6th Anniversary – Global Tasting Challenge
We’re now 1,023 members strong and growing! Included in this number are 30 Doppel Members, seven Treble Members and three Quattro Members.
Our annual celebration and challenge is once again online in recognition of the international nature of the club, but this year is going to be somewhat different. Last year we collectively tasted 314 different grape varieties, crushing the previous year’s 157 and a very impressive sum (but still short of the three Quattro Member’s lifetime grape lists!).
This year, we’re going to see how many different wine regions we can collectively taste in one day. In a way it is both easier – Bulgarian Cabernet and Chilean Merlot will both count – and more difficult as exotic 100 grape Italian wines, Portuguese cepage-monsters other mega blends like Châteauneuf-du-Pape will only count once.
Wherever you may be, please raise a glass of the most obscure wine* you can find on May 26th in honor of the club and the glory that is you. And if at all possible please post a short note about the wine you had on the Wine Century Club Site. The note can be as simple as the name of the wine and where it came from.
Hope to see you online on May 26th!
Veni, Vino, Vici!
Steve
*Only grape wines please (meadsters!) and even the smallest of subregions will count. For example, Gevrey-Chambertin will be counted separately from Gevrey-Chambertin premier cru La Perrière and Côtes du Rhône will be counted separately from Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne. And that’s just France. There are over 300 different wine regions in the US alone!
Aglianico del Vulture is an Italian red wine based on the Aglianico grape produced in the Vulture area of Basilicata. Located on volcanic soils derived from nearby Mount Vulture,
Great idea, Steve! Will we see a Wine Region Century certificate in the future? Although 100 might not be enough of a challenge. Probably most of us could sit down and tick off 100 regions that we’ve tasted in the past.
Thanks, Doug! I’ve thought about a regional certificate but it may be too confusing to have 2 different types of membership. But “regions” are the new “grapes”! 😉
Only one day to go, to open the Sixth Anniversary Bottle(s)
Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Charmes
and
Chablis Premier Cru Cote de Lechet
A very Burgundy evening for my wife and me.
Janet & Jeff Ellitt
Mont Marcel Cava Reserva 2007 Xawrel-LO Macbeau Chardoney
Oremus Tokaji Dry Mandolas 2005 Furmant
Cliff and Marla Treat
2009 Famega from the Vinho Verde Region of Portugal (a great deck wine) and a 2006 Concannon Grenache from Livermore, California – A great red from a 100+ year old winery.
The Central Virginia Chapter of the Club was hosted to the anniversary tasting by Wine Made Simple, a new specialty wine store in the Townside Center at 2214 Ivy Road in Charlottesville. We tasted four wines; one white and three reds.
The first was a Getariako Txakolina ’09 from Moroka winery, in the Basque country of Spain. It had bracing, intense acidity with just as intense lime minerality and demanded food.
Next we had a red blend from J. Morat from the Fiefs Vendeens of the Loire Valley, 60% pinot noir, with the rest cabernet franc and negrette, 2009. The wine was refreshingly low in alcohol and tannin and oak, and had a vibrant fresh raspberry character; great for summertime.
Third we tried a very earthy/spicy negroamaro ’07 from the Resta winery in Puglia, Italy. A typical Old World character of high acid, spice, and a hint of dried plums and raisins was followed by the typical bitterness of the grape but lively acid on the finish, great for full-bodied Italian cuisine.
Last was an eclectic blend from California called “Hey Mambo”, styled a “Sultry Red” which included zinfandel, barbera, petite sirah, syrah and alicante bouchet. The wine was clean and fruity but VERY oaky and smoky.
We discovered that the Moroka Getariako Txakolina and the Morat Loire red blend were excellent summertime wines, while the other two were best in cold weather.
Hats off to our fearless leader Steve DeLong; hoping our tasting helps put the Club over last year’s total grapes tasted!
Steve. I have managed to track down a bottle of 2005 Giribaldi Cento Uve Langhe Doc wine. Expect to receive the bottle this week. Will spend the weekend updating my list. I am at 277 right now and expect this new bottle to put me way over the 300 mark. So save one of those “Treble” certificates for me.
Steve,
I have a print out of the varietals for the Giribaldi Cento Uve wine. I got it from “www.delhiwineclub.com”. I found some errors in the list. They listed 156 names, 14 were duplicates and one was listed as both red & white. So according to their list it has 141 varietals. My next step is to try and get a list from the actual winemaker. hope he reads English. But is still putting me about 325 + wines.