On occasion, people new to WineSpirit activity express relief that it isn't about something one associates with religion, when we use the words spirit and spirituality, sometimes in the same sentence. So what is WineSpirit exactly if not about religion, it's more how people come to celebrate life, and how wine sometimes helps lead the way inside.
Black Stallion Winery Event
On September 27 at Black Stallion Winery, we celebrated the essence of WineSpirit. Liz Thach and Sondra Barrett showed us the insides and out of wine's unique character, and how that applies to each of us. A WineSpirit full house , i.e. 30 people, which is our limit at these programs, enjoyed Sondra's photos of wine's unique character and beauty, under the microscope, followed by Liz's guiding people to experience their own taste changes, showing how sweet and sour, salty, bitter and savory, each alters our experience and taste of wine. Plus, we discovered our individual taste preferences . While quaffing Black Stallion wines and tasting the changes in the wines, as we alternated between taste treats, cookies, lemon, salt and more, we learned how by applying varying tastes from our foods, we can change our pleasure or dislike of a wine and savor our differences. Bravo, Liz and Sondra! ...for a fascinating and fun visit enjoying noshes and tastes of wines in the process of discovering deeper ways of appreciating these times together, and lessons we can apply at the dining room table.
On Sunday, November 15 at 2PM, is our next gathering, with a change of subject. Paul Wagner will be sharing one of his great presentations, Wine Toasts & Poetry, which I still savor from many years ago. Be sure to reserve your spot on EventBright or MeetUp for this presentation of:
Wine Toasts & Poetry – The complete history of wine and culture (abridged). From Babylonia to James Bond in an hour. An irreverent, fast-paced romp along Vitis Vinifera’s long and winding road. Join Paul as he imparts the grand story of wine, from wild vines and quevri in Georgia to amphora in Atlantis to barrels in Burgundy and cement ‘eggs’ in Oakville. You will laugh and learn, while your guide sips and whines his way through ancient wine, Old World, New World and Other Worlds wine. All 10,000 vinous years in 60 minutes!
About Paul Wagner:
A member of the WineSpirit Advisory Board, he has been an instructor for Napa Valley College's Viticulture and Enology department for the past twenty years. In addition he teaches at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and is a guest lecturer at universities and conferences throughout the world on wine business, communications, public affairs, wine, wine tourism, and wine marketing.
With Liz Thach and Janeen Olsen, he authored a book: Wine Marketing & Sales, Strategies for a Saturated Market by The Wine Appreciation Guild, which won the Gourmand International Award in 2008 for the best wine book of the year for professionals. He has been a columnist for Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine for the last ten years, contributes to Allexperts.com in the field of wine and food, and served on the board of directors of the Society of Wine Educators for many years. With Rick Kushman of Capital Public Radio, he hosts “Bottle Talk” athttp://www.rickandpaulwine.com/ a weekly conversation about wine.
Paul Wagner has judged many international wine competitions, is a founding member of the Academy of Wine Communications, a member of the nominations committee of the Culinary Institute of America’s Vintner’s Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Spadarini della Castellania di Soave in 2005. In 2009 he was honored with a “Life Dedicated to Wine” award at the Feria Nacional del Vino (FENAVIN) in Spain.
