For most people, becoming a Wine Century Club member means starting a quest. It is the very rare wine drinker who can sit down with the application and be able to check off 100 grapes with ease. But although the task of reaching 100 may appear daunting at first – and for most potential members, reaching the goal will indeed require some work – it can be very fun and rewarding.
In many ways, this has to be treated as a research project. I’ve spent 25 years as a market and public opinion research consultant and thus probably have a mind that revels in such an effort. For those who don’t think in research terms day in and day out, here are some tips that might prove of value in meeting your goal; whether it’s the first 100 grapes, the second (Doppel), or even beyond.
The first step for most potential members will be to simply check off those grapes that we have all drunk for years: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir; Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc: grapes that Jancis Robinson would classify among the ‘Classic Varieties’ť in her Vines, Grapes and Wines. One needn’t think about specific wines and vintages that have been tasted. These are grapes we all KNOW that we’ve tried.
After that, simply reading down the list of grapes on the application form may jog the memory about many more wines. Depending upon where one has lived and traveled as a wine drinker, we’ll all likely remember more grapes we’ve had. Perhaps they’re not popular now, at least as varietals (some will remember the days when one would see French Colombard, Grey Riesling, and even Green Hungarian on shelves in the US), but they are wines we have tasted nonetheless.
At this point, you can begin the process of hunting for new grapes to try in stores and on wine lists. But there is another step one can take to potentially add a number of additional grapes. I call these “discovered tastes.” Think about the wines you’ve drunk that don’t list any varietal names on the front of the bottle (and probably don’t have any on the back label either). Ever enjoyed a crisp Muscadet? Sipped on a bit of Marsala? Had a Spanish sparkler like Freixenet? Tried Mateus Rose? If so, you could easily add Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet), Catarratto Bianco and Grillo (Marsala), and potentially seven other grapes for Freixenet and Mateus (the producers list the grapes on their websites)!
My way of finding these “discovered tastes” was simply to begin researching all of the grapes I had not checked on my initial application. You can easily search them on the Internet or spend some time with Jancis Robinson’s fine book. By learning more about each grape, you may have an “I’ve had that!” reaction. And even if you don’t add a grape as something you’ve already tried, you’ll likely find some that you’ll want to seek out and try as part of your quest.
When all that reminiscing about past glasses and the reading of vinicultural esoterica has been completed, however, the hunt for new grapes really begins! And a hunt it often is.
Even heading into a wine shop and walking the aisles requires a strategy. When looking for new grapes to try, I tend to concentrate in two areas: countries with a long history of winegrowing where I know there are many grape varieties not likely to be grown widely elsewhere, and the “other reds/other whites” sections. The section of Greek wines (or a local Greek restaurant), for example, can offer many possibilities, as can the wines from a host of other countries. One thing you’ll want to look for are autochthonous varieties… those indigenous grapes that appear throughout the winegrowing world but are grown in small quantities often only in those areas to which they are native. There is increasing interest these days in rare and even “endangered” wine grape varieties, and some producers and shippers even specialize in them.
Similarly, proprietary blends often contain some obscure grapes… and kudos to those winemakers who choose to list the varieties (and sometimes even specific percentages) on their labels!
Speaking of labels, the devoted seeker of new grapes is well advised to read them… carefully. It’s too bad all wine producers don’t list specific grape varietals for blended wines, but more and more seem to be doing so. And even if a predominant varietal is listed on the front, there are sometimes other grapes blended in… it’s worth a look.
Shelf tags require a bit of trust. If they are from the wine producer, distributor, or some recognized wine review source and they describe the same vintage as a bottle I’m looking at, I feel fairly confident in counting the grape. If it’s a tag from one of the store’s own wine gurus, I’m still generally trusting; but I may do a bit of independent research before adding it to my life list.
If you happen to live near an area where some restaurants have extensive wine lists — such as those that have received an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator — you likely have another resource… and probably someone knowledgeable to help you in your quest. The more eclectic the list, the better for our purposes. And you may be pleasantly surprised to find that some of the obscure grapes appear in wines that are very reasonably priced.
Also, don’t overlook the opportunities when you’re traveling, particularly to the more minor wine-producing states in the US. Wine shops that feature local wines and the wineries themselves can yield many new and unexpected names. Now, it’s true that you may find yourself tasting a number of hybrid grapes in some areas; but what’s wrong with that? As Steve DeLong clearly laid out when forming the club, “WE ARE: Wine adventurers… WE ARE NOT: Wine Snobs.” So, be adventurous!
Particularly as you move beyond the 100-grape level, you will begin to encounter a substantial obstacle: the same grape can have many different names! I well remember the excitement of adding several new grapes to my life list one night at a restaurant in New York. But when I arrived home and did some checking, I found that each was simply another local name for a grape that I had already tasted. I found that having a web-enabled cell phone was invaluable in my quest to reach the 200-grape mark. Google helps; but the easiest-to-search resource I’ve found is a document by one Anthony J. Hawkins that he calls “The Super Gigantic Y2K Winegrape Glossary” (http://wineloverspage.com/wineguest/wgg.html). Gigantic it is… this labor of love is a 171-page list of hundreds upon hundreds of wine grapes, with short descriptions and — most importantly for the aspiring member — synonyms for grapes that have multiple names. This list was complied by an admitted “non-specialist” and may have some errors — even Mr. Hawkins acknowledges this — but I have used it extensively in my own quest. The pdf has been downloaded to my laptop and the link is bookmarked on my iPhone for ready reference when I’m in a shop or restaurant. Other web-based resources you might find of value include two from the University of California at Davis: The National Grape Registry (http://ngr.ucdavis.edu/varietylist.cfm) and Integrated Viticulture Online (http://groups.ucanr.org/iv/). Sometimes, making the accurate identification of a new grape in order to put it on one’s life list requires a search of multiple sources.
Another obstacle is that grape identification is a seemingly never-ending process. Science has finally solved long-standing mysteries — think about Zinfandel — but there are many grapes that have never been subjected to such scrutiny and scientific analysis. Unintentionally, we are likely to find ourselves after the fact with some duplicates. I suspect that Bacchus will understand!
One sticky issue to deal with is clones and cépage. In this regard, even the Club itself seems a bit of two minds. The application lists the two Manseng clones (Gros and Petite) but only one Sangiovese, although there are two important clones of the latter: Sangiovese Grosso/Brunello and Sangiovese Piccolo/Sangioveto. Jancis Robinson’s Vines, Grapes, and Wines does a good job in the index of separating actual varieties from clones and synonyms. If she has listed a grape as a variety (designated in bold type), I’ve felt comfortable counting it in my list.
Finally, be alert… you can find new grapes in all sorts of places, even where you would probably never expect them. Verduzzo Friulano at an airport concourse restaurant in Denver? Terret Blanc in a small Hispanic market and wine shop in rural Michigan? Brachetto in the wine aisle at WalMart? I found them there! And think about your life list whenever you find yourself drinking a wine where the varietals involved are not immediately clear. In a restaurant, the wine list and bottle may reveal nothing; but get the name, the producer, and the distributor and then a bit of online sleuthing or an e-mail might yield a new discovery.
Enjoy your search, enjoy your new discoveries, and ultimately, enjoy your membership in the Wine Century Club!
How ironic. One of the most exclusive clubs in the world, and a true wine snob could never hope to join.
