April Wine Focus: What'll it be?

[Robin Garr]

It's going to be tough to beat the participation we had this month, with the Value around $20 topic having yielded great conversations and TNs and even spawned a permanent successor!

Maybe we can do it, though!

Having done a "natural" white burgundy post today, I got to thinking about an Iron Wino throwdown between "natural" and "spoofy" wines, but would anybody take the spoofy ones? Would it be too hard to define? I kind of like it, though.

Other thoughts? April starts Tuesday, so we need to put on our thinking caps pronto.

I got to thinking about an Iron Wino throwdown between "natural" and "spoofy" wines, but would anybody take the spoofy ones? Would it be too hard to define? I kind of like it, though.

What does that mean? Post notes on either 'natural' or 'spoofy' wines? In general or limited to a certain region/grape?

[Robin Garr]

What does that mean? Post notes on either 'natural' or 'spoofy' wines? In general or limited to a certain region/grape?

I got nuthin'. I was just throwing a live snake on the table to see who'd yell and what they would say.

I have an idea that might work..."wines on the bottom shelf".
Many times I walk around a winestore and think why did they put this wine on the bottom shelf where it is hard to discern what it is? It is not always Gallo, Blossom Hill down there!
The other day I found some white Roussanne from Languedoc there, also a nice looking bunch of Riojas.

Just my 2 cents worth.

My research reveals that "Natural" means "Perhaps Mostly", and "Spoofy" means "Made From Overripe Grapes."

For a topic: How about East of the Rockies and West of the Atlantic?

[David M. Bueker]

Carl,

Can I twist and enlarge that one to "old grapes in new places"?

Thinking that we could hit things like Pinot Meunière in Virginia, Trousseau in California and even Merlot in Tuscany to name a few examples.

[Robin Garr]

Carl,

Can I twist and enlarge that one to "old grapes in new places"?

Thinking that we could hit things like Pinot Meunière in Virginia, Trousseau in California and even Merlot in Tuscany to name a few examples.

I like that better. In all honesty, a Focus limited to American wines outside the usual wine regions would be rough for all our non-US participants, and to be blunt, not particularly interesting to many of us who do live in the US.

"Old grapes in new places" might be okay, although I wonder if it will generate a lot of enthusiasm. Maybe it will? Let's hear it, folks!

Limited selection of wines up here so would not really work for me but I go with the flow .
I think the other talked about thread is going to create a load of interest and participation.

"Old grapes in new places" needs a bit of interpretation. Looked at from this side of the pond, nearly all New World wines would qualify, but I don't suppose you mean that.

Anyway, it gives me a motivation to buy some Norman wine. Yes, there is at least one estate not far from where we live http://www.arpents-du-soleil.com/index.php which makes wines from varieties like Melon de Bourgogne and Pinot Gris and I think one red from Pinot Noir. But it is the apple and to a less extent the pear which reign here.

[Robin Garr]

"Old grapes in new places" needs a bit of interpretation. Looked at from this side of the pond, nearly all New World wines would qualify, but I don't suppose you mean that.

Yeah, I think we're still looking for a good topic, Tim.

More ideas, folks? Bear in mind wide audience appeal and a topic that's interesting enough to generate good conversations as well as TNs.

Based on the 10 year anniversary of "Sideways", how about Merlot?

Based on the 10 year anniversary of "Sideways", how about Merlot?

Shouldn't that make it "Anything BUT Merlot?"

Gary

Based on the 10 year anniversary of "Sideways", how about Merlot?

Shouldn't that make it "Anything BUT Merlot?"

Gary

Yes, Merlot tends to be despised by many of us wine geeks but some great wines are made from it (even 100% in some rare cases). I think that it would be worth challenging this community to find fine examples from this grape with, say, >60% in the blend.

No shortage of right-bank claret here; rather the reverse .

How about "Wines from unusual wine regions"? Of course, what wine regions are considered unusual is open to interpretation, too, but that's part of the fun. This would be an opportunity to open those bottles of Indian Merlot, Irouleguy, Michigan Riesling or Swabian Weissburgunder that might otherwise languish in the cellar.

Mark's post made me think of something he was close to - culling the cellar - things that have been lying around, but somehow never got opened.

[Robin Garr]

Well, we don't have a really good consensus this month, but that's okay, considering how well the March topic took off.

We'll go with "Let's not get all Sideways over Merlot" for April.

[David M. Bueker]

The comment about a cellar cull did bring one final thought: orphan bottles. It's always hard to open the last one.

[Robin Garr]

The comment about a cellar cull did bring one final thought: orphan bottles. It's always hard to open the last one.

Wouldn't that pretty much limit the audience to those who cellar, though?

Merlot is a good subject. I have found some on the bottom shelf .

No decision! Is this an April Fool???