Dan was surprised by a definition equating the definition ‘foxy’
with animal fur I in turn was surprised by Dan’s comment because
‘wet fur’ was a descriptor for foxiness that I knew, used and
considered a standard descriptor. In turn that surprised Robin
Garr who posted that “I grew up around Eastern wines and have
never heard this description.” I was thinking about it last
night and have developed a theory, in three parts.1) Why is the
taste of Vitis Labrusca described as ‘foxy’. Because that
species is known as the ‘fox grape’ and it has a distinctive
flavour unlike other grape species. Thus because that flavour is
the flavour of fox grapes, it is foxy.2) Why isn’t the term
‘fur’ or ‘wet fur’ used for that flavour in the US. Because
there is no need to describe the flavour further. The Labrusca
variety with the most intense ‘foxy’ taste is Concord and
Concord is widely available as grapes, juice, jams, and
flavourings in sweets and children’s cough medicine in addition
to wine. Robin nails it when he says “