October Wineology Wrapup Thu, Nov 02, 23 THIS SATURDAY - November 4 - it's the return of our New York State Wine & Spirits tasting. This is an event that can't be missed. It's from 1 to 5pm, and the store will have over 30 wineries and distilleries represented, offering samples of their products. It's a great time to stock up on your favorites and also to try new wines and spirits and talk to the producers about what makes them special. As always, we'll be donating 25% of all proceeds from the sale of New York State wines and spirits to a local organization; this year's partner is New York State Special Olympics!.Exit 9 is excited to be hosting this great event again, and we look forward to seeing you here!On the wine side, Dave and I wrapped up Wineology classes for 2023. All the classes were full, and we so appreciate everyone's support and enthusiasm. Some stand-out bottles from the classes include: From Dominique's class on Zinfandel, the 2020 Turley Old Vines Zinfandel proved that Turley's dedication to Zinfandel in the Napa Valley, which started in 1993, continues to impress.Turley is well known for producing some outstanding wines, and this one was lovely, with bright berry notes laced with some stone fruit and hints of dusty yet delicious dried flowers and a fine fruit finish. No wonder it scored 93 points from Robert Parker.Dave conducted a blind tasting class of select red wines from North and South America, which is always interesting and a fun time as palates are challenged to pick the right wines. A stand-out in this class was the Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot. Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State's leading producer and this Merlot from their Indian Wells Vineyard site was smooth and clean and fruit-forward, with lots of dark cherry notes and a lingering finish. The wine & cheese pairing class Dominique did demonstrated that it does make a difference when you really focus on the cheeses with wines selected to best complement them.Champagne and Chablis with Brie; Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel with Aged Cheddar; Sauternes and Port with Gorgonzola. All the combinations were winners in their own ways, but the Stewarts Point Cabernet Sauvignon from the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma was super yummy, bringing prune, stewed red fruit, and some tobacco notes to complement the sharp aged cheddar. The month ended with Dave's class on winemakers' different styles of Riesling. The class tasted 5 Rieslings from around the world, even Australia. The wines ranged from dry to sweet. There's something about ending the class with a lovely sweet wine - it lingers. This one was the Kreuznacher Riesling Auslese. Auslese translates to "late harvest," which means the grapes are kept on the vines until they are very ripe, which increases the sugar level. This wine finished with delicious honeysuckle and melon notes.If you missed the classes but are interested in the wines we tasted, let us know. We'll be happy to tell you about them. Dave also put together an info sheet on "mid-priced red wines to match our weekly meals," detailing flavor profiles of some popular grapes to help with pairing ideas for what he likes to call "Monday thru Friday wines." Let's not forget the words of Andre Simon, a prolific writer about wine: "Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized." Cheers! By Tyler Duma
