Winebits 298: Penguins, Brazil, grapes

Yes, quite possibly the weirdest headline ever on the blog.

? A benefit for a good cause: Let it not be said that the Wine Curmudgeon won ?t do a favor for a good cause.The Wildlife Conservation Society is hosting its first Sip For The Sea benefit in Manhattan on Sept. 12 to support the New York Aquarium as it recovers from Superstorm Sandy. The event features sustainable food and wine, and ticket information is at the link.

? Bubby in Brazil: And it ?s damned good, writes Chuck Byers on the Canadian MetroLand Media website. A ?number of ?houses ? produce first class sparkling wine, ? he says. ?Casa Valduga, Aurora, Salton, Garibaldi, Don Giovanni among others, produce some of the nicest traditional sparkling wines tasted anywhere. ? This is especially interesting in the U.S. because what little experience we have with Brazilian wine was Marcus James white zinfandel, popular during the height of the white zinfandel craze in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

? Yes, grapes in California are a big deal: How about the second most important agricultural crop in the state, according to figures from the federal agriculture department? The value of the 2012 grape crop was almost $4.5 billion, second only to milk. It rose percent from 2011, the second highest increase in the state. Wine grapes account for about 90 percent of the tonnage, which points to how crucial the wine business is to California ?s economy. Given that those figures are something that even those of us who follow the industry take for granted, you can imagine how little the rest of the world ? including politicians who make three-tier and liquor law decision ? know about it.