Thursday, March 30, 2017

One week left to RSVP


French Wine with Joe Barsotti

WEDNESDAY, April 12, 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 April 7, 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.
  

Monday, March 27, 2017

French Wine with Joe Barsotti




Why are winemakers from France (or Remulak) so good at wine? One reason is that they've been making it a lot longer than the rest of us Earthlings. But like any oenophile worth his sel, you’ll find that it's also a function of the philosophy that guides their efforts. At the heart of their system is the concept of terroir: the idea that wine is chiefly a product of the physical environment (or the planet) in which the grapes were grown, that matching the right grape to the right soil is the first step to making fine wine, and that a wine should not just taste good but exude a sense of place.

Come and join your fellow Earthlings as we consume mass quantities of fermented grape juice!

Joe Barsotti will present six French (or Remulakian) wines that demonstrate their terroir at our next tasting on April 12, 2017. (Stop that!  The wine is TOTALLY French! Meps!)




WEDNESDAY, April 12, 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 April 7, 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.
  



Earthling Joe Barsotti uses his experience in the wine trade to bring the finest wines to your table. Barsotti Wines is a wholesale supplier to restaurants, clubs, and caterers throughout Pennsylvania.   As a distributor of quality wines from the world's great wine-producing regions (and other planets), they take great pride in the products they represent and sell.

Barsotti Wines has a long-term relationship with Pittsburgh's most recognized restaurateurs. Their clientele find that they are experts in marketing and delivering fine wines in a quick, prompt manner.   Their wines are available to common Earthlings for delivery to your neighborhood Wine and Spirits Store. Contact them for minimum order requirements and prices.

 In addition, Barsotti Wines provides a number of services to the greater Pittsburgh area, including:

·         Wine List Consultation
·         Staff Training
·         Corporate Wine Tastings
·         Private Wine tasting
·         Wine Education Classes

To see what Joe Barsotti and Barsotti Wines can do for you, contact



Thursday, March 16, 2017

Parlez-vous français?


French Wine Labels Explained
Reading and decoding wine labels can present problems for even the most dedicated English-speaking oenophiles, especially when it comes to bottles of French wine. You can learn a lot from the label on a bottle of wine and in order to de-mystify the most commonly used terminology we’ve compiled, with the help of some French-speaking friends, the following glossary to explain the most common terms that you’re likely to see on your bottle of Château Margaux.
 France is one of the most highly regarded wine producing countries in the world and its long history with wine has resulted in an arcane wine classification system. A little knowledge and understanding of the terminology used on the labels helps bigly.

  • Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) - statement of geographical origin and guaranteed minimum quality of a wine. The area can be very big or very small.
  • Blanc - White.
  • Blanc de Blancs - White wine made exclusively from white grapes.
  • Blanc de Noirs - White wine made from black grapes with the pressed juice having minimal skin contact extracting little to no color.
  • Biologique - Organic wine.
  • Bourgogne - Wine from the Burgundy region.
  • Brut- Dry sparkling wine from e.g. Champagne.
  • Cave - Wine cellar, literally "cave".
  • Chai (Élevé dans nos chais) - Wine store above ground (matured/raised in our wine store).
  • Château - Wine estate, the literal meaning is "castle", the English equivalent is mansion.
  • Coopérative - A co-operative or syndicate of wine growers who use a production facility.
  • Côte (plural Coteaux) - Sloping hillside vineyard(s).
  • Clos - an enclosed or walled vineyard. Founded hundreds of years ago by Cistercian monks.
  • Crémant - Outside of the Champagne region - a sparkling wine. Within Champagne - softer sparkling wine.
  • Cru - Literal translation is "growth" referring to a vineyard area. It denotes a specific status, most notably in Bordeaux and Burgundy but also used elsewhere in France.
  • Cru Bourgeois - Good quality, middle ranking wines from Bordeaux not included in the original 1855 classification.
  • Cru Classé - Classed growth or classified vineyard, the basis of the 1855 classification in Bordeaux.
  • Cuvee - A specific blend or lot of wine.
  • Demi-sec - Medium-dry. In Champagne, usually a wine that is medium-sweet.
  • Domaine - Wine estate, most famously used in Burgundy.
  • Doux (vin doux) - Sweet (sweet wine).
  • Élevé en Fûts de Chêne- wine aged in oak barrels before bottling.
  • Liquoreux - Sweet wine term that is reserved for the richest dessert wines.
  • Grand Cru - Literal translation is "great growth". The highest quality and most prestigious wines.
  • Méthode Traditionelle - Sparkling wine made by the traditional method used in Champagne.
  • Millésime - Vintage.
  • Mis en bouteille au château/domaine - Wine bottled at the estate where the grapes were grown, harvested and fermented.
  • Moelleux - Sweet wine that can range from slightly sweet to very rich.
  • Négociant - A wine merchant who buys either grapes or pressed juice to make into wine or already made wine to sell under its own brand name.
  • Premier Cru - First growth. The second tier of wines, below those designated Grand Cru, in Burgundy while Premier Grand Cru Classé is the very top wines of the left bank of Bordeaux.
  • Proprietaries - Owner of a wine estate or vineyard.
  • Resultant - A grape grower.
  • Récoltant-Manipulant - A grower who processes his own grapes into wine. The letters RM on the bottle will denote this.
  • Rouge (vin Rouge) - Red (red wine).
  • Sélection de Grains Nobles - A sweet wine made from grapes affected by Botrytis Cinerea known as noble rot.
  • Supérieur - Wine with a higher level of alcohol by volume than the minimum required for the appellation and is due to increased ripeness of the grapes.
  • Sur Lie - Wine aged on its lees (dead yeast cells) which imparts an extra depth and richness to the flavor.
  • Vendange - Harvest.
  • Vendange Tardive - Late harvest, extra ripe grapes.
  • Vieilles Vignes - Old vines.
  • Vigneron - Vine grower.
  • Viticulteur - Grape grower.
  • Vignoble - Vineyard.
  • Vin - Wine.
  • Vin Blanc - White wine.
  • Vin Rouge - Red wine.
  • Vin Rosé - Pink wine, traditionally made from black grapes which are only allowed a short time in contact with the skins to bleed some color into the juice. A more modern and commercial method creates rosé wines by adding a little red wine to white. Many pink champagnes use this method.
Stop by the blog often for wine tips, news, and tasting notices.



Tuesday, March 14, 2017

What would Sheldon and Leonard drink?



Pi Day Celebration - Pair Your Pie with Wine!

 Pi Day is March 14, 2017

During the holidays we try to pair wine with holiday cookies and meals, so why not celebrate Pi Day with a slice (or two) of your favorite pie paired with the perfect wines!

Pepperoni Pizza Pie

pairs with Spicy Zinfandel (red, not white)

Veggie Pizza Pie


pairs with Crisp Chardonnay

Mushroom Pizza Pie


pairs with Woodsy Pinot Noir

Ham & Egg Pie (Quiche)


pairs with Fruity Riesling

Cheddar & Sausage Egg Pie (Quiche)


pairs with Bold Cabernet Sauvignon

Chocolate Silk Pie


pairs with Merlot


Fruit Pie


pairs with dessert wine or late harvest 

Monday, March 13, 2017

Comment dites-vous. . .



Have you ever found yourself standing in the middle of the State Store with no idea of how to pronounce the words on the bottle? Do you ask for Yellow Tail because you’re embarrassed about your pronunciation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape? Fear no more! We’ve put together a cheat sheet for decoding French wine region pronunciation that’ll have you soundin’ like a City of Light native in no time. With our upcoming tasting of French wines, you may find this useful!

MAJOR REGIONS:

Alsace – [al-ZASS] – Predominately white-wine producing region in northeastern France, known for Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Sylvaner.

Bordeaux – [bore-DOUGH] – Located off the central-south western coast of France, mainly known for its red blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, white blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, and sweet dessert wines. The five first growth chateaux are found here.

Bourgogne – [bore-GUNya] – Region of western France producing white wine from Chardonnay and red wine from Pinot Noir, with exceptions. The origin of the term terroir stems from this region.

Beaujolais – [bOH-shoh-lay] – Considered by some to be a part of Burgundy, though very different in terms of terroir and soils. Gamay is the grape used to produce red wine.

Champagne – [sham-PAH-nyuh] – sham-PANE in America. Most famous sparkling wine producing region in the world. The wine is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes.

(Côtes du) Rhône – [coat-doo-RONE] – DO NOT pronounce the “s” in Côtes! Includes the valley surrounding the Rhône River, broken into “northern” and “southern” parts, with over 90% of wine production in the southern half.

Jura – [shur-AH] – Cool climate wine region between Burgundy and Switzerland, known for vin jaune (yellow wine) production, similar in style to Sherry production.

Languedoc – [lang-uh-dock] – Largest wine producing region in the world, comprising one third of France’s wine production. Wines are generally blends and affordable. Mediterranean coastline between Spain and Provence.

Loire Valley – [luh-WAHR vah-lee] – Comprised of appellations along the Loire River, from the Atlantic Ocean to Sancerre in central France. All varieties of wine are produced here; though white wines made of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc dominate production.

Savoie – [sav-WAH] – Eastern France below Jura, with white wines predominantly made from Jacquere, Roussanne, and Altesse grapes, and reds from Mondeuse.

MAJOR APPELLATIONS:

Appellations are legally defined geographical indications within major regions with specifically enforced grape varietal and winemaking practices. These enforcements vary from appellation to appellation.

St. Emilion – [sant-em-ill-ee-ohn] – Major appellation in Bordeaux, found on the right bank of the Dordogne River. Red blends are mostly Merlot.

Chablis – [shub-LEE] – Northernmost appellation of Burgundy, producing white wine from the Chardonnay grape. Many think of Chablis as a separate entity from Burgundy (much like Beaujolais) because of the different style of wine produced here.

Pouilly-Fuissé – [pwee-fwee-say] – White wine producing region in southern Burgundy. Made from Chardonnay.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape – [shat-do-nuff-doo-pahp] – The first classified appellation in France’s AOC system (early 1900s.) Loosely translated, it means “The Pope’s New House”. Located in the southern part of Rhône valley, known for strong, full bodied red blends dominated by Grenache; very small amounts of white wine are produced here.

Sancerre – [sohn-SARE] – One of the easternmost appellations of the Loire Valley, known for white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. Small amounts of red produced from Pinot Noir are also found here.


Muscadet – [MOO-skah-day] – One of the westernmost appellations of the Loire Valley, producing white wines from the Melon de Bourgogne grape. Reputable as a perfect pairing for oysters.


Don't forget to check the blog often for

Tasting Notices, Wine Tips, and News!

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Around the World in a Glass


Merci, Благодаря, Thanks Dude, Gracias, Dankie, and Grazie!

Last evening, we enjoyed a multi-national tasting with our tour guide, raconteur, and bon vivant, John Eld.  John led us through a sampling of wines from France, Bulgaria, California, Chile, South Africa and Italy with what he calls his “Powerless Point”.  As usual, he presented the wines with clarity, humor, and insight.  We are truly fortunate to have John Eld as one of our members.  Thank you, Sir.

Our thanks, also, to Diane Hanlon for providing the wonderful selection of cheeses and breads, and to Kevin and Bob Dering (The Dering Duo) for coordinating the wines and pouring.  And, thank you to the “usual suspects” for helping with the set-up of the tables and chairs.

We had several new members and guests in attendance last evening.  We encourage you to invite your friends, neighbors and coworkers.  We have an incentive for you to do so, too.  If you invite a guest, and that guest joins our chapter, you will have your local chapter dues paid for the following year!

The Wines:

2014 Fat Bastard from France (4820) $9.99

2013 Twins Katarzyna Vineyard from Bulgaria (47090) $15.99

2014 Shannon Circle O Ranch from California (78380) $14.99

2014 Chilensis Reserva from Chile (73169) $10.99

2013 Graham Beck The Game Reserve from South Africa (73305) $16.99

2014 Villa Pozzi from Italy (33195) $12.99*
*peoples choice

Mark your calendars for April 12 as we will enjoy a tasting of French wines with Joe Barsotti of Barsotti Wine in the Strip District.  Be sure to check the blog often for tips, news, and talk.




Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Final Days!



Join us as we uncork some Cabernet Sauvignons side by side and decide which country's wine captures your vote. John EldWorld's Foremost Authority, will lead us in our world tour.

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.