Friday, January 10, 2020

Godforsaken Grapes; The Book, The Wine, The Pairing #WinePW

This month our friend Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla invited us to do something different to kick off the New Year edition of Wine Pairing Weekend.


She asked us to focus on grape varieties that are not as popular as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, etc.   You know all those grapes that are normally in the wine we drink especially if you live here in the USA.
Cam recommended a book that we could read if we chose.  Godforsaken Grapes by Jason Wilson is a trip into the land of ancient grapes that somehow never became popular outside of the region in which they were grown.  I, of course, chose to get and read the book.  You can learn more at Cam's Welcome and Preview post.

These grapes were labeled "Godforsaken" by Robert Parker, often considered an expert when it comes to wines.  Robert Parker became very angry when asked about these varietals outside of what is considered the "noble" vines.  One might presume that this was because he had amassed great fortune touting the wines of France and Napa Valley and feared these "newly" rediscovered grapes might interfere with that.

Jason Wilson takes us on a trip to areas not known for bottling wines made from the noble vines but rather from grapes that grow well in their terroir and are often indigenous to the area.

In the appendix of this book, Wilson has a list of over 100 grape varietals for us to seek out and enjoy.  I was pleased to see that there were several varietals that are grown here in my neck of the woods.  


I took this book with me when we traveled to Northern Michigan to ring in the New Year.  I decided that it would be fun to locate a Godforsaken Grape that is grown locally.  This took me to one of my favorite wineries Blackstar Farms.  Blackstar Farms is such a wonderful location.  We have stayed in their Inn numerous times and it is always perfect.  The rooms are elegant, the grounds are perfect for hiking and snowshoeing, the wines are lovely and the staff so accommodating. 

We went straight into the tasting room.  Blackstar Farms prides itself on using only Michigan grown fruit.  They have found that Gruner Ventliner, normally found in Austria, grows very well in our climate and soil.  As luck would have it, they were having an end of vintage sale and I was able to purchase a bottle at a very nice price of only $10.


The day following our return home, Frank poured me a glass of the Gruner Veltliner while I prepared dinner.  It poured a beautiful, light amber and smelled of summer, fruit, grass and a hint of spice.  I took a sip and immediately my salivary glands went wild from the hit of acidity.


I paired my wine with a Trinidadian Shrimp Stir Fry.  It complemented the flavors perfectly.  I shared the recipe for this dish yesterday you can find it in my Eat the World post. I am also linking up with Foodies Read. Stop by and see what others are reading and cooking this month.

We are all meeting up tomorrow at 11 AM ET for twitter chat to discuss the book and our thoughts on the Godforsaken Grapes.  We would love to have you join us.  These are the topics we will be sharing......

20 comments:

  1. I love that you found a wine while on vacation that was perfect for theme! Thanks for joining in...and your pairing looks delicious, too!

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  2. I'm digging that you traveled with the book. Love the post, I am learning a ton from this group.

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  3. Very interesting sounding book. I wonder if some of the grapes grown in this region (Cynthiana for one) is listed as a godforsaken one.

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    1. Cam has a complete listing Debra. Cynthiana is not listed however he only listed 100 and he said there are well over a thousand varietals.

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  4. I love that you support local!!! I love Gruner Ventliner!

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  5. Michigan wine is very intriguing -- we haven't explored it as much as we might do. It's always interesting to see all the resentment and vitriol that is directed at Robert Parker. I think it started with the wine makers that he didn't favor, and also with those who were jealous of his success in rating wines, which he did without accepting bribes from wineries. When we could afford his recommended wines we always thought that he gave good advice, and we trusted his judgement despite the attacks on him. I wondered if you also tried his advice back then (it's too late now, he's retired).

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. I have no feelings about Robert Parker one way or another. I was just reiterating the feelings written in the book that I read. I have tried some of his recommendations as I have many other wine "experts".

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  6. I love that you went with a local version of Gruner! Very cool find. And it sounds perfect with the shrimp.

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  7. Great pairing between Gruner Ventliner and shrimp stir-fry you did.

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  8. Gruner for the win! I had no idea it was grown in Michigan. How cool!

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  9. A local Michigan Gruner -- perfect for the theme and the shrimp stir-fry! Got me thinking about local godforsaken grapes I might try.

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  10. This sounds like a great group! Before Prohibition, in Hilo there was a winery and vineyard using the Isabella variety of grape. I have considered planting that one myself, and wonder if it's on the godforsaken list?

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    1. It is a great group Claudia. We would love to have you join us. The Isabella is not listed in the 100 varietals that the author shared however he made it clear that there are over 1400 grape varieties known to man and most of us are only familiar with a handful of them.

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