DUE TO WEATHER, WE WILL POSTPONE THIS TASTING UNTIL MARCH 16.
On Mach 27, 2004, something special happened in the basement level of the Black Building in downtown Fargo. My friend, Mike Jore and I, organized our first meeting of the Red River Valley American Wine Society. That tasting drew a dozen or so interested folks who assembled to learn about and taste the Syrah grape. Since that fateful day in March, we have met over 160 times to learn about and enjoy this wonderful thing we call wine. Wine appreciation through education is our mission and that continues today stronger and more fun than ever.
Join us on Saturday, March 9 as we celebrate our anniversary and continue our tradition of education and tasting as we explore the world of Petite Sirah. First planted in the 19th century in California, the petite sirah grape was a mystery for a very long time. It wasn’t until 1997 that the grape was identified as being genetically identical to the durif grape in France. Petite sirah was long used as a blending grape for what was known as ‘Burgundy’ in California. The grape grows as small, compact berries with a very high skin-to-juice ratio that results in an almost inky-dark color and high tannins. This allows petite sirah to have a great aging potential. As a stand alone varietal, petite sirah in California outshines its twin in France. It produces a relatively acidic wine with herbal and black pepper components complimenting the dark fruits. We will be exploring wines made from this grape sourced from around the world.
PS I Love You – Petite Sirah
Saturday, March 16, 7:00 pm
Hosted by Rupak and Britney Gandhi
7499 16th St S, Fargo, ND, 58104
$25 members, $35 non-members
Please RSVP by Thursday, March 14
Wine regions around the world are often associated with the characteristic varieties of grapes that grow in those regions. For example, Australia has Shiraz, Burgundy has Pinot Noir, and Spain has Tempranillo. Undoubtedly the national grape of Portugal is Touriga Nacional. The dry red wines of the Duoro Valley express the characteristic rich robust spicy black fruits with hints of violets because of this grape. It is also one of the main grapes used to produce the famous port wines of the region. The grape has migrated throughout the world and is now being grown in many new world regions. Please join us as we explore the many flavors of Tourgia Nacional in all its glory.
Last month’s Napa Cabernet wine tasting was certainly a tour de force of wine experiences. But our World Tour of Cabernet Sauvignon does not stop there. This venerable grape is grown throughout the world and expresses in unique ways. Next we will be heading down under where we will visit amazing grape growing regions along the south western coast of Australia. Powerful and luscious cabs from the moderate climates of Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale provide plush deep flavors with soft tannins. In Coonawarra, rich red terra rosa soils and and a warm to hot climate provides for great ripening to bring down those bell pepper flavors. And Margaret River provides a good balance of hot daytime temperatures and cooler evenings that lowers the acidity and reaches depths of ripeness other regions do not. Join us on Saturday, September 8 as we explore the Cabernets of Australia.
From the stony cliffs of Corsica to the valleys and plateaus of Lebanon, the wine regions around the Mediterranean Sea offer a unique variety of soils, climates and grapes. Join us as we tour the Mediterranean in search of fine wine and fun times. We will visit the islands of Crete and Sicily and make a stop in Israel along the way.
Babich, Valdiguie, Sagrantino, Bobal. These are just a few of the obscure grapes we will explore at our next AWS wine tasting. While we are most familiar with a handful of vinifera grape varieties for wine (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir), there are over 10,000 different grape varieties for wine. Join us on Saturday, May 12 to experience some of these lesser known more obscure varieties.
With the arrival of Spanish missionaries to South America in the 1500’s came the wine industry. While the wines of South America today bear little resemblance to the wines of the 16th century, the history and culture is infused in their extraordinary wines. In the 19th century, French agronomists introduced classic European varieties such as malbec, carménère and cabernet sauvignon. Thus, there is a rich array of tastes to explore. Join us as we travel to Chile, Argentina and Uruguay to discover the flavors of the south.