The wine grape century, anyone here guilty?

[TheEngineer]

I was at the grape variety table site (the one that sells the grape chart that looks like a periodic table) and came across something that I had never heard of before. They call it the Century Club which means apparently that you have had the oppportunity to taste one hundred or more grape types for wines. I thought that this would be a serious goal though I have no basis on which to make that statement.

Does anyone here keep track of all of the grape types that they have tasted and how many here have reached this century marker.

I apologize in advance if this is a strange topic or one that is frivolous.

[Bucko]

Interesting subject actually. While I keep no records, I know that I have tasted this many -- lots of wierd/unusual grapes at the Indy International judging e.g. Palomino, Carlos, Diamond and Edelweiss just to name a few ...

[wineguruchgo]

While I have the grape "periodic table" I'm not even close to have trying them all. I've had many, mind you, but not close to them all.

Since I have the table hanging on my wall, I'm willing to post the list, if you would like, so that you might try them at your leisure.

Just let me know.

wgc

[Kcwhippet]

You can also download the century list here:

www.delongwine.com/century.html

[TheEngineer]

Thanks WG for the kind offer (that would have taken a lot of work on your part) and KC for the info!

Actually I had downloaded this and converted it in an Excel sheet for me and my friends to keep track of. I am only about 30% of the way there (pulling out old TN's and just about everything else to see what has been tried to date). We are seeing who will complete this first without specifically trying (though opening up that Mas de Daumas Gassac will score me a few more grapes!!)

This is kind of like the Appalachian Mountain's 40/40 club (40 mountains over 4000 feet that you have to hike). I've been 30% of the way there for some time too. Both of these taskes will take many years to complete, but I'm sure we will enjoy completing both.

[This message has been edited by TheEngineer (edited 12-28-2004).]

[joeyz6]

Does it count if you drink a wine that's a blend of several different grapes? That doesn't really seem the same as trying a straight, one-varietal wine.

[Innkeeper]

Don't see what not Joe.

[Thomas]

Joeyz, it has to count; some varieties are used mostly or only for blending...

[Botafogo]

Since we sell Italian wines, we get that done before we get out of Friuli! I would put the number of distinct varietals I have tastes at well over 400. I have a copy of Vitigni d'Italia (Schede Ampelografiche) from Caldarini Edagricole and it has 680 different varietals listed (and this is just the "commercially cultivated" ones and each listing includes all the clones and synonyms) and then there is Spain...

Roberto

[joeyz6]

It seems to me that if you have only had bourboulenc one time and it was 0.5% of a CdP you had sometime in the past, you probably didn't learn much about the varietal. Isn't the point of something like that Century Club to gauge the diversity of your wine education?

On the other hand, if you drink Central Coast GSMs all the time, I can see the argument that you should be able to count Mourvèdre on the list, even if you haven't had a varietal Mourvèdre wine from Bandol or wherever.

[Thomas]

Roberto,

I read somewhere that the estimate of Vitis vinifera varieties in Europe hovers at between 8 and 10 thousand--and half of them reside in Italy.

[Bucko]

I checked off 92 on that list, have 12 more not on the list, plus 13 fruit wines, two vegetable wines and one walnut wine. Whew! I need to go lay in the gutter with WW ...

[TheEngineer]

If half the grapes are in italy and there are thousands, that means that a 5 year old could be part of the millenium club! (except for one thing, Italians are so very proud of the area that they are from and often refuse to try wines from other areas even in their own county!!! I grew up in an Italian neighbourhood. Those Northerners never tried anything from the South, let alone Sicily!

[Thomas]

It's like that in France too.