Red River Valley American Wine Society | Wine appreciation through education

Welcome to the Red River Valley chapter of the American Wine Society

The AWS is an organization for anyone who is interested in wine, wine appreciation, wine making, and wine education. The Red River Valley Chapter is dedicated to expanding the knowledge of wine in all regards. We are a friendly group of wine enthusiasts and welcome all who want to learn more about the joys and pleasures of wine. Don’t know much about wine? That’s ok. We’ll learn together. We hold monthly Fargo wine tastings scheduled on the second Saturday of the month. Guests are invited to join and may attend up to three events before becoming a member. If you are interested in joining and wish to learn more, please check us out. ~Greg Cook, Chapter Chair

Our next tasting event . . .

Spätburgunder – German Pinot Noir

by Greg | February 5, 2023 | AWS event, Education, Valley Vine, Wine event | 0 Comments

German wine identity is so closely tied to the Riesling grape. Many people may be surprised to learn that Germany is the world's third largest producer of Pinot Noir! This noble grape, called Spätburgunder in German, refers to a grape that is late-ripening (spät)...

Rocking the Cradle

by Greg | November 4, 2022 | AWS event, Education, Valley Vine, Wine event | 0 Comments

Stretching from the Black Sea east to the Caspian Sea lies the Caucasus mountain range. Historical and scientific evidence points to this area as the birthplace of modern vinifera wine grapes. Grapes have been cultivated and fermented into wines for over 8000 years in...

Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon

by Greg | September 19, 2022 | AWS event, Education, Valley Vine, Wine event | 0 Comments

The Central Coast of California stretches some 250 miles from south of the San Francisco Bay down to Santa Barbara County. Cool breezes from the Pacific combined with gravely fertile soil renders an extended growing season that yields concentrated wines with good...

World GSM

by Greg | September 6, 2022 | AWS event, Education, Valley Vine, Wine event | 0 Comments

Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre! These are three important grapes that characterize the red wine blends of the Rhone Valley of France. Grenach is boisterous and fruity whereas Syrah and Mourvèdre tend to be dark and peppery. Blended together, they make for incredibly...

Rioja

by Greg | August 7, 2022 | AWS event, Education, Valley Vine, Wine event | 0 Comments

Rioja is a designated wine region in north central Spain that includes the communities of La Rioja, Navarra and the Basque province of Álava. The typical red grape varieties of the region include Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Manzuelo and Graciano. More recently an...

Santa Barbara Pinot Noir

by Greg | July 4, 2022 | AWS event, Education, Valley Vine, Wine event | 0 Comments

Made famous by the movie Sideways about the Santa Barbara wine region, the delicate and versatile Pinot Noir grape calls Burgundy, France home. But now it’s grown across the world and boy does it express terroir and regional differences. Over the years we have tried...

McLaren Vale Shiraz

by Greg | June 5, 2022 | AWS event, Education, Valley Vine, Wine event | 0 Comments

The McLaren Vale wine region is located in South Australia south of Adelaide. By far, Shiraz is the most widely grown grape in this region. We have enjoyed Syrah/shiraz from all over the world, but they have made it something special in McLaren Vale. So, we decided to...

Napa Cabernet revisited

by Greg | May 9, 2022 | AWS event, Education, Valley Vine, Wine event | 0 Comments

If you haven't figured it out yet, we just can’t get enough of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. There simply is no getting tired of it. Cabernet Sauvignon, the offspring of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, is a classic Bordeaux grape. But, arguably, Napa Valley has...

Red Blends

by Greg | April 4, 2022 | AWS event, Education, Valley Vine, Wine event | 0 Comments

Once again, we are going to be revisiting red blends and I couldn’t be happier. Blending is done to bring qualities of different varieties together in a marriage of textures and flavors. If a particular grape is thin skinned and lacks tannin structure, blending in...

Port – the quintessential fortified wine

by Greg | March 7, 2022 | AWS event, Valley Vine, Wine event | 0 Comments

You may have heard the old adage, 'any port in a storm'. Well, I'm here to tell you that just isn't right. Port wines are something special and have a deep rich history, and frankly, some are certainly worth seeking out for sipping in front of the fire during a storm!...