AMERICAN WINE SOCIETY
A non-profit corporation

John Marshall Chapter


JANUARY MEETING:  Consumer Reports on Wine, presented by Bruce Schaefer

The subject was, "Generally, who do you trust for wine recommendations?" Critics abound these days, and all of them (except perhaps for the highly-esteemed and world-renowned Virginia Wine Institute) have some sort of agenda. In the case of Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, the agenda might appear to be advertising dollars. Consumer Reports can claim the high ground by refusing to take any advertising, and their reporting on other products like automobiles and eggbeaters are generally good and quite objective.

But how do you objectively compare wines? How can you quantify smells and tastes and aftertastes and the other ineffables? After you count the brix in a bottle, and stack them up in a nice row, what do you know?

Turns out, nuthin’. Consumers also has had to resort to industry “experts,” in this case two people (who remain anonymous) looked at wines ranging from $7 to $25 and presented in the December issue their picks from a selection of pinot grigios, syrah/shirazes and cabernet sauvignons. Comparisons, where available, were made to ratings of the same wines by Wine Spectator. Wines sampled that night are shown in the table below.

Our own panel of experts on hand that night found some winners, some losers, and a few keepers. It was noted that the Concha y Torro comes in a nice attractive can (the bottle inside the can, of course) that attracts some buyers like the stone crocks of liebfraumilch did in days of old. Marketing is alive and well in the world of wine. Surely there is a genius out there working even now on a wine container shaped like an egg.  It worked for pantyhose, didn't it?

Winery Year Varietal Cost Consumer Reports Wine Spectator
Chateau Souverain 2001 Chardonnay (social wine) $18 Excellent 90 Points
Ecco Domani delle Venezie 2000 Pinot Grigio, $ 7 Best Buy  
Tiefenbrunner delle Venezie 2001 Pinot Grigio, $12 Best Buy  
Rosemount Estate 2001 Shiraz $ 8 Best Buy, 89 Points 90 Points
Lindemans Bin 50  
 Shiraz $ 8 Very Good 79 Points
Clos du Bois Sonoma City 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon $13 Very Good/Excellent  
Concha y Torro Casillera del Diablo 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon $ 9 Very Good/Excellent 86 Points, Best Value
Chateau Souverain Alexander Valley 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon $19 Good 89 Points, Smart Buy

 

FEBRUARY MEETING:  Wines of Germany, presented by Chris Braun

Grace Episcopal Church ~ The Plains ~ Social hour at 6:30 p.m. ~ Meeting and tasting at 7:00 p.m.

Chris has just returned from a trip to Germany. Her purpose was to visit friends and family, but she also found time to explore the wine scene. And by discarding the clothes she wore over there, and leaving behind the new beer stein souvenirs she bought, she found room in her suitcase to bring back some spectacular examples for you and me. Das is gut.

As some of you know, German reislings have experienced an incredible year, some saying the best year in a century, others saying only half a century. I’ll take either; reisling is one of the joyous things in life come summertime. We can only pray and hope that Sunday’s samplings will include some of these gifts from Above. (Second choice, of course, would be a stone bottle of liebfraumilch with a fancy label.)

Be there, jah, jah. Das ist gut.

 

COMING EVENT: 4th Annual DC International Wine & Food Festival

February 22-23, Saturday and Sunday ~ Washington Convention Center (formerly at the Ronald Reagan Building)  ~ 900 9th and H Streets
Hours: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily ~  Cost: $50 one day, $71 both days in advance; $61 and $82 after February 14, 2003
Tickets: 1-800-343-1174 ~ Website:  http://www.wine-expos.com

It used to be that wine festivals didn’t begin until June in The Plains. Then, came the D.C. Wine Expo, and things got better — except for the price: it began at $35 four years ago. But never mind, we render unto Caesar and Bacchus. This is a major event for wine and food fans, as the show brings participants from around the world. In addition to Virginia wineries (who will be there in profusion), you get wines from France, Italy, South Africa, South America, Australia, etc., AND California, New York, and other parts of the United States. Likewise, you get foods like cheeses, olive oils, breads, condiments, fruits — the whole gamut. In one afternoon at this show, you can completely undo all of your New Year's dieting.

In addition to grazing, the show offers foods for thought. Seminars there are aplenty.  This year's headliner is Mary Ewing Mulligan, Master of Wine and co-author of the best selling guide Wine for Dummies. It’s a silly book so save your money. The real headliner, and maybe the whole reason for going at all, is our own Bob Dierker. What insider secrets will he divulge? Will that make $70 seem a pittance? He will unveil all at the AWS meeting this Sunday. Be there, jah, jah.

And that’s all the news that’s fit to sip. See you on Sunday!

Bruce