Learn English with the News: “The ultimate bottle of wine”

as-salām ‘alaykum!

(that’s hello in Arabic).

We chose Arabic today because this news story is from Dubai, where they just unveiled the most expensive bottle of wine in the world!

1. Read the text
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. Watch the news!

Text

It’s one of the most exclusive vineyards in France’s Bordeaux region. And in 2009 Chateau Margaux produced what experts say is an exquisite vintage.

But how much would you pay for a bottle of wine? One connoisseur put his money where his palate is – paying 195 thousand US dollars for a 12 liter bottle of the 2009 Chateau Margaux Balthazar.

Only six bottles have been produced – and only three have gone up for sale.

– The Balthazars, those big bottles allow wine to keep almost forever in such a case so what can happen in 50 years time we don’t know. We will certainly not repeat that very often. We want to keep it very very special and indeed it is very special.

Chateau Margaux’s Paul Pontallier explains that each harvest the grapes are handpicked over a period of two weeks.

The bunches are then hand cut, sorted and crushed before their juices are fermented and aged in oak barrels. The 2009 Balthazars were launched this week and are available exclusively Le Clos, a luxury wine retailer in Dubai.

Vocabulary

Exclusive – not shared : available to only one person or group.

Vineyard – a field where grapes are grown.

Exquisite – finely done or made.

Connoisseur – a person who knows a lot about something (such as art, wine, food, etc.) : an expert in a particular subject.

Palate – the top part of the inside of your mouth : the roof of your mouth.

Harvest – the season when crops are gathered from the fields or the activity of gathering crops.

Handpicked – to pick (something, such as a fruit) by using your hand.

Bunches – a group of things of the same kind that are held or tied together or that grow together.

Crushed – to press or squeeze (something) so hard that it breaks or loses its shape.

Fermented – to go through a chemical change that results in the production of alcohol.

Aged – very old.

Oak – the wood of an oak tree.

Retailer – a person or business that sells things directly to customers for their own use.

News