This Week in Wine

Posted by Keith Wallace in News, School

Down in the wine cellar for the first time this week. Looks like the condensation tank overflowed over the weekend, damn. Looking at our wine class calendar, this week is fairly slow. Two classes (Italy and 101) and a VIP event for some of the people at the Convention Center. There is a large (150+ person) private lecture on monday of next week, which I don’t have the wines for yet. Just found out that we must have the wines onsite by Friday. That is going to be tight. Time to do what I do best, build the wine lists. Better put some QOTS on the ipod…
Convention Center Lecture: The Wines of South America

Introduction by Pete Mitchell, Event Coordinator

First Flight: the Usual Suspect
1. Catena 2004 Chardonnay, Mendoza (AR)
“The Art of Tasting” with Keith Wallace, Director
Second Flight: Unknown Gems
1. Colonia La Liebres 2005 Bondarda, Mendoza (AR)
2. Bodega Norton 2003 Malbec, Mendoza (AR)
“Old Europe in the New World” with Lori Burgess, Director

Third Flight: The Big Boys
1. Luigi Borsca 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza (AR)
2. Miguel Torres 2003 Syrah, Maule Valley (CH)
“Classics Redefined” with Pete Mitchell, Event Coordinator

Fourth Flight: The Ticket
1. Kuyen 2003 Red, Valle de Maipo
“The Art of the Blend” with Brian Freedman, Adjunct Professor

Italy with Brian Freedman
This class is structured along geographical lines, north to south (whites), and then south to north (reds). The intention is to give people an understanding of the intense and impressive diveristy for most regions in Italy while touching on some of the important varietals of the country. Top it off, I wanted to make sure people had a few good Chairman Selections in the mix. Most importantly, I had to make sure the wines were not replicated in any class we had in the past six months. For that reason, I had to pull off a Di Majo Sangiovese, which for my money is the best Central Italian value. However, it is a feature of our Wine 101 class.. It was replaced by my next favorite, the Vitiano.

Whites, North & South
1. Anna SPinato 2004 Sauvignon, Piave
2. Feudi di San Gregario 2004 Falanghina, Sannio

Reds, South
1. Apollonio 2000 Primitivo, Salento

2. Di Majo Norante 2002 Aglianico, Molise

Reds, Central
1. Falesco 2003 Vitiano, Umbria

2. Nozzole 2000 “La Forra” Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany

Reds, North
1. Allegrini 2001 “La Grola”, Verona

2. Hastae 2000 “Quorum” Barbera d’Asti, Asti

Wine 101: Introduction to Wine with Mike Alleruzo
First Flight
1. Willi Haag 2004 “Brauneberger Juffer” Riesling Kabinett (GR)
Second Flight
1. Selaks 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (NZ)

2. Yering Station 2003 Chardonnay, Yarra Valley (AU)
Third Flight
1. Benton 2004 Pinot Noir, Oregon
2. Di Majo Norante 2004 Sangiovese, Molise (IT)
Fourth Flight
1. Las Rochas 2004  Garnacha, Calatayud (SP)
2. Domaine des Causses 2003 Lirac (FR)
Fight Flight

1. Radford Dale 2001 Merlot, Stellenbosch (SZ)

2. Terras 2003 “Reserva” Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza (AR)

More Epikur: Eric Arnold’s First Big Crush