Wines can be made from some seriously disgusting things...

So most people know of a few different grape varieties, even if its just down to Merlot, Chardonnay or a Shiraz. But what a lot of folks don't know is that wines have been made from hundreds of different things across different cultures for thousands of years. My Pal Rich was lucky enough to try some Sparrow Wine whilst out in China.

Richard couldn't organise a piss up in a OH GOD NO

1.) Well... Poop

The Koreans... they have mixed it (animal AND human) with Soju - a type of grain base spirit. So not technically a wine by western terms but still referred to as a wine. Apparently the *ahem* base ingredient is fermented for several months with different herb mixes and it results in a sweet red tinged liquid. 

2.) Meteorites! 

This one is fairly awesome. A Chilean producer has made "Meteorito" a Cabernet Sauvignon which is fermented with a meteorite submerged in it. Supposedly crashing into northern Chile 6000 years ago it gives the wine a unique  "lively" taste

3.) Cannabis Sauvignon

Yeah... this was the brainchild of the Californians. Apparently stooping cannabis leaves with Cabernet Sauvignon is the way to go, though they are experimenting with several other blends.

But so far the product creates "an interesting little buzz" and works faster than pot brownies. Rock goddess Melissa Etheridge is one of the best producers apparently!

4.) Tiger Bone Wine

This one is really upsetting, traditionally thought to have potent medicinal qualities, the bones of these incredible endangered animals are soaked in spirit for months at a time. The price can go up to a grand a bottle depending on how long the mixture has been brewed for. In China it was thought the wine can bring goodies such as long life and sexual prowess. 

5.) Deer Penis

Though nowhere near endangered, the practice of creating this wine where the Penis is fermented in grain spirit traditionally requires the deer to still be alive when it is removed. In Chinese tradition this blend is supposed to support bones and sexual prowess. It is also recommended to pregnant women to increase the strength of themselves and their unborn babies. Apparently before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, athletes were discouraged from drinking it as it can contain performance enhancing substances when finished. So maybe there is something to it after all!

Of late...Deer have been evolving fangs, we don't know why...

Well I hope that wet your appetite! Maybe the fish guts, egg, and blood used in the wine you could well be drinking this weekend will seem mundane by now! Or maybe you didn't know about that...

There are many more weird/gross ingredients used to make booze - I'll come back with more at a later date. For now enjoy the lovely start of 2015, go for a walk and soak up the countryside. Just stay the hell away from the damn deer.