Fandom High School

"For our final class," Ignis announced, in their usual gathering before the Portalocity office, and with a grin on his face, no less, albeit only slightly more subtle than his standard smile generally was. And while one might assume this particularly buoyant mood was fueled by a rather perfect day the day prior, there was, truthfully, a good chance that he would have been just as smugly pleased that afternoon even without that to add to it, "I've saved what I, personally, consider the best for last. This is, of course, entirely subjective, and I would actually be rather interested, should you care to share your thoughts, in what region you have found to be a favorite among the plethora of vintages we have deigned to try. But recently, I have been developing quite the taste of Argentinian wines in particular."

Did that grin increase that slight margin more? Oh, absolutely, and it was downright noticeable, too.

"And so off we are, to South America, and currently the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. The Spanish colonization of the Americas has left a firm mark on Argentinian culture, and, along with that, its wines. The climate allows the country to play host to a wide variety of different grapes, and while the wine culture and exporting drives have often place quantity over quality in many of their over 1500 vineyards, the latter is not always sacrificed for the former.

"So today, we will be headed for Terraza de los Andes, settled in the Mendoza region of the Andes Mountains, where we will be partaking in an exploration of an asado offering: grilled meats and other traditional offerings, paired with a good Malbec and a few other wines. And, so, without any further ado, let us go and conclude our global journey through wine and food, shall we?"

"When it comes to the wine of the North American continent," Ignis stated, launching into his usual prerequisite introduction before whisking everyone off to some lush wine country estate, "the first thing that leaps to most people's minds is, of course, the Napa Valley in California, on the far west of the country we currently reside in. However, there are a few other rich landscapes that lend themselves well to the vine, and it is one of those we shall be visiting today. Specifically, the Niagra peninsula in Ontario, Canada, which is the most dense wine region of that neighbor to the north.

"Narrowing it down, we will specifically be visiting the Hare Estate and exploring their rather simple but lovely offerings of wine pairings with a few choice foods, although I have arranged to deviate from their usual offerings to add the wine I chose this particular region for this week: an eiswein, or icewine, which is a wine produced from frozen grapes. Canada leads the world in the production of eiswein, and Ontario itself producing 90% of Canada's yield, followed by Germany, China, and some parts of the United States. It is a fickle, labor-intensive process, leading to a small yield for the work, and very dependent on natural frosts in order to produce, and so it's certainly worth the consideration of our tastebuds.

"And, with that," he nodded, "let's be off to enjoy this week's offerings."

"As with our previous trip to Italy, no comprehensive exploration of fine wine and dining would be complete without a visit to the country of France, as well," Ignis said, to start the class out as they gathered for their portal to their weekly destination for sips and snacks. "More specifically, we will be traveling to the Champagne region, although, believe me, it was a very tough decision to make. Alas, we have so many regions and so few weeks, and so Champagne it shall be, instantly bringing to mind a very specific wine, well known throughout the world. True Champagne only comes from Champagne, after all, and anything else is just merely sparkling.

"This week," he further explained, "we will be visiting Veuve Clicquot, a house founded back in 1772 and then taken into the hands ambitious young widow in 1805 whose formidable contributions to the art earned her the title of la grande dame of Champagne, which was particularly exceptional during the time. We will embark on a brief tour of the history of the house before we settle on its spacious lawns for a picnic, wherein we will be sampling two of their signature vintages along with some excellent and well paired French cuisine.

"As always, I expect you all to be quite respectful and inquisitive, and, without further ado, let us see if our portal is now prepared."