It’s been seven months since I last I last reported on my progress toward qualification for the Wine Century Club . As a reminder, the Wine Century Club is an informal group of wine lovers who have or, are attempting to taste 100 different grape varieties. It’s a simple concept, but not as easy as you might think. Kay and I have been at it for a couple of years, and we we’re at 75 when I last reported in June. Varieties in blends are allowed, and makes it somewhat easier, but by no means a slam-dunk. It’s all on the honor system, but hey – it’s not a contest, there are no prizes, just an adventure for those who love wine.
We have added six varieties in the past seven months, putting us at 81 varieties.
The first new grape variety, from Italy, is Tazzelenghe, a red Italian grape from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. The wine is a 2004 Moschioni Real Colli Orentali.
The second new variety is Lemberger or, if you prefer, Blaufrankisch (Yeah, I thought so too). This is a 100% varietal from College Cellars in WA, purchased from from Catie – The Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman . I Bought it last year and just recently got around to opening it — very nice.
Third is Trincadeira or Tinta Amerela a red grape indigenous to Portugal. We tried a bottle of 2003 Esporao Trincadeira purchased from Jill at Domaine547 – one of our favorite online purveyors of fine wine based in Los Angeles. I think this was one of her special packs — good wine, good marketing.
Fourth is Marachal Foch, a red hybrid variety originating in the Alsace region of France. The wine is the 2007 – Amity Marachal Foch Meadows Vineyard from one of our favorite wineries: Amity Vineyards in one of our favorite wine regions.
Varieties five and six Clairette and Bourboulenc came from a bottle of a white Rhone blend, Caves des Papes. I didn’t keep the bottle and don’t recall the producer, so no label image is available. The wine was excellent and a New Years gift from close friends.
So, there you have it — 81 varieties tried or 81% of the qualification for the Wine Century Club. As I mentioned before, it get progressively harder as you go along. The next nineteen to twenty I expect to be slow-going.
Posted by DRHamp in Wine-Wine-Wine