March
17, 2007 - 6:00 pm: – ”Annual Dinner and Membership Meeting.” The annual dinner and
membership meeting will be at the Meadow Springs Country Club. The business
meeting will begin at 7:00pm; all wine society members are invited to attend.
For those who have signed up for the dinner, a social hour will begin at 6:00 pm; the dinner will begin immediately following the business meeting and will feature an outstanding selection of courses and northwest wines. Leonetti, Chinook and Vin du Lac wines will highlight the evening along side the 2006 Tri-Cities Wine Festival Best Of Show, the Barrister 2004 Cabernet Franc. A Hinzerling port wine will be paired with desert. Throughout the evening, the guest speaker, Chef Big John from Outlook, WA, will discuss the finer points of pairing food and wine.
April
15, 2007 - 5:00 pm: – ”You be the Judge.” This event is a unique opportunity to learn about
judging wines by the professionals. Learn what the terms "corked,"
"intensity," "legs," "high/low
tannins,""hot" and "fruit forward" mean and how they
are used. Learn about the use of "flavor wheels" to help focus your
senses. Develop a sense of how wine characteristics are captured and described
by professional wine judges and how these qualities are weighed and evaluated
in wine judging. A professional judge will be the guest speaker and will work
you through an actual tasting and evaluation of medal and non-medal wines from
the Tri-Cities Wine Festival following the same procedures used during the
festival judging. Event participants will gain an enhanced appreciation for the
results of the Tri-Cities Wine Festival and other wine competitions. This event
will be held at the Pasco Best Western Inn and Suites near the airport. Look
for more details in the March newsletter.
May
18, 2007 - Time and Place TBD: – ”Cabernet Francs from France and
Washington.” Cabernet Franc is
widely planted in France and is becoming more widely planted throughout the
world including Washington. A Barrister Cabernet Franc won Best of Show
recognition at the 2006 Tri-Cities Wine Festival. The guest speaker will be
Greg Lipsker from the Barrister Winery who will guide participants through a
tasting of Cabernet Francs from Washington and the Loire valley of France. Look
for event details in the April newsletter.
June
- ”Wine & Music.” We
often compare wine with food, cheese, and chocolates; why not try a pairing to
music? This tasting is being designed with fun and camaraderie in mind. It will
take a light-hearted, informal approach to exploring different wine styles with
an attempt to classify them to various types of music. (Think "Champagne
and Classical" or "Grappa and Rap!") Be on the look out for
further details in the April EVOE.
July
- ”Wineries of New York's Finger Lakes.” New York wines? With more than 100 wines and
more than 100 million bottles of wine annually, New York is a significant part
of today's wine industry -- a surprise to many people, especially on the West
Coast. Planned is a sampling of New York's red, white and sparkling wines. This
will be an opportunity to learn more about this unique wine growing region.
August
- ”Vineyard Tour.” Join
us on a bus tour for a hands-on vineyard, field and winery demonstration.
Meander through a vineyard to learn details on grapevines and receive dialogue
on farm operations including pruning, spraying, harvesting and trellising.
September
- ”A Texas BBQ on Dallas Road.” Goose
Ridge Winery on Dallas Road - the ideal place for a Texas-style BBQ. You'll
find a beautiful picnic area with great food and wine. A great spot to kick
back and enjoy a September evening.
October
- ”Riedel Seminar and Tasting.” Riedel
revolutionized the way the world views stemware by creating wine glasses
specifically designed to showcase each variety. This seminar will forever
change how you approach wine; it will send you to a new level of wine
appreciation. If you love wine, you owe it to yourself to join us for this rare
opportunity.
November
- ”Tri-Cities Wine Festival.” This
event is the "big one" for the Society. Months of preparation and
planning are spent by Festival committee members to bring Society members and
the public a chance to taste the best from wineries throughout the Pacific
Northwest. In addition to the Public Tasting other events include a seminar and
a silent auction.
December
- ” Port Tasting. ” The
2007 year will end with a Port tasting, just in time for the holidays. You can
try a variety of Port styles along with appealing appetizers.
Looking
Ahead - January, 2008 - ” White Burgundy Wines. ” Stay tuned.
To add an event, or submit changes regarding an event, please send an
e-mail to Ted Cress at cressts@earthlink.net