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!