This past weekend marked a special occasion for my husband and me. By opening a 2012 Cantina dell’Alunno Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG, Umbria, Italy, we have tasted 100 grape varieties.
That achievement qualifies us for membership in the Wine Century Club.
Becoming a Member
The club operates on the honor system. Would you want it any other way if you are true wine lover? Simply download the application and start tasting! You do get credit for varieties in the blends you drink, too.
I was faithful during our journey to keep detailed notes in my wine journal. Even if you don’t have aspirations of trying 100 or even 200 or 300 varieties, it’s an excellent way to develop your palette and learn what you like.
It’ll also tell you something about the wine store from which you purchase it.
100 Grape Varieties
I first took up the challenge of trying different wines when I read the book, Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine, by Madeline Puckette. The test was to try 50 different kinds of wine.
We said, bring it on!
Trying 100 grape varieties starts off easy, thanks to the likes of the grape variety, Gouais Blanc. Let’s just say it is the reason for many others to try. The first 50 were a piece of cake. However, you have to cross the pond if you’re serious about reaching 100.
Italy is a treasure trove for finding indigenous varieties and some value-priced offerings. Southern Italy was an especially excellent area to explore. We’ve adored our experiences with Negroamaro and Montepulciano, to name just two.
The Not-So-Fun Wines
Okay. Everyone is different. Thank goodness! The same applies to your wine tastes. Other than that awful lingonberry wine we choked down, we’ve only had two that stand out as less than favorites among the lot.
Pinotage, as I later learned, is one of those grapes that you either love or hate. The middle ground is sparse. It is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut. It is a decidedly South African variety, with a smattering of plantings elsewhere.
When we were nearing 100 grape varieties, I asked the owner at our local wine shop about her thoughts about Pinotage. Her hesitation said a thousand words.
The other wine we struggled with was Blaufränkisch. Being Hungarian, I wanted to like this bottle we bought.
I didn’t.
But, lesson learned. Sweet red wines aren’t my thing. The bottle we tried lacked structure and characters. I suspect is was just not the best example of this varietal.
On to the Next 100 Grape Varieties!
As I looked at our completed application, I took notice of the varieties we have let to try. Let’s just say that challenge only scratches the surface of what we have in store for us.
However, we’re seeing it as an opportunity. We’ve never sampled any wine from the Finger Lakes area. And, we’ve only tried some local hybrid grapes. Of course, we can’t forget Italy with its 2,000 varieties.
We also took our first step toward that next milestone this past weekend, too. We just tried our 101st wine. I love a challenge. The journey awaits for the next 100 grape varieties.
Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash