to guard sheep against wolves or bears. It is a big, strong dog breed, armored with a thick coat. The coat provides protection against wild animals, weather and vegetation. The coat looks similar to that of a sheep so it can easily blend into a flock and camouflage itself giving it an advantage when predators such as wolves attack. The Komondor is one breed of livestock guardian dog which has seen a vast increase in use as a guardian of sheep and goats in the United States to protect against predators such as coyotes, cougars, bears, and other predators.
Training.
Due to the Komondor's size, power, speed and temperament, a lack of obedience training can result in danger to others. Komondors generally take well to training if started early (ideally between 4–8 months). A Komondor can become obstinate when bored, so it is imperative that training sessions be upbeat and happy. Praise is a must, as are consistent and humane corrections. Once a Komondor gets away with unfriendly or hostile behavior, it will always think such behavior is appropriate. Therefore, consistent corrections even with a young puppy are necessary to ensure a well-adjusted adult. Socialization is also extremely important. The Komondor should be exposed to new situations, people and other dogs while still a puppy. Because it is a natural guard dog, a Komondor that is not properly socialized may react in an excessively aggressive manner when confronted with a new situation or person.
Given the proper environment and care, a Komondor is a responsible, loving dog. It is devoted and calm without being sluggish. As in any breed, there is quite a range of personalities, so your needs should be outlined clearly to your breeder. An experienced breeder can try to identify that personality which would be happiest as an independent livestock dog, or that which wants more to please and would make a good obedience dog or family pet. Adolescence can be marked by changes in a Komondor's temperament, eating habits, trainability, and general attitude.
Breed-specific legislation requires some breeds to be muzzled in public places. Romania is the only country that requires Komondors to be muzzled.
In popular culture.
"Odelay" is the fifth studio album by American musician Beck, released on 18 June 1996 by DGC Records. The album's cover features a Komondor jumping over a hurdle, taken by canine photographer Joan Ludwig (1914–2004) for the July 1977 issue of the American Kennel Club's "Gazette".
External links.
http://akomondor.hu/komondor-fajtamentes/


Beneduce Vineyards

Beneduce Vineyards ( ) is a winery in the Pittstown section of Alexandria Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. A family farm since 2000, the vineyard was first planted in 2009, and opened to the public in 2012. Beneduce has 10 acres of grapes under cultivation, and produces 4,000 cases of wine per year. The winery is named after the family that owns it.
Wines.
Beneduce Vineyards primarily grows and produces wine from aromatic varietals, including Blaufränkisch (Lemberger), Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Corot noir, Gewürztraminer, Malbec, Noiret, Pinot noir, Riesling, and Syrah. It is the only winery in New Jersey that produces wine from Noiret, which is a red hybrid grape developed in New York in 1973. Beneduce is not located in one of New Jersey's three viticultural areas.
Licensing and associations.
Beneduce has a plenary winery license from the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which allows it to produce an unrestricted amount of wine, operate up to 15 off-premises sales rooms, and ship up to 12 cases per year to consumers in-state or out-of-state. The winery is a member of the Garden State Wine Growers Association and its subsidiary, Vintage North Jersey.


Ole-Anton Teigen

Ole-Anton Teigen (born 15 July 1954) is a Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party.
Born in Lyngen, took his higher education in 1979. He was a member of Lyngen municipal council from 1991 to 2007, and of Troms county council from 2003 to 2007. He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Troms during the terms 2001–2005 and 2005–2009.
From 2001 he is also a member of Nord-Hålogaland assize court. From 2007 to 2010 he is the chair of the Norwegian Farmers and Smallholders Union.


Kokopelli Winery

Kokopelli Winery & Bistro is a winery with locations in Chandler, Arizona and Surprise, Arizona, United States. It is one of the largest wineries in the state of Arizona.
History.
The winery planted its first grapes in 1991 on land about 20 miles north of Willcox, Arizona, first harvested in 1994, and opened in 1995. The winery was founded by Don and Carol Michella, and Herve and Florent Lescombes. Herve Lescombes was a sixth generation winemaker, with a family history of making wine in France and North Africa. It became Arizona's largest winery in 1995, producing over 5,400 cases that year.
Its first winery location was in Chandler (part of the Phoenix metropolitan area), and it opened its second location and restaurant in Surprise in the summer of 2008.
The Michellas have been recognized for developing methods for growing grapes in Arizona despite its heat.
Kokopelli wines have won multiple awards in regional wine competitions.


Lorcan Allen

Lorcan Allen (born 27 March 1940) is an Irish farmer and former Fianna Fáil politician.
Allen was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD for the Wexford constituency at the 1961 general election. Aged 21 years and 6 months at the time, he is the third youngest ever TD. He held his seat in 6 succeeding general elections until his defeat at the November 1982 general election. He also unsuccessfully contested the next two general elections.
When Charles Haughey appointed his first Government in December 1979, Allen became a Minister of State, appointed to the Department of Agriculture, a position he retained in the short-serving 1982 Government.
Allen was a member of Wexford County Council from 1985 to 2009, and of Gorey Town Council from 1999 to 2014.


Gottfried Drechsel

Gottfried Drechsel (20 January 1928 – 5 January 2009) was an East German functionary of the Peasants Mutual Aid Association and politician. He sat in the People's Chamber between 1986 and 1990.
Life and career.
Drechsel was born in Drebach, Ore Mountains into a farming family. He attended primary school, then an agricultural vocational training between 1942 and 1945. He was a farming assistant from 1945 to 1954, before he became an independent farmer. In 1948, he joined the Peasants Mutual Aid Association and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). From 1954, he was a member of the LPG Drebach; then a "Feldbaubrigadier" in the organisation from 1955 to 1958, then the chairman of the LPG from 1958 to 1963.
From 1963 to 1967, Dreschel was the chairman of the agricultural council of the Zschopau district. In 1967, he became the chairman of the cooperation council "Am Greifenstein", then again the chairman of LPG Drebach.
In 1958, Drechsel became a member of the district directorate of the SED and of the "Kreistag" of Zschopau. In 1982, he became the chairman of the board of managers of the Peasants Mutual Aid Association of the Karl-Marx-Stadt district.
Dreschel was a member of the People's Chamber from 1986 to 1990.
He died on 5 January 2009 at the age of 80 and was buried at the cemetery of Drebach, Saxony.


Tota Singh

Jathedar Tota Singh is an Indian politician and belongs to the ruling party Shiromani Akali Dal. He was Minister for Agriculture & NRI AFFAIRS in the previous Punjab Government. He is Senior Vice President and Member,High Power Committee of Shiromani Akali Dal.Member of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)
Family and Education.
His father's name is Babu Singh.He completed his school education from his village school for further studies he joined DM college Moga.
Political career.
He was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 1997 on an Shiromani Akali Dal ticket from Moga. He was made Minister for Education during 1997-2002. He was re-elected from Moga in 2002. In 2012, he successfully contested from Dharamkot. he was cabinet minister and held portfolio of Agriculture&NRI AFFAIRS . He also served at designation of Chairman Punjab Mandi Board 1985-1987 under Surjit Singh Barnala government.He is continuous MEMBER of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandak Committee(Known as Sikh Parliament) from many years.


Micheal Zondani Katambo

Micheal Zondani Katambo (born 16 September 1969) is a Zambia politician. He is currently a Member of the National Assembly and Minister of Agriculture.
Katambo has also been a Member of Parliament for Masaiti constituency since 2011. Initially he was a member of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy until 2015, where he switched to the Patriotic Front.
In September 2016 he was appointed Minister of Fisheries and Livestock. A cabinet reshuffle in February 2018 saw him become Minister of Agriculture.


Metropolitan District Commission Stable

The Metropolitan District Commission Stable is a historic stable on Hillside Street in Milton, Massachusetts.
It was built in 1908 for the Metropolitan District Commission Police and the Massachusetts State Police mounted units in the Blue Hills Reservation. In 2004, the mounted units were disbanded and the stable was emptied. Although mounted units were reinstated in 2008, there are no plans to stable them here.
The stables were added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 25, 1980.


Padthaway wine region

Padthaway wine region is a wine zone region located in the south east of South Australia immediately adjoining a section of the Riddoch Highway including the town of Padthaway. The region received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication (AGI) in 1999.
Extent and appellation.
The Padthaway wine region extends from Naracoorte in a north westerly direction along the Riddoch Highway passing through Padthaway for a distance of about and ceasing when the Riddoch Highway turns north towards Bordertown. The term ‘Padthaway’ was registered as an AGI on 29 November 1999.
Grapes and wine.
As of 2014, the most common plantings in the Padthaway wine region within a total planted area of was reported as being Shiraz () followed by Chardonnay (), Cabernet Sauvignon () and Riesling (). Alternatively, red wine varietals account for of plantings while white wines varietals account for of plantings.
The total 2014 vintage is reported as consisting of of crushed red grapes valued at A$12,413,533 and of crushed white grapes valued at A$8,310,841. As of 2014, the region is reported as having eight wineries and as of 2008, it had 31 growers.


Jacques de Bousie

Jacques de Bousie (floruit 1580-1610) was a Flemish confectioner working in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he worked for James VI and Anne of Denmark.
Career.
Bousie was asked to make confections in September 1589 for the arrival of Anna of Denmark, when it was expected she would sail to Scotland. Instead James VI went to Norway and Denmark to meet her. He sent Sir John Carmichael back to Scotland on 20 April 1590 with instructions for their reception, including, "speciallie that the Flemishe sugerman may be commanded to have in readiness all such confections and sweet meats as before he took in hand for the said banquets." Bousie, "confett maker", was paid £400 Scots for these desserts, and £18 for "confectors" supplied to James VI for his voyage. The "Flemish baker of sugar" was paid another £180 for confections and sweet meats for banquets at this time. Sugar products were held to have medicinal value, and while James VI was in Denmark the court physician John Naysmyth bought confitures and sweets called "scrotchets".
The English ambassador Robert Bowes described a particular Scottish form of banqueting to William Cecil, as the details given of a banquet mentioned in a previous letter had puzzled Queen Elizabeth. Bowes explained that some Scottish banquets consisted of "small provisions of delicates having spice [sweet]meat and wines, of no great matter or value." James VI and the Earl of Bothwell enjoyed a banquet like this, "with good liking and favourable countenances", on 15 August 1593 at the Shore of Leith before the king embarked in a ferry boat for Kinghorn. Jacques de Bousie would have supplied sweetmeats for such banquets.
Bousie may have supplied the twelve boxes of "scrochertis and confectis" that were thrown at Anna of Denmark during her ceremonial entry to Edinburgh.
The Flemish community in Edinburgh.
Bousie became a favourite of Anna of Denmark, and in April 1592 she asked the council of Edinburgh to make him a burgess and guild brother. This was controversial because Bousie did not meet the town's strict criteria, so the council representatives James Nicoll, Thomas Aikenhead, Clement Cor, George Heriot elder, and George Heriot younger rode to Dalkeith Palace to speak to her about the request. The outcome is unknown.
The town authorities were keen to protect their livelihoods from incomers. In January 1594, the town allowed another Flemish craftsman, a clock and watch maker, possibly Adrian Bowdowingis, a friend of the painter Adrian Vanson, or Abraham Wanweyneburgh who lodged in the Canongate in 1592, the right to work in his craft and have a shop, despite not being a burgess or free man of an Edinburgh craft, because he was contracted to regulate the town's clock.
Stirling baptism.
Bousie worked at the baptism of Prince Henry at Stirling Castle in August 1594. Desserts were served in azure and gilt Venetian glasses from a model ship in the Great Hall, made in the form of a variety of sea foods "with other infinite things made of sugar, and most truely represented in their own shape." A sugar banquet in the Palace followed. Bousie and the sommelier Jerome Bowie were paid £220 for glasses to serve desserts. Similar banquets with sculptural sugarwork were popular in England, including the entertainments for Queen Elizabeth at Harefield, and at Elvetham presented by the Earl of Hertford, where dishes included animals and mythical beasts.
The Holstein Banquet.
In May 1598 Bousie was employed by Edinburgh council for a banquet given in honour of Anna of Denmark's brother, Ulrik, Duke of Holstein, at Riddle's Court. He was paid £184 Scots and his "boys", his workers, were given ten shillings. Carrying Bousie's glass dishes and other equipment to the Banqueting House cost twelve shillings. Planks were borrowed from a timber yard at Leith for temporary shelves to display the desserts and patisserie.
James VI bought sugar, hampers with glasses, and two barrels of boxes of comfits, confections, and banqueting stuff in London in November 1596. Another supplier in Edinburgh, Thomas Burnett, who regularly sold groceries to the royal households, provided sugar candy to the infant Princess Margaret in 1599.
Family.
A marriage was recorded at the West Kirk of St Giles on 30 June 1601 between "Jacques de Bussyne" and Anna Dammaris. It is not known if Jacques de Bousie was related to Elizabeth de Boussy, or Bousson de Podolsko, laundress to Anna of Denmark in England, who married the courtier James Maxwell.
Banquets and the Kirk.
Eventually, town authorities condemned banqueting. In 1624 Aberdeen ruled against "all sorts of sugars, confections, spiceries, and dessert, brought from foreign parts" and other extravagances at christenings.


Giulio Cocchi Spumanti

Giulio Cocchi Spumanti is a winery based in Asti, in the Italian Piedmont region, since 1891. The company was founded by Giulio Cocchi, a pastry chef originally from Tuscany who moved his business to the north-western Italian town of Asti in the late 19th century. The founder was interested in the pairing of food and wines he found in Asti, the capital of Moscato wines, and began producing aromatic-infused wines and sparkling wines. By the turn of the century his Barolo Chinato and Aperitivo Americano had become commercially successful in Piedmont, London, New York, Africa and South America.
The company now produces traditional method and metodo Martinotti sparkling wines, Barolo Chinato, vermouth and aperitif wine such as Cocchi Americano. All Cocchi products are wine based and the founder's recipes are still used.
Giulio Cocchi Spumanti is listed on the "Registro Nazionale delle Imprese Storiche" (the National List of Historical Companies).
Products.
The company produces sparkling wine made from grapes like Moscato, Chardonnay and Pinot noir, and fortified wines such as the Vermouth di Torino, which was awarded Best Sweet Vermouth in the "2014 Bartender's Best Awards" competition, and the Cocchi Americano, which was used in James Bond's martini in the film "Skyfall".


Mount Elizabeth Station

Mount Elizabeth Station is a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in Western Australia.
It is situated about north of Fitzroy Crossing and approximately east of Derby just off the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley region.
The abundant water supply and multiple food sources of the area enabled Aboriginal peoples to develop a rich cultural life in the area. Examples of both the Gwion Gwion rock paintings and Wandjina artwork can be found on rock outcrops at the station.
Gold prospector and explorer Frank Hann visited the area in 1898 and named Mount Elizabeth after his mother.
Pioneer Frank Lacy drove a herd of cattle across the Kimberley and established the station in 1945. Both Lacy and his wife, Theresa, are buried near the homestead.
The Lacy family has held the lease since 1945 and started offering accommodation to tourists in addition to rearing cattle in the 2000s.
 the property was still on the market along with at least 15 others in the Kimberley and Northern Territory. The property is stocked with approximately 6,000 head of cattle.
Climate.
Mount Elizabeth as a tropical savannah climate (Aw). Winters (dry season) are short and dry with very warm days and cool nights due to the high elevation. Summers are very hot and rainy with oppressive humidity leading up to the wet season.


Thomas Linehan

Thomas Linehan (c.1859–1938) was an Irish politician. He was a member of Seanad Éireann from 1922 to 1936. He was first elected to the Seanad in 1922 as a Farmers' Party candidate. He was re-elected at the 1925 Seanad election for 12 years and served until the Free State Seanad was abolished in 1936. He was an independent member from 1928 onwards.
Linehan was born in County Cork and farmed for many years at Ballinvarrig House, Whitechurch, County Cork, where he died on 15 October 1938 aged 79. He was the first secretary of the Land League (Conradh na Talun) in the county, Vice-Chairman of the County Council and a President and trustee of the Irish Farmers' Union.


Coopworth


Roy Welch

Roy Edward Welch (December 19, 1902 – September 27, 1977) was an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is best known as the promoter of the NWA Mid-America territory (also known simply as the Nashville office) alongside Nick Gulas.
Professional wrestling career.
Welch began wrestling in 1930. During the 1930s, he was a prominent tag team wrestler alongside his brother Herb Welch.
The Welch brothers were recognized as the inaugural NWA Mid-America AWA Southern Tag Team Champions in 1943. Welch won the title a second time with Eddie Gossett in 1950, then twice more with Herb Welch in 1952.
In 1944, the Welch brothers were recognized as the NWA World Tag Team Champions. They vacated the titles in 1946 after Herb Welch was injured in a car accident.
In 1949, the Welch brothers were recognised as the inaugural NWA Tennessee Tag Team Champions after defeating Art Nelson and Earl Knielson.
In 1949, the Welch brothers won the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling NWA Southern Tag Team Championship, holding the title until 1951.
In 1956, Roy Welch and Chris Tolos won the NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship.
Welch retired from professional wrestling in 1961.
Promoting career.
Welch began promoting in the 1940s, establishing the Nashville office with Nick Gulas. Welch and Gulas' territory spanned Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. In 1949, Welch and Gulas joined the National Wrestling Alliance. Their promotion was known as NWA Mid-America.
In the early-1950s, Welch acquired the Mobile-Pensacola (Gulf Coast) end of Leroy McGuirk's Tri-State Wrestling promotion, turning it into its own promotion. Due to Welch's commitments in Nashville, his son Buddy Fuller (Edward Welch) was appointed booker for Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling. Welch sold his interest in the promotion to Lee Fields in 1959–1960, who rebranded the promotion Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling.
In 1960, Welch and Gulas were charged with conspiring to stop an investigation of their business practices, having allegedly made payments to Senator Estes Kefauver (himself a former wrestler), who had made a complaint against them with the United States Department of Justice for obstructing his attempts to promote professional wrestling in opposition to them.
In the 1960s, Welch hired Jerry Jarrett as an office assistant; Jarrett eventually became the booker for the Memphis area of Welch's territory, taking over from Welch as his health declined.
Welch retired from promoting in the 1970s due to ill health. In 1977, shortly before Welch's death, NWA Mid-America was split in two after Jerry Jarrett broke away from Nick Gulas following a business dispute, with Welch siding with Jarrett.
In addition to promoting, Welch owned a large dairy farm in Gibson County, Tennessee and a herd of Poland China pigs.
Personal life.
Welch had multiple relatives who became professional wrestlers, including his brothers Herb, Jack, and Lester, his son Buddy, and his grandsons Jimmy Golden, Robert Fuller, and Ron Fuller.
Death.
Welch died on September 27, 1977 at the age of 1975 in the Trenton Memorial Hospital in Trenton, Tennessee.


North Eastern Tea Association

The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) is an association of tea producers' headquartered at Golaghat, Upper-Assam in the state of Assam, India, and is a constituent member of the Joint Forum and the Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA), Assam Valley branch. The association promotes interests of its members, in addition to playing a pivotal for the enrichment of the tea industry in Assam.
History.
NETA was formed in the year 1981 in Golaghat. The organization issues advice and the consensus of professional opinions' of tea producers to its members and associated groups, and to the government about current issues as they arise pertaining to Assam's tea industry, besides making various suggestions to the government for the betterment and the upscaling of the industry sector.
Activities.
The organization has made numerous suggestions to the Government of Assam for the upscaling the tea industry in the region. NETA has recently suggested to move the Tea Board of India's head office to Guwahati on the basis of the fact that the other five statutory "Commodity Boards" under the Department of Commerce, Govt. of India – Tea, Coffee, Rubber, Spices and Tobacco are headquartered in the State where the product is mainly grown. Although Assam produces 52.9% of the country’s total tea production as opposed to Bengal which produces 24.8%, the Tea Board is headquartered in Kolkata (Calcutta).
NETA also urged the Tea Board to make an amendment in the definition of Small Tea Grower in order to accommodate the one who holds land up to 50.6 hectares as a small tea grower.
The organization also emphasizes on the growth of high quality tea from time to time and advises the tea planters and tea growers of the region to produce quality tea to attract buyers in the international markets.
Structure.
NETA has a large presence in Golaghat, Jorhat and Karbi Anglong districts. With 115 members, the organization has tea estates with factories, tea estates without factories (above 10.12 hectares) and bought leaf factories (BLFs) are under its membership fold. It is currently organized under 5 zonal divisions, with central zone in Golaghat, and other zonal offices in Dibrugarh, Jorhat etc.


Nobling

Nobling is a white German wine grape variety that is a crossing between Silvaner and Chasselas. The variety was created in 1940 at the Staatliches Weinbauinstitut Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg by grape breeder Johannes Zimmermann. It is primarily found in the Baden wine region but its number have been declining for most of the late 20th and early 21st century from its high point of 100 hectares (250 acres) in the late 1970s.
Viticulture.
Nobling is a crossing of the Silvaner and Chasselas grape that was bred to ripen in the cooler climate of German wine regions but still retain moderate acidity levels.
Synonyms.
In addition to Nobling, the grape is also known under its institute names from the Staatliches Weinbauinstitut Freiburg: FR. 128-40 and Freiburg 128-40.


Newens Sanitary Dairy Historic District

The Newens Sanitary Dairy Historic District is located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It consists of three buildings, the former dairy buildings and the Newens’ family home. The district has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2003.
History.
The Newens family began the dairy around 1910. Lynn Newens ran the business out of his home on 26th Street. In 1913 the business moved to 2300-2306 University Avenue. Three years later it expanded to 2300-2312. In 1918 the dairy bought the last two lots on University. The Newens’ built a new building in 1922.
Dairy Plant.
At the time the dairy was founded developments were being advanced in the dairy industry and cities such as Des Moines started supervising dairy sanitation. In 1910 Des Moines hired their first city milk inspector. Newens Sanitary Dairy communicated their intent to produce a fresh, quality safe product. They also used their family name in the company name to back up the product with an established reputation. Adrian Newens, Lynn's brother and company president, had been a professor of oratory at nearby Drake University and Iowa State College before starting a successful speaking career. The dairy's name was shortened to Newens Dairy Co. in the 1920s and to Newens-Northland Co. after it merged with their competitor Northland Dairy and Furnas Ice Cream company in 1929. The business moved from University Avenue in 1935 and the company made one last name change in the 1940s to the Northland Milk Co.
The dairy complex comprised a front office, milk processing and bottling area, vehicle storage and a stable for the horses. The stable was on the second floor above the vehicle storage building, which was separate from the rest of the operation. Horses were used to transport the milk until the early 1940s when a stable in a different location was destroyed in a fire that killed 22 horses.
Deliveries of dairy products started at midnight. The dairy bought milk from local farmers and in order to deliver it the milk had to be tested, clarified, pasteurized and bottled. The two main reasons the milk was processed was to destroy human pathogens through pasteurization and to maintain product quality. Pasteurization was not required so not all dairies did it because of the added expense. The dairy needed to maintain strict cleanliness of the facility. Newens advertised, “Pasteurized Milk and Cream, Buttermilk and Cottage Cheese" and "You are invited to inspect our plant at any time. We pride ourselves on our cleanliness.”
Newens also was part of the Des Moines Milk Dealers Bottle Exchange, Inc. It was a local trade group that washed and returned empty bottles from participating dairies. Lynn Newens probably served as an officer. Once Newens merged with Northland much of the University Avenue plant was left vacant. The bottle exchange was moved into the facility from 1934 to 1947. Newens-Northland retained ownership of the building and rented it to other businesses. It sold the buildings in 1951 to the Biermann family. Harry Biermann operated an electrical shop out of the former dairy's front office. His sons joined him in the business. Eventually they branched out into electrical engineering and became the Biermann Electric Co. They utilized the former dairy processing area and vehicle storage building, and rented the storefronts and offices to various tenants over the years. Biermann Electric sold the building to 2300 University Avenue L.L.C. in the fall of 2001.
House.
Lynn Newens and his wife Susan, who worked as the company's bookkeeper, and their daughter moved into a house to the east of the dairy at 2220 University Avenue around 1913. The 1916 city directory shows the Newenses were living across the street at 2225 University Avenue. It is a large Victorian house on a corner lot. It was on the diagonal from the dairy. Lynn and Susan lived in the house for more than 15 years. After Susan's death, Lynn moved to his daughter's house nearby. Carman G. Mount, dairy "plant man", and his family moved into the house and lived there until about 1938. The Newens family continued to own the house until the mid-1940s.


Paschim Banga Gramin Bank

Paschim Banga Gramin Bank (PBGB) is a 'premier government owned Regional Rural Bank (RRB) in India. It was established on 26 February 2007 in exercise of the powers conferred by Sub-section (1) of Section 23A of the Regional Rural Bank Act, 1976 (21 of 1976). The Bank is established by the amalgamation of Howrah Gramin Bank, Bardhaman Gramin Bank and Mayurakshi Gramin Bank. The Tagline of the bank is "Bank for U - Banking for All".
This bank is sponsored by UCO Bank & Owned by Govt. of India, Govt. of West Bengal and UCO Bank . The shareholders of the Bank are Govt. of India (50%), UCO Bank (35%) and Govt. of West Bengal (15%). The bank's head office is located at Tikiapara, Howrah, West Bengal.
As on 31st March 2019,the Bank made a net profit of
Bank structure.
The Bank is operating in five districts of West Bengal State, namely, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman and Birbhum, with its Head Office at Howrah, West Bengal.
It has 230 Branches and 4 Regional Offices. The Regional Offices are :
Area of Operations.
The Bank is operating in 5 districts of West Bengal State. They are :


Saperavi

Saperavi (; literally "paint, dye, give color") is an acidic, teinturier-type grape variety native to the country of Georgia, where it is used to make many of the region's most well-known wines. It is also grown in Russia, in lesser quantities in Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Australia. Some small plantations are found in the Niagara and Finger Lakes regions of New York State and Northeast Ohio. Its leaves are 3-lobed, large, and roundish. The berries are medium to large, elliptic or round depending on the type, dark bluish, and thin-skinned; with a maturation period of approximately 5 months and moderate productivity.
It is an extractive wine with a characteristic bouquet, a harmonious taste, and pleasant astringency. Its alcoholic strength ranges from 10.5-12.5% and titrated acidity 5-7%. Saperavi grapes produce very deep red wines that are suitable for extended aging. It has the potential to produce high alcohol levels, and is often blended with lighter varieties. It is by far the most dominant Georgian red grape in terms of overall production.
Saperavi is a hardy variety, known for its ability to handle extremely cold weather and is popular for growing in high altitude and inland regions such as Kakheti. It is a teinturier grape, containing the red anthocyanin within the grape pulp as well as the skin and is unusual in being one of very few such grapes used in single-varietal winemaking.
History.
The Saperavi grape originated in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia and now is spread throughout its entire territory (Kakheti, Saingilo, Kartli, Shavshet-Klarjeti, Imereti, Guria, Racha and Lechkhumi). The Saperavi variety is one of the oldest cultivars from the region, and has consistently been the most important in Georgia's commercial winemaking industry.
Wines.
Saperavi grapes are used predominantly in Georgia, but have spread to other regions of Eastern Europe more recently (Purcari, Moldova). Saperavi cultivars are also being grown in New World wine regions, notably in Finger Lakes, New York area vineyards. It has shown promising results for a few growers in Australia, where it was pioneered in the King Valley Region of North East Victoria.
Notable Georgian wines made exclusively or predominately with Saperavi grapes:
Synonyms.
Saperavi is also known under the synonyms Didi Saperavi, Kleinberiger, Nerki Khagog, Patara Saperavi, Saparavi, Sapeavi De Kakhetie, Saperaibi, Saperavi de Kachet, Saperavi de Kakhetie, Saperavi Patara, Sapeur, Sapperavi, Sapperavy, Scoperawi, and Szaperavi.


Montferrat

Montferrat (, ; ; ; ) is part of the region of Piedmont in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy. It also has a strong literary tradition, including the 18th century Asti-born poet and dramatist Vittorio Alfieri and the Alessandrian Umberto Eco.
The territory is cut in two by the river Tanaro. The northern part (the Basso Monferrato, "Low Montferrat"), which lies between that river and the Po, is an area of rolling hills and plains. The southern part (the Alto Monferrato, "High Montferrat") rises from the banks of the Tanaro into the mountains of the Apennines and the water divide between Piedmont and Liguria.
On 22 June 2014, Montferrat was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History.
Originally a county, it was elevated to a margravate of the Holy Roman Empire under Count Aleramo in 961, following the transition of power in Northern Italy from Berengar of Ivrea to Otto I of Germany. Its "marchesi" (marquesses) and their family members were related to the Kings of France and the Holy Roman Emperors. Members of the family participated frequently in the Crusades, and intermarried with the royal family of Jerusalem and the Byzantine Imperial families of Comnenus, Angelus and Palaeologus. The March of Montferrat was briefly controlled by Spain (1533–1536) before it passed to the Gonzaga Dukes of Mantua (1536–1708). In 1574, Montferrat was raised to a Duchy by Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. With the War of the Mantuan Succession (1628–1631) a piece of the duchy passed to the Duchy of Savoy, the remainder passing to Savoy in 1708, as Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor gained possession of the Gonzaga territory. The next heir of the House of Gonzaga was later compensated by giving Duchy of Teschen in Silesia to them.
Etymology.
There are various interpretations and assumptions concerning the etymology of "Montferrat", but to date none are certain. There are many opinions, with Aldo Ricaldone stating the name was derived from "Mount" and — a variety of wheat. Another claim is that it comes from the Latin meaning "fertile and rich mountain". Still another refers to the irons (Latin ) left by the Romans in their conquest, . Finally, an interpretation derived from a legend according to which Aleramo of Montferrat, the legendary founder of its march, wanting to shoe a horse, and not finding a hammer, used a brick ( in local dialect of Piedmontese), and thereby the horse was shod (, deriving from the same mentioned above), hence the name yielding "Montferrat".
Geography.
Montferrat can be divided into three main parts:
Geology.
20 million years ago the Alps were formed, in the Mediterranean area was produced a new rising heat from the Earth's mantle which resulted in the buckle and rupture of the European crust from which detached the Sardinian-Course block, the micro Sardinian plate did pin on the Ligurian Gulf executing a counterclockwise rotation of 50° and forming the Ligurian Sea. The sea covered the hill of Turin, the Langhe, Montferrat and the Po Valley. The rotation of the Corsica-Sardinia block opposed by the African block produced a pressure that gave rise to the Apennines. 8 million years ago to the east of the Corsica-Sardinia block opened wide north-south divide that separated the Italian peninsula from Corsica and Sardinia, this gap widened to become the Tyrrhenian Sea. In the period from 7 to 5 million years ago the Mediterranean Sea was closed and remained isolated from the Atlantic Ocean. This resulted in the increase of the temperature of the water that turned the Mediterranean into a low-salt lake with many areas dried up, this condition lasted for several hundreds of thousands of years was deposited sediment type saline evaporites. Subsequently, the Mediterranean Sea was opened, and the ocean water began to circulate between the Alps and the Apennines had formed a triangular gulf that covered the entire Po Valley. Due to the continuous lifting of the Alps and the Apennines to the sea withdrew from this gulf and the accumulation of sediments carried by the rivers gave rise to a flood plain which corresponds to the Po Valley. The marine deposits of this period are visible in the area of Asti.
Economy.
Monferrato is one of the most famous Italian wine regions in the world, especially regarding red wines and sparkling wines. The climate is dry continental with hot summers prone to drought and cold winters and the particular hydrogeological soil are favorable for viticulture, which, however, is dominant throughout, making the wine not only an element of economic wealth for the entire region but also a true symbol of the culture and tradition "Monferrina". The widespread dissemination of indigenous grapes and consequently a wide variety of wines, witness them. Among the wines (DOC and DOCG), the most famous are Barbera d'Asti, Asti spumante, Moscato d'Asti, Cortese, Malvasia, and Grignolino.
The Monferrato, together with Alba, is also known for the production of truffles; there are many fairs in this trade, for example the regional fair of truffles held in Montechiaro d'Asti.
Viticulture.
DOC and DOCG wines produced in this area include:
Culture.
Cuisine.
The traditional cuisine of Montferrat, in addition to the award-winning wines, includes a wide variety of foods ranging from meat, fish, vegetables, and cheeses. Typical Monferrato dishes, which have now achieved a reputation not only nationally but also internationally include, among the first courses, agnolotti "al plin" (literally "pinched"), "Tajarin" (noodles for rich eggs seasoned with various sauces), risotto of Casale, rice with mushrooms and red wine, vegetable soups, polenta with fried cod or "loan". Worthy of mention and especially well known is Bagna càuda. Among the meats: tripe, paws (batciuà), chickpeas with head, oxtail (now cooked with Barbera) and the cooked sausage.
Literature.
In the second half of the 15th century stands in the field of dialect literature Gian Giorgio Allioni of Asti, poet, playwright and writer who knowing poetry in French and Italian, wrote several farces in dialect, expressing "an Astezan" and providing a vivid picture of customs and life of the period and the Italian theater of the 16th century, often steeped in satire and mockery. It was not until the 18th century to find two other versifiers Monferrato dialect that is the prior Incisa and Captain Joseph Stefano della Rocca, while in more recent times and in the 19th century that stands out the most famous Angelo Brofferio, politician, journalist and deputy linked to the Risorgimento, who wrote songs in dialect, plays and works of history.
Art.
Artists active in the Montferrat include Gian Martino Spanzotti of Casale and Andrea Pozzo, Renaissance painter and architect active in the 17th century, the painter Pier Francesco Guala; Macrino d'Alba, a contemporary of Spanzotti, whose works are in private and public collections in the United States and Turin. His most important works can, however, identify a triptych housed in the castle of Camino, a "Madonna Enthroned" kept in the Sanctuary of the Sacro Monte di Crea, another "Madonna" in the church of St. John the Baptist to Alba and a "Marriage of St. Catherine" that adorns the church of Neviglie in the Langhe. Guglielmo Caccia, nicknamed "The Moncalvo", executed works such as a "Redeemer" statue from Museum of Asti and "Resurrection" in the cathedral; several of his paintings can be found in the parishes of Grazzano Badoglio, Villadeati, Casale Monferrato, San Salvatore Monferrato, Moncalvo and Castagnito.
Architecture.
The architecture flourished in Montferrat from the year 1000 onwards and is clearly visible in the numerous buildings, churches, castles and palaces of various periods many of which are still well preserved. Architecture was influenced by current Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance trends, before becoming, from the 17th century onwards, a current of Piedmontese Baroque. Architects who worked in Montferrat include Benedetto Alfieri (1707-1767) of Asti, considered the successor to Filippo Juvarra, and Francesco Gallo (1672-1750) of Mondovì, as well as Francesco Ottavio Magnocavalli, born in Casale Monferrato.
Sacred Mount of Crea.
The Sacred Mountain of Crea (Italian: "Sacro Monte di Crea") is a Roman Catholic sanctuary in the "comune" of Serralunga di Crea (Montferrat), near Alessandria. It is one of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, included in UNESCO World Heritage list.
Its construction was begun in 1589, around a former Sanctuary of St. Mary whose creation is traditionally attributed to St. Eusebius, who first Christianized the site around 350 AD.