Wine Wednesday ~ The CONTINUED Quest for Lesser Known Grapes

Wine Wednesday (the continued quest for lesser known grapes)                                  by Marty Cook

Our Pennsylvania Wine Society Wine Wednesday event this past week was such a success that a consensus of its participants determined we should repeat the same theme again!

For those of you who were unable to attend our last Wine Wednesday, the challenge was to avoid purchasing a wine for the event that belonged to the expanded Wine Folly list of eighteen Noble Grapes.

THE EIGHTEEN (alphabetized as a memory aid)

Cabernet Sauvignon

Chardonnay

Chenin Blanc

Gewurztraminer

Grenache

Malbec

Merlot

Moscato

Nebbiolo

Pinot Grigio

Pinot Noir

Riesling

Sangiovese

Sauvignon Blanc

Semillon

Syrah/Shiraz

Tempranillo

Viognier

Fully 50% of the wine we drink comes from that list of eighteen grapes! In the meantime, we overlook tasting wines that come from nearly 1,400 other recognized wine grapes.

In the interest of combating homogeneity, please purchase a wine made from grapes NOT on the list of eighteen Noble Grapes. This may take a bit of digging, or you can just go to your nearest Fine Wine & Good Spirits store and ask your friendly neighborhood Wine Specialist for some help!  Below is a short list of possible lesser-known grape/wine selections that may give some idea from which to choose a wine made with a lesser-known grape varietal.  With nearly 1,400 grape possibilities, your success is ensured!

Here is a short list of possible lesser-known grape/wine selections

Aglianico
Albariño
Apremont (Jacquère is the grape)
Arneis
Barbera
Blaufränkisch (also known as Lemberger)
Bobal
Carménère
Dolcetto
Dornfelder
Gavi
Gros Manseng
Malvasia
Marsanne
Marselan
Mencia
Mondeuse
Montepulciano
Muscadet (Melon-de-Bourgogne is the grape)
Nero d’Avola
Petit Manseng
Petit Sirah
Petit Verdot
Pinot Blanc
Pinotage
Rkatsiteli
Roussanne
Sagrantino
Saperavi
Teroldego
Torrontés
Touriga Nacional
Verdicchio
Vermentino
Zweigelt
Plus, there are any number of hybrid grapes from which to choose. Some of the above are actually hybrids of strictly V. vinifera parentage; but, I am referencing the hybrids that have parentage from two grape species, i.e. V. vinifera, V. labrusca, V. aestivalis, and V. riparia.

Also, please take a photo of your wine label in advance and send a copy to [email protected]. We will share label photos to the screen on Wednesday evening.

Join us Wednesday to share your discovery with everyone else that evening.  This past week’s lesser-known grapes tour was so interesting and enjoyable that the group elected to do it again next week – the best recommendation a gathering could have!   If you want to enjoy some mid-week social time over a glass of wine, please consider joining us this coming Wednesday, March 3^rd at 7:00 p.m. Eastern for our next installment of Wine Wednesday!

You are invited to join us for a Zoom conference call on Wednesday 03.03.2021 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Topic: 03.03.2021 “Wine Wednesday”

Time: Mar 3, 2021 06:45 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Click this link to join our Meeting:

https://zoom.us/j/98618036026?pwd=U0p0aS9YRjBCa3JJSmM5U1JPditWUT09

Meeting ID: 986 1803 6026

Passcode: 352048

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