This was a 2009 riesling from the Columbia Valley of Washington. A bit on the sweet side, it was fruity and refreshing and medium bodied. Amy said she "sees it on alot of menus." Timm and Corinne both gave it a 'thumbs up' but also suggested that they may not want to drink alot of it because it was so sweet. We enjoyed it with Amy's appetizer of delicious ricotta cheese from Claudio's in South Philly, sliced fresh figs and Savannah honey (from a pump--very impressive). With 11% alcohol, this wine scored a 24 of possible 35. (Laura, our beloved vocabulary/adjective expert was feeling poorly and didnt' join us.)Next up was a 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris from Elk Cove Vineyards. This wi
ne was very light, both in color and in mouth feel. Corinne liked how light it was, but was disappointed that it didn't have much 'fruity flavor.' Tony commented that he may enjoy it more "if it was colder" but with each subsequent sip, he admitted he "liked it more and more." Yash remarked that it was "alcohol-like" and at 13.5%, was higher than our first offering. The wine scored only a 16.5, again out of 35.As we settled in for bottle #3 of the night, Amy noted that we had actually tried this wine in a 2010 Wine Club event, but since our recall was almost non-existent, we continued. A 2008 Chateau St. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling from Columbia Valley (alcohol 11.5%) was our repeat wine and it was a winner. Scoring the highest points of the night at 26, everyone felt that "this wine was a good wine that alot of people would like." Light on the nose, pretty colored, and not too sweet. John made what was perhaps the best critique of the evening as he said, "Eroica was a dramatic piece of music, but not a dramatic wine."
Though following right behind the night's winner, the next wine turned out to also
be a 'fan favorite' of the evening. A 2007 white wine from Washington States's Columbia Crest Two Vines Vineyard #10. This wine, a bit more golden in color, did not have much aroma, but was described as "smooth and refreshing." Yash thought it tasted, "nutty." This was a blend of three varietals: chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and semillon. Tony thought that this tasted much better with food. It scored a 23.5 which was the second highest score of the evening.Pause and gratitude should be given at this point to the meal which Tony lovingly prepared (and grew in his own garden). Starting with a delicious salad of garden greens featuring Tony's tomatoes, dill and cucumbers, we continued on to a lipsmacking dinner of grilled jumbo shrimp, rice, and spinach. At some point, we reviewed oxymorons like 'jumbo shrimp' and given the strong healthcare presence in the room, got to talking about 'for profit hospice' and living wills. Don't ask how that happened, but we did make sure everyone promised to address their healthcare power of attorney forms and advance directive forms before year's end. See? And you all thought we were just drinking!!
Returning to our last two wines, we quickly dispersed of them to get to Amy's homemade desserts! The 2008 Columbia Valley Semillon, L'Ecole No 41, scored a mere 9 points from us. Clearly not many of us are semillon fans as this wine was 89% semillon and 11% sauvignon blanc. The other last wine, a 2008 Columbia Valley Waterbrook Melange wine scored 19. Corinne affectionately called it "the kitchen sink" wine as it was made of seven different grapes. From the top down, 30% riesling, 20% gevurtraminer, 15% viognier, 10% sauvignon blanc, 10% chardonnay, 10% pinot gris, and 5% muscat. A real "melange" of grapes! But not a repeat wine.
The evening ended on a sweet note as Amy brought out her home-made triple ginger ice cream and Vietnamese cinnamon ice cream. Two flavors to accompany her home-made, organic, gluten-free peach and blueberry crumb/cobbler. Let me just say, there was not much talking at the table once dessert was served. Oh, and did I mention the Termini's cheesecake? Yes, we had that too.
All in all, another wonderful Wine Club event. Thank you to our gracious hosts, Tony and Timm. Until our next meeting, get out there and have some grape adventures!!
