AMERICAN WINE SOCIETY
A non-profit corporation

John Marshall Chapter


In Europe then we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also as a great
giver of happiness and well being and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobbism nor a
sign of sophistication nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me as necessary.

– Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast


JANUARY MEETING

Through ice, sleet, snow, and rain, a few members braved the elements to taste Rhone style reds on January 6th. By seven p.m., the first three attendees, Mike, Barb, and myself, were debating whether or not to even open a bottle.  Then, the Shaws walked in,  prompting a cork to be pulled from a Guigal Cotes du Rhone.  This was a good start to warm the winter evening. Before our first glass was emptied, two newcomers arrived, Raul and Nadeen Barrios. That necessitated opening a South African Rhone style wine, Goats Do Roam. The seven of us discussed Rhones and the two open wines in particular; all agreeing that Rhones are tantalizingly tasty blends and value priced.
 
 

FEBRUARY MEETING

On Sunday, February 3rd, our brother Walt Rakelly (spelled Rachele) from north of the Potomac will venture south.  Assuming snow isn’t a hindrance, he will present his favorite topic, one that we love: PORTS. We are meeting in the Parish Hall of Grace Episcopal Church. As always, if the parking lot isn’t full of cars with wine related license plates, then we’re up the street at the Turner House across from the BP station. Our meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. with the social commencing at 6:30 p.m.

You should have received an invoice for national AWS dues of $40. In addition, don't forget our chapter's modest annual dues of $10.00 per household. You can mail your chapter dues to Barb Schlosser, 216 Holden Dr. Manassas Park, VA 20111.
 
 

FUTURE MEETINGS

Date
Host
Theme
March 10 George Wilson 2001 Virginia Golds
April 7 Carl Brandhorst Spectacular Maderias *
May 5 Glenda Leister Cabernet Franc
June 9 Bruce Schaefer Consumer Reports Best Buys 

* Mike reports that there are some seats remaining for the Madeira tasting, so if you want to experience Madeira, presented by the ubiquitous Carl Brandhorst, call Mike & Barb @ 703/369-6416 or e-mail mikeschlosser@erols.com to reserve a seat.



WARMING REDS

As the outdoor temperatures plummet, I instinctively gravitate toward warming reds like a Californian Zin, an Australian Barossa monster Shiraz, or an Amarone from Italy’s Valpolicella region. In the past half a decade, Amaroni has become more widely available due to increased production to meet demand. Along with the increase in production, the Italian DOC has redefined what parameters should be enforced in Amaroni. As a result, two styles have evolved: the traditional slightly oxidized raisin style and a New World style with fruit forward lacking oxidation.

The heart of Amaroni is the winemaking process. At harvest the grapes are laid-out on drying trays or tables until February, when they are pressed and vinified. The drying process is referred to as "raisining" to concentrate the grapes flavors and aromas. Since primary fermentation usually occurs in the cold winter months, fermentation is often not completed until summer, resulting in the raisiney, high extraction, and slightly oxidized unique Amaroni.
 

See ya on the 3rd!

Smile . . .

Fletcher