What is the strangest question you have ever been asked about wine?

[Inger Shiffler]

Here at Robert Mondavi Winery we see over 60,000 people a year on tour. Our visitors have a wide range of wine knowledge and often ask questions during the
tours. Usually the questions are something like "How many grapes does it take to make a bottle of wine?" or "How long does a grapevine live?". Sometimes guests ask things that I have never thought about or know anything about. I would like to know some of the strange questions you have been asked about wine or winemaking and please include your answer if you had one.

[Allison Groves]

"When do you put the alcohol in the wine?"

My personal favorite, though, was the following exchange.

Guest: "What are all those little trees?"
Me: "Those are our vines."
Guest: "What do they do?"
Me: "They produce grapes."
Guest: "So, do you use those grapes to make the wine?"

[Charlie Plummer]

i had a wine radio personality ask me what I would pair with peanut butter..... peanut butter? I had to think for a second, I'd never been asked that one. My first reply was, "obviously jelly..." which got a good chuckle. But my next response probably floored him, since it was a wine radio broadcast. "I guess I would have a beer"....
I've speculated the possibilities about such a pairing and only could conclude a few wines that "I" might enjoy with my peanut butter.

1) Bubble (Champagne to be exact) something on the heavier yeasty side perhaps? I think the citrus style might be a bit odd and too contrasting.

2) Rose - maybe because it was summer and a bit hot outside that I thought this would work, but honestly a nice pinot rose could possibly be a good substitute for delicate jelly... I dunno...

3) Beer - yep I think that would work just fine.

What are your thoughts on this ridiculous pairing question?

[Inger Shiffler]

Doesn't PInot Noir go with everything?
I can't imagine the texture of peanut butter and wine. You might be right about bubbles, kinda like salted nuts or popcorn with Champagne. A strange pairing indeed.

[Sanda Manuila]

Peanut butter is loaded with proteins, proteins soften tannins, so a big jammy (not jelly) young fruit bomb Cab would do the job...

[Leslie Churchill]

I have often been asked if we really flavor the wine with cherries or tobacco.

[Sanda Manuila]

How about why do you get drunk when you drink too much wine?

[Terena Cardwell]

"Isn't appellation a mountain range?" (Obviously, she thought I meant Appalachian)

[robhennigar]

Terena,

Tell me you didn't laugh when you were asked that one ...too funny!

Rob

[Jasmine Woodjack]

The most annoying question when we do barrel tasting and people ALWAYS ask how much for a full barrel of wine. The best answer to that is, if you can carry it out, you can have it!

Another fun one is when someone asks for a Zinfandel, and the confused look on thier face when it's red.

[Emily Klein]

"So, the vanilla flavor... Do they use vanilla extract or a raw vanilla bean?" It's especially disturbing when this kind of question comes from a distributor rep!

[Cindy Bancroft]

So from the sales side the question that stopped me in my tracks was from a new store owner who asked me how a wine could be dry when it was wet and he was serious.

[robhennigar]

Tell me you weren't able to keep a straight face! That's justt as funny as the person who once told me that if you whistle while looking at the Northern Lights, they will move according to your tune -oh my...