John Marshall Chapter of the American Wine Society

AMERICAN WINE SOCIETY
A non-profit corporation

John Marshall Chapter

MARCH MEETING: California De-Napafied, Part 3: Gold Country, presented by Bruce and Rene Schaefer

Bruce and Renee Schaefer presented eight wines acquired in a three-day picturesque drive through the Sierra Foothills that hosted the California gold rush of the 1850s. Grown at higher altitudes, in thin soil over volcanic rock, foothill grapes are the product of stress, but unlike humans, they thrive on it. The resulting wines explode with flavor, tannins, and alcohol. Samples that night ranged from 13.9 to 15.9 percent. This is not always a good thing if you’re looking for a balanced wine; it's simply another challenge for the winemaker.

The selection for the evening included Sauvignon Blancs from Sobon Vineyards and Villa Toscana, Sangioveses from Jodar and Lava Cap vineyands, Zinfandels from Boeger and Single Leaf vineyards, and Bordeaux blends from Dobra Zemlja and Monte Vina vineyards. The Zinfadels were probably the evening’s big favorites, as they are the most successful grape so far to emerge from that climate. But, all ranked high on the taste scale, and provide a rich reward to the wine traveler who decides to take a pass on Napa.

Jennifer Crafts, Virginia’s answer to Alice Waters of Chez Panisse, started another gold rush with her asiago cheese plus little pastry triangles made of phyllo dough and filled with mushrooms and other goodies. Grown men wept, I tell you; women swooned. And, there was a full moon. Eureka.

APRIL MEETING: Aussome Aussies, presented by Nigel Ogilvie and Louisa Woodville (PLEASE RVSP if you plan to attend!)

All of us appreciate Australian wines for their quality and friendly prices. Few of us actually go there to drink them. Nigel Ogilvie and Louisa Woodville did just that, crossing the continent by air, rail and automobile to visit the Hunter, Barossa, Swan and Margaret River wine valleys, and they’ll be presenting not only wines but their travel experiences in that Land of Oz. Boxin’ with ’roos, rasslin’ with crocodiles, walkin’ about with the abos – they did it all, mite, and they’re gonna show and tell with pictures. This is one meeting not to be missed! Good on ya, blokes.

Edibles and delectables will be provided that match and marry with the wines at hand. It is rumored that the menu may include the pinnacle of Aussie cuisine. No, not kangaroos lips, tho I’ve heard that’s big in Oz. I speak of Vegemite. Yes, Vegemite maaaaaay be served, and not necessarily in a sandwich. Those who know won’t say what it tastes like, but of this we are assured: It don’t taste like chicken.

At press time, it was a good guess that the venue would be Grace Cathedral again. However, if you arrive there Sunday and find no cars in the parking lot, hie you to the John Page Turner house up the street, as has been our habit in the past. If time allows, notice will go out if the meeting is not at the Cathedral.

Directions:

From D.C., take I-66 to Exit 31, The Plains.
At the first stop sign, turn right.
Go 3 miles to the stop sign at the T-intersection in downtown The Plains.
Turn left, then go 2 blocks.
You can’t miss it — it’s the only cathedral in town.

Your RSVP can work wonders. It helps us plan seating, food and wine mo’ bettah, plus reduces waste, fraud and abuse. It ranks up there with the summum bonum. So do it. Mary Anne has automated the process. Simply click on this link and be whisked to where all you do is enter an email address with your member name(s) and guest name(s).

MAY MEETING: The Hottest Topic in Wine Today, presented by You (PLEASE RVSP if you plan to attend!)

Maybe you’d like to take issue with the movie Sideways and show everybody how great is Merlot after all. Or, maybe you’d like to explore a Vinfadel Nouveau you’ve discovered over the winter months, like that wine somebody makes out of jalapenos. Or, perhaps you have another wine side trip in mind. Matching wine with music has been pretty well staked out, but other pairings abound. Wine and magazines, for example: what wines go with Newsweek? People? Cosmo? Popular Mechanics? How about wine and women’s shoes? Wine and pets? Mein gott, the possibilities just do go on.

Opportunity beckons like a beacon, because the May event is, at this very moment, wide open. Here is your chance to hold forth and shine! Breathless we wait, old dogs yearning for new tricks, to sip and reflect on a selection of wines while pondering their loose connection to some arcane theme. All that is needed is for you to contact Mike Schlosser (540-752-4709 or mwschlosser@yahoo.com) and tell him what you want to do. He will make your dreams come true, no kidding. As they like to say at Nike, just do it.

Time for newsletters and scribes to go to bed. Do your RSVP now and make plans to be there Sunday at 6:30 p.m. – first cathedral on the left. While we’re there, maybe we’ll all pray for more weather like this.

Your humble scribe,

~ Bruce ~

P.S. Please feel free to forward this link to friends who share your interest in matters of the vine. Or, send webmaster@aws-va.com their names to add to our mailing list.

P.P.S. If you are no longer interested in getting John Marshall AWS news, please send a note to webmaster@aws-va.com and ask to be removed from this email list.