AMERICAN WINE SOCIETY
A non-profit corporation

John Marshall Chapter


SEPTEMBER MEETING:  Call Me a Cab, Franc,  presented by Michael Schlosser

Actually the topic was not Cab Francs at all, but Cabernet Sauvignons, brilliantly explored by Mssr. Schlosser, who produced six stellar examples of that ilk. Poured in pairs so we could taste them side by side, the evening fare consisted of the Cabs listed in the table below along our votes (considered in pairs).
Varietal
 Year
 Cost
 Votes
J.Lohr
2000
 10.99 11
Estancia
 2000
 10.49 6
Sebastiani
1999
 12.49 12
Geyser Peak
2000
 13.99 4
Raymond Estate
 1999
 14.99 5
Sterling Napa
 2001
 12.99 11

There were surprises when the votes were tallied. Lowly screw-top vendor Sebastiani led the pack, and many thought that theirs was the best-tasting wine of the evening. Sterling’s 2001 Cab handily outpaced Raymond’s 1999, proving again that age is not necessarily a good criterion for selecting among unknown labels on the shelf. [Raymond and Sterling are both vintners of some stature in the Napa Valley, so these were no slouches.]

Another surprise — a most pleasant one — was a Cab from host Chris Pearmund’s own library, a Napa Valley 1984, no less. Holy mackerel, Andy, that was some mighty fine wine! Chris was gracious enough to host the event in his brand-spanking new winery, Pearmund Cellars. We sat at tables in the aisle of his fermenting room, surrounded by oak barrels and musty smells. Even some of the agnostics in the crowd thought that maybe they was in Heaven. Eleven thousand thanks to you, Chris. Know that somewhere out there, the milk cartons are rolling off the line with your face on them.

OCTOBER MEETING:  How You Say Vee-Og-Neer, presented by Guy Beakley ~ Grace Cathedral, The Plains, Virginia; Social – 6:30 p.m.; Meeting – 7:00 p.m.

Fall is certainly upon us these brisk days, if not winter itself. Labor Day brought rain for a week and temperatures in the 50s. Evenings are already finding us huddled by fireside, bundled in blankets. So what is the wine we will examine closely this week? A sprightly summertime white wine, of course, best served chilled.

And why, you might ask? Because we didn’t get a summer this year. Because there was no meeting in August when it was hot and we’re making up for lost time. And best of all, because Guy Beakley is growing viognier grapes in his backyard, and he wants to strut his stuff.

Viognier is the un-Chardonnay in some quarters, offered as an alternative to that white wine rut many of us Americans seem stuck in. It can also be a wonderful wine on its own, regardless of rampant Chardonnay. And, it seems to do well here in Virginia. Many local wineries are producing excellent Viogniers these days, and one — by AmRhein Vineyards in Roanoke — won a gold medal and the Governor's Cup two years ago.

Guy will be presenting viogniers from both France and the U.S., and we will see how they choose to pronounce the word. Traditionally, Viognier was given the French treatment: vee-on-yay. But, since France and the Frenchies have so besmirched themselves this year, the name, like french fries, has been Americanized. Now NASCAR fans everywhere and wine buffs who wear their baseball hats backwards proudly ask of their barkeep, "Make mine vee-og-neer. Rhymes with beer."

Directions:

WANTED:  Local Hero, Reward Offered

December is fast approaching, and the search committee is still searching for a location for our annual Holiday party, usually staged the first weekend of December.

If you have a house — or a double-wide, or a potting shed with running water, or even an old RV sitting on blocks — that is somewhat centrally located, you could become an overnight sensation, a true local hero. The search committee would provide the food, beverages and décor. All you would need do is furnish a living room and a bath room.

And for that, your face will be placed on milk cartons, a new Ford SUV will be named after you, and you will be interviewed by Katy Couric, who will ask you how to pronounce Viognier.

So do the right thing. The Search committee is accepting sealed bids. Enquire at the meeting Sunday. Thank you and God bless.


COMING EVENTS:  Mystery, Party, and New Year


WINE IN THE NEWS:  Sans Barrels?

The following article appeared in the New York Times recently, next to the headlines about the Austrian muscle guy in California.

Wine Without Barrels?  Sacré Bleu!
By John Tagliabue, October 7, 2003

SAINT-ROMAIN, France — In the future, will wine still be put in oak, or will the oak be put into the wine?

That is no idle question here in Saint-Romain, population 300, in the heart of Burgundy wine country. For the town is also the headquarters of Tonnellerie François Frères, one of the world's biggest suppliers of fine oak barrels to wineries in Europe, the Americas, and Australia.

Not surprisingly, France is home to some of the biggest makers of oak barrels. Yet while wineries here in Burgundy and elsewhere in France use oak casks to age some wine, winemakers outside Europe have increasingly used oak chips to save money. To the horror of many in Europe, where the practice is banned, the foreigners sprinkle the chips into stainless steel vats, or stand oak staves in the vats, to give the wine a hint of oak flavor.

If used judiciously, experts say, the result can be remarkably evocative of barrel-aged wine. If overdone, chips can make a good chardonnay taste like, well, hardwood flooring.

Europe's wineries are deeply divided. For the barrel makers, the question cuts closer to home. Demand for barrels from makers of fine wines, costing more than $10 a bottle, is booming. But competition is fierce, and now oak chips threaten the business… Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. End of quote.


[Anyone see a pattern here? First, it was the cork: cork is too fussy, breaks in the bottle, ruins four percent of our wines, blah blah. Now you see corks made out of plastic. And SOON, my friends, sooner than you think, good wines will come covered with — I can’t believe I’d live so long — the dread screw-top! Correctamundo. Primo red wines, we are told, age best — BEST — under a screw cap. Also noted, but softly spoken, plastic corks and aluminum caps cost hardly nada, versus about 25 cents each for cork corks.

Now the oak barrel is headed the same way as the cork and the dinosaur. Instead of oak casks held together with steel bands and made from some 16th century technology, we will have shiny steel tanks full of oak chips. Then, it will be plastic tanks. Then, instead of oak chips, it’ll be sawdust. By then, though, I won’t care. When the cork goes away, so do I. When you’re drinking your screw cap Cabernet, I’ll be wearing my baseball hat backwards, beer in hand, watching the Bud girls mud-wrestle on the telly. Yahoo!]


See you on Sunday.
~ Bruce ~

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