Happenings at WWA (and beyond)

On August 8, 2012 The Young Wino’s of DC hosted a wine tasting of “Wines Around the World” at the Bell Wine Shop on M street.  The tasting, at the winning price of just $5 for facebook members and $10 for nonmembers, featured 40 different wines.  There were 6 tables placed around the shop and upstairs, around which many young wine fanatics gathered to sip and mingle.  Each table showcased personal favorites of the pourers themselves, each of which included both reds and whites.  I always find tasting to be far more enjoyable when the pourers are generally passionate about the wines they are serving, and this setup allowed for such an experience!

So I am one of the largest proponents out there of “unusual” varieties- I was that 21 year old, just discovering wine and draining my local wine shop of new, crazy bottles that I had never heard of. Of course, at that point, I considered Tempranillo and Torrontes to be exotic and, to many, that is certainly still the case. But in WSET level 2 world, at least the way WWA teaches it, students certainly taste those grapes and many more because they are so historically/economically/socially/etc important to their regions.

NOT to say that the following grapes aren’t important to their respective areas- conversely they usually are- but in the limited amount of time we have to teach and, more importantly, the limited number of wines we can taste, these wines might not otherwise make the cut. So, I hope you enjoyed them, new WSET students- that is, once you overcame the intimidation of the Systematic Approach to Tasting.

Castelo Verdejo 2010/Rueda, Spain

Elena Walch Pinot Bianco 2010/Alto Adige, Italy

Le Rocher des Violettes Chenin Blanc 2008/Loire Valley, France

Saint Cosme Viogner/Roussanne/Marsanne/Picpoul de Pinet 2010/ Cotes du Rhone, France

Averoldi Groppello 2009/ Lombardy, Italy

Jefferson Vineyards Cabernet Franc 2009/ Monticello, VA

Altano Tinta Roriz/Touriga Franca 2008/ Douro, Portugal

Valckenberg Dornfelder 2009/ Rheinhessen, Germany

Cheers!