Summer 2019

Inside this Issue:

• From the Host
• Chapter & Member News
• Society Happenings

• Idea Fair
• Wine Industry Trends, News, & Stats

For the third consecutive year, the IWS Northeast Regional Wine Dinner was a sell-out. This year, 138 club managers and distinguished guests broke bread and raised glasses at the prestigious Harmonie Club in New York City on April 4 at a dinner that featured Iconic Old World Wineries.

Nine CMAA Chapters were represented! IWS members were in attendance from the New Jersey, Connecticut, Metropolitan, Philadelphia & Vicinity, City of New York, New England, Greater Baltimore, Lone Star, and Golden State Chapters. Special thanks to the Lone Star Chapter’s Marvin Jones, CCM, and Bill Johnson, CCM, CCE, who represented the Golden State Chapter once again!

The evening began with a reception featuring butler-passed hors d’oeuvres and a selection of wines including Ruinart Blanc de Blanc, presented by Nicole Burke, Moet Hennessy USA; Pascal Jolivet Pouilly Fume, Terres Blanches 2014, presented by Anthony Cohen, Frederick Wildman & Sons; M. Chapoutier, Chante-Alouette 2016; and Oremus, Tokau-Mandolas 2017.

The reception was followed by an amazing six-course dinner with each course paired with two wines.

Wine Society Board Members and Past Hosts featured with the evening’s Winery Owners and Representatives.

From Left, Back Row: Ryan Brennan, CCM, Burton Ward, CCM, CCE, Kinou Cazes Hachemian, Jeffrey G. Martocci, CCM, Sarah Kuhl, CCM, CS, Aurore Drouhin, Colin Mack-Allen, CCM, CCE. Front Row: Antonio Menendez Puente, Karl Habib, CCM, Maxime Chapoutier, Jean Frederic Hugel, Tom Czaus, CCM, CHE.

The following winery owners and representatives presented their wines:

Jean Frederic Hugel– Owner, Hugel-Fils, - Jean Frederic is part of the 13th generation of the Hugel family. He oversees the viticulture and oenology under the watchful eye of his uncle, Marc. The Hugels are confident that Alsatian wines will soon return to prominence as highly valued wines.

Laurent Drouhin, represented by his daughter, Aurore – Export Director - North America & Caribbean, Maison Joseph Drouhin – Laurent followed his father to the vineyards at a young age and likes to say that he grew up in a barrel! He has lived in the New York area since 2005 with his wife, Beatrice, and their two children.

Kinou Cazes Hachemian – Co-Owner, Chateau Lynch Bages & Chateau Ormes de Pez – Kinou is responsible for representing Lynch-Bages and the wines from the family estates throughout North America. She lives outside New York City with her husband and children.

Antonio Menendez Puente – General Manager of Sales & Marketing, Vega-Sicilia – Antonio joined Vega-Sicilia in 2015 to lead the business development of the group both nationally and internationally, to manage corporate sales and marketing, and to create the overall long-term strategy for the company.

Maxime Chapoutier – Owner, M. Chapoutier – Maxime’s father, Michel Chapoutier, became the winemaker of M. Chapoutier in 1988, his family’s wine estate that has been in production for 200 years. Maxime is the head distiller and specializes in vineyard prospection, valuation, and transaction in exploring new terroir.

During the event, a live auction was held with two lots presented by Auctioneer, Tom Czaus, CCM, CHE. More than $5,300 was raised, which will be set aside to help fund future NE Regional Wine Dinners.

A very special thank you to Davina Weinstein, CCM, General Manager and the team (noted below) at the Harmonie Club for hosting this event in spectacular fashion.

Thomas Piede, Executive Chef
Christopher McAllister, Assistant Clubhouse Manager
Quint Spitzer, Member Services Manager
Jose Sotelo, Banquet Manager
James Guzinski, Dining Manager

And thank you to my good friend, Ryan Brennan, CCM, Chairman of the NJCMA Wine Society, who had the vision to create this event and has now started a tradition that will hopefully continue for years to come!

Sonoma County CMI Wine Workshop

Monica Dawson, Director of Catering & Special Events, Birnam Wood Golf Club, Santa Barbara, CA

On Sunday, April 14, just as Tiger Woods made his final putt to win The Masters, members of the Golden State Chapter of CMAA assembled in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country. A spacious shuttle bus and friendly driver Dave arrived to whisk us away to our first location, Iron Horse Vineyards in Sebastopol.

We were greeted at Iron Horse by Joy Sterling, who dressed just as joyful as her attitude and namesake; and were handed a glass of "Joy!" sparkling wine. From David Munksgard, long time Iron Horse Winemaker, we learned about rain affecting frost in grapes and how to prevent it, and a few attendees were part of an interactive learning demo on crown corks and yeast. The lunch at Iron Horse was delicious and everybody's eyes were glued to the bowl of oysters being passed around the tables.

The next stop of the day was the picturesque setting of Gary Farrell Winery in Healdsburg. Our group was led on a tour by General Manager, Nancy Bailey, and then educated on their signature Chardonnay & Pinot Noirs along with exquisite cheese pairings for each wine.

Our third and final stop of Day 1 was at Sonoma Golf Club where we were welcomed for a reception in their gorgeous courtyard. Winemakers from Saxon Brown, Sangiacomo, and Mauritson were present at the reception. We were then welcomed in for dinner while each winemaker sat at one of three tables to chat with the cub managers. They would also then get up, one winemaker per course, to discuss the histories and traditions of each winery respectively. Wines from all three wineries paired beautifully with the four-course dinner. Thank you to General Manager Brian Simpson and Chef Dana Jaffe for hosting us!

Day 2 comprised of meeting at Rodney Strong Vineyards in Healdsburg. A welcome reception was held in the main lobby and then we were taken on a tour of the facility. Many thanks to VP Eric Poehlmann and winemaker Greg Morthole who provided an outstanding educational experience. After the tour, we were welcomed to a beautiful lunch buffet. Thank you to the team at Rodney Strong for our parting gift – a bottle of Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon!

An optional secondary tasting and tour was held at Limerick Lane Winery in Sebastopol. A delectable array of snacks and refreshments awaited us in their tasting room. We were also taken on a tour of the vineyards, some of which were originally planted more than a century ago! This made for great photo opportunities with old and new friends.

Thank you to Crystal Thomas, MCM, and Daniel Castro of the Golden State Chapter, and especially to Jack Grehan of Meadow Club for planning a wonderfully delightful two days of education and fellowship.