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Wine is one of the world’s truly global commodities. There is evidence that wine grapes were cultivated in the Middle East at least as early as 4000 BC, and Egyptian sources dating from 2500 BCE mention winemaking. The ancient Greeks planted grapes in colonies from the Black Sea to Spain, and the Roman Empire took viticulture to Europe’s now-famous valleys of the Rhine, Moselle, Danube and Rhône rivers. During the Age of Exploration, winemaking was transported from the Old World to the New, with prime wine-growing regions cropping up in South America and South Africa. British settlers brought European vines to Australia and New Zealand in the early 19th century.

Although wine tasting can seem quite complex, it is ultimately a wonderfully straightforward experience. Here is a brief overview of what to look for and expect the next time you enjoy a glass of wine:

• How does it look?
  Start by swirling a little wine around your glass and then take a good look at it. If it is white wine, the color will tell you how old the wine is. Most whites start off very pale and deepen in color as they age. The opposite is true of red wine, as the color generally becomes paler with age.
• How does it smell?
  The aroma of a wine can also provide you with meaningful information. To release the full bouquet, you need to swirl the wine around in the glass then stick your nose into the glass and take a good sniff. Aim to identify easily recognizable smells such as fruit, wood, flowers or smoke. Trust your nose—if you smell something offensive or off-putting, the wine will probably not taste very nice either.
• How does it taste?
  The next—and best—stage of the wine-tasting process is the actual tasting. This does not involve taking a big swallow; instead, take a little wine in your mouth and hold it there. This part of the process is especially useful when it comes to assessing the body, or depth, of the wine. “Body” may be loosely described as the taste that remains in your mouth once you have spat the wine out (or swallowed it). In basic terms, wines with a heavier body will stay with you longer.
• Is the temperature right?
  A cold temperature may disguise the aroma of a wine, whereas a temperature above 70°F (21.1°C) might cause the wine to give off an alcoholic smell due to the evaporation of ethanol. Red wines are best when served slightly below room temperature, somewhere between 53–69°F (11.7–20.6°C). White wines are best between 44–57°F. (6.7–13.9°C) Sparkling wines are best when chilled to 38–45°F (3.3–7.2°C).
• Be sure to use the right glass.
  The shape and size of your glass have a profound impact on the vapors that collect inside it, which deliver the aromatic compounds that affect taste. There are many different types from which to choose, but generally red wines require a larger bowl and wider opening. White wines fare better in smaller bowls with tighter openings that preserve their floral aromas.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of the world’s cultural and natural heritage sites. The defining moment for this mission took place in 1960 when Egypt and Sudan appealed to UNESCO for help saving the Nubian temples on the banks of the Nile, soon to be flooded by the construction of the Aswan High Dam. Fifty countries made financial contributions to the campaign. That effort resulted in moving them out of harm’s way.

The World Heritage Convention drew its inspiration from the international synergy of this project, and over the years, the most significant and spectacular sites around the globe have been identified and inscribed on the World Heritage List in an effort to protect them for future generations. More than half a century later, there are over 1,000 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in over 150 countries—all of which have been recognized for their “outstanding universal value.” In addition, candidates must meet one other standard within their category.

To be selected as a Cultural Heritage Site, a place or piece of work must be viewed as a masterpiece of creative genius. That spark of genius—such as an innovative architectural or artistic style—might have emerged as a singular event in time, or it might have inspired a centuries-long movement. Alternately, its creation must embody a significant state in human history. On a larger scale, a historic human settlement whose elements represent an entire culture might also be in the running to become a UNESCO Site.

Among the candidates for Natural Heritage, exceptional beauty wins UNESCO’s attention. Or, an area might illustrate the major geologic stages of Earth’s history, such as the multi-hued strata of a canyon. Biological significance may also be a factor. For example, if a site were to profoundly exhibit the evolutionary process behind an ecosystem, it may be eligible.

The overwater migration of seabirds has been recorded since the days of ancient Greece. In modern times, ornithologists have been able to more accurately identify particular species and their routes. They have found that some seabirds travel thousands of miles over water between breeding and wintering sites, crossing the equator on long north-south routes. Others, like the albatross—the largest of seabirds—even circumnavigate the earth on a constant east-west flight. Remarkably, these majestic creatures seem to rely on some of the same “tools” used by ancient seafarers: celestial hints from the sun and stars, the magnetic pull of the earth and mental maps that incorporate physical landmarks.

Highly adapted to marine life, seabirds might spend many months flying over water. As such, they have evolved into highly efficient flyers, soaring between differing air masses to gain velocity or riding prevailing trade winds to gain distance with little effort. They survive their long migrations by feeding on krill or fish that linger on the ocean’s surface, foraging for food on the coast or diving up to 100 ft (30.5 m) below water to catch squid.

Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris borealis) breeds in the North Atlantic—near the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands—then migrates to the South Atlantic or to South American waters. The great shearwater (Ardenna gravis) breeds near the remote South Atlantic islands of Tristan da Cunha before migrating toward the eastern coast of North America. And, after breeding in the southern portion of South America, the black‑browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) flies thousands of miles toward Australia or the Benguela Current region, which lies off the coast of Namibia and western South Africa.

As impressive as these flight patterns are, few birds cover the mileage of the sooty shearwater (Ardenna grisea). This remarkable bird not only flies from the Arctic to Antarctica each year but also journeys from east to west in search of warm summer weather. In a single year, sooty shearwaters may travel up to 40,000 mi. (64,374 km)—starting from New Zealand or Chile, before moving across the Pacific to California, Alaska or Japan.