Andar per Bacari

The most famous Veneto wines come from the towns of the same name: Soave, Valpolicella and Amarone. This region has become known as the Italian Bordeaux, with many good red blends.The Veneto also produces the most wine in volume in Northeast Italy, and in good years it’s the number one producer in Italy as a whole.

Though some of the Veneto’s appellations have received criticism for their wine quality, most notably the areas of Soave and Valpolicella, new technologies seem to be improving things to some degree.  We intend to find out if that’s true!

Join us for a tasting of some of the most famous wines of Italy!  We are aware that the tasting will occur on the observance of Ash Wednesday, so we will be pairing the wines with some appropriate foods.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WINE GLASSES.  

The cost for members is $27.  The cost for guests is $32.

Please reply before February 6 to:  

aws.pittsburgh@gmail.com

Or you may reply to  412-657-0777.

Mail your check, payable to AWS to:

Dr. Dennis Trumble

1302 Arch St.

Pittsburgh, PA  15212

Don’t forget to visit the website for directions, useful tips, and recipes!

aws-pittsburgh.blogspot.com

Wine Talk

"I Heard it Through the Grapevine"

To hear something “through the grapevine” is to learn something informally by means of gossip and rumor. The usual implication is that the information is passed from one person to the next by word of mouth among friends and coworkers. So, we know what it means, but where is it from? There are several origins of the phrase (none of which involve Marvin Gaye).

• Stems & Tendrils: It often means garbling the facts or reporting untruths, but also transmitting vital messages quickly over distances using multiple people.  So reflecting the gnarled and contorted stems, and the coiling tendrils of the grapevine, the phrase came to use.

• Grapevine Telegraph: The term originated in the USA, shortly after the invention of the telegraph in 1844. The system required miles and miles of wire attached to poles, carefully placed at regular intervals. People thought the wires and poles looked a lot like the strings placed along the rows of a vineyard, that are used to train the vine, hence the nickname.

• Word of Mouth: Back when smart phones and texting didn’t exist, people had to rely on their vocal cords to communicate. It’s true!  You could look it up! The term would often refer to communications taking place in the rural community where laborers would pass along messages from one end of the field to the other, and interactions among people who could be expected to be found among grapevines.

Thanks!

"A good time was had by all" was the title of a book of poems by a Miss Stevie Smith in 1937. 

According to "A dictionary of catch phrases" Miss Smith's book popularized the phrase, but Smith herself had taken it from parish magazines, where reports of church picnics would end with that phrase.

We would like to thank Treesdale Country Club for the fantastic food and venue, Tim and Brittany Altimus for making the arrangements, John Eld for his invaluable assistance in the wine selections, the Board Members of the AWS Pittsburgh Chapter, and all of you for attending our Holiday Gala!

If you missed it, “Shame on you for six weeks”, as Mike Lange would say!

Check back soon for the upcoming list of tastings!  It's going to be an exciting season!

http://aws-pittsburgh.blogspot.com/

Silent Auction!

Don’t forget your checkbook!

We will be holding a silent auction during the Holiday Party for 12 bundles of wines from our tastings this past year.

BARGAINS GALORE!

BID EARLY AND BID OFTEN!

Holiday Party

Saturday January 23, 2016

Treesdale Country Club

One Arnold Palmer Drive

Gibsonia PA 15044

5:00 Dance Lesson

6:00 Hors D’Oeuvre

7:00 Dinner

You Should Be Dancin'!

Holiday Party Dance Lesson

5:00 – 6:00

Treesdale Country Club

No Partner Necessary!

Our Holiday Party will include dancing after our dinner.  Don’t stay in your seat!  Learn to dance Fox Trot, Swing and other ballroom styles from a professional ballroom dance instructor.

Just bring your Boogie Shoes!