Written by Professor Michael Milgate
The Club’s 2024 Wine Tastings will start with a visit to the Americas…. How well do you know your Russian Rivers from your Calchaquies, Sta Rita Hills from La Consulta, or even your Yamhill-Carltons from your Saltas?
We will look at Oregon and Cali-for-ni-a in the US of A, and the major regions of Argentina – Mendoza, Patagonia and Salta and their sub regions, and some from Chile. Some of the wines will be from the highest-altitude commercial vineyards in the world.
While the usual American suspects will be on the list: Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Malbec, the hunt has started to find other delectable delights such as Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Chenin Blanc, Blanco Torrontes, Riesling, affordable Cabernet Sauvignon, Pais, Cinsault (all of these elusive wine capsules are known to grow in Chile and Argentina and have been known to have made it to Australia alas in minute quantities).
And there will be a few non-American surprises included in the tasting.
We are planning French (26 July) and Spanish (October) wine dinners in addition to these tastings, and for 2 or 3 of the tastings to be held across 2024 – please let us know any suggestions for what might be covered to see if we can accommodate them. We already have sparkling wines, Burgundy vs New World, and Bordeaux vs New World, as suggestions.
I’m also raiding my cellar to arrange a special Brokenwood tasting night with some wines being up to 27 years old (fingers crossed the corks for the wines from the late 1990s and early 2000s have not failed as Brokenwood went to screwcap with the 2002 vintage) – it will include a selection of white and red wines from their single vineyard wines across NSW, SA, VIC, WA, and NZ. He is sure that some 2000 and 2002 Graveyard will make an appearance.
Keep reading the Newsletters for more information about the 2024 Wine Tastings.
