TWITs is turning 10 years old! Can you believe we've been doing tastings as a group for an entire DECADE?!? It boggles the mind. So to celebrate the New Year and an entire DECADE of TWITs, we are hosting an Anniversary Party.
Theme: TWITs 10 year Anniversary - Bring a bottle of your favorite wine from 2017 to share
Bring: TWITs should bring a bottle of your favorite wine that you tasted in 2017
How has TWITs changed your life?
"We are more knowledgeable about wine."
-Rachel & Chris
"I moved to Atlanta a few years back I did not know anyone, having been introduced to Abbie via Rheinallt, she invited me to TWITs and this has given me social events every month to look forward to, a lot of good laughs, fine food, and amazing wine. But most of all, I have made new friends!! I am now encouraging my parents to start a wine club modeled on TWITs back home, because after their last move they have not yet managed to make new friends."
-Crystal
"We have really enjoyed finding a community of folks who enjoy and take wine seriously, but don't seem to take themselves to seriously. Everyone we've met in TWITs has been warm and generous, interesting and insightful, and we've truly enjoyed the camaraderie we've experienced so far, along with learning more about and tasting some great wines!"
-Chase & David
"TWITS has expanded my vocabulary for describing wine, and I've tasted varietals I wouldn't have even have considered before."
-Karin
"TWITS helped me see wine in a more vino-culturally sensitive and socially savvy way."
-Joshua
"We’re so new, TWITs hasn’t had much change on our existence ... and I don’t know if we have fully realized how much TWITs will change our lives in the 10 years to come, but we look forward to finding out!!"
-Crissy & Steve
"TWITs changed my life by opening me up to wine regions around the world I would not have considered before. It was a TWITS gathering that encouraged us to plan a trip to Burgundy which was one of the best trips we've had. Our passion for wine has grown so much, we are now having a wine cellar put in our house to hold all our wine - must keep our Burgundian wine at the correct temps!"
-Christy & Chad
"We have learned so much in the years we have been members of Twits! We have learned about different varietals of wine we would have never have normally tried and about different regions and how the terroir impacts the wine. We have also made some wonderful friends and had a lot of fun. Here’s to 10 more years! Cheers!"
- Kathy, Jamie, and Jackson
"I think the most important thing about TWITs for me is the lovely people I've met. I have a feeling that's going to be a lot of people's answer. But regardless, the monthly gatherings seem to attract high quality people & the wines themselves make for the perfect conversation starter. It helps me get out of my introverted shell. Thanks for all you guys do."
- Val
**FOOD**
1 lb of Foie Gras Torchon (from the Feeding Hannibal cookbook, this time I marinated the Foie in Fonseca Porto Bin No 27)
Toasted Baguette Slices
Sage Plum Berry Sauce
Caviar w Cremé Fraiche
Prosciutto wrapped melon
Stuffed mushrooms (soy chorizo & Italian cheese)
Mini quiche
Fromages (Dubliner, goat cheese, Brie)
Olives
Charcuterie
Strawberries
Crudités
Chocolate bites
**WINES**
Welcome Wine: NV Gruet Blanc de Noirs, New Mexico ~ $15 @ most wine shops
sometimes can get a good price on a case via Woot.com
75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay
12% Alcohol
1) NV Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs, California ~ $50 @ the winery itself
85% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay
12.7% alcohol
Sparkling, bubbly, fruity, bubblegum aroma, strawberry, smoked bamboo (just kidding),
Guesses:
Abbie guessed Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc but definitely not La Marca Prosecco
RH says it's too sweet to be that one
2) 2017 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, NZ ~ $13 @ CostCo or $20 elsewhere
100% Sauvignon Blanc
13% alcohol
still white wine, green apple, pith, sweet note, muscat, white flowers, quince, apple, honeysuckle, would be good in the hot tub, or on the porch
Guesses:
Karin - Albarino
Kathy - Sauvignon Blanc in USA
Chad, Janssen, Lauren, Val, Rachel - Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand
3) 2014 Yonah Mountain Chardonnay ~ $40 from winery
100% Chardonnay
13.3% Alcohol
floral, not quite as strong as a Jura, a lil funk, oaked, soft palate,
Guesses:
Abbie - French? no wait Semillon from Australia
Kathy - Chardonnay from California
Val - Chardonnay from Napa
Crissy - not 100% chardonnay, a blend?
Joshua - North GA wine
Karin - Semillon
4) 2016 Chateau d'Esclans Whispering Angel Rose, Provence - $23 @ Whole Foods
Rose Blend - varietal info not found online - assume GSM ?
13% alcohol
faint nose, light, refreshing, berries on finish, lot of citrus, pine tree, floral, minerally, mild, doesn't standout, pairs well with chocolate, light pepper on finish, the Vanishing Rose, it kissed the grape skins, made out, but no tongue, the palest pink.
Guesses:
Kathy - French
5) 2015 Domaine Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape - $80 @ PH Wine Merchant
Southern Rhone Blend
14.5% alcohol
cassis, grape nose, back in North GA?, Welch's grape jelly, menthol, licorice
Guesses:
Abbie - Gigondas
Lauren - French Bordeaux/young
Crissy - a sweet red
Kathy - Gamay from France
Matt - North GA
Joshua - Carmenere
RH - Oregon Pinot Noir
6) 2012 E. Guigal Chateauneuf du Pape - $40 @ CostCo
Southern Rhone Blend
14.5% alcohol
smells like foie gras, licorice
Guesses:
Abbie - Italian Barbera
Joshua - Bonarda
Rachel - West Coast CA
Crissy - Willamette, Oregon
7) 2014 Stinson Vineyards Cabernet Franc, Virginia - $23 @ Ansley Wine Merchant
100% Cabernet Franc
13.5% alcohol
Jammy, new oak, IDFK (I Don't F---ing Know) LOL
Guesses:
Kathy - Pinot Noir
Abbie - Sonoma Pinot Noir
Chad - Santa Barbara Pinot Noir
8) 2000 Podere Rocche dei Manzoni Vigna Cappella di Santo Stefano, Barolo DOCG, Italy - $60 from RH's personal cellar
100% Nebbiolo
14.5% alcohol
robusto, black licorice, currants, sherry, raisins, brandy, worcestershire sauce, tar on the nose
Guesses:
Abbie - Nebbiolo from Italy
Joshua - Tempranillo (but then changed his mind to Syrah from USA)
David - Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
9) 2013 Michel Schlumberger Deux Terres Cabernet Sauvignon - $35 on WTSO or $75 from Winery
100% Cabernet Sauvignon (50% each from each Terres, thus the name)
14.9% alchol
caramel, sweet nose, mmmmmm, honey and caramel, rainbows in the forest, dark and inky, we smell unicorns!,
Guesses:
Crystal - older wine, Australian Shiraz
David - 8 yrs old
Kathy - Chianti
Joshua - Tannat
Karin - Lebanon - no a French Cahors?
RH - Syrah from Sonoma
? - 2011 Brunello di Montalcino ?
10) 2012 St. Clair Winery D.H. Lescombes Petit Verdot New Mexico - $45-50 @ winery
100% Petit Verdot
15% alcohol
tar, asphalt, bell pepper, Cab Franc ? leather, desert, scrub brush, funky, earthy, smells like taint (we had to explain what taint meant, it was hilarious), New World Palate, Spices, pepper, fruit,
Guesses:
Karin - France
Abbie - Cabernet Franc
11) 2015 La Crema Pinot Noir, Sonoma - $21-22 @ most stores
100% Pinot Noir
13.5% alcohol
funky in a different way, bald eagles and freedom, rescuers down under, pine, mineral, earth, chewy, cassis note but not overpowering, soft nose
Guesses:
Chad - Pinot Noir Sonoma
RH - Pinot Noir Burgundy
Joshua - Pinot Noir Argentina
Abbie - Pinot Noir Willamette
12) 2016 Rue de Perle Grand Vin Bordeaux - $15 @ Kroger
Bordeaux blend
13% alcohol
grandma's perfume, flabby, don't like, plums, cinnamon
Guesses:
Karin - Italian
WINNERS:
We had 4 prizes for those who did well with guessing the wines. Our winners were:
RH, Chad, Kathy, & Joshua
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