—by Averill Shepps

Your Board of Directors held its planning meeting recently, a get-together where we present and discuss ideas for tastings to be held in the coming year. It is a time where we look at general goals for PWS away from the monthly Board meetings when we have to be concerned with the business and function of the organization so that we have little time for broader discussions. Many ideas were proposed, and we did leave the meeting with a broad plan for 2019. While we have lots of ideas about possible tastings, we have to do more research to be sure they are viable and appropriate for our members and friends. We have to assure that the wines are available in the state or if they have to be special ordered, to decide whether we should have a speaker and, if so, who, and a Board member has to be willing to manage the event, etc.

Some of the events that were suggested include The Pennsylvania Wine Excellence tasting in January where we present the top scoring wines from our judging; a Bordeaux tasting in February; Portuguese wines for March, an International wine tasting for April, Loire Valley wines for May. For later in the year we would like to have a dinner and wine event, a Malbec tasting, a walk-around tasting presented by one or two importers/distributors, a Champagne tasting towards the holiday season, an educational event with HAAC’s Bob Green.

We have a couple of open spots, especially in the summer months. We often visit a local winery during that season, and we may have a summer social event or an ever popular Blue Light. Since we do have some open spots, any of you are welcome to make a suggestion of an event you would like us to hold. Contact me or any other Board member about your idea. Meanwhile you can look forward to an exciting and varied schedule of events for 2019.

—by Averill Shepps–

Just as I was thinking about writing this month’s column, a friend sent me a link to the New York Times article titled, “Why You Should Be Drinking Weird Wines’ by Jason Wilson. Did you know there are 1,368 known grape varieties? Going on with statistics, nearly 80% of the world’s wine is made from Just 20 different kinds of grapes. That means there are 1,348 lesser known grapes out there.

The author makes some powerful arguments in favor of those that are lesser known. He points out that since the middle ages Gouais Blanc was banned across Europe by various royal decrees. It was derided as a peasant grape. We have since learned through DNA testing, that Gouais Blanc was found to be the mother of around 80 modern varieties including Chardonnay. Those of you who were at the Chardonnay tasting know that Chardonnay is one of the most widely grown grapes in the world and can be found on 6 continents.

The Slow Food movement and others that support buying local foods have been giving us arguments for years that biodiversity is healthy for the world as a whole. Wilson makes those same arguments for grapes. I am encouraged to get his book and will report to you as I find it interesting.

Meanwhile, it reminds me that I have done a couple of Uncommon Grape tastings in the past, and it is time to revisit that subject. We will be having a planning meeting on June 23^rd when we will talk about our schedule for next year, and I will suggest it. If any of you has a subject that you would like us to address or a grape you would like to “visit”, let a board member know before that date.

—by Averill Shepps

Many of you may know that the PLCB Wine Specialty Stores are now allowed to do wine tastings, but for those that don’t, you need to try them… The Lemoyne store that I go to frequently has them on Fridays from 4-6 and Saturdays from 12-2. The store tasting times are listed on the PLCB site, but it is a lot easier to go to your particular store and find out when they have their samplings. The website lists all the stores in the state forcing you to wade through the entire list to find the times. If you want to know what wines are going to be served, you can ask the wine consultant to put your name on an email list to get their weekly announcements. They serve 4 wines, most often with a theme, such as a grape, a country, a holiday, etc. Each consultant chooses the wines so that they are different from store to store.

Knowing that, some enthusiasts have found they can attend more than one tasting in a 2-hour period! One creative sipper I know made it to 5 different stores in a day, all within that 2-hour period. The pours are small, one ounce of each wine, so that you should be aware that drinking all of them at 5 venues means that you drink 20 ounces which is clearly too much. You always have the option of pouring asking for a smaller pour or of pouring out a wine that you don’t’ like.

I have left to last the social aspect of the tastings. They provide an informal place to easily meet and chat with others who share your interest and passion for wines. I have likened the atmosphere to a relaxed British Pub where people go to meet their neighbors and friends. Enjoy!

–by Averill Shepps–

The Pennsylvania Wine Excellence Awards Event was outstanding. 92 people had signed up. Five were no-shows, so that our attendance was 87. That is a record for that particular event, as well as for PWS events since the early years of the Society. And the winner was… Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Crow Woods 2014. That is the second year in a row for Waltz!

The Certificate for the top scoring white wine went to Presque Isle Wine Cellars for their Lake Erie Traminette 2016. We had 7 representatives from the wineries who made the top scoring wines to speak to us about how the wines were made, and of their passion for what they are doing, and in one case, love was the secret for the excellent wines. At least four of the winemakers spoke to me after the event to say that they thought the wines poured were all deserving of recognition. That was an accolade for our judging.

I want to thank all of those who worked on PA Excellence XVI. It takes a village of wine lovers to produce. I was again delighted with the expertise and spirit exhibited in how everyone worked together. My thanks to co-host Dave for his many responsibilities; to Lynne and Nicole for handling a double work load with registration; to Brett for helping Dave with wine delivery; to Scott for bringing his super cork remover; to Jacy for posting the event on Facebook as the afternoon proceeded; to Stevie for working outside and inside the room; to pourers (we needed lots) Brenda, Cathy, Cindy, Chris, along with Dave, Brett, Scott; and I even did some. I am not listing the judges but obviously the event could not happen without them. Maybe we can say love is responsible for making PA Excellence what it is!
 

by Averill Shepps–

I have come across a new book on wine that is full of information on sipping, smelling, tasting wine, our favorite drink if not our favorite subject. It is “Cork Dork” written by Bianca Bosker. No, I had never heard of her either, but she is a professional journalist who has taken a journey deep into the world of wine and especially that of sommeliers, so deep in that particular world she became one! The book is about her discoveries. She writes of going through the various taste and knowledge tests that are needed to become a somm, of working in restaurants, and only the best, to study what the sommelier must learn about how to treat customers (who are rated according to how much they spend), practicing the art of presenting the wine properly, as well as how to present oneself in dress and manner. She speaks to scientists who have studied the brain, particularly the senses of taste and smell. She undergoes an fMRI examination so that a neuroscientist can note her brain’s reactions. She gets advice on how to improve her sense of smell by training her brain, and undergoes her own regimen at home to do so. She visits a sensory scientist who analyzes what regular humans enjoy about wine. The information is used by such labels as Sutter Home, Woodbridge and Yellow Tail. Randall Graham is quoted as having called Yellow Tail ”raspberry motor oil”. It is fascinating reading as she endeavors to answer the question, “What’s the big deal about wine anyway?” Another reviewer calls it “A marvelous journey through the MAD, MANIC, SEDUCTIVE subculture of wine and wine lovers.” Use your Christmas money, your stock market profits, or even cut your utility bills to buy this book. You’ll enjoy her journey, and you will learn a lot!!

by Averill Shepps

The election for board members and Officers of PWS was held at our December meeting. The composition of the Board and all the Officers will remain the same, insuring stability for the organization.

We will continue to bring you interesting, educational and enjoyable events. Some of the subjects we will be looking at for the future include a tasting of the always popular Italian wines followed by one with that ubiquitous grape Chardonnay in its many expressions, and also a Rosé tasting as Summer approaches when most people look forward to Rosés although some of us enjoy them all year round. During the Summer we will have a visit to a nearby winery or two, and as Fall approaches, Cabernet Franc, another grape that has many expressions according to where it is grown and how it is vinified. We will contact one of the most respected importers, Vineyard Brands Inc., to lead us in a tasting of      Alsace wines or another subject that we could agree upon. We would like to have a High-End Burgundy tasting in   November, and plan to contact Peter Weygandt to lead that one. Rounding out the year we have penciled in New   Zealand wines for December. You can see that my language gets a little more vague as the year progresses. This is because we hope to have the described events but have not made definite plans as yet.

Rest assured we will, as we continue to bring you interesting and knowledgeable speakers on a whole variety of vinous subjects, while we strive to help you learn more about our favorite ensure you enjoy the process! As always, if you have any suggestions, we are open to hearing them.  Please contact any Board member.

by Averill Shepps—

People send me emails, news articles, etc., all about wine. They keep me fairly well-informed. If I wanted to stop reading about wine and just drink it, I would not able to. A recent email forwarded by Dave Williams referenced an article from the renowned British publication, Punch. Author Jon Bonne writes of areas in France outside of Beaujolais, where the Gamay grape is being grown. He claims that “The world is currently in love with Gamay – soulful and passionate love, not the   tawdry one-night stand that is Beaujolais Nouveau.” If that doesn’t intrigue you, he goes on, “…while I adore the recent intellectualism, Gamay remains a wine of pleasure: it can be both meditated upon and, unlike Burgundy, drunk – actually drunk – with abandon. Pinot wants to be loved, Gamay wants to f—. It is the quintessential object of alt-desire, a sex toy for grape nerds. And that lust means we’re going to need a lot more good Gamay in the world.” And now I suppose I have your attention!

Those of you who attended the June Beaujolais event have already enjoyed some of the pleasures that Gamay has to offer. We are talking (no specific plans yet, but research is continuing) of having another Beaujolais tasting so that if you didn’t attend in June, you will have another chance to taste what is happening with Gamay. Meanwhile I will be looking into some of the areas where Gamay is still being grown – Cote Roannaise in the upper reaches of the Loire Valley as well as other parts of the Loire, namely Montlouis and Vouvray. There is such a thing as Sparkling Gamay made there. Imagine, 2 pleasures at once – the effervescence of the bubbles combined with the above mentioned qualities of Gamay. It must be tried!!

by Averill Shepps—

Those of you who frequent the Lemoyne Fine Wine and Spirits Store get Kirt’s weekly email telling you what wines will be tasted on Friday and Saturday (I call it “the pub” because it has that same feel. You meet your friends there). This week he has sent a link to information and statistics relating to the US Wine Industry in 2016 that I found very interesting. Most important is that revenues for US wine sales estimated at $39.8 billion, show a 5% increase. Total US Wine Sales Revenue including imports is estimated at $60 billion. The number of US wineries in 2017 = 9019, up 4% from 2016. The 5 largest states by number of wineries: California – 4202; Washington = 747; Oregon = 713; New York = 385; Texas = 287.

Consumer information reveals that 120 million or approximately 36%, drink wine. 57% are female and 43% are male. (You go, girls!). 38% drink wine weekly (No comment there..). The largest wine consuming generations are Millennials and Baby Boomers. The 5 most popular wine varietals are: 1) Chardonnay; 2) Cabernet Sauvignon; 3) Red Varietals; 4) Pinot Grigio; 5) Pinot Noir. Some hot varietals and trends for 2017: Sparkling Wines are continuing to show double digit growth. Consumers are expected to crave more bubbles in 2017. (I intend to do my part). Rose is still all the rage. (We will have a tasting featuring them next Spring). Sauvignon Blanc, especially from New Zealand, shows strong increases. Finally, it is expected that consumers will continue to trade up to more expensive wines. That is where PWS is important to you. We feature fine wines at our tastings so that consumers can learn what they like, and buy, knowing they will enjoy their wine purchase.