John Marshall Chapter of the American Wine Society

AMERICAN WINE SOCIETY
A non-profit corporation

John Marshall Chapter

JUNE MEETING: Plonks of the Pampas, presented by George Wilson & Friends

George Wilson sure knows how to do a wine presentation. When he does the Virginia Gold winners, he brings in the winning winemakers. When he did Wines of the Celebrities, he dragged in Fess Parker, Frances Ford Coppola, Greg Norman and Pamela Anderson to present their stuff. (That was a good 'un; too bad if you missed it.) And, by golly, when he did the wines of Argentina, he brought in some Argentines. Federico and Veronica Vilar jetted in from their pad on the Pampas to show us eight bravissimo whites and reds. And, when they had finished their tasting and travelog, at least two of us (Renee y yo) decided that maybe we’ll go to Argentina this year instead of Tuscany. It all looked that good. The wines of the noche are shown in the tables below.

Receiving the standing O was the malbec, a very big red that went perfectly with George’s other little surprise: grilled beef prepared à là mode Argentine. Unfortunately, the food also caught the (compound) eyes of some other critters. Our table was beset by one particularly pesky fly that kept landing on the cheeses and grapes and buzzing the beef. And, of course, you can’t smack them when they do that without smooshing the foodstuffs beneath.

Some of us took to praying that the Deity Himself might smite the little bastard, it having Defiled His House and all. And, to no one’s surprise, the Deity chose not to smote that nite, the fly no doubt fulfilling some part of His Divine Plan that He has not yet divulged to The Rest Of Us. Such are the thoughts that arise when you wine-taste in a cathedral. And, so it came to pass, that each one present on that night had an epiphany of sorts and went home glad. Praises be to Brother George and the Vilars.

Whites

Reds

Region	Producer	Varietal	Year	Cost
Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza	Carmine Granata	Semillon	1999	$ 8
Famatina Valley	Finca Larguia	Torrontes	2002	$ 8
Rivadavia, Mendoza	Bodega Llaver	Sauvignon Blanc	200	$17
San Juan	Bodega Petruele	Chardonnay	2001	$ 8

Region	Producer	Varietal	Year	Cost
Famatina Valley	Finca Larguia	Tempranillo	NV	$10
Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza	Carmine Granata	Malbec	1999	$14
Famatina Valley	Finca Larguia	Syrah	2002	$16
Rivadavia, Mendoza	Bodega Llaver	Cabernet Sauvignon	1999	$18

JULY MEETING: It's all Greek for Me, presented by Glenda Leister ~ Grace Cathedral, The Plains, Virginia; 6:30 p.m. – Social; 7:00 p.m. – Meeting

“The unexamined life is not worth living,” said the Greek philosopher Socrates as he brought the cup to his lips. A few moments later, he dropped dead. Alas, he forgot to examine his cup, which contained not wine but hemlock. Hemlock, as we know today, does not pair well with either red meat or white. Nor does it pair well with music, except dirges.

We at AWS feel that the unexamined wine is not worth sippin’ either, and on Sunday evening, Glenda Leister is going to lead us on a thorough examination of wines from modern Greece. If the mention of Greek wines brings to mind a sugary brew made of resin called retsina and causes your palate to pucker, you’re in for a happy surprise. Greece, like eastern Europe, is coming of age and benefiting hugely from the new techniques that are revolutionizing wine-making today. We will be tasting both reds and whites of Olympian quality Sunday, and if you are moved to acquire some for your own private pleasure, you won’t need to drop a lot of drachmas.

Greece is most widely known for its white wines, which, like pinot grigio, are a popular choice for summer sippers. So for most of us the big surprise will be the reds Glenda brings. Join us Sunday for a new look at the nectar of the gods, as we discover the wine that launched a thousand sips. (Okay, Okay. Pass the hemlock, Soc…)

HEADS UP: The following meeting is September 14. There is NO meeting in August!

COMING EVENTS: Live Music and Other Stuff

Live Music Events:

July 16, Wednesday – Music in the Night, Veramar Vineyards, Berryville, Virginia, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m., $5 lawn seats, 540-955-5510, “Bring a blanket and picnic, and come listen to the music.”

July 19, Saturday – Summer Sunsets, Old House Vineyards, Culpeper, Virginia, 6 - 9 p.m.; $4; 540-423-1032, “Enjoy the sun setting… while listening to live music.”

Other Neat Stuff:

Every Friday night – Polo, Wine, Twilight Dining, Great Meadows, The Plains, Virginia; 6:30 - 11 p.m., $20 / carload, 540-253-5156,“Tailgating, schmoozing, great play action by Cowboy Bob.”

August 1-3, 8-10, 15-17, 22-24 – Shakespeare in the Ruins, Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville, Virginia, wine and picnic available, call for programs and reservations, 540-832-5355

September 7, Sunday – Blue Ridge Wine Festival , Great Meadow, The Plains, Virginia, 540-253-5000, “Taste wines from the Blue Ridge Alliance of [7] wineries.”

And that’s the long and skinny for Summer 2003, folkses. Enjoy your warm weather. Take a drive in the country, stop at a winery, buy a bottle, and picnic on the grounds. Life doesn’t get any better!

See you Sunday,
~ Bruce ~

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