Looking for a challenge this summer? (And I’m not talking about keeping up with the yard work.) How does grape collecting sound?
Thanks to Steve De Long all you have to do is download his mega list of varietals, check off at least 100 that you’ve tasted and you can become a member of The Wine Century Club.
Only 590 people (including yours truly) have had the juice of the required number of grapes (and you can count blends) in their mouths. De Long says that he only hears from about three per cent of all the eager imbibers who get his list. He sends those that make the grade a snazzy certificate for their efforts.
If you’re looking to get started, try these two back deck whites perfect for warm weather sipping and made with some unique pieces of fruit. Ironstone Vineyard’s 2006 Obsession ($14.95 – $16.99) is a Californian that gets its soft, tropical personality from the Symphony grape.
Sogrape’s Gazela Vino Verde ($8.95 – $10.92) from Portugal is a non-vintage blend of Loureiro, Pedernã, Trajadura and Azal that’s light in alcohol (only nine per cent) with a zingy, lean, green, lime-infused flavour.
Join the club at www.winecentury.com.
(Prices reflect the range across the country. Some products may not be available in all provinces.)
– Peter Rockwell is the everyman’s wine writer, working in the liquor industry for more than 25 years and travelling the globe looking for something to fill his glass and put into words.
