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October 2007 Contra Costa Wine Group
Newsletter
Because the
Oakland A’s
Fireworks extravaganza on September 28, 2007 got in the way of our
last meeting, I was “unable” to attend. The meeting was held at the
home of Peter and Martha Dragovich in
Martinez, who, I’m sure, provided the best in
hors d’oeuvres and ambience. Peter was kind enough to provide me
with notes on Steve Abbanat’s presentation at that meeting. Here
they are:
“Steve Abbanat led an
informative discussion on wine blending. Principles to keep in
mind: blending is used for combining one or more well made wines
that, standing alone, lack certain qualities. A seriously flawed
wine cannot be made into a good wine through blending; it will just
pull the better wine down. When blending, consider the,
"attack/mid-palate/finish" profile. Some wine will have a favorable
first impression (attack) but fade in the mid-palate and finish.
Other wines may have a different and complementary profile to the
wine you are attempting to improve. Steve passed out a graph
showing the profile for five varietals and how the
"attack/mid-palate/finish" profile typically varies, suggesting the
potential role of those varietals in blending to produce a
more-satisfying wine. Steve pointed out that some whites such as
Viognier can be blended with reds in small quantities to improve the
floral aromas of the wine. As many of us in the club have
experienced, even small variations in the ratio of one wine to
another in a trial blend can produce a marked change in the
character of the wine, so it is a good idea to make test blends
within narrow ranges as you work your way through blending trials.
Steve's handouts including a Wine Blending Profile Sheet with nine
defined criteria for your use in blending trials are attached.”
Peter
(Secretary’s Note: I’m sending Steve’s
handout in a separate email and you can decide whether you want to
review it or not. This avoids the dial-up connection file size
problem that some of our members do have.)
Our next meeting will be held on
Friday, October 26, 2007. I’m not sure of our program yet. Lance
Bellamy, Directeur General of Left Bank Restaurant in
Pleasant Hill
is currently trying to free up his schedule for us. He needs to
find someone to cover for him at the restaurant. If Lance is able
to do so, he’ll have Carte Blanche to discuss whatever his little
heart desires, as long as it is wine-related. If Lance is able to
make it, the meeting will, I’m sure, be a success.
If Lance is unable to
come, I’ll lead a round-robin discussion on the current harvest and
how everyone’s fermenting/fermented grapes are coming along. On top
of that, the CCWG needs to come up with next years’ Program
Committee; pass around the “Host Homes” sign-up list for next year;
discuss the December 7, 2007 Nouveau Night and start signing up
volunteers for the 30th Annual Contra Costa Wine Group
Professional Tasting and Potluck Dinner event that will be held on
Saturday, January 26, 2008. In other words, there’s lots to talk
about! Our meeting will also, of course, be a social evening
for everyone to enjoy. Mark your calendars now and plan on
attending. It’ll prove very worthwhile to everyone attending.
The next meeting,
Friday night, October 26, 2007, starting at around 7:30 p.m.
will be held at the home of Tom and Barbara Anders at their home in
Walnut Creek.
WHAT TO BRING:
A folding chair, a jacket (as we intend to have the meeting
outside, unless it rains.), a wine glass and a bottle of your finest
vintage, or a bottle of purchased wine that you think the attendees
might like to try. Please try and attend as the CCWG has a lot on
its plate to address.
If you haven’t paid your annual dues yet,
please do so. I’m mailing the WineMaker Magazine subscriber list
into the Publisher at the end of this month. I’d like your
subscription to continue, uninterrupted, and get our new members
started. Make your check out to the “Contra Costa Wine Group” and,
either bring it to the meeting on the 26th or mail it to
our Treasurer, Lee Wines at 1105 West K St., Benicia, CA 94510. The
current new member Annual Dues are $45.00 and, as you’re now
delinquent, continuing memberships are $55.00. We definitely
want you to continue as a member, we can always use the money!
Respectfully
submitted, Al Turner, Secretary, Contra Costa Wine Group |
