Category: Tastings

What: Chateau Kirwan Tasting (classified Margaux from Bordeaux)
When: Thursday, April 27 at 7:30pm
Where: JG 104

Happy last week of classes! We know it’s finals time so everyone (except maybe 3Ls…) is hitting the books, but we have one more Devinimus event this semester to invite you to. We are excited to host Chateau Kirwan, a third growth classified Margaux from Bordeaux (Don’t know what that means? Clink the link to find out!). Chateau Kirwan makes great Bordeaux wines, and we think that if any event can tempt you to take a (probably well-needed) study break, it should be this one.

Because it’s getting close to finals and we know it may be harder for some people to make this event, we are letting any Devinimus member bring a guest for free. So, if you have a friend who you think needs a break from holing up in the Law Library, RSVP and add a guest for this one. We hope to see as many people as possible on Thursday for our last event!

 

What: Dr. Konstantin Frank tasting (led by Meaghan Frank)
When: Thursday, April 20 at 7:30pm
Where: JG 106

Come join us for the wines of Dr. Konstantin Frank, one of New York’s best wineries. If you’ve ever been wine tasting by the Fingerlakes, you’ve probably heard of these wines because they were one of the first and most influential in the area. They are generously bringing us nine of their wines, most of them white – so if you’re a white wine lover and get tired of our normally red-heavy tastings, this is a tasting you shouldn’t miss!

What: Aged Wine (led by Robin Kelley O’Connor)
When: Friday, April 14, 2017
Where: JG 304

We’ve decided to do a second Aged Wine Tasting this year (which we are very excited about)!

Long story short, we as a club have a collection of older wines that were donated to us by a friend of Bob Cunningham’s because they could not be sold at auction for a variety of minor flaws (such as being slightly under-filled or having their labels damaged). We’ve had these wines for years and have been slowly drinking down our reserves – and we think this may be the last group of them that we have left to drink. Bob wants to drink them now because they are only getting older (although that is not always a bad thing). We will also need whoever is available to show up a bit early (say, around 2) to get the wines set up.

The cost for this event is normally $100 per person, but since we are winding down the wine and no longer have to pay as much for its storage, we are only going to charge $70 per person. We have extremely limited seating available for this special tasting (right now, about 10 left!!). So don’t hang around. They are filled on FIRST COME FIRST SERVED basis (guests are invited as well, and it will be $70 for them too).

This is a really rare opportunity that we have to taste some of these old, great wines – those who came last semester can tell anyone interested about it. Great examples from last year include a bottle of Petrus from the 50s, Cheval Blanc from the 60s, as well as many first growths and super seconds. It’s a fun and educational experience and we encourage anyone interested to sign up!

What: Rioja Tasting (led by Robin Kelley O’Connor)
When: Thursday, March 23 at 7:30pm
Where: JG 104

It’s our pleasure to invite you to a tasting of Rioja, lead by our own Robin Kelly O’Connor and sponsored by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. We are really thankful to have Skadden’s sponsorship for this event, because it means we get to taste many different great Riojas and learn a lot about the wine and region.

Wines will include:

• Bodegas CVNE ‘Monopole’ Viura Blanco Rioja 2015
• Bodegas Muga ‘Barrel Fermented’ White Rioja 2015
• Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres Rosado 2015
• Bodegas Faustini VII 2014 (Joven)
• Bodegas Lan Crianza Rioja 2012
• Bodegas Marqués de Riscal Reserva Rioja 2011
• Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja 2011
• Bodegas La Rioja Alta ‘Viña Alberdi’ Reserva Rioja 2010
• Bodegas Viñedos de Páganos ‘El Puntido’ Rioja 2009
• Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Gran Reserva 2006
• Bodegas Riojanas ‘Monte Real’ Gran Reserva 2001

Cheers!

What: Barolo Tasting
When: Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 7:30
Where: JG 106

We are now inviting you to our next event, called “A Tour of Piedmont: Scarzello’s Barolos and Other Langhe Essentials,” where Scarzello, a Barolo producer from Italy will be introducing their wines for us.

What: Banfi Wines
When: Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 7:30pm
Where: JG 106

We have successfully secured a temporary liquor license and arranged an event with another producer, so that means it’s time to RSVP for our first event of the semester! We will be hosting Lars Leicht of Banfi for a tasting of wines from Tuscany. Banfi is an American wine producer and has a large portfolio of Italian wines, and they will be showing several of their wines produced by Castello Banfi in Tuscany. We are really excited for the opportunity to taste their wines and learn from them about wine making, and we hope you can join us!

What: Castillo de Monjardin Tasting
When: December 2, 2016 at 7:30
Where: JG 101

Fellow vinophiles,

While the fall semester, and with that the year 2016, is drawing to a close, we are not going to let this end without one last tasting party. You are all invited to try great wines of Castillo de Monjardin from Narvarra, Spain.

Tucked in the foothills of the Pyrenées along the French Border in Navarra, Castillo de Monjardín’s estate was originally a way station along the famous pilgrimage route from Paris to Santiago de Campostella. Its proximity and historic cultural links to France provide a winemaking tradition based on Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, distinct from the rest of Spain. Monjardín does, however, make good use of the Garnacha that has made Navarra famous for its fresh, fruity rosés and lush, fruit-forward reds.

It’s a very busy time of the year but we all need a brief back from exam preparation and paper writing. And there is no better way to do so than to join us at our 6th and last event of the year. All you have to do is RSVP!

Happy thanksgiving and see you all next week!

What: Château de la Dauphine Tasting
When: November 14, 2016 at 7:30pm
Where: JG 101

We are welcoming more wine from Bordeaux, this time from some vineyards classified as Cru Bourgeois.

We know finals are just starting to peep over the horizon, but you’ll never regret taking a break from studying to drink some wine with us, so we look forward to seeing you on Monday!

What: Yarden Wines Tasting
When: November 7, 2016 at 7:30
Where: JG 103

We are writing to invite you to our third tasting of the semester, with Victor Schoenfeld of Yarden Wines and the Golan Heights Winery in Israel. This is the first winery from Israel what we’ve had come during our time at Columbia, and we are really excited to welcome them to come present to the club. Israel is an up-and-coming wine region – Wine Spectator just did a feature on Israeli wines in its October Issue (you can find some of the articles and reviews here) and Yarden wines are some of the best-recognized and most well-established ones in Israel right now.

A description from the wine-maker:

Victor Schoenfeld of Golan Heights Winery/Yarden has been called “one of the most influential winemakers in Israel today.” To many, he embodies the modern Israeli wine era, with classic wines such as Katzrin, Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon and Odem Organic Chardonnay, and experimental ventures that have encompassed “Rom” (a collaboration with Zelma Long), Israeli dessert wines, and sparkling wines that defy expectations. Victor has been making wine in Israel for almost 30 years, working with a range of elevation and micro-climates in Golan Heights which account for a diversity of styles. A winemaker with a scientific discipline, Victor believes that knowing the exact soil type, climatic conditions, variety, clone and rootstock are essential to making top quality wines in a “new” region. Victor can present a range of wines from sparkling to full-bodied reds that illustrate Israel’s full potential.

Cheers!

What: Aged Wine Tasting (led by Bob Cunningham and Robin Kelley O’Connor)
When: October 30, 2016 from 4-6
Where: Case Lounge

Please join us for an incredibly rare opportunity to join an exclusive aged wine tasting. As you may or may not know, Case Lounge is a small, recently renovated space on the 7th floor. This event can only accommodate up to 18 participants because we will be tasting from a very old and rare collection we have inherited from a benefactor. DeVinimus has been holding this special tasting event for the past couple of years and it is clear that with the amount of wines we have left and their current stage of development, this is going to be the LAST ONE (unless we can find another generous donor of course!).

We give priority to the current board members and your plus one, before we open it up to the general members of the club. If you want to join, this would set you back additional $80 each (i.e. it is not covered by the general membership fee). Please direct the due to Michael, preferably at his locker 1242 with an envelop of cash or check made payable to Columbia University.