My Kingdom for a Morellino
My Kingdom for a Morellino
A few months ago I finally became a member of the Wine Century Club. For those who don’t know what the membership requirements are for this unique group, there is only one—you must have tasted at least 100 different wine varietals (many have tried, but few have succeeded). A daunting number, yes I know. And I never thought I could come close. But I’m an Aries and as strong-willed as they come, so when a challenge is put before me, I say “bring it on.”
In a world where store shelves are dominated by chardonnays, merlots, cabernet sauvignons and pinot
noirs, it’s increasingly difficult for consumers to find the likes of a
scheurebe, a sagrantino or an erbaluce. And in that same world, these
little-known wines are almost never reviewed in any major wine
publications. Thus, lack of knowledge perpetuates lack of demand. I was
surprisingly pleased with myself when I downloaded their long list of
grapes, began checking off the ones I knew I had tried, and came up
with a number in the 70s! Now the goal seemed not only attainable, but
easily reached. So I hopped online, logged into my most versatile wine
merchant’s website, Astor Wines (NYC), and ordered a mixed case, each
bottle offering up a varietal I had yet to try.
I can’t possibly express how much fun this was! Each time I went to open a bottle, it was nearly impossible to decide which one to crack...there was no prior experience with any of them, so there were no preferences! Exotic names and labels made for an intriguing game of “what am I in the mood for?” And after all, isn’t it that very intense feeling of novelty and inexperience that drove us to fall in love with wine in the first place? What fun is it to stand on solid ground when that ground doesn’t extend very far? I find it far more tantalizing to step outside my comfort zone and dare these wines to make me love them.
Now, months after receiving my membership certificate, the journey is far from over. For, you see, the list of known varietals far exceeds the count of 100 and far be it for me to leave a grape untasted! Playing it safe is, well...boring...and predictable. This is not to say that we should empty our wine racks, donate our collection of Bordeaux to the local food drive and lead a life of impetuous imbibing. But a great part of passion for wine is the passion for life, culture and spirit. And how better to know the spirit of a country and its people, than to know the wines that are native to them...in them we can begin to know many different definitions of home.
Have you had a Madeline Angevine, Siegerrebe, or Lemberger? Check out Whidbey Island Winery: http://www.whidbeyislandwinery.com
Posted by: Jameson | 23 May 2006 at 07:05 PM