Keeping Clear and Consistent Records

 I just love historical trivia. Once a guest confided to me the “real” origin of the term riserva. It seems the term was coined during a time when drinking water was scarce. What water was available was often tainted, so winemakers would reserve wine for their own use in place of drinking water. Well, I found this little tidbit fascinating. However, no matter how many ways I cast the search words in Google, I came up with nothing to back up this tale. The best I could find was a reference to winemakers who traditionally  would “reserve” some of their best wine rather than sell it immediately. I guess my little expedition into the roots of this wine term was merely an exercise in fruitility.