I hope you like our new site. It was necessary since the old site became corrupted. Not in a political or economic sense, but it just stopped working. If you visited here in the past 6 months, you probably noticed. It was embarrassing.
The main innovation in the new site is the ability to post new events and meetups. I’ve posted the first one, a casual meetup in my local place in London. Have a look and use it as an example if you would like to post a meetup yourself:
After thoroughly checking the applications for synonyms, clones, steroids and other performance enhancing drugs, we now have an official winner.
Thomas Reagan, Jr of Georgia is the champion with 431 grape varieties. He just edged out Michael Mangahas of Maryland who had 419 grape varieties.
Congratulations, Tom!
We’re currently 779 members strong, with 28 doppel members, 5 treble members and one quattro member. While membership is increasing dramatically, more and more members are continuing their quest to Doppel levels and beyond.
To honor this sense of adventure and crazed obsessiveness, I am announcing a contest and award for the most grape varieties tasted by any one member: Le Grand Prix du Cépage!
Entries are due November 12, 2010 5PM EST and the winner will be announced on November 15th.
A big help in the quest for Doppel+ membership is the expanded application and database developed by Dr. Thomas Mercer-Hursh. You can find both on his site, A Muse in the Cellar.
Ooooo, seeing double double, double vision
Ooooo, oh my double vision
Ooooo, double vision
Yeah-ah, I get double vision, ooooo . . .
In some members’ quest for grapeness, 100 varieties is just not enough. There is now a new level of recognition: Doppel Members. For the non-Teutonic, doppel is German for double, so these members have tried at least 200 different grape varieties. I hope this doesn’t discourage aspiring members on their quest for 100 but the wine geek species must evolve! Or at least mutate!
The idea to introduce this new level of membership was presented to me last year by member Nick Hendrix. He sent in the most extensively documented application in the history of The Wine Century Club. He can rest assured that Bacchus will not curse his palate! All hail Nick, the first officially recognized Doppel Member!
If you’ve tasted 200 grape varieties and would also like to be recognized as a Doppel Member, please send your updated list to steve@winecentury.com. An armed courier will be dispatched with your Doppel Certificate ASAP.
1Late 70’s power-ballad hair band
By unanimous decree, the executive committee of the Wine Century Club has approved The Official and Sacred Oath of The Wine Century Club. All members are to recite it upon receiving their certificate or when using public transportation.
The Sacred Oath of the Wine Century Club
I Promise to honor the ways of Bacchus
God of wine, agriculture and madness
But to go easy on the madness
So as not to end up
Shouting at the walls
In a cheap motel
Outside of Poughkeepsie*
*For those outside of New York, Poughkeepsie is pronounced puh-kip-see
