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Godforsaken Grapes II ~ Wines of Lesser-Known Grapes
February 18, 2022 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
$45 – $60
Preparing for this event has been a lot of fun. I began selecting and setting aside wines in anticipation of staging Godforsaken Grapes II almost immediately after the first Godforsaken Grapes event concluded on February 18th of 2020. That was before the shutdown in March 2020, which seems like a million years ago. It has been an especially long time because the pandemic forced us to postpone plans for a Godforsaken Grapes event in February 2021.
To refresh your collective memory, allow me to make a brief explanation of the premise for this upcoming event. It is based on Jason Wilson’s book “Godforsaken Grapes”, in which he chronicles a two-year effort to track down wines from the world over that are made from lesser known, rare, and sometimes nearly extinct grape varieties. Many of the wines are varietals, i.e., wines named after the grape variety. So, the name of the grape says it all. It’s all about the grapes!
In the intervening two years since February 2020, I collected nearly thirty prospective wines from which to assemble this year’s program. My co-host Joe Via and I got together several Saturdays ago and set about the task of determining which eleven wines we would present to our audience. I had already whittled down the field of possibilities to eighteen wines before Joe and I convened.
I arrived at Joe’s home in mid-morning, and we set about our task with gusto! What you may not realize is the difficulty of the task with which we were faced. Perhaps the best way to explain this is to tell you the names of the delicious wines that were runners-up to the eleven finalists. The wines that did not make the cut:
Aligote (White) France – Burgundy’s “other” white grape.
Gros Manseng (White) France – A delightful South France variety.
Marselan (Red) France –A fuller-bodied French red with notes of dark cherry.
Pais (Red) Chile – One of two Pais we considered (also known as the Mission grape).
Rkatsiteli (White) Georgia – An ancient and thoroughly delicious cold-climate grape).
Scheurebe (White) Germany – It’s not all about Riesling in Germany!
Vernaccia (White) Italy – Another ancient grape and a rare Tuscan white.
This was a painful process of elimination, but we were very pleased with the prospects of the eleven finalists! So, beginning with our warmup wine and then following through with five whites and five reds, our field for Godforsaken Grapes II on Friday, February 18th is as follows:
Glera – (White) Sparkling — From northeastern Italy; grape used to make Prosecco.
Cortese – (White) Italy – Fruity on the nose, minerality on the palate.
Falanghina – (White) Italy – “Yumminess”, ripeness, flavor of the grape shows through.
Furmint – (White) Hungary – Simply outstanding! Very subtly oaked.
Rotgipfler – (White) Austria – Organic, spicy nose, crisp, fruity.
Sauvignonasse – (White) Slovenia – A French grape known as Sauvignon Vert.
Aglianico – (Red) Italy – A big wine with good fruit and tannins.
Lagrein – (Red) Italy – Medium to full bodied, rich and earthy.
Pais – (Red) Chile – The Pais we liked the best; a lighter red with easy drinkability.
Schiava – (Red) Italy – A totally balanced, smooth medium to full-bodied red.
Tannat – (Red) Uruguay – Another French grape from South France that excels in Uruguay.
You may notice that six of our eleven grapes are from Italy. This should not be much of a secret, as literally 25% of the world’s recognized wine grapes are indigenous to Italy. This is primarily due to the Romans’ influence and their love of wines of every type.
I must hasten to add that we will have door prizes again during this sequel of Godforsaken Grapes; but, this time, we will be giving away wines! Those wonderful wines that didn’t make the cut… well, we want you to experience them, even though they are not part of the evening’s package. So, every attendee will leave with a bottle of delicious wine!
Plan to attend this event, folks! If you were at the first Godforsaken Grapes in February 2020, then you know you will have a great time! My co-host and good friend Joe Via will be at the top of his game and we cannot wait to introduce you to eleven wines made from grapes that you may never have tasted before! So, join us to experience and savor these wines and learn about the grapes behind them!
Reservations for this event can be made online on the Pennsylvania Wine Society website at pawinesociety.org But don’t wait! Seating is capped at 48 attendees and seating is at a premium! Seating will also be at 4-top tables with adequate social distancing between tables.
100% complete COVID 19 vaccination proof is required to confirm event reservations. All Center for Disease Control and Pennsylvania Department of Health distancing and safety precautions as well as the Hilton Harrisburg’s practices and policies will be followed as we are their guests. Tables of 4 persons each may be reserved via communication with your reservation notes, or e-mail to the Treasurers.
This event takes place at the Hilton Harrisburg at 1 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA on Friday evening, February 18th at 7:00 p.m. EST. Indoor parking is available and preferred at the Walnut Street Parking Garage at a discounted price for all event attendees by having the hotel front desk personnel stamp your parking ticket. Please join us! Click here for reservations.
Members: $50 Patrons: $45 Nonmembers: $60