5 Wine Facts to Impress Your Tipsy Friends

(Mashable) - People love to drink wine, but how much do we really know about it?

Everybody's favorite spirit has a rich history beyond rowdy bar nights or quiet evenings with a special someone — or your cat. Travel Channel host and wine expert Olly Smith teamed up with #5facts to round up some little-known trivia about that sweet nectar of the gods.

How many of these tipsy tidbits did you know? Impress all your wino friends with these five fascinating facts, and for more fun in wine country, check out Jeni and Olly's West Coast Wine Adventures on the Travel Channel.

1. A "butt" is a medieval measurement for the liquid volume of wine.

A butt is equivalent to a half "tun," or about 126 gallons.

2. Roman women could be killed for drinking wine.

Women in early Rome were forbidden to drink wine, and a man who caught his wife drinking was legally allowed to kill her.

3. Red and white wine grapes both produce clear juice.

The color of red wine is created by fermenting the skins of red grapes, in addition to the juice. Pink wines start like reds, but the skins are removed early in the fermentation process.

4. Soil type has a huge impact on the flavor of wine.

The French science of Terrior was developed to pinpoint the exact climate, topography and soil type best suited for each grape. Legend has it that Benedictine monks even tasted the soil to find ideal planting conditions.

5. Women get drunker on wine than men.

Women's stomachs contain less of the enzyme that metabolizes ethanol.