javadrinker wrote:So I haven't had a chance to really update the lead post in awhile...anyone new to the Century Club that wasn't included in this list?


Loweeel: Century Club member #464
MarkDaSpark: Century Club member #465?
javadrinker
polarbear22
MaxAlex

I'm a member now. I don't think they give out numbers anymore since there was no number on my cert. I just know that it's up to 1022 members now.

javadrinker wrote:So I haven't had a chance to really update the lead post in awhile...anyone new to the Century Club that wasn't included in this list?


Loweeel: Century Club member #464
MarkDaSpark: Century Club member #465?
javadrinker
polarbear22
MaxAlex

I know you've been busy, but I thought you'd have noticed my sig box by now.

congrats Merb!

Favorita on Invino, newbie link

What proof deos one need to certify century club? I must be getting on for 50 or so, so I should think about it...

richardhod wrote:congrats Merb!

Favorita on Invino, newbie link

What proof deos one need to certify century club? I must be getting on for 50 or so, so I should think about it...

No proof needed, it's the honor system. Well, other than filling out the Excel or Word document and sending that in.

MarkDaSpark wrote:No proof needed, it's the honor system. Well, other than filling out the Excel or Word document and sending that in.

Great. Well, I've done the easy ones (left the ones I'm not sure about yet without a bit more research) and I'm on about 75, so not too bad.
Suggestions welcome!

richardhod wrote:Great. Well, I've done the easy ones (left the ones I'm not sure about yet without a bit more research) and I'm on about 75, so not too bad.
Suggestions welcome!

If you're in England, there were some there that we can't get here. I know zTimothyBz brought some back with him last year (or the year before).

richardhod wrote:Great. Well, I've done the easy ones (left the ones I'm not sure about yet without a bit more research) and I'm on about 75, so not too bad.
Suggestions welcome!

Drink Italian wines - they have tons of obscure varietals. The further south you go, the more unique they get. Same goes for Greece.

merbill wrote:Drink Italian wines - they have tons of obscure varietals. The further south you go, the more unique they get. Same goes for Greece.

Thank you. Indeed that's what I thought: it's been a pretty good source already. Spain's not bad too: I still have to work out which white port varieties I've had, and perhaps some of the more obscure red ones too.

richardhod wrote:Thank you. Indeed that's what I thought: it's been a pretty good source already. Spain's not bad too: I still have to work out which white port varieties I've had, and perhaps some of the more obscure red ones too.

Go back thru the last couple of pages here ... I think I posted a link to download a spreadsheet to help locate varietals.

Also, I've found the DeLong's Wine Grape Varietal Table very helpful (got it originally when the Wine Maps were offered).

richardhod wrote:Thank you. Indeed that's what I thought: it's been a pretty good source already. Spain's not bad too: I still have to work out which white port varieties I've had, and perhaps some of the more obscure red ones too.

For example, the Vernaccia Nera offered on Invino today. It's from Italy and under $20.

richardhod wrote:Great. Well, I've done the easy ones (left the ones I'm not sure about yet without a bit more research) and I'm on about 75, so not too bad.
Suggestions welcome!

I'm around the 75 mark also. I need to check up on the white and red ports, and also my Italian varietals. I've got another 2-4 varietals hanging out waiting to be tasted at home, too.

merbill wrote:I know you've been busy, but I thought you'd have noticed my sig box by now.

Sig box? Heck, I don't even know what my own sig box says these days.

First post updated but I left your # off. No one else (besides Loweeel) seems to have a number on their cert.

richardhod wrote:Thank you. Indeed that's what I thought: it's been a pretty good source already. Spain's not bad too: I still have to work out which white port varieties I've had, and perhaps some of the more obscure red ones too.

You had a Xynomavro (Greek) and a Sultana (Turkish) at that Mediterranean cafe we went to here.

I keep intending to sit down and hash out a Wine Century list for myself, but I never really get the time. Or, more frequently, whenever I'm thinking about it, I'm in absolutely no condition to do clerical work.

k1avg wrote:You had a Xynomavro (Greek) and a Sultana (Turkish) at that Mediterranean cafe we went to here.

I keep intending to sit down and hash out a Wine Century list for myself, but I never really get the time. Or, more frequently, whenever I'm thinking about it, I'm in absolutely no condition to do clerical work.

Ahh, thank you.. 80!

I just found a bottle of something that promises to be revolting: a cheap, "naturally" low 5% alcohol rosé Brachetto, from Piedmont. Mind you, it's a Sainsbury's "taste the "Difference" so it can't be Blue nun- bad, so maybe it'll go with the strawberries at one of next weekend's inevitable picnics!

I didn't get that one on Invino I flagged up recently, nor yours, Merbill, as they're likely cheaper over here... but I'll find loads. I saw a cheap Grenache Blanc in Marks and Spencer which I might grin and try, but I'll try to look for a better one instead. This process is meant to be fun, not a quest of disgust!

I discovered that the reixenet and other Cavas have 3 or more nicely original grapes, Macabeo Xarel-lo and Parellada. Spain and Italy are going to be the winners here. I mean, most Americans haven't even heard of Verdicchio and I was drinking it before I was in my teens! And so cheap...

Oh, and though I'd already had it, for just a few quid I found another Marzemino (Don Giovaaaannnnniiiiiii!)


BTW for those who need grapes and didn't know,
Wellington White Port has, apart from some more obvious grapes:
Palomino
Monbadon
Sauvignon Vert
Trousseau gris
Sylvaner

and the three grapes you can be certain of in a good vintage port from a big House are:
Tinta Barroca
Touriga Francesa
Tinto Cão
though there are several more, and a whole hea which are allowed in others.
I wonder what they use in Tawny. And what tawny did I try. Hmmm..

EDIT
oh, and those nice old Madeiras, wasn't it? from 1950 and 1881 etc we had on tour.. what was in them? great potential...

richardhod wrote:

blah, blah, blah.....

I saw a cheap Grenache Blanc in Marks and Spencer which I might grin and try,

blah, blah, blah....

just a reminder, blends count - I'm only up to 60- or 70-something, but that knowledge has helped a lot. that's how I got to count my Grenache Blanc!

that and the weekly wine tastings at work (the above recommended Italian varietals).

XO

alexa84 wrote:

just a reminder, blends count - I'm only up to 60- or 70-something, but that knowledge has helped a lot. that's how I got to count my Grenache Blanc!

that and the weekly wine tastings at work (the above recommended Italian varietals).

XO

useful. you're not wrong about blends, which is why I passed on that GB. Thing is, often they don't put the damn wine varieties on the label, and you can't always find it on a website from your mobile.

Grape I most definitely want to try?
Bastardo.

richardhod wrote:useful. you're not wrong about blends, which is why I passed on that GB. Thing is, often they don't put the damn wine varieties on the label, and you can't always find it on a website from your mobile.

Grape I most definitely want to try?
Bastardo.

El Jefe makes a delicious Grenache Blanc. Tasted it in the tank, and then bought two bottles. Very high acidity, but nowhere near as tart and acidic as the Txakolina Bizkaia from a winery called Uriondo. It said it had grapes I'd never heard of, but after an hour of searching on the interwebs I found that Mune Mahatsa is Sauvignon Blanc! Darn those Basque!

richardhod wrote:Ahh, thank you.. 80!

I just found a bottle of something that promises to be revolting: a cheap, "naturally" low 5% alcohol rosé Brachetto, from Piedmont. Mind you, it's a Sainsbury's "taste the "Difference" so it can't be Blue nun- bad, so maybe it'll go with the strawberries at one of next weekend's inevitable picnics!

I didn't get that one on Invino I flagged up recently, nor yours, Merbill, as they're likely cheaper over here... but I'll find loads. I saw a cheap Grenache Blanc in Marks and Spencer which I might grin and try, but I'll try to look for a better one instead. This process is meant to be fun, not a quest of disgust!

I discovered that the reixenet and other Cavas have 3 or more nicely original grapes, Macabeo Xarel-lo and Parellada. Spain and Italy are going to be the winners here. I mean, most Americans haven't even heard of Verdicchio and I was drinking it before I was in my teens! And so cheap...

Oh, and though I'd already had it, for just a few quid I found another Marzemino (Don Giovaaaannnnniiiiiii!)


BTW for those who need grapes and didn't know,
Wellington White Port has, apart from some more obvious grapes:
Palomino
Monbadon
Sauvignon Vert
Trousseau gris
Sylvaner

and the three grapes you can be certain of in a good vintage port from a big House are:
Tinta Barroca
Touriga Francesa
Tinto Cão
though there are several more, and a whole hea which are allowed in others.
I wonder what they use in Tawny. And what tawny did I try. Hmmm..

EDIT
oh, and those nice old Madeiras, wasn't it? from 1950 and 1881 etc we had on tour.. what was in them? great potential...

So, I'm sure Joatmon knew this, but the first MAdeira we had on Tour was 1950 Barbeito Madeira Terrantez Fajã dos Padres, ie a Terrantez.
The second was 1886 Barbeito Madeira Malvasia, https://picasaweb.google.com/HitAnyKey/RPMSonomaNapaWineTourJul10?authkey=Gv1sRgCODtkJKX7dyYowE#5498084903887619762 a Malvasia.

Just picked up (and tasted) a 100% Carmine from a local winery.

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1143475

Dense. Smokey. Flavorful. Even my "I prefer white wines" friend bought a bottle.

Get some if you can.

iByron

iByron wrote:Just picked up (and tasted) a 100% Carmine from a local winery.

http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1143475

Dense. Smokey. Flavorful. Even my "I prefer white wines" friend bought a bottle.

Get some if you can.

iByron

Where did you find it?

JOATMON wrote:Where did you find it?

Gee
Community user purchases: iByron (2 x 750ml, 6/5/2011 @ Winery)

Cesare wrote:Gee
Community user purchases: iByron (2 x 750ml, 6/5/2011 @ Winery)

Well, that doesn't help me. So far as i can tell looking at the winery web site, they do not even mention that wine, nor do they ship.

I just started working on my list and from what I can remember and locate I am only at 25. Now that I am actively working on it I can hopefully get that number a lot higher in no time.

alexa84 wrote:just a reminder, blends count...

I'm doing mine with wines that are at least varietally labeled and preferring 100%.

It's taking a bit longer, to be sure, but I feel better about it. That 2% Carmine in a blend does nothing to help me learn about Carmine, and ultimately learning is what it should be about.

Plus, as someone else notes, it's often difficult to verify what's in a blend. Conundrum anyone?

My take on it,
iByron

iByron wrote:I'm doing mine with wines that are at least varietally labeled and preferring 100%.

It's taking a bit longer, to be sure, but I feel better about it. That 2% Carmine in a blend does nothing to help me learn about Carmine, and ultimately learning is what it should be about.

Plus, as someone else notes, it's often difficult to verify what's in a blend. Conundrum anyone?

My take on it,
iByron

Oh, hell. And you'll probably get there before I do.

richardhod wrote:useful. you're not wrong about blends, which is why I passed on that GB. Thing is, often they don't put the damn wine varieties on the label, and you can't always find it on a website from your mobile.

Grape I most definitely want to try?
Bastardo.

aka Trousseau Noir. So you might have had it already in a Port, especially Kent Rasmussen's port set (of 6).

Has anyone made a google doc for this so others can track their progress??

edthebedhead wrote:Has anyone made a google doc for this so others can track their progress??

There are documents on the Wine Century website that you can download.

edthebedhead wrote:Has anyone made a google doc for this so others can track their progress??

Check out this post earlier, as well as the post before it (which has the link to their site).

Anybody ever heard of the supposed Hungarian varietals "Soiree" and "Rozmaring"? I tasted single varietal wines of these at Bella Vista Winery in Temecula, but cannot seem to verify that they actually exist!

(also posted in the Pub)

I was going over and updating my list...I'm only around 50!!!! I had better start drinking.

klezman wrote:Anybody ever heard of the supposed Hungarian varietals "Soiree" and "Rozmaring"? I tasted single varietal wines of these at Bella Vista Winery in Temecula, but cannot seem to verify that they actually exist!

(also posted in the Pub)

I'm think they fed you a load of bull, or wine, whichever. The wines have those names, but I'm guessing the varietal in them is not named as such. I have an email out to them asking what the actual grapes are and if they come back with that I'll ask if they're known as something else as I can find NO info on them at all.

bhodilee wrote:I'm think they fed you a load of bull, or wine, whichever. The wines have those names, but I'm guessing the varietal in them is not named as such. I have an email out to them asking what the actual grapes are and if they come back with that I'll ask if they're known as something else as I can find NO info on them at all.

That sounds a lot like where I am in my email exchange with them. That last half sentence, that is

klezman wrote:That sounds a lot like where I am in my email exchange with them. That last half sentence, that is

Well?????

klezman wrote:Anybody ever heard of the supposed Hungarian varietals "Soiree" and "Rozmaring"? I tasted single varietal wines of these at Bella Vista Winery in Temecula, but cannot seem to verify that they actually exist!

(also posted in the Pub)

I have those wines. EDIT!!! Here's my reviews from Alex and my virthday trip last year! They're names for a style of wine, not a grape I believe. Indeed they're just the name of their wines. I can proably look at my notes somewhere and find out exatly what's in them.
THe proprietors are idiosyncratic Hungarians, and slightly batty, so have patience with them and type clearly!

richardhod wrote:I have those wines. EDIT!!! Here's my reviews from Alex and my virthday trip last year! They're names for a style of wine, not a grape I believe. Indeed they're just the name of their wines. I can proably look at my notes somewhere and find out exatly what's in them.
THe proprietors are idiosyncratic Hungarians, and slightly batty, so have patience with them and type clearly!

Yeah, a few more follow up emails with no response and so I gave up. Need to find about 20 more varietals. I've got 4 or 5 more in bottles here waiting for the right time to try them, too.

An email from The Wine Century Club I received today:

Today's the big day!

To mark our lucky seventh anniversary, we’re going back to basics. We’re once again going to see how many grape varieties that we can collectively taste on one day. Hopefully we can beat our formidable record of 314 grape varieties collectively tasted.

Wherever you may be, please raise a glass today of the most obscure wine that you can get your hands on. And if at all possible please post a short note here about the wine you had. The note can be as simple as the name of the wine and its grape variety(ies).

Veni, Vino, Vici!

Steve

This post reminded me to finally start my spreadsheet. I'm at about 40 right now, not bad for a beginner. I really wish I remembered what I tasted in Wooster at our special invitation tasting because it was a full line-up of mostly new varietals and hybrids. Could of probably added 5 or so to my list.

I need to finish my spreadsheet and send it in. I'm pretty sure I've broken the century mark by now.

After the LA Winefest and the Italian tasting before that (Richard, check your list), we are now up to 95. At this point, if you have some obscure ones you need/want to open Klezman let me know and maybe we can help out.