A message to all of our members and friends.

A message from Pittsburgh Chapter Chair, Santina Balestreire to all our members and friends.

It is with the greatest regret that I have to write this message to our community. On Tuesday, January 28 after a complicated heart surgery we lost our Fearless Leader, Thom Harding. I am sure he is dancing into the pearly gates as I write this message with a big smile on his face with a glass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo at hand. 

We are so lucky to have had Thom share his love of wine and wine making with us. He was a passionate man with an infectious smile and a sparkle in his eye that let you know that no matter what the subject of conversation was, he had a story to tell you and it was going to be a good one.

The last post on the blog was one that he posted, he was the curator of the American Wine Society Pittsburgh Chapter’s blog for a long time and it was his baby. He loved to talk in depth about the subject of the next wine tasting and to educate participants before they showed up to the Evergreen Community Center.  In his last post, he talked about wine words and how to sound sophisticated even if you aren’t.  Thom knew a lot about a lot of things, but he always made you feel like you were an expert too.  This was why so many people knew him and called him a friend.  He knew how to make you feel at ease with something you may not be familiar with. This is a rare gift.

In the spirit of sharing stories, here is one about Thom. I never had the opportunity to take formal dance lessons from him, but was able to receive instruction from him at our Chapter’s holiday party a few years back at Treesdale Country Club. If you were stumbling over the steps he was teaching, (as I was) he would swoop in and make you feel like you were half way decent at dancing, with a smile and twinkle in his eye of course. 

If you know Thom, and think about him, inevitably a smile will be on your face instantaneously. This is all any of us can hope for when people think of us. 

Let’s follow our Fearless Leader’s example and make people smile by including them in our conversations and sharing a great story.

If you wish to join us in sharing your stories of Thom, life in general or your passion for wine, please join us at an upcoming wine tasting. 

If you wish to pay your respects to his family in person, details can be found in the obituary: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?pid=195214021

Wine Words

We are the American Wine Society, or, Società Vinicola Americana, or, Sociedade Americana do Vinho, or, Société Américaine du Vin, or, Amerikanische Weingesellschaft.

No matter how you say it, or which region of the world it comes from, wine is in the name. We all know it, and we all love it! Wine is the perfect beverage for any occasion (at least we think so), however this drink we all love can be daunting at times. Don’t fret.

It doesn’t take a professional to use words like “bold,” “oaky,” or “chocolatey” when you're tasting wine, but going beyond the basics is like trying to learn an entirely new language. Scoring real sommelier points (or at least impressing your dinner guests) requires a little extra knowledge. The secret of sounding knowledgeable is not worrying about extensive tasting notes, flavor profiles, or technical terms. Your Pittsburgh Chapter of the AWS is here to help!

Angular: You can use the term angular in reference to either the flavor of the wine (typically for a red) or the acidity (typically for a white). In both cases, the term “angular” is used to describe the way the wine hits your palate. Angular wines tend to hit a sharp point of flavor as opposed to softly sliding over your tongue.

Elegant: An elegant wine makes up for in style what it lacks in palate punch. Rather than being bold and forward, elegant wines are more delicate, which is to say, light on your palate. Elegant is most commonly used as a descriptor for whites and sparkling wines. Elegant can also be used for a lean and supple red. In either case, the flavor profile should be subtle but layered, so rather than extra bold notes you can pick out right away. You need to wait for a minute or two to pick up on the tasting nuances.

Minerality: This applies to both aroma and taste. Mineral notes aren't exactly a spice, not an herb, and not fruity. They’re more inorganic. Think of flavors or aromas that have a kind of wet rock finish. They remind you a little bit of the smell of graphite from your No. 2 pencil, or taste something like the smell of asphalt after the rain. Odd, but you'll know it when you taste it.

Muscular: As you might guess, muscular wines are big and pair best with a sizable serving of protein. These wines are aggressive and high in tannins, almost to the point having a chalky feel. Although a white could technically be muscular, the term most often applies to big, flavorful, unsubtle reds.

Supple: Suppleness is the tannic content of the wine. This is determined by how long the wine is permitted to ferment on the skins. Rather than flavor, this term refers more to the texture of the wine. How does it feel when you roll it over your tongue? White wines, which typically remove the tannic skins early in the fermentation process, tend to be more supple, while bold reds tend to take on an almost chalky feel when you sip them.

Now you just need to uncork a few bottles and start tasting to put these into practice.

The next wine tasting will be the

Wines of Love and Romance

Wednesday, February 12 at 7 p.m.

Evergreen Community Center.

Thank you to all who made the January 18 Soup Pair Bowl Wine Tasting Possible. We would also like to thank those who joined us for the first time; please come back a few more times and consider joining our group. 

The favorite wine of the night was Terry's home-crafted Dry Vignoles (which was no surprise to anyone who has tasted his wines in the past).

The next wine tasting will be the Wines of Love and Romance on Wednesday, February 12 at 7 p.m. at Evergreen Community Center. The presenter will be Alex Sebastian, wine educator and owner of The Wooden Angel restaurant. The Wine Cellar at the Wooden Angel has received numerous awards and Alex is often hailed for his all-American wine selection. Alex currently serves on the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's Wine Advisory Committee. Do not miss the next tasting: it will be one to remember. Payment is required prior to this tasting to secure your spot. We will send out details about pricing and where to send payment soon.

All soups, wines, breads and desserts that were enjoyed during our Soup Pair Bowl tasting are listed below along with the prices and those who supplied them for the group. This was a true team effort to pull off and we thank all who helped shop, cook, and serve or had any part to play in this successful evening.

Please consider hosting a meeting. We are looking for a host in February and we will reward you with free admission to the tasting and provide you with a budget of $150 to provide accompaniments for the wines.


SOUP #1: Tomato Red Pepper Bisque (Mary & John)
MATCHING WINE: Marques di Riscal White Wine Rueda # 6371 PLCB $8.99

SOUP #2: Potato (John & Helen)
MATCHING WINE: Seyval Blanc from Glades Pike Winery $15.30
                           Norton from Glades Pike Winery $21.25

SOUP #3: Butternut Squash with Curry & Coconut Milk (Pat & Terry)
MATCHING WINE: Home-crafted Dry Vignoles priceless

SOUP # 4: Turkey Noodle (Bob & Kevin)
MATCHING WINE: Pali Wine Co. Pinot Noir Huntington # 75129 PLCB $22.99 ($18.39 on clearance)

SOUP #5: Lentil (Jim & Santina)
MATCHING WINE: Plungerhead Petite Sirah Lodi # 7850 PLCB $16.99 ($13.99 on sale)

SOUP #6: Split Pea with Ham (Susan Page)
MATCHING WINE: Williams & Humbert Dry Sack Sherry#4666 PLCB $16.99 ($10.99 Jan. Flash Sale)


BREADS:
Olive & Rosemary Country Bread Courtesy of Kevin
German Light Rye Bread Courtesy of Kevin
Laurel Mountain Herb Bread from Loafers $6.50 Courtesy of Pat Pagano
Sunflower Whole Wheat Bread from Loafers $6.50 Courtesy of Pat Pagano
Artisan Italian Bread from Aldi
King’s Hawaiian Rolls from Sam’s

DESSERTS:
Strawberry-Lemon Shortbread Bars Courtesy of Julie
Banana Nut Cupcakes Courtesy of Sue Randall
Lemon Squares Courtesy of Randall
Chocolate Fudge Cake Courtesy of Mary Ann

We had an overwhelming response for the upcoming Soup Pair Bowl Wine Tasting program on Saturday, January 18 at 7 p.m. and have sold out! There will be plenty of soups and wine for all and a special dessert.

Mark your calendar for the next tasting which will take place on Wednesday, February 12 at 7 p.m. at the Evergreen Community Center. The program will be Wines of Love and Romance: details to come soon.

Have you paid your annual membership dues?

This is a friendly reminder to pay your AWS National dues. Please visit this website to pay online: https://members.americanwinesociety.org/page/joinnow. You can pay for just one year or for three years. 

You may not be aware of the benefits you are entitled to as a member, so here is the place to discover just what you get: http://americanwinesociety.org/membership/

Don't forget to also pay your Pittsburgh Chapter dues which are $10 a year for an individual or $15 a year per household.

You can pay at the upcoming tasting on January 18 or you can mail your check payable to AWS to:  

Robert Dering

38 Perry Lane

Pittsburgh PA  15229

Last Call for Soup-Pair Bowl

 
You only have until this Friday (January 10) to reserve your spot to sample homemade soups paired with wines. Soups and wines aren’t opponents but rather great teammates if you know which ones to pull off the rack and bring to the table! So don't be a rookie when it comes down to game time, I mean meal time.

Soups on the menu will be Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Bisque; Potato; Lentil; Butternut Squash; Bean; and Chicken Noodle. The wines will be a surprise. We can tell you the raffle wine will be an Isabella Bobal! 
 
BONUS: We will also have a featured dessert post match-ups so we can mull over the highlights.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WINE GLASSES. 

Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 7:00 PM

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

 Cost for members or guests:

$20

Please reply before Friday, January 10, 2020 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