UPDATED 7/29

iByron wrote:What if we re-visit the "big eight?" There's a lot of newbies at NoVA/DC now and those varietals -- Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, & Syrah/Shiraz -- form the backbone of the industry and the foundation of any wineau's knowledge.

And you know I'm all about the education!!
iByron

Let's do it!!!

Big 8 Varietals: Old World vs. New World

Date: July 30, 2011
Time: 7pm
Host: hershelk

For this GTG to be a success, everyone will need to plan ahead. You will need to sign up for a varietal and a style. Please select a wine that shows off the varietal to advantage. It doesn't need to be an expensive bottle; just a good representation of the varietal and the style (OW/NW).

Confirmed:
* hershelk
* iByron
* cjsiege
* tripgrad
* wkdpanda
* wkdpanda +1
* mstein609
* chemvictim
* chemvictim +1
* hershelk +1

Maybe:
* iByron +1
* Lighter
* Mrs. Lighter
* mstein609 +1

Regrets:
* aranderson
* k1avg
* InShadows
* kkv123
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Riesling:
OW - iByron (2007 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese (Germany, Mosel))
NW - iByron(2007 Scott Harvey Old Vine Riesling (California, Mendocino County))

Sauvignon Blanc:
OW - hershelk(?)
NW - hershelk (2007 Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc Taylors Pass)

Chardonnay:
OW - cjsiege (08 R. DuBois Pouilly-Fuisse "Les Vieilles Vignes")
NW - wkdpanda ( 2006 Buena Vista Chardonnay, Ramal Vineyards, Estate Bottled )

Pinot Noir:
OW - wkdpanda +1
NW - TRIPgrad (Roessler Pinot Noir?)

Zinfandel:
OW - iByron +1 or cjsiege
NW - kkv123 (07 Hendry Block 28 Zinfandel)

Merlot:
OW - mstein609 (Chateau Meylet St. Emilion Grand Cru 1998)
NW - chemvictim

Syrah/Shiraz:
OW - iByron (1997 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde)
NW - iByron +1

Cabernet Sauvignon:
OW -
NW -

So -- have iByron and I piqued any interest out there?

Since we have a weather delay on Churrascaria until late September or *gasp* early October, how about an In-Betweener?

cjsiege wrote:So -- have iByron and I piqued any interest out there?

Since we have a weather delay on Churrascaria until late Spetember or *gasp* early October, how about an In-Betweener?

I'm game. I am down to 8 free weekends between the May gathering and late September.

*bump*

Can we maybe get some traction for July 23 or July 30? I'm working on getting us a location.

July 23rd is my b-day. I could have it at my place though it might be constructiony with the landscaping build out. I may then have a few more +s then usual.

It looks like I will be out of town the weekend of the 23rd. If we do it on the 30th, I am still willing to host if folks don't mind the landscaping construction. Basically means it would be an indoor event. Happy to go anywhere else as well.

I had to reread the post (I thought it said June). It looks like I am free both July 23rd and July 30th (as of right now). My sister is due in early July so not sure if there will be a baby visit around then or not.

And as fuel for the OW/NW theme discussion, this article on OW Cahors vs NW Malbec appeared in today's WP.

Today only: $15 for $30 Worth of Artisanal Cheese & Charcuterie at Arrowine in Arlington VA
http://www.groupon.com/deals/arrowine-1?utm_campaign=UserReferral&utm_medium=email&utm_source=uu366646
Not valid for alcohol :-(

July 30 is good for me. I recently did a reconcile on all of my calendars, and discovered I'm booked up for 7/23. I have tickets for a show up at the KC.

Has anyone seen iB around on the boards? I have a hard time reaching him.

cjsiege wrote:
Has anyone seen iB around on the boards? I have a hard time reaching him.

He was on the boards for yesterdays offerings (The St. Julian 6 pack) talking about the use of a Vinturi on white wine.

*bump*

cjsiege wrote:*bump*

Okay, as the song goes, "I once was lost/But now am found/Was found by CJ Siege"

I'm in. I've marked my calendar. Let's get this thing rolling.

We're doing a Big Eight Old World-New World redux. It's going to be a learning experience for all involved -- even if you attended the last one a couple years back -- and I intend to practice my newly-earned CSW chops on all of you.

Here's how it works:

We'll taste examples of the "Big Eight" varietals -- Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah/Shiraz -- one Old World and one New World of each. That means we need at least 16 participants each bringing a bottle. Last time we had people double up on higher-end bottles so that they could contribute without budget busting. That will be encouraged. Also, WineBid.com is a good source and the prices are reasonable.

I'll put together a more formal thing when it's not 3:30 in the morning.

It's on!

iByron

First post dramtically updated to reflect date and theme.

I could find and example of most of these in the cellar. I will wait till a little later, see what is claimed and try to fill in.

Lighter wrote:Regrets? I've had a few,
But then again, too few to mention.

Oops, wrong song. Try this:

Wake up little sushi, Wake up!


What with the calendar switching and my life switching it appears that I've got to regret fishbait, Shakespeare and Buffalo and say Hello! to enormous hunks of grilled animal.

Yes, moving to Loudoun County - VA - at the end of June.

Before you Western New York folks get despondent about someone giving up all the free snow, it looks like we will be living ten minutes from a Wegmans. So, life will continue. Oh, did you know that Virginia Wegmans have wine all over the store? Hundreds and hundreds of bottles.

Welcome, Lighter! Yes, you have landed in the realm of Wegmans with Wine Store! (Yep, it pretty much rocks!) Come on in and meet the NoVA/DC family!

Large, grilled meat will probably need to wait until hershelk's deck gets finished at the end of September (see Churrascaria thread), but we will certainly have a lovely GTG for Big 8, Part 2.

cjsiege wrote:Welcome, Lighter! Yes, you have landed in the realm of Wegmans with Wine Store! (Yep, it pretty much rocks!) Come on in and meet the NoVA/DC family!

Large, grilled meat will probably need to wait until hershelk's deck gets finished at the end of September (see Churrascaria thread), but we will certainly have a lovely GTG for Big 8, Part 2.

I'd complain about you hijacking one of our WNYers, but since he's moving there of his own free will, I guess you're merely pouncing. Wish we could join you on the 30th, but too much going on with our tasting the week before and the Clambake the week after. You'll find Lighter and Mrs. Lighter to be most charming and congenial guests. Our loss is definitely your gain. One more reason to make sure we get to one of your GTG's sooner or later.

cjsiege wrote:First post dramtically updated to reflect date and theme.

Excellent! I'm there! I'll see if Anthony can make it, too.

I should have a bottle of Puligny-Montrachet for the OW Chard which I'll gladly share. Details to come.

iByron

cjsiege wrote:Come on in and meet the NoVA/DC family!

Too soon to commit. At least I know I won't be using the end of July to sharpen snow shovels and wax the sled runners!

iByron wrote:Excellent! I'm there! I'll see if Anthony can make it, too.

I should have a bottle of Puligny-Montrachet for the OW Chard which I'll gladly share. Details to come.

iByron

Okay, WineBid just told me that they're in summer hold mode, which is good for me and my wine, but alas will not get the Montrachet to me in time. I do have some Chassagne-Montrachet, but I'm debating.

iByron

I'm in too.
Put TRIPgrad next to NW Pinot Noir (either Roessler or Siduri)

I'll likely be able to make it, but I'll reserve my wine selection until later. I can cover a number of slots, so after more folks check in, I'll sign up for something.

I'll probably have a plus-one as well (who, now that I think about it, you guys still have yet to meet), so I'll bring two bottles. And probably some food.

July 30 - weekend before clam bake.

I am going to provisionally commit, with a bottle of Buena Vista Chard for the N-World offering.

Details on the wine to follow, when I get a chance to pull it out and look at it.

-Andy

I'm going to swoop in on OW Chard. Will update the top this evening.

I have a New World (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc (2007 Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc Taylors Pass) which should be opened soon. I brought it back from NZ and it is hard to get vineyard specific bottles here in the states. I am willing to fill any other wholes. Depending on the size of the crowd, we may want to cut back to 4 of the varietals. Maybe focus on the whites and Pinot. Maybe we will see a new resurgence of interest as the date gets closer.

Please forgive my reticence. My silence is created by uncertainty as to logistics, rather than a lack of interest. When discussion first began about this event, my brother had scheduled a visit from overseas and once I had confirmation as to the dates of his visit I had hoped to offer to host, if only to give kind hershelk a bit of a breather.

But over the past several weeks, it is becoming less probable that my brother will be visiting DC and more likely that I will be going to the midwest to see him at my parents home instead. Hence my silence on attending and hosting. If I am in town, I hope be able to offer hospitality in the large community room and will gladly bring whatever bottle we need to fill in the roster. But until I know which city I will be in on which days, I must regretfully beg your kind indulgence a bit longer in posting my contribution.

cjsiege wrote:I'm going to swoop in on OW Chard. Will update the top this evening.

UNLESS... iB still wants to take the OW Chard. I'm willing to surrender the OW Chard slot and repick if needed. Maybe the OW SB to cross-match to hershelk's NW SB???

hershelk wrote:Depending on the size of the crowd, we may want to cut back to 4 of the varietals. Maybe focus on the whites and Pinot. Maybe we will see a new resurgence of interest as the date gets closer.

I think we'll see a stronger posting once we get within 3 weeks. Yep - we always run that close to the edge.

I concur with the idea of possibly rescoping to make sure we have OW and NW covered. Right now, I'll kick SB, Chard, and PN to the top. I will slightly reordering the presentation list going from "lightest" to "heaviest"? That would push CS and Merlot to the bottom. Question now is... should we require the other slots to be full before Merlot or CS are made available to fill.

cjsiege wrote:should we require the other slots to be full before Merlot or CS are made available to fill.

I think we should let things go and see what comes up. If we get close and have some big gaps we can try to compensate, see if people will shift. I will also, ask a couple of pluses that might fill things in a bit. This summer is going by very fast, but July 30th is still pretty far away. It just didn't look that way when I look at my calendar.

I sadly will be out of town and won't be able to attend this one. One of these days I will be able to make it to another gathering. Have fun though.

cjsiege wrote:UNLESS... iB still wants to take the OW Chard. I'm willing to surrender the OW Chard slot and repick if needed. Maybe the OW SB to cross-match to hershelk's NW SB???

If what you plan to bring is at least Village appellation, then definitely bring it.

Since Riesling is a specialty, pencil me in for both OW and NW. That it's relatively cheap may be a draw for others, so I'll give one or both of them up if someone with a tighter budget wants to contribute (but please confer with me first, esp if you want to bring OW).

iByron

hershelk wrote:I think we should let things go and see what comes up. If we get close and have some big gaps we can try to compensate, see if people will shift. I will also, ask a couple of pluses that might fill things in a bit. This summer is going by very fast, but July 30th is still pretty far away. It just didn't look that way when I look at my calendar.

I concur. The last one didn't fill up until we were much closer. And if we get two Merlots (Syrah is actually the "bottom" of the weight list, btw) before we get two Sauvignon Blancs we just keep them and do SB later. Not that that will happen.

iByron

The last time we did one of these tastings, I learned that my palate prefers the New World expression of the varietal nearly every time. As a result, I don't go out of my way to cellar any Old World wines...the single exception being a Spanish tempranillo that I purchased this past weekend before I realized that we weren't going to be featuring this varietal. (Such a pity - now I'll have to drink it all myself!)

My participation (and potential hosting) is still unconfirmed. But ever the optimist, put me down for the New World Zinfandel - I'll bring the Hendry Block 28 Zinfandel. If I can't make it, I'll find a way to pass it off to another attendee, so you won't have a blank spot in the tasting roster.

iByron wrote:I concur. The last one didn't fill up until we were much closer. And if we get two Merlots (Syrah is actually the "bottom" of the weight list, btw) before we get two Sauvignon Blancs we just keep them and do SB later. Not that that will happen.

iByron

Hmm. I never think of Syrah as being heavier than CS or Merlot. Probably because I like it better than CS or Merlot.

I think we'll round out nicely as we get closer to the event date.

I've also picked up an unusual Port, JIC we have enough people (or just want to) to do the "4 styles of dessert wines". I remember that was a super-nice way to cap off the evening last time.

aranderson wrote:I sadly will be out of town and won't be able to attend this one. One of these days I will be able to make it to another gathering. Have fun though.

Very sorry to see you are out -- again! Have you blocked out a whole slew of Saturdays at the beginning of October for Churrascaria?

iByron wrote:If what you plan to bring is at least Village appellation, then definitely bring it.

Since Riesling is a specialty, pencil me in for both OW and NW. That it's relatively cheap may be a draw for others, so I'll give one or both of them up if someone with a tighter budget wants to contribute (but please confer with me first, esp if you want to bring OW).

I'm going to start looking for my OW Chard this weekend. Starting out in the Pouilly-Fuisse realm. (Although it is tempting to bring champagne. )

kkv123 wrote:The last time we did one of these tastings, I learned that my palate prefers the New World expression of the varietal nearly every time. As a result, I don't go out of my way to cellar any Old World wines...the single exception being a Spanish tempranillo that I purchased this past weekend before I realized that we weren't going to be featuring this varietal. (Such a pity - now I'll have to drink it all myself!)

I think Tempranillo was in the Second Seven group. You *could* hang onto it until then. Or you could invite me over to help you pre-sample some tempranillos when we get around to Second Seven, Part 2.

cjsiege wrote:I'm going to start looking for my OW Chard this weekend. Starting out in the Pouilly-Fuisse realm. (Although it is tempting to bring champagne.)

If you're claiming the OW Chard slot, then I can fill the OW Sauvignon Blanc via the 2009 Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre.

Otherwise, my best bet would be NW Merlot, Cab, or Syrah. If not those, then I could also do both halves of Grenache or Malbec pairs, or either side of a Tempranillo pair - they're not in the "Big Eight," but they'd still make for an interesting contrast.

I will not be in attendance. I will be at some football match between two powerhouses.

vs.

InShadows wrote:I will not be in attendance. I will be at some football match between two powerhouses

Alas, after all my hemming and hawing over wine choices last night, I have to pull out as well, as I'll be at the same. I intend to wear my Fabregas Arsenal jersey, and boo heartily at all times.

Did you do the LivingSocial deal this morning or already have your tickets?

k1avg wrote:Alas, after all my hemming and hawing over wine choices last night, I have to pull out as well, as I'll be at the same. I intend to wear my Fabregas Arsenal jersey, and boo heartily at all times.

Did you do the LivingSocial deal this morning or already have your tickets?

I already had my tickets. Club section.

I figured you had pulled out and decided not to go.

You can always bring your wine choices to the tailgate!

Anyone else for the tailgate and game? I'm sabotaging the tasting!

InShadows wrote:I will not be in attendance. I will be at some football match between two powerhouses.

vs.

we will sorely miss you! What time is the match? Any chance of a late appearance?

k1avg wrote:Alas, after all my hemming and hawing over wine choices last night, I have to pull out as well, as I'll be at the same. I intend to wear my Fabregas Arsenal jersey, and boo heartily at all times.

YOU are soooo not excused! Throwing us over for a LivingSocial deal. Hmph! Especially after all the expectations you have built up.