Before I get started on today’s topic, I would like to thank Mr.
Kai Lai for his nice article last week. Kai was our first guest
columnist. From time to time, you will hear more from other people
in our area who love wine. Their experiences and perspectives will
help keep this column fresh and informative.
Before I get started on today’s topic, I would like to thank Mr. Kai Lai for his nice article last week. Kai was our first guest columnist. From time to time, you will hear more from other people in our area who love wine. Their experiences and perspectives will help keep this column fresh and informative.
I was asked a few months ago by a good friend, Barbara Drewitz, if I would be interested in doing a presentation on wine to a group she belongs to, a group called Women in Touch.
I certainly was open to the idea, but before I committed, I wanted to learn more about the group itself.
Women in Touch was formed many years ago when the founding members wanted to create a forum for women to meet, share conversation and socialize. The initial meeting was held in a public park, where close to 100 women showed up. As the group came into its own, they started meeting regularly in Morgan Hill. As more and more people began to join, the group realized there was no facility to accommodate the numbers. A few stalwart Gilroy citizens decided in 1989 to branch out and form the Gilroy chapter, known as Women in Touch II.
Barbara mentioned she had joined the group about four years ago. “I like the fact that this group has a social focus. Many of us already belong to groups that have a political or religious purpose or look to engage the community with fundraising efforts. We get a chance to catch up with friends that we have not seen in a while,” Barbara said.
The group meets the third Thursday of the month at the Gilroy Elks Lodge from 11am to 1:30pm. Lunch and a monthly program are offered each time the group meets. Other than paying for the lunches in advance, there are no dues assessed. “We have had some fun outings too, including mystery trips and catching theater productions in San Francisco,” Barbara explained.
The group is governed by standard parliamentary procedures and has elected officers that include a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and other trustees.
Barbara told me the group size would be around 80 the day I was scheduled to speak. Although larger than anticipated, I was determined to make this presentation fun and interactive – but how?
I decided that I was going to create a sensory experience for the crowd, one where all the senses would be put to use during the demonstration.
After a brief oral presentation on wine, there was opportunity for some questions and answers. Then it was on to the tasting.
Prior to lunch, I was able to set up an aroma station, a table lined with wine glasses that were filled with an assortment of fruits, spices and other delectable items whose aromas and tastes might be found in some of the wines that were being featured.
I set up glasses that contained the following: pineapple, orange, raspberry, lemon, strawberry, apples, grapefruit, pear, pomegranate, almonds, walnuts, olives, bell pepper, bacon, butter, grass, soil, flower petals, black pepper, vanilla, licorice, chocolate, coffee and oak chips.
Each person had the opportunity to pick up one of these glasses and inhale the essential aroma of each glass. Once that was done, a sample of wine was poured for tasting. The object was to see if the wine had some of the characteristics of what they just smelled.
I chose 10 wines for tasting, each from a different producer and some from other countries. I also chose wines that could readily be found and did not cost more than $20. These included a sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, rose, and sangiovese from California; a meritage red wine from Oregon; red table wine from France; malbec from Argentina, tempranillo from Spain; Chianti classico from Italy and a riesling from Germany.
Doing an aroma station was not an original idea of mine, but it looks great aesthetically. For fun, you can create a tasting sheet which lists the wines and the aromas of the stations. Each individual can mark on the sheet what they are experiencing with each wine and then compare with others. Remember, there is no right or wrong answer.
Cheers!
