The Current Wine Quest

For the past year I have been trying hard to become a member of a small club. The club is based in New York and it was during my time in Ithaca that I first heard of the club. Before I continue, answer these questions, how many grape varieties do you think there are in the world? How many are made in to wine and how many do you think you have had? Let's see. Cab Sauv, syrah, merlot, pinot noir, zinfandel, chardonnay, sauv blanc, pinot grigio, and riesling. Those are the "biggies". And yet that's only 9. The club I'm interested in is called the Wine Century Club.

To be a part of this club, you have to taste at least 100 varieties of grape in wine form.

Check out the link in my links and go to the application. How many can you check off?

As of last Friday, I just checked off grapes 94,95, and 96. All thanks to the Freixenet Cordon Negro Cava and the grapes known as macabeo, xarello, and parellada. A little bit different than the grapes you have probably heard of, huh? Well, it's actually pretty easy to get in to some high numbers if you try.

You'll be surprised how many you can accumulate thanks to some of the hybrids and American grapes that many wineries produce. You've probably heard of Niagara, it's the same grapes they use for grape juice. Smaller wineries in not so common wine states grow or make many wines with these grapes. I think it got toughest around grape sixty. You have to start looking for random and rare grapes after that. Different countries with random blends still count.

If you want to give it a shot, you won't regret it. You'll learn so much about wine from other countries. Plus, you'll be able to walk in to any wine shop and throw everyone off by asking for random grapes. You never know, maybe you will realize that grapes such as Marsanne and Mourvedre might turn out to be your new favorites. Who needs those boring, typical grapes?!