April 2011 Contra Costa Wine Group Newsletter

        Our last meeting was held at the home of Rupert & Eran Perera in Martinez.  There were about 45 or 50 people present as this was the night to taste the award winning Red Wines from our Professional Judging held on Saturday, January 22, 2011.  There was a wonderful table of hors d’oeuvres laid out for everyone.  Our hosts were most gracious, especially for volunteering to host this large meeting.  For that graciousness, we thank them.

          We had a very well-behaved group for this meeting as everyone was extremely interested to hear how the award winning wines were prepared.  We started off the evening with John Kirtley’s Silver Award winning Viognier as he and Sophia were in Mexico for the last meeting.  Thanks John!  There were lots of handouts and all of the winners did a great job of presenting their wines to those in attendance.  All in all, it was a wonderful meeting.  I heard lots of very positive comments throughout the night.

          One of the things that didn’t get accomplished though was that very few wines were brought to the meeting for the WineMaker Magazine Conference to be held in May in Santa Barbara.  We currently have only 8 bottles of wine and WineMaker felt that each group of pourers should have at least 3 cases of wine.  We have about 9 people going to the conference and they’ll be sharing the time at the CCWG table while down at the conference.  If you’re attending the April meeting, please bring along a bottle of your very best wine.  We are, after all, the 2010 WineMaker Magazine Club of the Year and have to show the conference attendees our “stuff!”  We are also hopeful that we can continue our winning ways for Winemakers of the Year and Club of the Year for 2011 as well.  Bonneau Dickson, our Wine Czar, will be bringing marked empty wine cases with him to this meeting and will insure that they all of the wine is taken to the conference.

          Here’s a short update on long-time member, Dick Ingraham.  Dick went under the knife at USF for major back surgery a while back.  He’s currently pain free and will hopefully be at the next meeting on April 29^th.  We wish him well in his recuperation.    

          Our next meeting will be held on Friday night, April 29, 2011 starting at around 7:30 p.m.  The meeting may be started off with the last two Red Wine award winners who have yet to pour their wines.   Then, our program presenter for the evening will be long-time CCWG member, current WineMaker Magazine Winemaker of the Year, Rex Johnston.  If you’ve ever thought that you might like to make a Fruit Wine or a Dessert Wine, but saw it as too difficult, come to this meeting, listen well and take good notes as Rex is going to spill it all on how to go about making these wines and ending up with a high quality result.  The title of his presentation will officially be “Making Fruit and Dessert Wines.”  This is a meeting that you simply do not want to miss.  Rex might even pour a couple of his beauties!

          The next meeting, again on Friday night, April 29, 2011 starting at around 7:30 p.m. will be held at the home of Bob and Ruth Hussey, high in the hills of Danville.

DIRECTIONS:  Take the El Cerro exit off of Highway 680 and head West.  Turn right at the “T” intersection signal, which is Old Danville Highway.  Go 1 short block (just past San Ramon Valley High School) and turn left on Del Amigo Rd.  Follow it faithfully until it becomes Starview Dr., continue up the hill to 510 Starmont Ct.  The Hussey telephone number in case you get lost is (925) 837-6643.  Bring a chair, a wine glass and a bottle of your very best (or a nice purchased one) (plus the WineMaker Magazine Conference one) to share with the attendees.  Also, bring a warm jacket.  They’re having the meeting portion of the evening in the garage and the wine table will be outside.

          Barbara Bentley has graciously volunteered (got roped into) to take notes for me at the next meeting.  Michele and I are off to Rome for 5 days, (getting out of town the morning before the Pope John Paul Beatification Ceremony) then, up to Venice for a 12-day Eastern Mediterranean cruise, so will be missing this meeting.  We’ll be celebrating my birthday, Mother’s Day and our 38^th Anniversary all in one trip.  Not bad planning if you ask me!

          Respectfully submitted,  Al Turner, Secretary, Contra Costa Wine Group