We had an absolutely AWESOME meeting on November 8. Between the wines, the friends, and the celebrations, it was a meeting not to miss. Luckily for those of you who did miss it, we have the blog, so I will give you the details here.
First off, we have a new member! Psyche brought along her friend Lucius, who said that after hearing Psyche go on and on about our great club, he had to check it out. That was really wonderful to hear, and I do believe we managed to show Lucius a good time while helping him to begin developing his wine knowledge. Let's just say we have a new recruit in our Port Lovers Division! So welcome, Lucius, and we hope to see you at future meetings!
Our theme this month was Your New Favorites, and we asked everyone to bring along the wines you've been drinking outside of our meetings and share them with the club. Many of us did just that, while others brought new wines to try in hopes of finding a new favorite. So we had a large and varied selection of wines to taste. The craziest thing was that our tasting notes seemed to revert to the early days, so that instead of getting detailed responses on smells and tastes, we got "liked it," "did not like it," "hated it," and "blecch!" Anyway, on to the wines.
THE WINNER
Bogle Petite Syrah 2006 http://www.boglewinery.com/factsht.htm -- Mom recently became a petite syrah convert and we knew it was just the kind of wine the club would embrace, because we do love our reds. Petite syrah is not the same as syrah or shiraz; they are actually different grapes. However, much of the characteristics are the same: big, fruity dark berries and a hint of licorice or chocolate. The Bogle has a rich berry flavor and is slightly sweet.
SECOND PLACE
Hogue Chenin Blanc 2005 http://www.hoguecellars.com/hogue.php -- Another new grape for the club, the chenin blanc was fruity and perfumy on the nose, and the taste was semi-dry and light. I found it very much like riesling; perhaps slightly drier than a German kabinett.
THIRD PLACE
Choya Japanese Plum wine http://www.choya.com/product/products.html -- Because it is sweet, we tased this wine late in the meeting, so keep in mind that we'd gone through seven other wines by the time we got to this one. At that point we were a little overwhelmed, but the Choya brought the group back to life. This dessert wine comes in a really neat package -- a tall, column-shaped bottle with a plastic flip cap and a bunch of Japanese plums floating at the bottom. Robin doled out plums to members while we sipped this sweet, plummy wine that was very good and only slightly syrupy. Some suggestions: this wine can be mixed with a semi-dry sparkling wine for a lighter, spritzy cocktail, and Psyche says it also pairs well with spicy foods.
THE REST -- A MIXED BAG
Foris Pinot Gris 2006 http://www.northwest-wine.com/foris-vineyards-pinot-gris.html -- This was one of the wines we tasted at the Halloween tasting at The Village Wine Cellar (see "A New Wine Shop" posting below). Pinot Gris is a slightly heavier white than Pinot Grigio, but it was too light for the club, both on the nose and palate. Reactions ranged from neutral to did not like. Arthur paired it with the cheese, and did not see any improvement. We passed on this one.
Far Niente Chardonnay 2006 http://www.farniente.com/WinesVineyards/chardonnay.html -- I brought this favorite, really looking forward to getting our club members hooked on it, but they hated it, particularly Psyche and Angie. Donna did pick up the oaky, buttery flavor with a nice acidity up front, but by and large, the club was not impressed. This wine is a little pricey at around $50, so the rule holds true -- price does not guarantee you'll love the wine.
Rosenblum Cellars Petite Syrah 2006 https://www.rosenblumcellars.com/gateway.jsp;jsessionid=21CAFE68F8C39F1158425DFB1FEFCAA0-- I brought along this wine to compare t0 the Bogle. Angie drained her glass, then pronounced it not bad. This wine has hints of rubber on the nose, along with dark berries and plums. The wine got a thumbs up all around, but it lacks something next to the Bogle.
Lan Rioja 2005 http://www.nomerlot.com/reviews/red-wine/2005/10/17/lan_rioja_crianza_1999 -- Back to Spain! This wine smells exactly like a leather jacket and reminded me of the petite syrah, but with firmer tannins, which I liked. Mom found it oaky (interesting!) and Arthur said "Eh!" but others liked it very much.
Rosemount Shiraz (SE Australia) http://www.rosemountestate.com/index.asp -- The club hadn't had shiraz in a while and we forgot how much we liked it. This one was slightly sweet and syrupy with a soft finish, but it also had a bit of a kick to it. Robin compared it to his favorite Sandeman port, but not as sweet. He liked it. A LOT!!
Sayuri Creamy Sake http://www.novusvinum.com/sake/sayuri.html -- Psyche said she was told she had to try this sake, which was actually infused with cream to give it a milky appearance. I had never had sake before so I was looking forward to it, but it looks like I am not a sake person. The sake smelled like cantaloupe, which was pleasant, but the taste was odd to me, and hard to describe. The more knowledgeable members tell me this was exactly what sake tastes like, and it was suggested that we heat it. Personally I don't think it would help, but if anyone does give it a whirl, please let us know what you think. The upside: Dorean had another pretty bottle to take home, which I know she really appreciates. Perhaps we'll revisit sake at a future meeting!
So we had lots of wine, and good thing, because we had lots to celebrate. We made numerous toasts -- to our newest member, to Dorean's and my birthdays, to Mom's retirement, and to our new President-Elect! We even toasted our club, which is almost two years old and still growing, and we pledged to keep it going as long as humanly possible. The food, the mood, and the friends made this a meeting to remember.
Holiday party is next month; the date is December 13. Stay tuned for the list of the year's favorites to choose from, or search the blog for the faves in each posting. I'll also email the favorites to everyone. Please bring one of the year's favorites and a dish. Can't wait!
Obama, everyone!!
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