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THE GRAPE WRAPPER
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VOL 1 ISSUE 8
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Greetings!
Things are still a bit foggy, I remember getting off the plane in Seattle, seeing some guys throwing fish, and then ordering a drink at the bar. My teeth are pretty much stained purple, so I must have had a glass or two of red wine.........
Bill Budzinski
The Elusive Grape
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WASHINGTON 2009: A WINE ODYSSEY
The Washington Wine Commission invited forty people from
around the country to join them for one week of intensive exposure to
everything Washington
wine. In this group were some of the
smartest, savviest, most respected wine professionals in the country....... and
me. Included were several Master
Sommeliers, wine directors from some of the most prestigious restaurants and
resorts in the U.S, buyers from some of the largest retailers.......and me. So as an outsiders view from the inside, I
thought I'd share my experiences with you over the next several weeks. While on the road I attempted to keep a diary
of each day's events, so as I am able to decipher what was actually written, I
will pass my observances along to you. I
know many of you are very busy and don't have time to read the gibberish that
tends to flow through my fingertips, so in order to accommodate, all future
postings about the Washington Road Trip will be posted last in the NL's. First, though, I would like to say a few
things about my trip. It was one of the
best wine experiences I've ever had. Jen
asked me when I got home what wine or winery was my favorite, I told her I
couldn't decide. I tasted some
incredibly good wines, many of which we will have in the store soon, and met
some really nice people, some of whom will be visiting us here (This Tuesday,
Elise and Deborah Griffin will be here pouring samples- more about that
below). As a group, we did several blind
tastings, comparing Washington
wines- Rieslings, Syrahs and Cabs, to be exact- with their counterparts from
around the world. I have done numerous
such tastings in the past, but never with such a defined difference in styles,
tastes, etc. So that you too may enjoy
the experience, we will be duplicating each of the comparative tastings, please
contact me if you would like to take part, the first one on Rieslings will be
on Wednesday the 28th here at the Grape, more to follow...... Oh yeah, I can't seem to find my camera so the only pictures I have of the trip are those that I had previously backed up onto my computer, so hopefully there will be more in the future. Here is the sunset over Puget Sound on my first night there......almost poetic.
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MEANWHILE, BACK IN FLORIDA....
Actually the picture is of when we landed in the Tri-Cities......As I mentioned last week, Deborah and Elise Griffin, from
the Barnard Griffin Winery, in, you guessed it, Washington,
will be here this Tuesday evening pouring samples of several of their wines,
including the Syrah
Port, which I must say,
Kicks A@#. No more so than the rest of
their wines, just in a different way.
All of the wines being poured will be marked down 30% to purchase that
evening, none will cost more than $20, which is an incredibly good deal for
wines of this caliber. They were both
very gracious hosts while I was out in Washington,
and I look forward to returning the favor, I hope you are able to join us. Stop down anytime between 6:30 and 8:00 and
try some very nice wines, this event is free to Elusive Grape customers.
So remember last week, when I said we'd be having a tasting
for Ferrari-Carano here on Thursday the 22nd, well, let's pretend I
never wrote that. Instead, let's look
forward to a date in the very near future, when I will again be announcing that
Teri Rolari, from F-C will be here pouring samples and recruiting new members
for their wine club, that day will be soon.
I hear that last Thursday's Trivia night was well attended
and that the Rogue Scholars walked away as champions, thank you to Michael
Fronk and Suzy for doing a fantastic job in my stead. As a reminder, each week's scores are
cumulative throughout the month with the winning team overall getting a very
interesting prize,
This Saturday is the Great Bowls of Fire Chili Cook-off, in
Downtown DeLand, teams from around the universe will be here to compete for
what are undoubtedly, better prizes than those that are awarded for trivia, but
probably only slightly. I will not be an
official entrant for the competition, but I will be preparing chili here at the
Grape. So after you've sampled everyone
else's, stop by and see how mine compares, and please lie to me and tell me
it's the best you've ever had, I'll try to not let it go to my head. There will be plenty of cold beer, the games
will be on, and interesting people will probably abound.
Don't forget to check out the calendar at ElusiveGrape.com
for an updated list of current events happening here at the Grape and around
town. Also as a reminder, the Taste of
Florida event is next Saturday, the 24th, as is the Rotary Club of
Downtown DeLand's Golf tournament at Victoria Hills- we need more golfers so if
you are interested and willing to play, call me for details, it's only $75 per
person, which includes lunch and fantastic prizes. Have a great week, and I hope you are able to
join us on Tuesday for the tasting.
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WINE LOG: ROAD TRIP
So I'm
riding in the back of a bus, eating fried chicken from a gas station, drinking a 24 oz Modelo beer and listening to
Truckin' by the Grateful Dead.....not bad.
The Elusive Grape
133 N. Woodland Blvd.
DeLand, Florida 32720
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