Sunday, February 26, 2017

Tasting Notice

Around the World in a Glass


Join us as we uncork some Cabernet Sauvignons side by side and decide which country's wine captures your vote.

We didn't just stick these Cabernets together for the heck of it. Few other grape varieties have the ability to express so purely the place in which they were grown and the season in which the fruit ripened on the vine. You'll experience how Cabernet can be incredibly diverse from region to region, vineyard to vineyard, year to year – and not for a whole lot of money.

To better emphasize the point, we included one Cab from California, one from France, one from Italy, one from South Africa, one from Chile, and one from Bulgaria!  When you taste these wines you'll see not only how different Cabernet Sauvignon can be, but also why no country need stand in France's Cabernet shadow.

John Eld, World's Foremost Authority, will lead us in our world tour.  In the end, you may decide that all of the wines are winners. It'll be much like the "Immaculate Reception".  The thrill of the event will be just as good as who was best at the end

WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2017 at 7:OO

Evergreen Community Center, 3430 Evergreen Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 



REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WINE GLASSES!


The cost for members and guests is $25.

Please reply before March 3, 2017 to:


Or you may reply to 412-657-0777.

Mail your check, payable to AWS to:

Dr. Dennis Trumble
1302 Arch St
Pittsburgh PA  15212

Don’t forget to visit the website for directions, useful tips, and recipes.



Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Do you need to spend a lot to enjoy a bottle of wine?


My friend Len once explained that he had a “$30 palate”.  If you spent anymore on wine for him, you were wasting money.  At an educational tasting presented by a representative of Castello Banfi, the educator asked those in attendance to guess what her favorite wine was.  We couldn’t guess, so she told us that it was Riunite Lambrusco.  She said, “Give me a bottle of Riunite and a Wendy’s Spicy Chicken sandwich, and I’m happy!”
In the latest issue of Wine Spectator, a bottle of 2014 Petrus Pomerol is rated at 95 points, and sells for $1,764.  It’s a Merlot. A bottle of 2011 Domaine Chichery sells for $6.99 at your favorite Fine Wine and Good Spirits store. It’s a Merlot, too.  I’m not sure if a wine’s price matches its quality. Is a $100 bottle of wine really ten times better than a $10 bottle of wine?  How much better can a wine taste?! It takes a lot of nerve to charge over one thousand dollars for a bottle of wine. Grapes don’t cost hundreds of dollars... unless you shop at Whole Foods.
But as far as “wine economists” are concerned, the relationship between the price of a bottle of wine and its quality is low or nonexistent. In a number of studies, they suggest that wine is not just poorly priced, but that the different tastes we describe in wine may all be in our heads.
We all know that certain wines go better with some types of food. For example, you’re supposed to have red wine with meat and white wine with fish. (And mouth-numbing acid when you’re eating Irish food.)

In truth, your filet mignon tastes the same whether you have a vintage French Bordeaux or a Mountain Dew. Connoisseurs, though,  are sticklers for the detailed art of wine. Much like statistics-obsessed baseball fans, or nerds who watch Marvel Universe movies. Experts find comfort in their belief that, even though we’re all drinking the same beverage or watching the same movie, they more fully “experience” what we novices don’t understand. And we’re all experts in something. (For me, it’s Polka.)
We think of wine as a classier, more upscale alcoholic beverage. It’s a bad choice of words, then, to refer to homeless alcoholics as winos. How come nobody ever describes the drunk hopping the train car as a malt liquoro?

There is nothing about wine that makes it more prestigious. Biologically, your taste buds don’t know wine to be of a higher culture. If you spent your life in a cave, and you drank wine and then beer for the first time, you wouldn’t think one beverage tasted “classier” than the other.

The truth is that those with power control the reality of culture. People who drink wine tend to be wealthier and more educated. Wine tends to be more expensive. Hence, any meal with a little Chardonnay is classier. If the nation’s most exclusive country clubs replaced wine with groundhog milk at $75 a bottle, then rodent-milk parties would the newest trend.

Luckily, if you’re on a budget, there are quality wines are available at affordable prices. Or, if you’re willing to chance it, you can buy boxed wine. Bota Box Nighthawk Black is award winning and really good!  Hey, if you can eat chicken from a bucket, you can drink wine from a box. And for people who are really on a budget, I think Dollar Store is selling wine in a Tostitos bag.
Other than actually drinking the wine, the two things that wine lovers enjoy doing most are letting their wine breathe and attending wine tasting events. Wine tasting trips, parties and festivals continue to rise in popularity. These events give fans a chance to sample different wines (and to get drunk in a more refined way).

Wine tastings are usually a good time, especially at our AWS tastings, and attendees tend to be very social. You can learn about some wines that you might not otherwise try (like box wines). As a general rule, people are friendlier when alcohol is involved. When you watch violent riots in the Middle East on television, you can think, “If only these people had more to drink!”

Since a $5 wine can so easily be mistaken for a $50 wine, we encourage you to reach for wine on something other than that top shelf. We've applied this principle and have found some seriously good wine. But it should also give you pause about everything you eat and drink. If you boycott expensive wine, should you also avoid sushi and seafood restaurants because you know that cheap fish can be just as enjoyable? Is a Ruth’s Chris $53 T-bone six times as good as a Ponderosa $9 T-bone?
No!  Eat what you like, and more importantly, drink what you like!  People often tell me, “I don’t know a lot about wine, but I know what I like”.  That may be true, but the likelihood is that they mean to say “I like what I know”.
Experiment, taste, and then decide.  
Don't forget to check the blog often for news, tips,
and general wine information.

Friday, February 17, 2017

Annual Summer Picnic


July 29, 2017



Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy

315 Shaffer Run Road
Allison ParkPennsylvania

Details to follow soon!

Check back often!

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Varietal view


Cabernet Sauvignon – The World Traveler




Cabernet Sauvignon is the world's most known grape variety. Grown in most of the major wine producing regions, it’s best known as the main grape of Bordeaux, the Napa Valley and more recently much of Australia. Its origins are in Bordeaux, where winemakers learned in the 17th Century that if you cross Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, you end up with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Where is Cabernet Sauvignon Grown?

The short answer - almost everywhere. It was the most popular red variety for most of the 20th century and can be found across the globe.  Over half a million acres of vineyard are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon. The top yielding countries are France, the United States, and Italy. Although production is widespread, there are a handful of wine regions where “King Cab” has created a lasting legacy. 

France - Cabernet Sauvignon owes its fame to Bordeaux's Left Bank where vintners create elegant, age-worthy wines, and have for centuries. Winemakers in Bordeaux blend Cabernet Sauvignon with other grapes (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot) to make those distinctive, world-famous, (and expensive) wines. And while Bordeaux is the most recognized French region for the grape, it is planted in different parts of the country. You can find Cabernet Sauvignon in the Loire Valley and Southern France.

Italy – Cabernet Sauvignon was brought to Italy in the 1820s where it was used (illegally) for blending purposes in the Piedmont region. As it spread across the country, some regions rejected it while others embraced it. One area hospitable to the grape was Tuscany, where a bit of a scandal occurred in the 1970s. Ignoring the regulatory laws designating the percentages of grapes used in blends, several winemakers produced “Super Tuscans” with an unauthorized amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. At first, the government prohibited this new blending technique, but eventually, as the wines proved to match the quality of traditional wines, succumbed to the wave of demand. Now, the “Super Tuscan” blends have become world renowned.

The United States - Cabernet Sauvignon settled in California in the mid-19th Century. Nowhere was it more successful than Napa Valley. After winemakers survived the Phylloxera infestation in the late 1800s and Prohibition in the early 1900s, the wine industry was able to start to produce world-class wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon led the way in Napa Valley and with the help of pioneers in the 1960s, such as Robert Mondavi, launched the region to world-class status. This was proven in the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” in which Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon beat the top growths from Bordeaux. Current bottle prices indicate just how much of a rise the region's wine has experienced. Other regions include Washington's Columbia Valley and the North Fork of Long Island.

Around the World- Cabernet Sauvignon has been adept at world travel as many new regions are beginning to show their ability to cultivate the grape. In Australia, the vineyards of Coonawarra, Margaret River, and Barrosa Valley have all produced distinctive styles. In Chile, the Maipo Valley and Aconcagua region show promise as well. In South Africa, Stellenbosch and Constantia have made progress on the international wine scene.

Cabernet Sauvignon Styles

The popularity of Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a number of its characteristics. The ease of cultivation in the vineyard, reliability in the winery, ability to age in oak and the bottle, and depth of flavor appeals to vintners, critics, and consumers. The grape produces a high amount of sugars and tannins, which result in plenty of alcohol and protection from oxidation. This combination usually produces long-lasting, full-bodied wines with rich flavors.


Cabernet Sauvignon also produces a variety of aromas including black currant, black cherry, eucalyptus, cedar, and tobacco. These characteristics made the wine food friendly, which is another reason for its popularity. In general terms, dishes with a cream sauce or steak are safe bets. And with such a global variety accessible, you may become yet another fan of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Be sure to check the blog often for tips, wine news, and tasting notices!

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

All You Need is Love (but a little wine wouldn't hurt)


Valentine’s Day is an unusual holiday. You have the people who think it is too commercial, the folks who aren’t currently in love and feel left out, and then you have people who want to celebrate it in a starry-eyed way.
If you want to celebrate the holiday then read on. It is time to prepare! When you think of Valentine’s Day wines, think festive sparkling wine, wines that go well with chocolate, and/or wines that have some sort of illustrative name. So here are some recommendations for you:

Wines that go well with chocolate

Bring your Valentine some nice chocolate and a good bottle of wine and you should be prepped and ready for romance. When pairing wine with chocolate you need to consider the chocolate. If you choose a dark chocolate, go with a big, bold red wine (Zinfandel, Malbec, Syrah or Grenache). The intensity of the wine will match the intensity of the chocolate and make for a great taste experience.

If you’re planning to pair with a milk chocolate consider a sweeter or softer wine. That way the wine doesn’t taste too acidic compared to the milk chocolate. A Merlot, a tawny port or other dessert wines like a Tokaji or Muscat would do the trick.


“A rose by any other name . . .”


Legend has it Cleopatra used Brachetto d'Acqui to entice her lovers. This sweet sparkling red from the Piedmont region of Italy smells like fresh strawberries on a bed of roses. Tart cranberry notes are prominent on the palate, with crisp acidity that ushers to a long, dry finish. It’s perfect for a romantic seafood dinner and chocolate dessert.

Je T Aime Brut Rose Cremant de Limoux NV is a lively, delightful sparkling wine made with Pinot Noir grapes from the Limoux region of France. “J T’Aime” is French for “I love you”.  Awwww. . . .

Primero Beso and Ultimo Beso  (available through wine.com.)  These are new wines, just launched by Scott Harvey Wines, the folks who brought you Menage a Trios, which is a different kind of Valentine’s Day altogether. But we digress. Primero Beso (“First Kiss” in Spanish) is their white blend; Ultimo Beso (“Last Kiss”) their red.

Mi Amore Cagnina Di Romagna: This Italian producer creates both a red and white blend. Their wines tend to be a bit sweet, and so are their prices. “Mi Amore” is “My Love” in Italian

Naked Wines, from Snoqualmie Winery, are for those who just want to cut to the chase. The “naked” actually refers to the organic grapes the winemakers use, but we can keep that detail to ourselves.

Be sure to check the blog often for tips, news, and ideas about our favorite beverage!



Monday, February 6, 2017

Become a Host




One very wise man (William Shakespeare) once wrote: “...good wine, good company, good welcome, can make good people.”

Enjoying wine with friends is one of our favorite things to do. But rather than to go a fancy restaurant to sip and sample, we prefer tastings at our AWS meetings, where refills and snacks are within arm’s reach.

The snacks, however, aren’t prepared by the elves and dropped off at the Evergreen Center on the day of the tastings.  Our members volunteer to host a tasting (or two) and prepare the snacks and food for us.

We need some additional volunteers to become hosts for this year’s tastings.  There are benefits!

    1.   You get to pick what food to serve, coordinated with our presenter and wines to be served (think simple fare).
    2. Your tasting fee is waived that night
    3.   You get to spend up to $150 of AWS money.

Meetings are on the second Wednesday of March, April, May, September, October (Nationality night), and November.


Send which months you are available to Ellen at Light1all@aol.com.