In sadness

Wine Tasting Ideas

Notes from the Chair

At our last gathering, we asked for some ideas and suggestions for future tastings.  Here is what we have collected.  We would appreciate your opinions and feedback.

• Ice Wine and Dessert Wine with food pairings
• Pairing wine with vegetarian foods
• Pros vs. Joes (Amateur vs. Professional blind tasting)
• Wines from lesser known countries
• Pinots for Pets (Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc) with a donation to Pet Shelter
• Pairing wine with spicy foods and other difficult pairings
• Climate comparison / multiple vintage vertical tasting
• Wine pairing for "Comfort Foods"
• Wines of Turkey paired with traditional Turkish food
• Wine development with exposure to air ("Let it breathe")
• Unique genetic ability to discern tastes in wine

You may reach any of the Board Members to voice your thoughts by clicking on The Board tab.

Tasting Notes - Today's French Wines; Nouveau Chic or Still Stuffy?

Presented by Ryta Mirisciotti from Naked Grape Wine Services & Importing, Inc.

The Wines:

1. DOMAINE JACKY MARTEAU "Lulu" Sauvignon Blanc; $14.99
2. DOMAINE TRIPOZ Macon Charnay; $17.89
3. DOMAINE SPENCER Le P'tit Spencer (Corbieres); $17.59
4. CHATEU DE BRAGUE Bordeaux; $18.59

Thank you to our wonderful hosts, Susan Coville and John Cook and Leanna and Rick Ryba.

With the White Wines:

Shrimp and Jarlesberg Cheesecake (Lulu)
Bartless Pears and Green Grapes (Charnay)

With the Red Wines:

Fig and Walnut Tapenade with Goat Cheese and French Baguette (Corbieres)
Mushrooms Lyonnaise (Bordeaux)
Chocolate Hazelnut Bon Bons (Bordeaux)

The food and the wines were delicious! Thanks to Ryta for a great learning experience and unraveling just a bit more the mysteries of French wine!

Notes from the Chair

What a wonderful tasting we had!  Thanks to  Ryta Mirisciotti for guiding us through the intracasies of French wines.  I learned quite a bit, as I’m certain we all did.  The food that paired with the wines was fantastic, and a big thanks to Susan Coleville and all of her helpers. 

If you weren’t able to make the tasting, I’d like to let you know about some of the changes that will be happening with the Chapter. (If you were there, a little review never hurts!)

Wine Glasses

We will be changing the procedure that we currently use for the distribution of wine glasses.  Throughout the next few tastings, we’ll be distributing six wine glasses to each member along with a handy carry bag.  The bag will be imprinted with the AWS logo, and can be used to transport wine bottles as well.  This will relieve the glass washing chore that a few members have been bearing.  You can bring your own glasses to each tasting, and then take them home with you when the tasting is finished.  If there is an occasion when you don’t have your glasses with you, or if there are new members or guests, the Chapter will provide plastic glasses for convenience.

Board Member Elections

At the next tasting, we will be voting for your Board Members for the 2015 Season.  As of today, there are very few nominations for each of the Board positions.  The current Program Committee members, and the current Secretary, have informed us that they will not be accepting a nomination for the upcoming year.  So, we need your help!  Please take a few moments and make a nomination for at least those two positions.  The nominee can be any active member.  The link is:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T5PQYNY

Member of the Year

As I mentioned at the past several meetings, we will be announcing the Member of the Year at our Holiday Tasting in January.  We have had 22 votes so far from a membership that numbers close to 100.  If you haven’t cast your vote, the link is:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PXZJG58

AWS Pittsburgh Chapter Web Site

There are soon going to be additional tabs on the AWS Pittsburgh blog spot.  We are adding a tab for Recipes, Links, and Wine Tips.  We would love to have your input on these.

If you have a favorite recipe, please send it to me.  Also, if you have a request for a recipe, let us know. You can send your thoughts to chair.aws.pittsburgh@gmail.com

If there is a winery that you are fond of, or would like to have their website posted on our Links page, you can send it to the same email address.

The Wine Tips tab will include useful information in any area of wine appreciation.  If you have any ideas, please let us know.

Guests

Like any organization, we need to grow to survive.  To that end, we are instituting a Guest Policy change that we think you’ll enjoy!  We’re all proud of our Chapter, and we like to let others know what a good time we have at our tastings.  If you feel the same way, we hope that you’ll bring a guest to a future tasting.  According to American Wine Society rules, a person can be a guest at three tastings.  After that, they would be required to join the AWS.  If that person is your guest, and joins both the National Society and our local chapter, you will receive your next year’s membership in the Pittsburgh Chapter for free!  It’s that simple! 

As always, the Board is here to serve the membership.  We hope that we’re doing a good job, and that you’re enjoying the tastings.  All board members are open to your ideas and suggestions.

F.L.