What shall we do for December?

[Robin Garr]

Holidays! What shall we "focus" on? Let's hear it. Or do we already have a candidate on deck?

[David M. Bueker]

I'm going to try to blend a thought I received from Rogov with the idea of the holidays. Stop me if this seems totally wacky (likely).

"Give the Gift of a New Wine Experience"
The idea is to select something that you would want to introduce to others (i.e. something special to you that many others may not appreciate...yet), or something new and different to you (perhaps something from a gift exchange, those are always intersting - in both good and bad ways). So let's step away from the tried and true, and explore wines from less well known regions (e.g. Greece, Brazil, even Israel and Lebanon for those who don't know the wines yet) or less well known grapes (who hears a Norton?).

[Robin Garr]

Hmm! It IS a different approach, but Wine Focus is kind of like a haircut: Whether it's a good one or a bad one, it'll grow out in a month.

Let's hear what others have to say, but I'd be willing to give that offbeat approach a try!

Norton? Hmmm...I know a guy named Jules Norton....

All kidding aside, I'm all for the idea of little known wines/regions/ etc.

Best
Rogov

Back in February, I suggested local wines http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=29892&start=0. One criticism (by Jenise) was that the experience couldn't be shared by others, which might also apply to little known offbeat regions/grapes. The other criticism was that it was Winter and we should maybe do it in the Summer, when folks were more apt to visit local wineries. That didn't happen. So, I'm going to suggest it again.

[Robin Garr]

Back in February, I suggested local wines http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=29892&start=0. One criticism (by Jenise) was that the experience couldn't be shared by others, which might also apply to little known offbeat regions/grapes. The other criticism was that it was Winter and we should maybe do it in the Summer, when folks were more apt to visit local wineries. That didn't happen. So, I'm going to suggest it again.

Howie, this is a toughie. I really do want to be accommodating, but summer, winter, spring or fall, the underlying idea of Wine Focus remains, select a topic that's focused enough to have a unifying theme, yet broad enough that people all over the world can taste and discuss similar wines. Taking myself as an example, I can certainly run over to Huber's or Turtle Run and get a drinkable wine, but even if Bill P and Ryan and BobH all got the same wine, the conversation would be a short one, and nobody else in the group could share what we're tasting.

That doesn't mean it's not a good idea, and I really would be eager to find a way to make it work. So, how about this? Propose something similar to Wine Focus that we can do under a separate topic. I'll be happy to pin it to the top of the page, too. And you tell me when it would be a good time to do it. Personally, I still like the idea of doing it in a mild season when people are more likely to be eager to get out on a day trip to give some local wineries a try. But you tell me.

[David M. Bueker]

I would submit that a local wine is perfect for my proposed Focus. There's few boundaries (intentional) to the proposed topic to encourage participation.

[Robin Garr]

I would submit that a local wine is perfect for my proposed Focus. There's few boundaries (intentional) to the proposed topic to encourage participation.

Oh, sure! Sorry if I was ambiguous. A local wine would indeed be all right within your proposed Focus. I was just telling Howie frankly that I have an issue of accessibility with the idea of doing an entire month's Focus on local-to-you wine.

"local-to-you" wine is open to interpretation..for instance for me in Reno, Nevada, local would mean pretty much anything from the Sierra foothills (the California side). I am game for that.

Since the weather has turned cooler/cold, well for those of us away from the Equator & the Southern Hemisphere, how about Desert Wine/Sweet Wine/Stickies? This seems to be the time of year for many when these come into play what with the bigger get togethers and what not.

Since the weather has turned cooler/cold, well for those of us away from the Equator & the Southern Hemisphere, how about Desert Wine/Sweet Wine/Stickies? This seems to be the time of year for many when these come into play what with the bigger get togethers and what not.

When I first read the thread title, I, too, thought of Sauternes, ice wine etc.

Since the weather has turned cooler/cold, well for those of us away from the Equator & the Southern Hemisphere, how about Desert Wine/Sweet Wine/Stickies? This seems to be the time of year for many when these come into play what with the bigger get togethers and what not.

When I first read the thread title, I, too, thought of Sauternes, ice wine etc.

I like both ideas here, think it could be fun month. Wonder what Tim over there in Europe will come up with, wine from Luxembourg?!

Since the weather has turned cooler/cold, well for those of us away from the Equator & the Southern Hemisphere, how about Desert Wine/Sweet Wine/Stickies? This seems to be the time of year for many when these come into play what with the bigger get togethers and what not.

When I first read the thread title, I, too, thought of Sauternes, ice wine etc.

I like both ideas here, think it could be fun month. Wonder what Tim over there in Europe will come up with, wine from Luxembourg?!

Bob, I don't have to go that far. There is Belgian wine . Not so easy to find particularly when it means venturing out on icy roads and some of it quite expensive, e.g. Chard from Genoels-Elderen at >€30. There is even a wine grown in our own village which I had at a village fair but I haven' a clue how to find that. Belgians tend to be very contemptuous of their own (and Luxembourgeois) vinous efforts, so I will have to do a bit of searching to stay strictly local and pleasure, except from Genoels-Elderen, is likely to be limited.

Please, sir, may I include Mosel-Saar-Ruwer or Champagne, both about 250km away? Then I can really start singing.

[David M. Bueker]

Please, sir, may I include Mosel-Saar-Ruwer or Champagne, both about 250km away? Then I can really start singing.

If you're willing to drive then that would seem fine!

Please, sir, may I include Mosel-Saar-Ruwer or Champagne, both about 250km away? Then I can really start singing.

If you're willing to drive then that would seem fine!

Great news . Any wine which I have brought home from the vineyard by car qualifies; that includes wines from as far away as Rome .

[David M. Bueker]

Please, sir, may I include Mosel-Saar-Ruwer or Champagne, both about 250km away? Then I can really start singing.

If you're willing to drive then that would seem fine!

Great news . Any wine which I have brought home from the vineyard by car qualifies; that includes wines from as far away as Rome .

You don't think I am going to drink Connecticut wine do you? I'm at least going to open something from the Finger Lakes.

[Robin Garr]

Okay, we clearly have no consensus here, so since it's already December, let's go with David's good idea. It also would clearly accommodate the presentation of a local/regional wine for any of you who care to take it that way:

"Give the Gift of a New Wine Experience"

The idea is to select something that you would want to introduce to others (i.e. something special to you that many others may not appreciate...yet), or something new and different to you (perhaps something from a gift exchange, those are always intersting - in both good and bad ways). So let's step away from the tried and true, and explore wines from less well known regions (e.g. Greece, Brazil, even Israel and Lebanon for those who don't know the wines yet) or less well known grapes (who hears a Norton?).

Gentlefolk, start your corkscrews!

[James Roscoe]

Will Robin really revisit Norton?

[David M. Bueker]

Ok folks - I retitled this, as we seem to have a sort of consensus that something local is a great idea for the holidays. Obviously local means different things to different people, and that's completely OK! If you like to drive 300 miles to your favorite wine region to pick up some bottles then that's local enough for us.

So stay home for the holidays & drink some local wines. We should have a great level of diversity!

I haven't been very impressed by North Carolina wines. Shelton (Yadkin Valley) puts out a decent Riesling but I'm game to try one or two other NC wines this month. Some of the Biltmore wines are okay (although for some they source the grapes from out-of-state) so I may look for a couple of those that I can find at Harris Teeter grocery. I still have a few Finger Lakes wines around that are due to be opened so I may include those, although not local to me, to introduce them to forum participants who may not have experience with the region's wines.

[Robin Garr]

I haven't been very impressed by North Carolina wines. Shelton (Yadkin Valley) puts out a decent Riesling but I'm game to try one or two other NC wines this month. Some of the Biltmore wines are okay (although for some they source the grapes from out-of-state) so I may look for a couple of those that I can find at Harris Teeter grocery. I still have a few Finger Lakes wines around that are due to be opened so I may include those, although not local to me, to introduce them to forum participants who may not have experience with the region's wines.

No worries, we're not doing local only. Local is just one of many options under "home for the holidays."

I have been meaning to visit Black Ankle, a very buzzed-about local winery ("...leading the Maryland quality revolution .." or something like that). It's a mere 25 miles from my house.

I was at a Maryland wine festival a few months ago (BA wasn't there). Unfortunately, most of the wines were expensive and undrinkable (what exactly is strawberry Pinor Noir and what part of Maryland is hospitable to PN anyway?)

Dave

I haven't been very impressed by North Carolina wines. Shelton (Yadkin Valley) puts out a decent Riesling but I'm game to try one or two other NC wines this month. Some of the Biltmore wines are okay (although for some they source the grapes from out-of-state) so I may look for a couple of those that I can find at Harris Teeter grocery. I still have a few Finger Lakes wines around that are due to be opened so I may include those, although not local to me, to introduce them to forum participants who may not have experience with the region's wines.

I especially look forward to any report/s from Fingers Lake, heard so much about the region!

Forgive me for asking, does Virginia have a record for Viognier, someone?

[David M. Bueker]

Forgive me for asking, does Virginia have a record for Viognier, someone?

Yes, but it's a very short track.