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LADV - Celebrating the Harvest and More
This event has already occured!
November 19, 2009 (Thu)
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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COST:
$70 members & $75 non-members (all inclusive)
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EVENT DETAILS:
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Les Amis du Vin (LADV) has been Austin's premier organization for consumers of fine wine for twenty years. Our events are both educational and fun. While I feel like having a party because of the shift to cooler weather, traditional celebrations this time of year are most-often about the success of the harvest. Well, OK, those in the northern hemisphere anyway; Fall and harvest occur six months later in the southern hemisphere; well, and some things are not harvested in the Fall - - but I digress. Certainly, as wine is a product of farming, a bountiful and high-quality grape harvest is something to celebrate.
The most renowned wine-related harvest event that I know of is, of course, that associated with the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau that occurs every year on the third Thursday of November. In that appellation, the winemakers employ a special process to turn a small portion of their harvest of Gamay grapes into a wine which is quite palatable, though not stellar, only a few weeks after the grapes are picked. While one can discern some quality traits in this vin de primeur, its real purpose is as the basis for a celebration (and also to the wineries as a marketing tool). And, although the outlook for the 2009 vintage is for lower yields but very high quality (picking only began the beginning of September), a few glasses of pleasant quaffable wine is a good start, but is not sufficient for an entire event.
Fortunately, there is more. When most people hear “Beaujolais”, sadly their only notion is that of the nouveau wine. True wine lovers, on the other hand, think first of the “cru” wines of the region, and thrill at the names of Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Juliénas, Saint Amour, Morgon, and Moulin à Vent. The better grapes undergo a ‘normal’ winemaking process, to produce what the French consider to be “Burgundy light”. The Beaujolais appellation, which adjoins the southern border of Burgundy, produces fabulous medium-bodied wines from the Gamay (not to be confused with California-produced “Napa Gamay” which must now be legally labeled as “Valdeguié”). And, like its cousin the Pinot Noir, the vine is sensitive to its terroir and produces wines with characteristics that change depending on which of the ten sub-regions it originates from. Because they are not as well-known, these wines also tend to be great bargains. One needs to know and drink these wines, so let’s do it.
OK, a harvest celebration plus a chance to explore some seriously-good value wines, that should make a really good event. Only one more thing could make it great. French-themed surroundings and great food would truly ice the cake. So, a plan for an event has come together. Join me, along with our hosts Terry and Jacques, at the newly redecorated Aquarelle restaurant. We will begin the evening casually, sampling three different 2009 nouveau bottlings alongside appetizers. The main course will be accompanied by a variety of three fairly-recent cru Beaujolais wines, chosen to demonstrate the range of aromas and flavors that spring from the differing cru terroirs which bore them. And, just to show you that these are, in fact, ‘real’ wines, we will wrap-up with a nice cheese course served alongside Beaujolais with a few mores years of aging.
So make plans to roll up your sleeves and combine an evening of learning with a celebration of the harvest. You may soon end up like me, seeking out these great values and treating yourself and friends to yet another wonderful wine experience.
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