tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8861605.post115972463494518491..comments2024-03-24T11:01:27.668-04:00Comments on Resource Insights: The Infrastructure of the FutureKurt Cobbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05330759091950742285noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8861605.post-1160155642012281182006-10-06T13:27:00.000-04:002006-10-06T13:27:00.000-04:00Alan from Oregon provided a corrective to the info...Alan from Oregon provided a corrective to the information on wine varieties grown in the United States. My point in the above post had to do with genetic diversity and I'm glad to hear that the United States has more diversity at least in wine grapes than I related above. Here is what Alan said in his email:<BR/><BR/>"Thought I'd point out that your (Italian?) guide was being unforgivably snobbish, as well as completely incorrect. In the Pacific Northwest<BR/>(Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and British Columbia) there are at least 18 red wine grapes being grown and vinified as well as 16 white wine varieties. Add in California, New York, Michigan, Texas, New Mexico, and whatever other wine-growing states there might be and I'll bet there are at least 50 varieties of grapes being grown for wine in the United States.<BR/><BR/>I'll also bet that of those 300 varieties of grapes being vinified in Italy, a substantial number of them are made in vanishingly small quantities. Others are grown only for blending. I'll also bet that even serious wine experts would be hard-pressed to identify even 50 of those 300 in a blind tasting. I suspect that finding a store in Italy with over half of those 300<BR/>different wines in stock would be nearly impossible. And yet, it's hard to get more than a few hundred miles in Italy from where any of them are made.<BR/><BR/>One of the problems people have with Italian (and to some extent French) wines is trying to get any idea what's in a bottle labeled only with its region (20 "principal" regions) or district of origin (over 250 DOC's). Many folks just throw up their hands and buy a chardonnay or a merlot. At<BR/>least they have some idea what it will taste like. I wonder how many<BR/>different wines the average Italian drinks. I suppose it depends on what they can afford and whether what's grown in their area is any good thisyear.<BR/><BR/>Please understand that I'm not dumping on Italian wine -- I love it. But as for there being any real reason to grow 300 different wine grapes, I doubt it. The expression, 'not a dime's worth of difference,' comes to mind."Kurt Cobbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05330759091950742285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8861605.post-1159780288725500462006-10-02T05:11:00.000-04:002006-10-02T05:11:00.000-04:00Hi Kurt.Nice Blog!As a regular reader of PeakOil.c...Hi Kurt.<BR/>Nice Blog!<BR/><BR/>As a regular reader of PeakOil.com I was immediately attracted by this article appearing on its home page.<BR/><BR/>Being Italian, living in Rome and having a strong interest in PO related subjects I found your testimony really enjoyable to read and precise in its account of the Italian reality. <BR/><BR/>I have to say, every time I read northamericans enthusiastically describing the "italian way of life" it reminds me of just how bad the situation is on the other side of the atlantic. <BR/><BR/>But, I have to say that although Italians are famous for their adaptive natura, I have to say that our dependece on cars is second to none in the industrialized world. <BR/><BR/>Rome alone has almost 800 cars for every 1000 inhabitants, and sadly that's a european record. Nationwide, 80% of freight is hauled with trucks and sadly, every year less and less investments are carried on refurbishing our beautiful rail network. <BR/>Having worked for the italian railways, I can tell you that the HighSpeed train is more Pr than actual transport. The trouble starts at the local level with commuter trains that are scarse and not well cared of.<BR/><BR/>In conclusion, I reckon that Italy as with most european countries is best suited to survive without heavy trauma to a PO world, but, the first step in tackling the problem, is public awareness. And that, is still nowhere to be seen.<BR/><BR/>Ciao.<BR/>DavidAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com