10/31/05 – Shiraz / Syrah

By Jesse on October 31, 2005

Ed. (03/08): I believe this was Jason’s first meeting ever…

People,

This week’s meeting promises to be the biggest and most exciting since last week’s, and it looks like we may have some additional newcomers this time as well. As decided at our last meeting, Tuesday evening’s foray into el mundo de vino will center on Shiraz / Syrah. The names are similar… are they two different grapes? Are they the same grape, resulting in two different types of wine? Or is it just two terms that describe the exact same animal? The answers to these questions — which are not entirely definitive — will be revealed tomorrow night.

You know the drill… either bring a bottle of Shiraz or Syrah, or bring some cash to reimburse those who did bring bottles. We kind of forgot to collect money last time, so this time we’ll make sure that those who contributed wine will be repaid. When selecting a bottle, there are a lot of options, especially since Syrah / Shiraz is often blended with other grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot to produce some interesting wines…. feel free to buy one of those blends if you’d like.

As in past weeks, the meeting will be held at 9 PM at our apartment, (no way, mofo) #4 in Sherman Oaks. For all you newcomers, the location is sandwiched between Ventura and Moorpark on Dixie Canyon, which is one street west of Fulton. There’s plenty of parking on the street.

Any questions, let me know. Otherwise, see all you winos tomorrow.

Jesse