See below for what happened.........

Unusual Varietals

This wine tasting will present wines that you are very unlikely to find in your wine shop or restaurant.  They have been gathered from various places, as close as the backyard and as far as 1000+ miles away..  Each is unique in some way.  All are from historical grapes.  And each wine will have its story, which we will tell.

Expect to really enjoy the aperitif and the last.

For those who are developing their list of wines for Century Club status, this tasting will provide many to add to their list.  Each wine has at least one rare grape.

Apéritif

Blanquette de Limoux

The Wines

Soleil Blanc

Vinho Verde

Lachryma di Christi

Norton

Aglianico

Royal Tokaji

Special cheeses and breads will accompany the wines.

Please bring your own glasses & pens. No smoking or strong fragrances, please. 

Attendees recognize they will consume alcohol and assume responsibility of having done so.

Attendance will be limited to the first 32.

Members  $21.00            Guests   $25.00

What Happened.........

This tasting was organized by Ken and Margaret Grezlik with Tom and Nancy Bundorf.  Twenty nine members and guests attended.

Ken introduced the tasting, explaining its purpose of bringing out wines made from little known grape varieties and wines not commonly known.  He provided amusing stories on how they were acquired from as far away as Florida.  Tom then presented information on Steve DeLong’s Century Club which certifies those who have tasted wines made from 100 or more grape varieties.  This session provided 10 unusual grapes.

Each of the wines had a story associated with it which either Ken or Tom related.  The following is a synopsis of the wines and their stories.

Blanquette de Limoux Sparkling Wine    by St. Hilaire

This is believed to be the first sparkling wine, created back in 1531 by the monks at the abbey in Saint-Hilaire.  Some say it was a mistake that the bubbles appeared, but they tried it and liked it and kept making it. The original grape was Mauzac, called "blanquette” meaning white.  This wine must be composed of at least 90% Mauzac, but may have some Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.  It is a unique sparkling wine, neither a Cremant nor a Champagne.

Soleil Blanc (Seibel 10868)     by Boskydel

This wine is made from a historic hybrid grape developed by Albert Seibel of France and is one of many created there to replace the vines destroyed by phylloxera in the latter 1800’s.  These “French Hybrid’s” were their best hope until grafting onto American rootstocks was developed.  They were brought to America by Phil Wagner and used in the colder climates.  This wine comes from a little Michigan vineyard and winery in the Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan called Boskydel, owned by Bernard Rink, and the first bonded winery in that region.  Bernie named it Soleil Blanc, “white sunlight”, and it is his premium wine.  It is grown and made only at Boskydel, nowhere else.

Vinho Verde    by Adega Cooperatives Ponte da Barca

Vinho Verde comes from very old wine making region in northern Portugal, where growers train their vines high off the ground, up trees, on fences, and even telephone poles so that they can cultivate vegetable crops below the vines. The name literally means “Green Wine”, but really means “youthful” in character.  This wine was made from Loureiro, Arinto, and Trajedura.  Our wine was light with a typical trace of effervescence.

Lachryma di Christi del Vesuvio     by Vinacola de Angelis

This wine is the red version and is made from Piedirosso and Aglianico.  The traditional version of Lachryma di Christi does not bear that surname and is white and made from a very old Italian grape, Coda di Volpe, which means “fox tail” due to the shape of the bunch. The name translates to Tears of Christ, from a legend that they were shed on the slopes of Vesuvius following the expulsion of Lucifer from Heaven, giving divine inspiration to the vines that grew there. 

Norton      by Horton Winery

This is America’s grape.  It is nearly 200 years old and was found by Dr. Daniel Norborne Norton of Richmond, Virginia.  It appears to be an accidental hybrid of vinifera and native grapes. For many years it was the dominant grape in the eastern and Midwestern US.  At the 1873 Vienna World Exposition a Norton wine from Hermann, Missouri won a gold medal.  Reidel has even created a special glass for it.   The grape name is Norton.

Aglianico       by Bisceglia Terre Di Vulcano Aglianico Del Vulture

This wine is made from a very old grape that originated in Greece and was brought to Italy in Roman times.  It is mentioned in Pliny the Elder’s writings.   Its name sounds a bit like a Grecian name, and it was once called Ellenico, the Italian name for Greek.  Grown in Campania, this grape may have a more widespread future as it is being planted elsewhere. The grape name is Aglianico and pronounced (ah-ya–nee-coe).

Tokaji Aszú       by Royal Tokaji

It is from Hungary and pronounced (toh-kay ah-soo).  It was created in the 1600s, perhaps by accident due to a harvest delayed by threat of enemy invasion.  Louis XIV of France (1638 - 1715) declared Tokaji "the wine of Kings and the King of wines".  The wine is made from three grapes, Furmint, Harslevelu and Muscat de Lunel (same as Muscat Blanc).   The Furmint grapes shrivel due to botrytis and are harvested separately in wooden tubs called puttony.   The number of super-sweet puttony added per barrel gives the final puttonyos level of the wine. which is indicated on the label.  This one was a five puttonyo, and had 12% to 15% sugar.  It is a world class dessert wine.

Fresh breads and very good cheeses, selected by Margaret, Asiago Fresco, Pecorino Romano, and Danish Blue, were served with the wines.  Except with the dessert wine, where Hungarian cookies were served, made by Nancy.

All of the wines were fine examples of the native grapes and were very well made.  The tasting was fun and educational, and all the wines were surprisingly good.