Wine Society News - CMAA WS...Wine Society News Vol. 22 No. 1 ... Villa Grande Club ... chapter win the prized Bucky Award, which includes plenty of bragging rights! For more information

CMAA International Wine Society

Wine Society News

Vol. 22 No. 1 Winter 2009

Contents:

Letter From the Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

By Andrew Curtis, CCM, CCE, CMP

Newest Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Society Happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Ready, Set, Start the Bidding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

CMAA International Wine Society: South Australian

Wine and Food Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

By Andrew Curtis, CCM, CCE, CMP

Paul Dugan

Jum Cutter, CCM

John Schuler, CCM

Dennis Meermans, CCM, CCE

Chapter Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

NECMA’s Wine Society Harvests Grapes at Westport

Rivers Winery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

By Henry W. Sweren, CCM

Metropolitan Chapter Hosts Second Annual Eric

Caspers Food and Wine Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

By Randy Ruder, CCM, CCE

International Wine Society Conference Calendar

of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

(continued on page 2)

Dear Wine Society Members:

As we enter the New Year, Iwould like to take a moment toreflect on 2008, which marked the20th anniversary of the CMAAInternational Wine Society. It wasa great year for the Society! Ourmembership increased by morethan 60 new members due to thediligent recruitment efforts of theBoard of Managers and ChapterWine Representatives. To further

recognize all members of the Society and foster a sense ofcommunity, the Board led the development of a grapecluster pin, which was distributed to all members alongwith the Fall Edition of the Wine Society News. We encour-age you to wear this pin at all Wine Society events toshow your pride in the society.

Wine Society educational offerings expanded toinclude the Vino 101 program, an online resource cus-tomized specifically for you, club industry professionals.Clubs can purchase an annual license for $299 for essen-tial wine training of their entire staff. For each licensesold, Vino 101 will donate $100 back to the Wine Society.In turn, the Wine Society will utilize these funds to pro-vide $500 scholarships for wine and/or wine-relatedCMAA education. All clubs that participate in Vino 101will be eligible for lottery selection for the available schol-arships.

In late September, the Wine Society presented thehighly-successful South Australian Wine and FoodWorkshop. A full recap of the event is available begin-ning on page 3 as seen through the eyes of five differentattendees. A very special thank you to Dan Philips,owner of the Grateful Palate and our own BoardMember, Chip Brennan, CCM for making this workshoppossible. In addition, a special thank you to my four col-leagues who reported on the daily happenings during ourvisit to this wonderful country.

As we enter our 21st year, the future for the WineSociety is bright. With the 82nd World Conference on

Letter From the HostBy Andrew Curtis, CCM, CCE, CMP

Andrew Curtis,CCM,CCE, CMP2008 Host


The International Wine Society Would Like to Welcome its Newest Members:

Member and Club:

Mr. Victor Balcom II, CCMThe Oaks Club

Mr. Jeffrey J. Blais, CCMGreen Island Country Club

Ms. Rita CrawfordHighlands Golf & Country Club

Mr. Joseph Donnelly, CCMAlpine Country Club

Mr. Thomas D. Elliott, CCMWestborough Country Club

Mr. Joshua GilbertThe Polo Club of Boca Raton

Mr. Kevin D. LalumiereShelter Harbor Golf Club

Mr. Bruno MacazagaVilla Grande Club

Mr. Thomas McNamaraThe Country Club

Ms. Ashley NiermanThe Los Angeles Country Club

Mr. Mauro PiccininniCoveleigh Club

Mr. Benjamin PowellOnwentsia Club

Mr. Scott A. SchukraftHuntsville Golf Club

Ms. Judith SeherBaltusrol Golf Club

Mr. Clive L. SmithMerion Golf Club

Ms. Donna WeinmanLake Merced Golf Club

Ms. Julie Anne YuThe Los Angeles Country Club

Recruited by:

Mr. Greg Crawford,CCM

Ms. Debbie Pagerie

Mr. Joe Basso, MCM,CCE

Mr. Alexander Raimondi,CCM, CCE

Mr. Brent Tartemella,

CCM

Mr. Bill Fox, CCM

Mr. Eric Gregory, CCM

Mr. Randy Ruder, CCM,CCE

Mr. Neil Smith, CCM

Mr. Tom Czaus, CCM

Ms. Christina Pooler

Mr. Eric Gregory, CCM

Letter From the Host(continued from page 1)

Club Management on the horizon, there are numerousactivities for Wine Society members. Join fellow mem-bers to preview the Wine Society Silent Auction and bidon specially-selected lots at the Wine Society MemberPreview on Friday, February 6 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.Learn from Dr. Su Hua Newton and taste the wines ofNewton Vineyard at the Annual Business Meeting andEducation Session on Saturday, February 7. And don’tforget to join in the fast-paced fun at the Live WineAuction on Saturday, February 7 at 6:15 p.m. and walkaway with some great wine values. The events will wrapup with the Wine Society Annual Dinner on Sunday,February 8.

It has been my pleasure to serve as your Host for thepast year. I have enjoyed having the opportunity to get toknow so many of you. The successes of the past yearhave been a joint effort and I would be remiss not tothank the entire Board of Managers as well as the WineSociety Chapter Representatives for all of their efforts.

In Vino veritas,

Andrew Curtis, CCM, CCE, CMP2008 Host

Society Happenings


The Wine Society’s Silent and Live Auctions are annualevents to benefit The Club Foundation. These auctions,held at the World Conference on Club Management, havebeen successful, lively and lucrative in the past, and yourdonations will ensure that this year’s auctions are the bestever.

The auctions are a fun way to raise money for a worth-while venture – your industry’s future. The Wine Societydonates the proceeds from the auctions to The ClubFoundation, which in turn allocates funds to educationalprograms for club mangers.

As Wine Society members, you will get the opportunityfor a special first look at the auctions on Friday, February6 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Special lots will be on display foryour bid and will be available for pick-up at the conclu-sion of the event. Please bring a friend and show them thebenefits of membership in the Wine Society.

The auctions, of course, cannot be a success without thesupport of CMAA members. We look forward to yourparticipation in these exciting events.

There is still time to donate to the auctions! Help yourchapter win the prized Bucky Award, which includesplenty of bragging rights! For more information on howto donate, please refer to the Wine Society’s Web site orcontact Erika Strack at [email protected] or(703) 739-9500.

A most memorable trip to Kangaroo Country started as theQuantas aircraft came in for a landing in Melbourne, Australia. Thelandscape reminded me of the English Countryside in the spring withlots of green and gently rolling hills. It was the start of a great wineadventure with my colleagues of the CMAA International WineSociety. We have decided to share our time and thoughts with you bybreaking the story into five separate two-day segments.

So, please read on with tales from the Outback presented by myself,Paul Dugan, Jim Cutter, CCM, John Schuler, CCM, and last butnot least Dennis Meermans, CCM, CCE.

Most respectfully submitted, Andy Curtis, CCM, CCE, CMP,2008 Host.

Saturday, September 20 – Sunday, September 21, 2008 By Andy Curtis, CCM, CCE, CMP

Our tour began with meeting our hosts representing the“Grateful Palate” who, thanks to Chip Brennan, CCM,agreed to give us a ten-day tour of unique boutique wineriesin South and Southeast Australia. Rachel Harvey and DanKilley greeted us at the Como Hotel in Melbourne onSaturday morning, and without delay we were off to the firstlocation.

We arrived at 10:30 a.m. at the local hotel (pub) for aquick breakfast/brunch of bacon and egg sandwiches pairedwith a pint of the local beer. (Who said that wine tasting wasboring?) Then we headed out to Bill Downie’s Winery totaste his amazing Pinot Noir, made here in the Yarra Valley.Only 2 percent of this varietal is produced in Australia. Thethree oak casks shown in the photo hold his entire season’svintage of Pinot Noir. He makes the wine’s emphasis in theBurgundian style and it is something very special. To add tohis uniqueness, he uses individual art labels for each of hisbottles.

We moved on to meet up with Rob Peebles, owner ofHeathcote Wines, at a local café/pub and enjoyed his disser-tation of his wines over a buffet-style dinner. Heathcote pro-duces an incredible Shiraz that is dry grown. This is due notto the irrigation of the vines, but rather to a lack of suitableland with water access. Notwithstanding that, Heathcote’sterroir and age old vines (40+ years) produce some incredi-ble wine. Most notably is Rob’s Buckshot Shiraz, named forthe small ironstone and quart pebbles found in the soil. Weenjoyed the rest of the evening with another tasting of LillyPilly wines and then more Buckshot, cold beer and talesfrom the vineyard.

Ready, Set, Start the Bidding...

Society Happenings

The 2009 Wine Auctions will be held in PreservationHall at the New Orleans Marriott. The hours for theAuctions will be:

Preview for Wine Society Members and Guests Only Friday, February 6 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Silent Auction Saturday, February 7 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.Sunday, February 8 7:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.

Live AuctionSaturday, February 7 6:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.

CMAA International Wine Society:South Australian Wine and FoodWorkshop

(continued on page 4)


CMAA International Wine Society: South Australian Wine and Food Workshop

On Sunday morning, we headed out to Whistling Eagle tovisit Ian and Lynn Rathjen, owners of the winery. Lynn isalso the chef extraordinaire. After a grand walking tour ofthe slopes of the vineyard, we enjoyed a tasting of all theirwines with lunch on the terrace. Lynn was complimented ona beautifully prepared lunch that we enjoyed while overlook-ing the slopes of Mt. Carmel, an extinct volcano that makesup part of Heathcote. Along for the ride was Ian’s cockatoo,an important member of the Rathien family.

Then we were off to the airport to fly to Adelaide andmeet up for the first time with Dan Philips, the owner of theGrateful Palate. He entertained us at his home with cocktailsand hors d’oeurves and introduced us to his partner, ChrisRingland. He invited us to move across the street for dinnerto his new renovated Restaurant/Café called the R Bar,designed for serving and tasting his wine portfolio. His wineis displayed in each room and we were invited to pick up anybottle and try it. We didn’t need very much encouragementto get started. His first wine was the “Bitch” (named notbecause it was difficult to produce, but rather to have astandout name). Amazingly, it is his most popular wine soldin the United States. Chris Ringland then took us throughthe rest of the portfolio over dinner prepared by Dan’s per-sonal chef. Chef Gregory was recruited from California tocreate a new position as executive chef, to develop, plan,coordinate and implement the culinary activities of theGrateful Palate. Dan was a most gracious host and weenjoyed his wines, culinary delights and wine knowledge lateinto the night.

Monday, September 22 – Tuesday, September 23, 2008By Paul Dugan

We woke on Day three of our adventure with a cold andrainy forecast that in no way dampened the spirits or humor

Society Happenings

on the bus. How fitting that our first stop was HazyBlur.Owner winemaker Ross Trimboli greeted us at his wineryhome and confirmed the Hazyblur name originated from aweather day like this with a little help from some grapes.Ross is also considered among the premier potato farmers inAustralia. He greeted us with dirty hands, a wine-stainedshirt and a never-ending smile. His unpretentious attitudeand Italian heritage drive his passion for not only wine mak-ing but for a life philosophy of never leaving anythinguntried. We were treated to a buffet feast including hisfamous potatoes. As the rain poured down, we crammed intothe barrel room and ended our stay with a full representa-tion of barrel samples. Then it was back on the bus.

As the bus rolled into the Barossa Valley past date palmsand over famous Jacobs Creek, we were now in the heart ofsomething special. Our next stop was Kalleske, home of oneof Australia’s young gun winemakers, Troy Kalleske. Troy’sorganic approach and philosophy of being a steward of theearth entrusted with its care has been a family tradition forgenerations. His mother has claimed the local title of fastesthand picker in eight out of 10 years in the 1980s. Many ofthe past harvests had been included as the base for PenfoldsGrange until the contract expired and Troy realized hisShiraz could hold its own with anyone. As the bus rolled outof Kalleske and down the road, the rain stopped and, as if tocap our day, a double rainbow appeared above the vineyardand ended in the pot of gold, which really was bush vineGrenache.

Our next stop was a sunset tour of Tscharke andGlaymond vineyards. Owner winemaker Damien Tscharkeis all of 26 years old with a vision of Australian wine makingthat is also grounded in Mediterranean varietals such asMontepulciano, Zinfandel, Tempranillo and Albarino. Wefeasted on a family-style camp meal in a newly renovated

Bill Downie explaining his wine-making techniques. John Schuler, CCM, and Dennis Meermans, CCM, CCE,enjoying the bouquet of Pinot Noir at Bill Downie’s winery.

(continued from page 3)



pottery studio where Damian’s other passion, Eva, also treat-ed us to a pottery demonstration. We ended the cold eveningclosely around a nice bonfire in the yard, then off to thehotel.

The next morning we awoke to the constant chatter of theenormous diversity of birds outside the hotel; then we wereoff on the bus to Loan vineyards, home of Richard andJessie Loan. Their vineyards border Tanunda Creek and theoriginal building was deeded to Richard from his grandpar-ents, who built it in 1842. It is all dry farmed with a passionfor the land, its restoration and a philosophy that as stewardsof the land, a balanced approach is what yields its treasure.We enjoyed breakfast treats while sampling throughSemillon and a signature Shiraz showing mocha, earth andhints of cassis. Our whirlwind tour continued in the Barossawith Greg Hobbs of Hobbs–Barossa Ranges. A retiredSWAT team specialist, Greg found the serenity of the vine-yards a far cry from the tension of the force. He specializedin delicate whites of Viognier and Semillon with high acidsand a clean aromatic finish. He also uses a traditionalAmarone approach of partially drying his Shiraz grapes tomake his flagship wine, Gregor Shiraz. Our next detour wasmore of a decompression lunch and tasting in a local parkfeaturing Kalleske, Glaymond, Rick Burge Willows, SamuelsGorge and Adrian Hoffman Vineyards wines. We were alsoschooled in the Aussie passion of Aussie Rules Football andmade a go of it with the old pigskin. We completed our dayfour with an intimate presentation of the entire ChateauChateau portfolio of Grenache. An unprecedented 13 wineswere rolled out to perfect food pairings. Vines ranging in agefrom 20 to 80 years old told the tale of feminine and finesseto dark, rich and heady wines. With such diversity andpower (and it being the last stop of the day) most chose notto use the spit bucket.

Wednesday, September 24 – Thursday, September 25, 2008By Jim Cutter, CCM

Wednesday, September 24 started with helicopter ridesover the Barossa Valley, leaving from and returning to theeponymous Trevor Jones Fine Wines. Trevor continued theoutstanding hospitality we’d been shown with lunch and atasting of seven of his wines and his port, Jonesy. The winesranged from the “Devil You Know Red Fizz,” to his “VirginChardonnay,” to several reds bottled under his Boot label.This label features an oil painting of his always-present gumboots (his wife Mandy assured us he wore a new pair fortheir wedding). Lunch was celeriac soup with local smokedsalmon followed by a local dish; King George Whiting fish.The latter was served with Clarendon Sauvignon Blanc; ajoint venture with David Hickinbotham, another AustralianWine icon we would meet later in our trip.

Early that afternoon, Peter Scholz, owner and winemakerat The Willows Vineyard, greeted us with a tasting of his sixwines just outside their Cellar Door. (Cellar door is the nameused by the wineries for their on-site shops.) The property isone of the oldest settlements in the Barossa Valley; havingbeen settled by the Scholz’s five generations ago. Beginningin 1845, the family ran a small hospital on the site. Vineswere planted in 1936, but the property’s medical heritage hasnot been forgotten. Bonesetter Shiraz and The Doctor, asparkling red, remind those drinking The Willows wines ofwhat came before for the property and the Scholz family.The Willows label was painted by an artist treated for polioby Peter’s grandfather in the 1950s. Peter’s son is the seventhgeneration to be making wines, a fact commemorated by theG7 (Generation Seven) Shiraz Blend, available only at theircellar door.

At dusk, we met Hares Chase owner Michael de la Hayein the vineyards. Imagine Michael and his partner PeterTaylor strolling through the vineyard in the early morning,accompanied by the family dogs, Molly and Mousse. They’re

Society Happenings

Ian’s vines just starting to bloom.

Tour participants and Winemakers celebrate at the farewelldinner.


Valley vineyard now and he welcomed us to “Texas.” Whilecurrently not fully planted, plans are for the site to support avineyard two miles wide by five miles deep. We toured thesite by bus and were awed at its expanse. At the end of thetour we were greeted by personalized rows, which we weretold were ours to care for as long as we stayed. It was a greatphoto opportunity and appreciated by all.

David joined us that evening in Muldura for dinner atStefano’s, one of Australia’s finest restaurants. Dinner began inthe hotel courtyard with sparkling Shiraz and ended with thesame sparkler served with Chocolate Delicious. Throughoutdinner we tasted the entire Paringa line, which includesChardonnay, Merlot, Shiraz and a Cabernet Shiraz blend.

Friday, September 26 – Saturday, September 27, 2008By John Schuler, CCM

On the morning of day seven, we departed the MilduraGrand hotel where we had just finished a night of greatwine, food and camaraderie as we were hosted by DavidHickinbotham and the Paringa Winery. We traveled fromthe Riverland to McLaren Vale where along the way westopped in a small town, Walkerie, for lunch. Due to timeconstraints and the travels for the day, we went directly tothe hotel and checked in for a two-night stay. After we hadthe chance to freshen up and get a bit of rest, we were backout on the trail again headed to restaurant “Fino” for aMediterranean inspired dinner paired with Marquis Philipswines of the “R” wines portfolio.

The “R” Wines portfolio is owned by Dan Philips andChris Ringland and is the quintessential conglomeration ofwinemakers that produce a mix of 28 different labels. Wewere joined by two of the winemaking team from “R”Wines – Andrew and Lisa. This evening we tasted seven ofthe wines, which make up the Marquis Philips (MP) labelsconsisting of Roogle Riesling 2008, MP’s Holly’s Blend2007, MP’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, MP’s Shiraz 2007,MP’s Shiraz Block 9 2006, MP’s Cabernet Sauvignon S22006 and The Grail of Lisa. The wines were paired with afantastic dinner prepared by Chef David Swain and servedby co-owner Sharon and her “Team” that began with oys-ters, moved to quail and on into duck and dessert. TheGrateful Palate has great marketing ideas and the “Roogle”is representative of owners, Dan Philips from America, theeagle, Chris Ringland from Australia and the kangaroo,hence the Roogle! We finished out the evening andreturned for a night of recovery only to embark on dayeight of our journey.

They say that on the seventh day our creator rested. Well,we did not, as attested to the travel, dinner and wines above.


discussing future plans in the peaceful calm - only to havethe tranquility shattered by a hare exploding from its coverin a cloud of red dust, literally at their feet – scaring bothman and beast – and sending the dogs on a noisy and fruit-less chase … and so the name was born. We tasted throughthe wines, as well as barrel samples at the winery and thenhad the opportunity to revisit them with dinner at theGreenock Creek pub. Their offerings include a Tempranillo,a Shiraz and a Shiraz blend, renamed and re-labeled TheSpringer for their new vintage.

Thursday, September 24 began with a vineyard tour host-ed by Chris Ringland. Chris’s vineyard is located at the fareastern end of the Barossa valley and far western end of theEden Valley. Three-and-one-half acres are old vine Shirazplanted in 1910. These vines had been left untended foryears and Chris personally brought the vineyard back intoviable production in the six to eight years following his pur-chasing the vineyard in 1994. Another acre on the site wasplanted in 1999 with phyloxira resistant Shiraz root stock.Grapes from both parcels are used in his highly rated ChrisRingland Shiraz.

Chris’s home is on the vineyard site where we enjoyed abreakfast of Australian (strong) coffee, fresh squeezedorange juice and zucchini bacon muffins; a great way to endour three day stay in the Barossa Valley.

We traveled from the Barossa Valley northeast to theRiverland region. We arrived in early afternoon for a tour atParinga Vineyards. This was our first experience with pre-vention for phylloxera and both the participants and the buswere required to bathe their feet (tires) prior to entering theproperty. While vineyard tours in the Barossa Valley aremanageable by foot, our host David Hickinbotham was quickto point out that we were not in some “chicken shit” Barossa

Society Happenings

John Schuler, CCM, Heinrich and Ute Lutjens, Paula Schuler andSandra and Jim Cutter, CCM, enjoy cruising on the Murray River.



to walk to the edge of and enjoy a cold Cooper’s Ale beforeour walk back to the bus.

After our tour of the vineyard and olive press, we departedfor lunch and headed to the Salopian Inn, where we enjoyedanother fantastic meal as Justin paired his wines with eachcourse. Again, it was a meal fit for a king and the interestingthing is that the little Inn was literally what it felt like – in themiddle of nowhere. Immediately following lunch, we had todepart and get to the pub for an afternoon of Australian Rulesfootball or “Footy,” as they say! So, some of us joined DanKilley, one of our guides, and went to the pub for an afternoonwatching the championship game and others joined RachelHarvey and went to Maslins Cliff for an afternoon of morewine and beach walks. Both ways, you couldn’t lose; the gamewas great and of course the beach was spectacular.

And you thought the day was coming to an end, but no!The bus rolled up and picked us up from the pub and weheaded to the beach to join the others. Justin, who was stilltraveling with us, was getting ready to take us on another tourof a project at Rudderless, where he is the winemaker andDoug Govan is the owner. So, off we went from the finest pubin South Australia to once again tour a coastal vineyard anddine over looking the coast. Heaven it was, if I say so myself.The dinner was again all that you can imagine and the winesfrom Rudderless, old vine Shiraz and Grenache were fantas-tic. The evening continued on until late and the day was fin-ished with a short ride back to the hotel where we called it aday! Day nine is to come and the tour is still going strong!

Sunday, September 28 – Monday, September 29, 2008By Dennis R. Meermans, CCM, CCE

It was overcast and a bit cool when we pulled away fromthe McLaren Vale Motel on Sunday morning and headed fora brief tour of the vineyards of Blewitt Springs Winery, thenewest winery to be represented by R Wines. After the busclimbed the hill into the vineyard, we were greeted by wine-maker Andrew Hercock. He offered us a small glass of theBlewitt Springs 2007 Grenache and then led down the paththat separated vineyards of old vine Grenache and Shiraz.Andrew reiterated what we had learned at previous wineries– old vines can handle years of drought with the aid of avery minor drip irrigation system. In perfect conditions,these vineyards might yield up to eight tons per acre. But inreality, three tons is the norm.

We re-boarded our coach and headed for the featuredevent of the day – a cruise on the Murray River. As the jour-ney was somewhat lengthy, we negotiated a “pit stop” in thesmall town Strathalbyn. The group provided a mini econom-

Yet if our creator had an eighth day, what would have hecalled it? Samuel’s Gorge! This day was a journey of sevendays in and of itself. We began in the morning at a FarmersMarket that had all of the feeling of being at a street fair inthe United States. The food was great, the opportunities topurchase unique items fantastic and the sparkling wine backat Fino’s at 9:00 a.m. (where we had dinner the night before)a real relief to those who may have over-indulged.

Departing from the Farmer’s Market, we were on our wayto Noon Winery where we had the opportunity to meetowner/winemaker Drew Noon and his family. Noon is a spe-cial place amongst the hills of McLaren Vale, as this wineryproduces only two to three thousand cases each year and,except for the export allotment, sells total production in oneday through their Cellar Door. Noon produces Old VineGrenache, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and a style of Port.Noon’s wines have received 100-point ratings from Parker forhis 1999 Reserve Shiraz and 99 points for his 2006 ReserveShiraz. That being said, his wines were excellent and the visitvery impressive. I would be remiss if I did not mention thatRae Noon, Drew’s wife, is an excellent artist whose magnifi-cent pieces adorn the walls in their Cellar Door.

On the road again, we made our way to meet JustinMcNamee, owner/winemaker of Samuel’s Gorge. Uponarrival at Samuel’s Gorge, we were taken on a long walkthrough the vineyards, (pronounced vin yard in Australia) tothe top of the rise of hills to overlook the water. This coastalhaven is on a rise some 800 feet or more above sea level andtakes advantage of the cooling breezes during the growingseason that allows for the grape production to be rich andintense. Justin focuses on only three varietals at Samuel’sGorge, Shiraz, Grenache and Tempranillo. The base of oper-ations is located in an old olive press, which was also used asa forge at one time. The property is surrounded by theOnkaparinga National Park which we had the opportunity

Society Happenings

It takes a lot of good beer to make a great wine!

Society Happenings


ic stimulus package to the town by depleting a small shop’ssupply of meat pies and coffee.

We arrived in Mannum and boarded The Odyssey for ariver cruise up and down the Murray River sponsored by RWines. Designed to cater to large groups, The Odyssey wasequipped with an excellent galley from which R Wines’Executive Chef Greg Hill prepared another delicious buffet.Also joining us on the cruise was another of R Wines talent-ed winemakers, Lisa Weatherell. Lisa kindly brought along asampling of the wines that were becoming very familiar toour palates. These included the 2007 Evil Chardonnay andCabernet Sauvignon Rose, and Shiraz from Bon Bon,Luchador and Boarding Pass.

Whether lounging outside on the stern deck or inside onthe comfortable sofas, we all enjoyed the beauty of the riveras we glided past landscapes of rolling hillsides, rock forma-tions and a variety of colorful birds. Every now and then oneof the paddle wheel steamers would churn past us heading inthe opposite direction and give a blast from its steam whistle.

After the relaxing three-hour cruise, we traveled back toAdelaide and checked the Majestic Roof Garden Hotel.Almost immediately, we regrouped and departed for our din-ner destination – the Tandori Oven. As this highly ratedIndian restaurant we were joined by Brian Lynn fromMajella Winery in Coonawarra. To accompany the variety oftastes offered on our menu, Brian served a wide range ofwines. He started with Majella’s award winning 2008Riesling. While Coonawarra and its red soil limestone,“Terra Rossa,” was known for producing quality Rieslings inthe 1970s, it is now more recognized as a producer ofCabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Cultivated in a cool climateand harvested for low yields (2 tons per acre), Majella’s

Riesling proved to be a very well-balanced wine. Next, wewere presented with Majella’s 2008 un-oaked Cabernet/Shirazblend, “Musician.” This was followed by their 2004 Shiraz, a1999 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2004 Cabernet/Shiraz blendthat spent 36 months in oak. Brian topped of the night with anoffering of Majella’s Sparkling Shiraz in which 20-year-oldvintage port is used as the dosage.

The food and the wine made for an excellent evening, asdid the restaurant’s many works of 82-year-old artist TomGleghorn. While a quick Google search of this artist willshow his many wonderful paintings, the search may notreveal his habit of removing napkins from restaurants world-wide and using them as canvases for some of his paintings.Humorously, he always reveals the source of the napkin onthe bottom of the painting.

On the last full day of the tour, most of the group spent themorning at the Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills,viewing native Australian animals and getting up and person-al with kangaroos and koalas. The remainder of the groupwent shopping in downtown Adelaide. Everyone enjoyedthemselves and then returned to the hotel in the afternoon topack their bags for the journey back to the States.

Our farewell dinner was held at the Jade View Inn. Someof the winemakers we met during the tour, including JustinMcNamee from Samuel’s Gorge, Damian and Eve Tscharkefrom Glaymond, Brian Lynn from Majella, Ross and RobyneTrimboli from Hazyblur Wines and Chef Greg Hill, joined uson this final night. During the tour, these winemakers, alongwith the others who were unable to join us this evening, con-tributed several bottles of their wines for this dinner and nowthey were all opened and distributed to the individual tableswhere they were displayed on large glass lazy susans alongwith the never-ending supply of very tasty Chinese food.

The highlight of the evening occurred when formal presen-tations were made to our two wonderful tour guides. First,John Schuler, CCM, thanked Dan Killey for all his assis-tance and good humor over the past ten days and then pre-sented him with an authentic Aussie Football League foot-ball. Paula Schuler then took center stage to recognize themost important person on this trip, tour director RachelHarvey. In appreciation of all her efforts on behalf of theCMAA Wine Society tour participants, Paula presentedRachel with a beautiful necklace. The evening ended a bitlater than planned as each tour participant made a point ofextending their gratitude to each of the winemakers for theirgracious Aussie hospitality.

The only way to tour the Barossa Valley.



On Monday, September 22, the New England ClubManagers Association Wine Society was given the opportu-nity to help handpick harvest Pinot Noir grapes for theWestport Rivers Winery. Rob Russell, the owner and vine-yard manager, gave the class of 25 members a demonstrationon how the grapes were grown and how to hand pick them.After the two-hour harvest, Bill Walke, the events’ coordina-tor of the winery, gave the class a tour of the winery anddescribed how the wines were made, bottled, aged and dis-tributed. After the tour, the class was given lunch and had atasting of the different varietals that the vineyard produces.

Westport Rivers Winery is in Westport, MA. TheRussells began producing wine in 1991 and now operate thelargest vineyard in New England. The winery predominatelyproduces sparkling wines. Most of them are aged from threeto six years. Average annual production for the winery is7,000 cases. If you would like more info on Westport RiversWinery, please visit www.westportrivers.com.

NECMA’s Wine Society Harvests Grapes at Westport Rivers WineryBy Henry W. Sweren, CCMNew England Chapter

Chapter Notes

The entrance to Westport Rivers Winery.

Guest speaker Rob Russell, the owner and vineyard manger,gave the class of 25 members a demonstration on how thegrapes were grown and how the hand pick them.

Wine Society members learn how Pinot Noir grapes are plant-ed, grown and harvested.

Drew Ford, CCM, Ric Shultz, CCM, and other NECMAWine Society members harvest Pinot Noir grapes.

NECMA Wine Society members Marilyn Sams, CCM, andBoyd Holk, CCM, harvest Pinot Noir grapes.


The Metropolitan Chapter of the Club ManagersAssociation recently hosted the Second Annual Eric CaspersFood and Wine Experience featuring the wines of Stags’Leap Winery.

Beach Point Club in Mamaroneck, NY, hosted the eventin memory of the late Eric Caspers. Eric was the previousgeneral manager of the club, a past President of theMetropolitan Chapter, a former Wine Society member – anda big fan of fine food and great wine.

The Metropolitan Club Foundation recently established aFood and Wine Scholarship in Eric’s name and the firstscholarship winners were presented by committee chair,Frank Benzakour, CCM, that evening. Four winners werehonored that evening:

• John Donovan of Metropolis Country Club• Brock Meyveci of Middle Bay Country Club• Alan Miller, CCM, of Sebonack Golf Club• Paul A. Smith III, of Willow Ridge Country Club

The evening consisted of a large format auction to raisefunds for next year’s scholarships. The scholarships are ear-marked for member managers to take advanced classes infood and wine studies.

Beach Point Club Executive Chef Maxwell Shteyman exe-cuted a unique dining experience complete with unusual pre-sentations and pairings that nicely showed off the depth ofStags’ Leap wines.

The menu and wine pairings for the event is shown on the next page.

Chapter Notes

Metropolitan Chapter Hosts Second Annual Eric Caspers Food and WineExperienceBy Randy Ruder, CCM, CCE

Metropolitan Chapter members enjoy a great evening at theBeach Point Club.

Attendees sampled the wines of Stags’ Leap Winery.

The wine-inspired tablescape at the Beach Point Club.


Metropolitan Chapter Hosts Second Annual Eric Caspers Food and WineExperience

HORS D’OEUVRESShrimp Toast with Avocado Relish

Lamb Sliders with Mint AioliWatermelon with Aged Balsamic and Sea Salt

Broiled Eel, Vegetable, Tofu and Egg Spring Rolls“Kobe” Hanger Steak FritesPiper-Heidsieck Pom-Mossas

MENUSea Scallop

Foie Gras Ganache, Yukon Blinis, Duck Confit, MicrogreensStags’ Leap Viognier, 2006

Sea Bass “3” WayRoasted, Oxtail Ragout-Ceviche-Brandade, Asiago Cracker

Stags’ Leap Chardonnay, 2006

Fennel SaladOrange, Pignoli, Ricotta Salada

Trio of Local “Laid Back Lamb”Shank Confit-Grilled Rack-Roasted Shoulder

Rosemary-Mascarpone Risotto, Glazed Carrots, Lamb JusStags’ Leap Petite Syrah, 2005

Gateau au Chocolat, Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries, Chocolate Cheese Smear

Stags’ Leap Ne Cede Malis, 2004

Chapter Notes


International Wine Society Conference Calendar of Events

Wednesday, February 4 and Thursday, February 5, 20097:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pre-Conference Workshop

Introductory Sommelier Course –Two Day Workshop*

Friday, February 6, 20094:00 – 6:00 p.m. Wine Society Auction Preview

for Members and Guests

Saturday, February 7, 200911:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Wine Society Silent Auction

1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Wine Society Business Meeting*

6:15 – 6:45 p.m. Wine Society Live Auction

Sunday, February 8, 20097:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. Wine Society Silent Auction

12:30 – 3:30 p.m. At-Conference Workshop Wine Making 101*

6:30 p.m. Wine Society Dinner*

*Registration and/or separate ticket required. Please contact the International Wine Society at (703) 739-9500.

Society Happenings

Documents

Wine Society News - CMAA WS...Wine Society News Vol. 22 No. 1 ... Villa Grande Club ... chapter win the prized Bucky Award, which includes plenty of bragging rights! For more information