Cider Tasting

Our Daily Rations 

Do you cringe when you hear the term “hard cider?” For years, the category has been overrun with mass market, too sweet, cider. And, “hard seltzer” has been the La Croix of alcoholic drinks. (It tastes like you’re thinking really hard about strawberries as you drink water.) But, as more cideries pop up across the U.S. there are many tasty options on the shelves.

Visiting an apple orchard is one of those picturesque seasonal activities that I tell myself I’m going to do every year. Thankfully cider producers do. We are fortunate in Pittsburgh to have some great cider producers, and our tasting will feature the ciders of The Arsenal Cider House.

(http://www.arsenalciderhouse.com/index.html) 

Our presenter for the evening will be the founder, Bill Larkin, Vice-President, Treasurer & Cellar Dweller

Hailing from Bloomfield, Bill graduated from Robert Morris University and spent 20+ years working in the financial sector. His obsessive personality took him through years of skydiving, real estate investment and then winemaking. Having never been a fan of hard cider, Bill was surprised when his skydiving mentor and friend, Pete Land, stopped by with some homemade hard cider. A new cider lover was born. Bill learned all he could and dove head-first into the "fermentative arts."

Alexis Hartung, former proprietor of Country Wines and writer for Winemaker Magazine, taught Bill the finer details of red & white winemaking. Even after selling her business and through serious illness, Alexis helped Bill in the run up to the opening of Arsenal Cider House. Experimenting with different styles and techniques, Bill put together an Arsenal of products. Sometimes combining those of beer, cider & winemaking. Bill continues to strive to provide new and unique products.

You will usually see Bill running through the tasting room murmuring something unintelligible.

OUR DAILY RATIONS

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WINE GLASSES. 

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

7:00

Evergreen Community Park, 3430 Evergreen Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Click here for the map

 Thanks to the generous donation of the ciders for our tasting, the cost for members or guests is only

$20

Please reply before Monday October 7, 2019 to:

kedred2006@gmail.com

Or you may reply to:

 412-979-6565 or 412-979-9594

Mail your check, payable to AWS to:

Robert Dering

38 Perry Lane

Pittsburgh PA  15229

How Do You Like Them Apples?

What's the Difference Between Apple Cider and Apple Wine?

Since our October tasting will feature apple cider, we thought that we might clear up some confusion about the difference between two very similar beverages.  We’re AWS members, and people expect us to know!

If someone offered you a hard apple cider and handed you a glass of apple wine, or vice-versa, you could be a little upset, but why? The world is an exhausting place, and someone is offering you an alcoholic beverage. Just take it, say thank you, and sip it with a smile on your face. But if you really must correct your host, there are a few differences between apple cider and apple wine.

Hard apple cider is made by crushing apples and fermenting the juice. An apple cider maker without the equipment to do the crushing could buy apple juice or apple cider from a roadside stand and ferment that by various methods. Those methods basically entail pasteurizing the cider, if that hasn't already been done, adding some yeast into the mixture, sealing it, and monitoring how much gas it's letting off. Let it sit for a while to let the sediment settle ( there are lots sanitary things that you need to do, but let's keep it simple), and then siphoning it off. Different cider makers may add sugar or honey at various points and be less or more concerned over cloudiness and effervescence, but those are personal preferences. The result is probably going to end up around 3.5 to 4.5 percent alcohol. 

Apple wine isn't very different. It's essentially the same process but requires more sugar. That extra sugar ferments over a longer time and brings the alcohol content to around 12 to 14 percent. By law, wine must be 7 percent alcohol at the minimum. This, too, may be carbonated if the cider maker cares to do so, but that's the fundamental difference.

It’s worth mentioning that the difference between non-alcoholic apple cider and apple juice is that apple juice has had all the solid particles filtered out and has generally been pasteurized to stay fresh in a bottle for longer. Apple cider has pulp and sediment in it and may be raw or pasteurized. If it comes in a tetra pak with a detachable straw, leave it alone!

No word on if an apple wine or hard apple cider will keep anything but sobriety away. 

Membership Renewal

Starting October 1, 2019, membership renewals for 2020 will begin. At that point new members will be members until the end of 2020. It’s a great time to tell your friends to join, as they will be getting the final three months of 2019 for free.

Also, keep in mind this will be the first year using the automatic renewal process for members. For many members, that means that last year when they renewed, the credit card processor kept that information and the members account will automatically renew on 12/31/2019 at 11:59 pm. They were informed of this in their email when they renewed and should already know. They also had the option to email to have the automatic renewal removed from their account. The National office is planning to remind members in December of this year.

Don’t forget about nominating Board Members! 

You may nominate any member in good standing of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Wine Society, including yourself. You may make your nominations online by clicking on the link below.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VTSH6C6 

We will also collect nominations on paper at the next tasting in October. The election will take place in person at the November tasting.

Remember: This is only a nomination, not an election.

Call for Nomination

You may nominate any member in good standing of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Wine Society, including yourself.  You may make your nominations online by clicking on the link below.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VTSH6C6

We will also collect nominations on paper at the next tasting in October.  The election will take place in person at the November tasting.

Remember: This is only a nomination, not an election.

Board Member Nomiations

What do the Board Members do?

Nominations are now open for Board Members. You may nominate any member in good standing for any of the Board positions.  So that you can make a more educated nomination, here is a list of the duties for each position.  The link will be up soon.

The Duties of the Chairperson

1.      Meeting Facilitator

a.      Create agenda

b.      Preside at board meetings

c.       Communicate Board decisions to membership

2.      Oversee Committees

a.      Strategic planning of all committees

b.      Ensure that all activities meet the National Association guidelines

3.      Community Relations

a.      As the primary public figure, the chair represents the Association

b.      Must be comfortable networking with other organizations

4.      Internal Mediation

a.      Resolve issues arising within the Association

b.      Find common ground to solve difficulties

5.      Blogspot Posting

a.      Regular blog posting and Facebook posting to update membership on events, tastings, and other news concerning the Chapter

6.      Relay communications from AWS National to appropriate parties

a.      Include communications from RVP

The Duties of the Vice Chairperson

1.      Wine Procurement

a.      Obtain list of required wines from speaker

b.      Purchase and store wines until the meeting

c.       Bring to meetings ready to pour (e.g. cooled whites)

2.      Manage wine-related items (bottle openers, pourers, blind-tasting bags, etc.)

a.      Clean after use

b.      Store

c.       Bring to meetings

3.      Wine Pouring

a.      Determine the correct number of bottles to open based on attendance

b.      Determine size of pours based on attendance, number of bottles available and number of wines being tasted

c.       Pour wines in correct order, as specified by speaker

4.       ‘Manage’ leftover wine

a.      Drink it up! Open bottles are yours to take home and enjoy!

b.      Keep the unopened bottles that didn’t sell for future use as auction items for fund raising.

The Duties of the Treasurer

1.      Keep records of monthly revenues and expenditures

2.      Cross-check lists of national and chapter members to ensure all Pittsburgh chapter members have also paid national dues (for insurance purposes)

3.      Present report during business meetings re: income, expenditures, and balance

4.      Maintain checking account

a.             Make deposits

b.                        Write checks

c.              Track balance & verify with bank statements

5.      Pay all bills in a timely manner (< 1 month from date of receipt)

a.             Reimbursement of purchases for monthly

b.                        Payment of rental fees and permits

c.              Catering for special events

d.                        Speaker fees/gifts

e.              AWS Education Fund

The Duties of the Program Chair

1.      Plan and coordinate the eight events per year

a.      6 regular meetings, including National Tasting and 2 special events

                                                              i.      Nationality dinner (May or October) and Holiday dinner (January)

2.      Advise Vice Chair of wines to be procured and served

3.      Choose a presenter for each event

a.      Checklist for presentations

4.      Choose hosts for each meeting

a.      Advise hosts of wines being served, number of attendees

b.      Provide input for table decorations and other sundries

5.      Provide wine costs to Chapter Chair three weeks prior to tasting

6.      Report findings of National Tasting Project in a timely manner to the National Office.

The Duties of the Membership Director

1.      Maintain list of current members

2.      Maintain record of guests and guests that become members

3.      Send a welcome email explaining the use of the website and how to enroll for email updates

4.      Prepare name badges for monthly meetings

5.      Present report during business meetings re: membership levels & new members

The Duties of the Procurement Director

1.      Procure and maintain ample supply of wine glasses for tastings

a.      Manage distribution of wine glasses and carry bags to members

b.      Provide spare wineglasses for tastings

c.       Keep record of glasses out for cleaning or on loan

2.       Maintain supply of serving items, plates, napkins, table covers for tastings

Tasting Notes: In Vino Vegetas

What did we learn at our most recent tasting?  Plenty!

We learned that John Eld can come up with the right wine for any dish!  If you need to pair “squirt cheese” on Savoritz crackers, or foie gras on rustic white bread with white pepper, John will find the right wine.

We learned that Kevin Dering, Mary Eld, Terry Germanoski, Susan Coleville and Mary Ann Hirt are fantastic cooks. Any cuisine, from American to Zimbabwean, they have it covered.

We learned that we have some VERY talented people in the Pittsburgh Chapter, and we thank them for their contributions to our tastings.

We learned that pairing wines with vegetable-focused dishes, including vegan and vegetarian foods, is easy, but it's also a way to show your creativity. Choosing wines for these dishes can result in some great pairings if we remember some of the basic principles that were presented:

1.    Powerful flavors and richness in food call for powerful wines.

2.    Lighter food flavors require lighter wines.

3.    Spicy, salty, or smoky flavors in food are best with lighter, fruity reds, or off-dry to semi-sweet whites.

4.    You can pair food with wine by creating complementary pairings, where the food tastes like the wine (pasta with fresh herbs, olive oil, and olives paired with Sauvignon Blanc). Or you can make contrasting pairings, where the food and wine have opposite flavors and textures (a mushroom risotto with a fruity Pinot Noir).

As with all good food, the quality of ingredients is important, and these pairing suggestions are based on the flavors in these ingredients when they're good. Pairing a great wine with an out of season tomato salad isn't going to highlight the features of the tomato that aren't there. But try a garden-fresh tomato, basil, olive oil, Balsamic, and salt and pepper with fresh-baked bread and a glass of dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc, and we guarantee happiness.

These aren't hard rules. They’re guidelines to help you with your pairings. Experiment on your own and have fun preparing, serving and eating a wonderful vegetarian meal, and let your wine make it just a little better.

Pliny the Elder is believed to have said, "In Vino, Veritas" ("In Wine, Truth"). We agree with this ancient wine geek but let us humbly amend his famous statement:

“In Vino, Vegetas.”

The Wines

Les Fumées Blanches Sauvignon Blanc SW France PLCB:79088 $9.99

Mazzei Ser Lapo Chianti Classico Riserva Toscana PLCB: 79094 $15.99

Fetzer Gewürztraminer Monterey County CA PLCB: 7229 $9.99

Colosi Nero D’Avola Sicilia PLCB: 7872 $14.99

Bogle Vineyards Essential Red Clarksburg CA PLCB: 6685 $10.99

Alasia Moscato d’Asti Piemonte PLCB: 4892 $12.99

Deadline Approaching!

Pairing Wine with Vegetarian Food

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WINE GLASSES. 

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

7:00

Evergreen Community Park, 3430 Evergreen Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Click Here for the Map

 The cost for members or guests

$25

Please reply before Monday September 9, 2019 to:

kedred2006@gmail.com

Or you may reply to:

 412-979-6565 or 412-979-9594

Mail your check, payable to AWS to:

Robert Dering

38 Perry Lane

Pittsburgh PA  15229

Austrian Tasting Event

The Austrian American Cultural Society, a non-profit organization in Pittsburgh that promotes Austrian culture, and that created and maintains the Austrian Nationality Room at the University of Pittsburgh, is holding a wine tasting later this month at the Mansions on Fifth, featuring the following five Austrian wines paired with assorted hors d'oeuvres:


Sekt Brut Grüner Veltliner (NV) Szigeti

Grüner Veltliner (2018) Loimer Niederösterreich

Riesling Vienna Hill (2016) Weingut Wieninger

Zweigelt (2015) Weingut Heinrich

Blaufränksich Heideboden (2017) Weingut Paul Achs


The Austrian American Cultural Society (AACS) invites you to enjoy Austria’s sun-drenched bounty at an


Austrian Wine Tasting

Sunday, September 29, 2019

3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Mansions on Fifth, 5105 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232


We will feature five premier Austrian wines—sparkling, white, and red—served with a variety of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres. Wine expert Stephanie Castillo will be our guide as we explore these affordable wines. Bottles available for purchase. Soft drinks upon request.


$35.00 per person


Valet parking $5, payable on site


RSVP: September 12, 2019


The Austrian American Cultural Society is an organization open to all, dedicated to bringing a bit of Austrian culture to America. For more information, contact President Robert Tate at robertjtateandassociates@gmail.com or 412-366-8080.

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Complete and detach this form, and mail it by September 12 with your check payable to “AACS” to:

Patricia Flinn, ℅ AACS, 1003 Perry Highway, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Name: ______________________________________________ Phone:______________________

Address: ______________________________________________ Email: ______________________

_______________________________________________

Number of People Attending: __________ x $35 = $____________ amount enclosed

Adults 21 years of age and older. Photo ID required.