OCTOBER WINE CLUB NEWS

Hey, club members! I tell you, I am suffering from serious wine club withdrawal, now that it's been a week since our meeting. What a great meeting it was. Thanks to everyone who came, and if you couldn't make it, you were missed. But the good thing is we get to revisit via our blog! And since the best remedy for wine club withdrawal is, well, wine, I should be okay until we get together in December.

So we welcomed two new members, Jeannine and Rob, who not only braved the Belt Parkway to make the meeting, they even brought music with them, so we were chillin' while we sipped. They fit in so well with the club it was like they had been to every meeting. Welcome, guys, and we are so very glad to have you. In case anyone is counting, this means we are officially up to 24 members, including those who have standing invites but have never shown (and you know who you are!).

We had eight in attendance for the meeting, and we sampled seven wines. We paired our wines with three varieties of pizza: one with four cheeses, one with meat, and one vegetable. And we learned a few things. For one, it's much easier to pair pizza with red wine than with white, which is kind of a no-brainer, but still it was fun to compare. The pizza tends to overwhelm most whites, so it's a challenge to find one that stands up well. Secondly, when you do find a good wine and pizza pairing, it is very, very good. And three, the wine does not HAVE to be a chianti.

Here go the favorites.

FIRST PLACE: Ah, yes, first place. Well, our travelin' member Tracy, fresh from her latest trip to Italy, brought back what turned out to be the overwhelming favorite: a sweetish, sparkling Italian red called Sangue di Guida 2005, which translates to The Blood of Judah. Because it was a little sweet we saved it for next to last, so we'd gone through a number of wines by then, but still, everyone chose this one. We weren't even sure it went all that well with the pizza, but we didn't care! Now, the fact that Tracy was good enough to import the bottle from Italy means the search is on to find a supplier here in the States. Rob actually took a picture of the label with his phone, so Rob, if you can, please either email the pic to us or post it on the blog so we can all have the info. If anyone finds "The Blood," please pass the word along! The wine was fresh and light, with fruity notes and tasted very good chilled.

SECOND PLACE: St Hallett Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend, 2006. This is where things got complicated. The choice for first place was a given, and once we got that out of the way we had a hard time choosing the runner-ups. The rest of our choices underwhelmed us a little bit, and we weren't quite sure why. All were good, none were great. In any case, the St. Hallett was pleasing to most of us, and it went well with all three varieties of pizza. But it was a white, which went against it, and it wasn't sweet, which may have turned off the sweet lovers.

THIRD PLACE: Aquila D'Oro Chianti 2006. Rob actually picked up a hint of mint when he tasted this one, which we found intriguing. But otherwise, this was a true chianti, bold and robust, and of course it was a natural with the pizza, particularly the meat and the veggie. If you closed your eyes, you were in a restaurant in Southern Italy.

THE REST:

Beringer Pino Grigio 2004 -- This had a very distinctive oakiness on the nose, and the taste was memorable as well, not at all fruity as expected. The pinot did not go well with the pizza at all but was much better when enjoyed on its own, which is why it did not make the top three.

Alberto Longo Le Fossette italian white 2006 -- Otherwise known as "the one Tracy hated." The guy in the wine shop swore this was the perfect pizza pairing wine, and while Donna did say it went very well with the meat pizza because of the garlic and spices, others were not impressed. And the expression on Tracy's face spoke volumes. Interestingly enough, this was one of the bottles I was left with after the meeting, so fine, I drank it myself.

Yamhill Valley Pinot Noir 2006 -- This wine was complicated. When paired with the pizza, we got what Donna described as "an explosion of spiciness" on the tongue. It really brought out the fennel and other flavors in the meat. Alone, on the other hand, the wine came off sweeter and less spicy.

There was one other wine we tried, a sweet riesling that was so syrupy and forgettable that I realized afterward that I hadn't even written down the name. No matter. You don't want it. Someone did take the bottle home, though, probably because Jeannine and Rob had already made off with The Blood!

So let's talk about December 8. This is our first annual holiday party. Everyone should please bring three things: a dish, a bottle of one of the past year's favorite choices, and lots of good cheer. I will email everyone a list of the favorites, and they are also included here on the blog, in the minutes from each meeting. Choose whichever you'd like, and when you do, email me and let me know which wine you're bringing. We'll try not to have doubles but honestly, is it really the end of the world if we do?

Meanwhile, Thanksgiving is coming, and I hope that everyone is planning to have a really good holiday. Also, I hope you're all thinking about what wine goes best with turkey and cornbread stuffing! Here's a tip: you may want to revisit two of our favorite sparkling whites: Prosecco Veneto and Rashi Moscato d'Asti, the former for those who like drier whites and the latter for the sweet wine lovers. Any prosecco and any moscato will do; both lend a celebratory air to any gathering.

Enjoy your holiday and I look forward to seeing everyone in December.

SEPTEMBER CLUB NEWS

September's meeting was fun, fun, fun! We went through 6 wines this month and chose three solid favorites, we did some pairing, and we came up with a calendar of events going forward, which I've already emailed everyone about. Needless to say by the time the meeting was over, we were just spent :). We welcomed another new member, Ishmael's sister Eslin, who decided yeah, she likes the idea of a wine club! Welcome, Eslin!

On to the details.

THE WINNER -- Panilonco Merlot/Malbec blend, 2005. This was great because we got to taste the way the Malbec actually mellowed the usually heavy taste of the Merlot. The wine was very fruity and low in tannins, and so very smooth. And although fruity, this wasn't too sweet. Everyone agreed that it was the favorite.

2ND PLACE -- Markovic French Pinot Noir, 2006. This was also very fruity and was dry but not overly so. We found it a bit light for a red. Robin felt it would go well with a cigar, and Loretta pronounced it "peppy, with a snap to it!" This was also easy on the tannins.

3RD PLACE -- Laurel Lake Meritage, 1999 -- Oh, the debate over this one! This complex red, a blend of five different grapes, had the members either loving it, not really feeling it, or hating it at first and loving it in the end (Robin!). Arthur pronounced it oak-free, and Ishmael immediately picked up oak. Robin called it "leathery." We went on for a good while with this one, and in the end had to include it in the top three.

THE RUNNERS-UP:

Baron Herzog White Zinfandel, 2006 -- Yes, we finally got a zin at a club meeting! This was light, smooth, and crisp. Laura labeled it sweet, and Loretta called it dry, so that goes to show how subjective our tastes are. Ishmael also called it sweet, but the sweetness goes away pleasantly.

Pugliese Riesling, 2006 -- Of course we couldn't have a meeting without a riesling! This one was not as sweet as rieslings we've had in the past; in fact, we found it pretty buttery on the nose, like a chardonnay. It was more acidic than we're used to, less fruity and more "edgy."

HONORABLE MENTION:

Chateau d'Arche French Sauternes, 2001 -- We had some fun with this white dessert wine, which we paired with cheesecake (thanks again, Ishmael!), vanilla rugelach, and madeleine cookies. Oh, how sweet it was! All paired very well, and the desserts were to die for. If you can, get hold of a sauternes and try your own pairing. It gives the wine a whole new dimension. Remember this rule: when pairing dessert wines, the wine should be slightly sweeter than the food.

We've got a number of events coming up:

Oct. 13 we'll take a day trip to the Long Island vineyards;

October 27 is our next meeting, and we'll pair wine with pizza;

December 8 is our holiday party, and we'll revisit our favorite wines of the past year.

Busy, busy, busy! I'm gathering prices for the limo for the day trip and will email everyone on that shortly.

So shop for your Oct. 27 pizza wine, everyone! Hope to see you then if not before.

AUGUST WINE CLUB NEWS

Our smallest gathering yet, so the news will be pretty short this month. Actually, I'm a little bummed tonight, because along with the dwindling number of members in attendance at the meetings, I'm already getting responses from people who aren't able to attend next month's meeting. Of course, there's no such thing as mandatory attendance at a wine club meeting (that would be wacky, now, wouldn't it?) and I did vow that we would meet regularly no matter how many people show up, but I wonder if people are losing interest.

I genuinely hope not, because even with the low turnout, we still have a great time each month when we get together; we continue to learn a lot about wine; and we do have plans for the future meetings. For example, we will soon begin pairing wines with food to find our favorite combinations, and I plan on organizing a day trip to the North Fork region to visit a few wineries for those of us who are interested. In any case, if anyone has ideas for ways to bolster attendance at the meetings, please pass them along. Maybe we're meeting too often, or perhaps we should suspend the meetings during the summer months? Or maybe we're tasting too many wines each time, or we'd like more focused wine choices. Speak freely, we're all friends here; and the suggestions would be helpful. Anyway, sorry to go on like this, but after all, isn't that supposed to be what blogs are for?

Okay, on a happier note, to the news! Over the months, the group has become split into two factions: the sweet wine lovers and the dry wine lovers. This month, the sweet lovers represented! We sampled six wines, and here are the results:

THE WINNER
Leonard Kreusch Rheinhessen Auslese 2005 -- Ah, yes, our old favorite, the riesling! In Germany, the auslese is the sweetest variety of the riesling grape, and this one lived up to the name. The nose was apple, apricot, fruity as usual, and the club flipped for it. Gotta say, personally, I found it VERY syrupy; too sweet for me!

2ND PLACE
Moscato d'Asti 2005 -- The sweetness continued with this happy sparkling wine, a kosher moscato. This varietal has become one of our favorites, with its crisp fizziness offset by its pleasingly sweet taste, not too overpowering. We can't wait to start paring these babies with some decadent desserts.

3RD PLACE
Trader Joe's Charles Shaw Blend Sauvignon Blanc 2005 -- Let's hear it for Two-Buck Chuck!! Thanks to Ishmael, we were able to sample two of Chuck's varietals, the sauvignon and the merlot, which took honorable mention. Sure, you could tell that they weren't your more expensive wines, but they were absolutely passable. This was our first sauvignon, so we read up on the grape's usual smell and taste characteristics, and found that the Chuck seemed to behave more like a chardonnay than what a sauvignon is "supposed" to be. Clearly, Chuck is going after the larger chardonnay audience! Well, it seems to be working, so more power to him.

HONORABLE MENTION
Trader Joe's Charles Shaw Blend Merlot 2005 -- It's a merlot. It's Two-Buck Chuck. Hey, what more can I say?

Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Viognier 1998 -- While this wine didn't end up in our top three (it was mentioned, but outvoted), it generated the most discussion out of all the others, and was one of the most intriguing wines we've ever tried. I'm actually swirling, sniffing, and tasting this one as I type this, because I want to accurately describe how complicated this wine is! It was a complex, semi-dry white that started off very buttery on the nose and the palate, with floral hints. I immediately thought honeysuckle. Robin, who tried it the next day, said the aroma was brandy. The viognier is full bodied, with a long, long finish. And it was smooth, smooth, smooth; very low in acidity. Arthur said that with each sip he got a different taste. Guys, go out and try this one.

Yalumba South Australia 2005 Shiraz Viognier -- Yeah, I did plan this. We tried the Joseph Phelps, then the Yalumba, then broke out the Layer Cake shiraz to compare the three. Interesting! The viognier did have an effect on the shiraz that we could taste. It was not unpleasant, simply different. It did temper the jamminess of the shiraz, making it less friuty, more full-bodied. But I think I prefer my shiraz straight.

Okay, guys, as usual I'm typing this at some ungodly hour, so I'll wrap this up. Enjoy the rest of the summer, and hopefully we'll see each other in the fall. As always, happy sipping!

Can't believe it's almost August!

July is almost gone, so I figured I'd catch up with everyone via blog. It's been a great month wine-wise, and I learned something: Durham, NC, may be a fairly quiet town (hell, it's really quite dead), but it's a great place to buy wine!

Apparently, North Carolina is one of the most rapidly growing wine regions. There are hundreds of wineries there, up from just 20 or 30 twenty years ago. It takes about 10 years for a winery to begin producing good, saleable wines, so these wineries are quite young yet, but the business is booming. Now you know!

Anyway, we found a great wine store in Durham, Total Wines in the Brier Creek mall (it's next to Barnes & Noble, so there's your excuse for going to the mall, should you need one). The place was awesome, like they just emptied an entire supermarket and stocked the shelves with nothing but wine. Wines were arranged by region of course, and there was an aisle with things like dips, crackers, and spreads, and also an aisle with all different kinds of beer. Loved it!

We also visited the Chatham Hill winery, located in nearby Morrisville. We had a tasting, and were allowed to try 6 varietals for just $5, plus you got to keep the glass. Then we took a tour of the place, which was really just 2 rooms, one for the barreling and storage and one for the bottling and labeling. Chatham Hill doesn't have a vineyard, so they import their grapes from California and northern North Carolina. We learned a lot; everyone should visit a vinery as soon as they can. It made me more determined that we really need to organize a North Fork, Long Island trip for the group. I brought back a shiraz for the group to try on 8/4.

Not only that, but we managed to get my aunt, who is not much of a drinker, completely hooked on riesling. She was out of control! So it's true, there really can be a wine for everyone (you hear that, Leighann?).

We'll catch up more in August. Meanwhile, feel free to share your wine stories here on the blog; I could use some light reading. See you soon!

That Darn Layer Cake!

So I blame Donna for this! She first introduced us to the Layer Cake shiraz back at our very first meeting, going on and on about how good it was and how hard it was to find. She piqued our interests so much that we were thrilled when she was able to get a bottle for our April meeting. We tried it, and I was completely hooked! I immediately went looking for some online to order, figuring I'd just get frustrated trying to find it in stock at a store. I managed to order myself 4 bottles, decided that wasn't enough (what if I wanted to bring some to anyone as a gift? Then I'd only have three!!) and I just tried to order more. Well, spiritus.com, where I found it initially, would only let me order 2 bottles. Crush Wines is SOLD OUT! No one else online seems to have it, not winechateau.com, or wine.com, or Amazing Grape.com. It's happened -- now that I'm hooked, my supply has dried up!

So if anyone is able to locate this elusive shiraz, please, give a holler! Perhaps as a group we'll have more luck!

--Navorn

This wine club thing is getting really great. I'm actually beginning to get the "reds." But I'm not giving up my Rieslings just yet. Thanks Tracy you really make it real for all of us.

Lorettaj

JUNE CLUB NEWS -- WELCOME TO DIVINE COMPANY!

Well, another meeting has come to a close, and this time I wanted to update everyone while it was fresh in my mind, since we got a lot accomplished this month. We had an extremely successful meeting and of course added some new favorites to our list...our tastes are really becoming more refined and educated. We're using more terms to describe the bouquets of the wines we tried: one wine was "oaky," another "smoky." And we paid a bit more attention to the finish of some of the wines. Our selection this month included wines that left us with a distinct impression even after we swallowed (and for the most part the finishes were quite pleasant).

We added a new member: Ishmael Joseph, my uncle, who heard me going on and on about our little club last week while on a trip to Boston to visit my cousin and said, "You have a wine club? I gotta check that out!" Well, check us out he did, and he brought us a nice surprise: a Spanish red that we actually tried back at our very first meeting, but that we were happy to revisit. More on that later.

We also finally chose a name, as displayed above. Going forward, we are the DiVine Company Wine Club of Queens, NY. So when you go into your local shops to choose each month's wine, be sure to refer to us by name to the shopkeeper! Thanks to Arthur for the great name and logo.

On to the wines! Once again, the reds won out over the whites, and once again, we ruled out a particular grape as definitely NOT a fave.

THE WINNER: Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon California 2003. This was a very close race. We actually chose 5 favorites this month and had to go through a run-off and 2 retastings to choose one winner. But this wine won for its bold, smoky, fruity bouquet and the oh, so smooth finish. Very flavorful and not too dry.

2ND RUNNER UP: Juan Gill Spanish red. This was a surprise, because Ishmael brought it not realizing that we'd tried this red at our first meeting (see Feb-March Wine News). But since our tastes had come a long way since that first gathering just 4 months ago, we were happy to give it another go. We were very pleased with this one. It was light for a red, but very smooth and fruity. A perfect dinner red, for the not-so heavy meats like lamb, or for pasta.

3RD PLACE: Broquel Malbec 2004. My personal favorite. I was so glad to find another Malbec I loved; this one did not disappoint. It was a beautiful dark, almost black color, and bursting with fruity aromas. Smooth, rich, very flavorful. One need never drink another merlot as long as there's a good Malbec around, I say!

HONORABLE MENTION: Pindar 2005 Riesling Ice Wine. This was our first ice wine, though not our first dessert wine and we saved it for last, of course. Tracy said it best: she doesn't like ice wine, but she liked this one. Though it was sweet as to be expected, it was not heavy or syrupy at all. There was a honey-like finish that was palate-pleasing. We paired it well with our fruit platter, and found that the cheeses actually cut down on the sweetness of the wine a bit in a nice way.

WE ALSO LIKED:
--Ruffalo Reserva Ducale Chianti Classico. This was one of our 5 favorites and just missed making it into our top 3. Tasting the similarities and differences between the chianti, the cab, the Gill, and the malbec was very educational and I recommend that everyone do so. Just line them up and try each one.

WE DID NOT LIKE:
--Adagio Pinot Grigio 2004. Nothing special at all about this one; it just got lost on the tongue. And this was early in the meeting, when our palates were still quite fresh.
--Domaine Ott 2005 Chateau Romassan Bandol Rose. Once again, do not be taken in by a pretty bottle or a long, impressive-sounding name. We struck out again with a rose, even though it was slightly more expensive than the wines we usually drink. The wine had nothing to say. We spilled out the leftover wine and gave the bottle to Dorean to take home and use to decorate her bedroom. I think she's going to fill it with colored sand, or something.

So we did very well this month. I found a new malbec, Robin actually found three wines he liked other than rieslings, Loretta fell in love with ice wine; Tracy took home the pinot grigio to cook with; and Ishmael may no longer be able to say, "Hey, I'm just a zinfandel guy." Not too shabby.

So it's summer, and I wish everyone well with their vacation plans. Let's keep blogging until we meet again on August 4 (no meeting in July). Drink lots of wine over the next month; I want reports! Oh, and check out the following websites:

inwinecountry.com
winefoodandfriends.com
amazinggrapeswinestore.com

--Navorn

In abstentia.................

Just a note of encouragement ------- your club rocks.

Wine News, cont'd

By the way, a special shout-out to Peninsula Wines on Franklin Place in Woodmere. I discovered this little shop because it's right across the street from my gym, and their store is a gem. Told them all about our club and invited them to view the blog. These people know their wines, and their shop has a surprisingly huge inventory when you walk in. If you get a chance, give them a visit, and tell them you're a member of our club!

--Navorn

May Wine Club News

So sorry for the delay in posting last month's news; things have been hectic! But here at last is the wrapup of last month's meeting.

We met on Memorial Day weekend, so because of the holiday attendance was a bit sparse, but even though we were small in number, we sampled some very good wines. We were finally joined by two of our New Jersey members, Deirdre and Gary Smerillo, who made the drive all the way from Point Pleasant ("down at the shore") to a meeting. They were loads of fun, and were the main reason why, for the first time, we had nearly no wine left after the meeting was over! We had to have coffee, for goodness sakes! So needless to say, we had some fun that day! Welcome Smerillos, please come again!

So on to the wines. Our three favorites were:

THE WINNER: Parallele 45 French Cote du Rhone 2005 -- note this is the second time we've chosen a cote du Rhone as a favorite. Like last time, this was a very full-bodied red, loaded with flavor. It was really a bit heavy for the 90-degree weather we were having, but no matter, we had the AC running that day!

2ND RUNNER UP: Rancho Zabaco Sonoma County Zinfandel 2003: Unfortunately, I don't remember anything about this wine, good or bad! That's the problem when you wait two weeks to post, I guess. Guys, if anyone remembers our impressions of this wine, could you post and enlighten us?

3RD PLACE: Camelot Californis Pinot Noir 2004: This was my personal favorite (especially considering I'd brought it!). This was a fruity red with real berry flavor. Not nearly as heavy as the Cote; a nice drinking wine.

THE RUNNERS UP:

--Coppola California Chardonnay Gold Label 2005: We'd been looking forward to trying this wine from Francis Ford's very successful vinyard and found it quite pleasant. We haven't yet found a Chardonnay we love yet, so we're still looking. Keep that in mind as you shop!

--Graff German Spatlese Riesling 2004: The riesling lovers were pleased by this one, though they didn't love it more than the Schmidtt Sohn blue bottle we tried at the first meeting. Of course, those of us who prefer their wine on the drier side found this a bit sweet, but again, not unpleasant.

In other news:

--We still haven't chosen a name! This is getting a bit crazy, so I'm asking everyone to review the names listed in previous blogs, and either post or send an email with your choice. We'll just choose online. Hopefully by next meeting, we'll know what the heck to call ourselves!

--As the summer heats up, we may want to begin trying lighter wines. The merlots and Cotes may be a bit heavy for the higher temperatures, so feel free to shop for more Sauvignons, chardonnays, rieslings, roses, etc. But as usual, follow your curiosities.

--Notice how our tastes so far seem to lean toward the imports rather than the domestics? We tent to favor wines from Germany, France, Italy, and Spain so far, eschewing California and New York wines. We may be more sophisticated that we think!

--Remember to bring materials to write down your faves in the meetings; it'll help you as you shop.

So our next meeting is set for Saturday June 23, 3pm as usual. I'll send the evite out as usual. Hope you can make it!

April WIne Club News

SENT 4/22/07

Greetings, sippers!

We celebrated having survived the April 2007 nor'easter and the first true day of spring by holding our second wine club meeting. Though it was more sparsely attended than our first meeting, it went extremely well, and we did some serious damage to a very interesting group of wines.

We welcomed two new members: Lorraine Hudson and Michelle Polite. Welcome again, ladies; looking forward to seeing you at future meetings.

We also added an "honorary member": Dorean Rose Pugh, who, though she is not yet of drinking age, was able to participate by rating her own "special" (read: nonalcoholic) wines; and who turned out to be a pretty darn good sommalier! Welcome, Dorean!

And our world traveler, Tracy, brought us some yummy cheeses from Holland -- a hearty swiss, an herb-infused edam, and a shockingly bright-green pesto, all of which served as fine complements to the wines. Thanks again, Tracy!

In other news:

--We decided to table (ha, ha) the discussion of a club name until more of our members are present, so we will revisit at the next meeting.

--We agreed to meet every month instead of every other. No matter how many members are present, we'll still meet, so don't worry if you can't make every meeting. The club will still be around for those who are available and who feel like hanging out, trying some wine, and enjoying some great company and lively discussion.

--Donna has volunteered to host a future meeting, so we will let you know which month we'll convene at her house. If anyone else wishes to host, just let us know.

Okay, on to the important news! Though we had fewer members present, we still managed to sample 11 wines! (Yep, we had some fun!) Here they are, in order of favorites:

The Winner: Calem Late-Bottled Vintage port, 1997. It was sweet, meant for after-dinner sipping, so we saved it for last and were so glad we did. It was hearty, robust and strong, but not at all "winey," and had a deep, bloodred color and full-bodied, leathery aroma. Everyone loved it.

2nd Place: Bartenura Italian Moscato, 2006. A fizzy white, also slightly sweet but not at all cloying, and the taste didn't disappear like some of the lighter whites.

3rd Place: Layer Cake Australian Shiraz, 2005. A big hit with the group. A strong red, chockfull of flavor. We had a really hard time choosing between this one and the other two for first place. We recommend that everyone try it, though it's apparently pretty difficult to find.

Runner-Ups:

Pindar Sweet Scarlett Long Island table red
Estancia California Merlot 2003
Fiano Di Avellino Italian white 2005
Criatalino Spanish Cava (a sparkling white, very dry and "champagney")

We weren't crazy about:

Isonzo del Friuli Pinot Grigio 2004
Kendall-Jackson California Syrah 2004
Toasted Head California Merlot 2002 (though we loved the name!)

We did not like:

Georges Duboeuf French Red Beujolais 2006 (It had a pretty label. Do not be fooled!)

Date for next meeting: Saturday May 26, Memorial Day Weekend (YAY!!!!), 3pm. Evite will go out in the next week.

See you then!

--Navorn






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See what's free at AOL.com.

Name the Club, Cont'd

SENT 4/1/07

Greetings, fellow sippers--

Just checking in to give an update on the club name. The race is heating up, with more submissions coming in. To recap, here are the suggestions we received originally:

Creative Toastmasters Wine Club
Northeast Wine Ventures
Cirque du Vin Wine Club

And here are the latest submissions:

The Amazing Grape Wine Club
Supporting Casks Wine Club -or- Featured Casks Wine Club
DeVine Company

The last name was submitted by Arthur, and he took the added step of designing a logo, which I've attached. So if we choose that name, we're ahead of the game when we decide to create our own vintage and label!

So we'll discuss at the 4/21 meeting, and perhaps come up with a name we all like.

The evite for the next meeting has gone out, so just a reminder to respond if you haven't already done so.

See you soon!

--Navorn

Feb - March Wine Club News

SENT 3/20/07

Greetings, fellow sippers!

Now that it's spring (yeah, right!), it's time to prepare for our next meeting. But before we do, let's recap...

Seems like it was ages ago, but at our first meeting we sampled roughly 11 wines. I've tried to put together a list as best I could; please forgive the misspellings.

Malbec Nuevo, an Argentinian red -- a favorite
Cote du Rhone -- a favorite
Schmitt Sohne Riesling, a spatlese -- a favorite
Prosecco Veneto, an Italian white -- a favorite
Montluis sur Loire, a French white -- a favorite
I'M Rose, a Napa Valley rose -- hated it!
Juan Gill, a Spanish red

We also tried a pinot noir that none of us were fond of; don't have the name on me but I remember the label; and a merlot that we also weren't crazy about. So our tastes so far seem to lean toward the whites. It would be great if we could select a favorite each time so we can keep track of our absolute winners.

Now on to new news:

--Going forward, you can just bring one bottle of wine each time instead of two. We had lots of leftover wine from the last meeting (don't worry, it's still here!). Of course, if you'd like to bring more than one, please feel free.
--If you haven't already done so, get yourself a notebook or blank journal and bring it to each meeting so you can write down the wines you taste and your impressions of each.
--My dad, who is a member in absentia, suggested that we come up with a name for the club. He has even suggested a few! We can discuss at next meeting, but in case we are interested, here are his suggestions:

--Creative Toastmasters
--Northeast Wine Ventures
--Cirque du Vin Wine Club (get it? Cirque du Vin??)

Please feel free to suggest your own, if you're so inclined!
--The date for the next meeting is Saturday 4/21. Invitation to follow.

That's all for now. Time to start shopping for the next meeting, so say hello to your wine vendors as you browse their selections. See you in April!

--Navorn