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Wine Focus 2021 - Introduction

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David M. Bueker

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Wine Focus 2021 - Introduction

by David M. Bueker » Fri Jan 01, 2021 10:48 am

Welcome to 2021. We had a rough year across the globe in 2020, but hopefully 2021 will get better as it goes along. While we wait for our shots (!!), let's go back to school for Wine Focus 2021. This year it's all about the grapes. If you find a wine from Antarctica it qualifies if it's the right grape(s) for the month.

-- Sorry Tom Hill - no Falkland Islands Refosco this year. ;) --

One thing that is different is that we are going to give you the entire year's schedule up front. See below for the class schedule.

The year will be divided into 4 "semesters." We'll start the first semester with Wine 101 - Cabernet Sauvignon, and then move onto Wine 102 - Chardonnay, and Wine 103 - Pinot Noir. The second semester will still be familiar names, starting with Wine 201 - Merlot - "Star or Co-Star." Because it's still the WLDG, and we like to have a bit of fun, we'll keep the fifth month of the year the same as 2020, and take on Wine 202 - GaMay! The second semester closes with Wine 203 - Riesling.

Hopefully by the second half of the year most of us will have gotten access to a vaccine, and things will be turning back towards whatever normal is. Our third semester (summer school?) will take on three varieties that are generally considered regional specialties. But as with the rest of the year, the wines can come from anywhere. Wine 301 - Cabernet Franc will be our July focus, with Wine 302 - Grüner Veltliner for what we hope is the high vacation month of August. We'll then bridge summer and fall with Wine 303 - Zinfandel.

The last semester will be a little bit different, as we'll get into advanced grape blending. Wine 401 will cover Syrah and it's close friends Grenache and Mourvèdre. Have them together or have them solo. It's all good. Wine 402 is about blending the "big 3" of Bordeaux fame. Instead of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc as solo acts, try them together. The blend doesn't matter (please let us know the blend if you can), just trying two or three of the great red grapes together. Finally we'll close the year in Wine 403, with the festive blend of Champagne.
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Peter May

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Re: Wine Focus 2021 - Introduction

by Peter May » Wed Jan 20, 2021 11:17 am

Thanks, David, for posting themes in advance.

First 6 months there will be little input from me, as apart from a varietal merlot I got in a 'mystery' box, I have none of the featured varietals. -- oh, unless I've a BdB Champagne....
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Re: Wine Focus 2021 - Introduction

by David M. Bueker » Thu Jan 21, 2021 6:52 pm

Peter May wrote:Thanks, David, for posting themes in advance.

First 6 months there will be little input from me, as apart from a varietal merlot I got in a 'mystery' box, I have none of the featured varietals. -- oh, unless I've a BdB Champagne....


Cabernet is really an outlier Peter. Chablis and White Burg are fine for Chardonnay month. Red Burg is fine for Pinot month and so on. Cabernet is so often blended that it needed to stand on its own - at least to the labeling standards level.
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David M. Bueker

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Re: Wine Focus 2021 - Introduction

by David M. Bueker » Wed Jul 28, 2021 9:32 am

FYI - probably going to flesh out August a bit given the limited reach of my beloved Gruner Veltliner.
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