South African Wine Tasting Reminder - Wednesday, March 11 at 7 p.m.

The roots of the South African wine industry can be traced to the explorations of the Dutch East India Company, in the 1650s, which established a supply station in what is now Cape Town. The wine was intended to ward off scurvy among sailors during their voyages along the spice route to India and the East.

For much of the 20th century, the South African wine industry received minimal international attention. Its isolation was exacerbated by the boycotts of South African products in protest against the country's system of Apartheid. It was not until the 1990s when Apartheid was ended, and the world's export market opened up, that South African wines began to experience a renaissance. Many producers in South Africa quickly adopted new wine making technologies.

The climate in South Africa is similar to the Mediterranean with intense sunlight and dry heat. Winters are cold and wet with potential for snowfall in higher elevations. Some of the notable wine regions are Constantia, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek Valley, Breede River Valley, and Overberg. 

There is so much to learn about this fascinating part of the world and their contribution to wine production. Come and taste some of the best South Africa has to offer with our expert sommelier, Adam Knoerzer, founder of ‘Burghundy LLC, a wine education and consulting business in Pittsburgh aimed at making wine more accessible and inclusive.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WINE GLASSES. 

Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 7:00 PM

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

 Cost for members or guests:

$25

Please reply before Friday, March 6, 2020 to:

kedred2006@gmail.com

Or you may reply to:

 412-979-6565 or 412-979-9594

Mail your check, payable to
AWS Pittsburgh to:

Robert Dering

38 Perry Lane

Pittsburgh, PA 15229

South African Wine Adventure

Come experience wine and food pairings from of South Africa along with our host and certified sommelier, Adam Knoerzer. 

March 11 at 7 p.m. at Evergreen Community Center.

Join wine educator Adam Knoerzer for an informative session on the wines of South Africa, a country producing some of the most exciting and best-value wines on the planet right now. Learn about the fascinating history of this region as you taste high-quality examples that showcase the contemporary wine scene.

 

Adam is the founder of 'Burghundy LLC, a wine education and consulting business in Pittsburgh aimed at making wine more accessible and inclusive. He is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and is a WSET Diploma candidate, and in 2019, he won the United States championship in the Wines of South Africa Sommelier Cup, besting over 200 American entrants. He went on to compete against 10 other national finalists in Cape Town.    

Adam is a native of Indiana who made his way to Pittsburgh in 2011 after stints in New York and Paris. A polyglot with bilingual fluency in French (he also speaks Portuguese and Spanish), Adam brings over 10 years of teaching, training, and public speaking experience to his independent wine education and consulting practice.

 

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR WINE GLASSES. 

Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 7:00 PM

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

 Cost for members or guests:

$25

Please reply before Friday, March 6, 2020 to:

kedred2006@gmail.com

Or you may reply to:

 412-979-6565 or 412-979-9594

Mail your check, payable to
AWS Pittsburgh to:

Robert Dering

38 Perry Lane
Pittsburgh PA  15229

Pittsburgh Wine Experience - Sunday, March 29 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Pittsburgh Wine Experience 

Sunday, March 29 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Held at the Comfort Inn and Suites (RIDC Park) - 180 Gamma Drive, Pgh PA 15238

 

Register today to experience seminars and tastings to learn about styles of wines. Amateur winemakers may enter their wine and wine labels for awards. 

 

Registration is $65 and includes lunch and the "showcase of wines" which is a walk around tasting of commercial/professional wines.

 

Amateur wine competition entries are $15 per wine.

 

To find out more and to register, visit: www.pghwinexp.org

Registration form: http://www.pghwinexp.org/2020Conf_flyer_March_29_2020.pdf

Wines of Love and Romance Didn’t Disappoint

Many thanks to all who attended and helped to prepare the foods and decorations for this special wine tasting.  Alex Sebastian of Wooden Angel Restaurant proved to be a captivating speaker sharing with us tidbits about his time on the Chairman’s Selection Committee. 

We raffled off many items to raise a total of $215 for the American Heart Association which will be donated in honor of our former Chapter Chair and Regional Vice President, Thom Harding who left us way too soon.   

We ended the night with an emotional toast given by John Eld to honor our Fearless Leader and a few tears were shed. 

As Alex said during this tasting, wine is meant to be enjoyed and so is life! Please join us next month to enjoy both! 

The wines:

1.  Mionetto Rose Extra Dry Prestige Collection (Italy) NV -  $16.99           
PLCB #82206
Paired with Fruit Skewers (Prepared by James and Santina)

2.  Dunham Cellars Riesling Columbia Valley Lewis Vineyard (WA) 2017  - $14.99
PLCB #82206
Paired with Vegetable Egg Rolls with Honey Mustard Sauce (Prepared by Mary and John Eld)

3.  Vignobles Bulliat Beaujolais Villages (France) 2018 - $12.99
PLCB #81426                  
Paired with Blueberry Goat Cheese and Baguettes (Prepared by Kevin and Bob Dering)

4.  Love Noir Pinot Noir (CA) 2017 - $13.99                                                 
PLCB #2051
Paired with Soba Noodles with Walnuts, Mushrooms, & Parsley (Prepared by Kevin and Bob Dering)

5.  Thorn Hill Vineyard Big Magic Red Meritage (CA) 2017 - $17.99          
PLCB #80042
Paired with Roast Beef Roll-ups (Prepared by Pat and Terry Germanoski)

6.  Chocolate Shop Red (WA) NV  - $11.99                                                           
PLCB #4056 
Paired with Coeur a la Creme with Strawberry Sauce (Prepared by Mary and John Eld)

Save the date!

March 11 at 7 p.m. at Evergreen Community Center.

We will be experiencing the Wines of South Africa with our host and certified sommelier, Adam Knoerzer. 

Adam is a holds his certification with the Court of Master Someliers and holds WSET awards in Wine (Level 3) and Spirits (Level 2), both with Distinction. He is an aficionado of off-the-beaten-path grape varieties and regions who aims to make wine more inclusive through his educational programming and portfolio development. In 2019, he won the United States championship in the Wines of South Africa Sommelier Cup, besting over 200 American entrants, and competed against 10 other international finalists in Cape Town, South Africa. 

Adam is a native of Indiana who made his way to Pittsburgh in 2011 after stints in New York and Paris. A polyglot with fluency in French, Portuguese and Spanish, he brings over 10 years of teaching, training and public speaking experience to his wine education. He regularly teaches at Dreanought Wines and Palate Partners as well as other venues like our humble AWS Pittsburgh Chapter.