AMERICAN WINE SOCIETY
A non-profit corporation

John Marshall Chapter


 

Wine is the glass of the mind.

– Erasmus

JUNE MEETING

Bruce and Rene presented, "Finger Lickin' Good Wines" from New York's Finger Lakes region. They brought their 24-inch TV so we could view slides of the towns they visited.  They pointed to the maps of NY, showing where the beautiful scenery we were watching was located. Among the various stories they wove, the most striking was the one about the lady who built a teahouse over a small stream and put a glass floor in it. Then, there was the town with a public art show of Deer, Sarvas in Hungarian, decorated quite fashionable by organizations to help those in need -- one was decorated in hearts to represent the Children's Heart Foundation.

Bruce and Renee shared their on-the-spot ratings of each wine in comparison with the meeting's scores. It became evident that, if you want Bruce to rate your wines, schedule him to visit your winery late in the day since his ratings got progressively higher.  It was most definetly an enlightening B.S. (Bruce Shaffer) presentation. Thanks, Bruce and Renee. We can't wait for your next presentation, possibly titled, "The delicate balance and nuances of Miadas."
 

JULY MEETING

Once again, Marilyn and Kerney Shaw hosted an elegant soiree at their palatial estate on Bull Run Mountain where we had a double header: Bob Hutton presented Sekts from Germany, and Rick Stafford presented some new South African wines. All wines were excellent, showing the importers' evolving palates. They will hit the Northern Virginia market at small local stores in late October/early November. Ya' got some winners there, Rick and Robert. Thanks for the preview!
 
 
Robert Hutton's Sekts
   Kowerich "Ludwig van Beethoven" Mosel 1998
   Kassner Simon Pfalz 1998
   Kloster Eberbach "Rauenthaler Baiken" Rheingau 1999
   Ratzenberger Bacheracher Kloster Furstental Mittelrhein 1998
Rick Stafford's Picks
   Mountain Gate  Sauvignon Blanc,  Linen Blanc, Chenin Blanc 2001
   Positively Zinful Port-Style Zinfandel 2001
   Close to Roan  Shiraz, Carignane, Grenache  2001
   NOT BORED-OH Cab Sauvignon, Merlot 2001
   Du Preeze Polla's Red Shiraz, Pinotage, Petit Verdot, Ruby Cabernet 2000

 

SEPTEMBER MEETING

On Sunday, September 8th, our fearless leader, Mike Schlosser, will present the annual AWS national comparative tasting: Pinot Gris Around the World. We're 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 our social commencing at 6:30 p.m.
 

FUTURE MEETINGS


GENTLE AND FRIENDLY WINES

This past spring, the "Rise of American Wine" symposium was hosted by the McIntyre School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. The purpose of the symposium was to provide the Virginia wine industry with a forum to work together in setting standards and supporting each other. The unique quality of Virginia wines was acknowledged by one of the speakers: none other than Mr. Robert Mondavi. He stated that Virginia wines are "gentle and friendly," and added that, "Virginia wines have style and character of their own, and their success (commercial) depends on promoting that style and distinctiveness as California has done."

The 2002 Virginia wine grape harvest is beginning as I write. Go visit a winery and watch the wine making process and taste previous vintages. If Robert Mondavi likes them ya oughta at least give 'em a try.
 
 

See ya on the 8th!

Smile . . .

Fletcher