The Grapevine
Winter 2022
From the Host
Greetings and Happy New Year! Hopefully 2022 will bring health, happiness, and prosperity to you and your families!
The Wine Society (WS) Board of Managers has been working diligently at finalizing details for the upcoming CMAA 2022 World Conference and Club Business Expo and a robust slate of education and networking events is planned.
- The Ballast Point Experience - Sarah Kuhl, CCM, has created a full day experience with Ballast Point owner/operator Brendan Watters.
- Wine Society Business Meeting and Education Session – Wendy Anglin, CCM, has organized an upscale wine and cheese tasting featuring iconic winemaker, Chris Carpenter, of Jackson Family Wines, and Daniel Dowe, proprietor of Artisanal Cheese.
- Wine Auction – Kelvin Mauldin has been coordinating the silent auction, which will be held virtually again this year, and there is still time to donate bottles of wine from your club or chapter.
- Chapter Representative Lunch – Ryan Brennan, CCM, has partnered with Penfolds to host this event and will feature a tasting and Q&A with your Board of Managers.
- Member Reception – Bret Coad, CCM, CCE, has organized this reception, which will feature Handwritten Wines and Jessup Cellars while previewing the Live Auction lots.
- 33rd Annual Wine Society Dinner – A can’t miss event returns! Jack Grehan and Blaine Burgess, CCM, CCE, have planned an all-star lineup of wine personalities and are working with Brian Carlson and his team at the San Diego Yacht Club with what promises to be an outstanding evening of food, wine, and camaraderie, black tie optional.
- Nominating Committee – Committee Chair, Colin Mack-Allen, CCM, CCE, and the Nominating Committee have nominated three very qualified managers to serve on the board.
The Board of Managers continues to add new Friends of the Wine Society. Please check them out on the CMAA website as they are excited to collaborate with your clubs and chapters. In addition, the Chapter Rep participation continues to grow as several virtual wine tasting webinars have been scheduled over the past year.
Behind the scenes, Matt Kurtas, CCM, has worked to improve the Wine Program Awards, and Melissa Low, CAE, has provided valuable insight and support with the quarterly Grapevine publications.
The Board is also continuing to work on updating our Strategic Plan with the assistance of Sara Thom and Jeff Morgan, FASAE, CAE, which we hope to share with all of you in 2022. Please continue to refer colleagues and associates to become members and join the WS, and feel free to share your ideas and recommendations with any of the WS Board or National staff.
Finally, I would like to thank the Wine Society Board of Managers for their dedication and commitment and to our National Staff for their assistance; extend a big welcome to the incoming Board members and gratitude to those of you whose term has ended; and issue a sincere thank you to all Wine Society members for your ongoing support as we strive to continue to improve the experience for all members.
As I pass the torch to my good friend and incoming Host, Jack Grehan, I ask that you please continue to support Jack and the Wine Society and move it forward as you have done in the past!
Cheers!
Karl Habib, CCM
2021 Host
You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending…
Society Happenings
2022 Proposed Officers and Directors
In accordance with Article VIII, Section 2 of the CMAA Wine Society bylaws, the following slate of candidates is being presented to the members of the Society. This slate will be voted upon during the Annual Business Meeting of the Society, which is being held on Sunday, February 20, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Host: Jack Grehan
Cellarmaster: Blaine Burgess, CCM, CCE
Kitchenmaster: Ryan Brennan, CCM
Cellarer: Bret Coad, CCM, CCE
Kitchener: Kelvin Mauldin
Barrister: Sarah Kuhl, CCM
Toastmaster: Wendy Anglin, CCM
Board Member: Cheryl Wisch, CCM, CS
Board Member: Art Barajas, CCM, CCE
Board Member: Randall Bertao, CCM
Immediate Past Host: Karl Habib, CCM, CCE
Ex officio Board Member: Colin Mack-Allen, CCM, CCE
2022 Nominating Committee
Colin Mack-Allen, CCM, CCE, Chairman
Paul A. Smith III
Nadine Rockwell, CCM
Pre-Conference Experience at Ballast Point
Presented in part by the CMAA Wine Society, The Ballast Point Experience will take place on Friday, February 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Join your peers and Ballast Point owner/operator – as well as co-founder/CEO of Chicago-area craft brewery Kings & Convicts Brewing Company – Brendan Watters for a face-paced day of experiencing and learning about the craft beer and hard seltzer business and trends. A pioneering brewery born 25 years ago within the hallowed, hopped walls of San Diego’s Home Brew Mart, the complete art of the craft swims in the DNA of Ballast Point Brewing Company. From bringing a hoppy twist to a porter or adding four types of malt to its amber ale, to creating the breakthrough gold-medal winning Sculpin IPA, Ballast Point is known for adding its touch and asking if there’s a better way. The animated Watters and his talented team of experts and brewers will take us through a day of learning, networking, touring, and tasting!
Transportation to and from the San Diego Marriott as well as lunch and spirits included in the registration fee for this experience. Participants must be 21 years of age. Registration is $275 for CMAA Members and $375 for non-members.
Please note: This seminar does not fulfill the workshop requirement for CMAA certification purposes. Four (4) CMI Credits will be awarded to participants upon completion.
Secure Your Seat at the Annual Business Meeting and Education Session
The Annual Wine Society Business Meeting and Education Session will be held on Sunday, February 20, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The business portion of this event will include the election of the Wine Society Board of Managers, the announcement and recognition of the Wine Program Awards, and the annual membership recruitment awards.
Following the business portion of the event, Wine Society members will be introduced to Winemaker, Christopher Carpenter and will sample various wines from the Kendall Jackson Family portfolio, including Mt. Brave, La Jota, and Cardinale.
The Wine Society Business Meeting is only open to Wine Society members and you must RSVP to attend as fewer than 30 seats remain.
Connect at the Wine Society Member Reception and Live Auction Preview
Please join your fellow Wine Society members on Monday, February 21 at 1:30 p.m. for the Wine Society Member Reception and Live Auction Preview.
The reception will feature sister wineries, Handwritten Wines and Jessup Cellars. Tastings will include the Jessup Chardonnay and Zinfandel and Handwritten Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Wine Society Live Auction will be held immediately following the reception.
Get Your Tickets for the Annual Wine Dinner
The 2022 Annual Wine Dinner will be held at the San Diego Yacht Club on Monday, February 21 from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. Dress code is business casual. Tickets are required upon entrance to the dinner, which you will pick up at Conference Registration.
Prices are as follows:
- Wine Society Member: $200
- Guest of Wine Society Member: $200
- Non-Wine Society Member: $225
Please note that all guests must be registered, must adhere to the health and safety policies, and must wear a badge for event access at all times. If you would like your guest to join you for the Wine Society Dinner, you must either register them for a CMAA World Conference and Club Business Guest Full Access or Limited Access badge.
To purchase a ticket, please contact Alanna Eckard.
Get Involved in the 2022 Wine Auctions
The Wine Society’s Silent and Live Auctions are annual events to benefit the members of the Wine Society. The auctions, held annually during the CMAA World Conference and Club Business Expo, have been successful, lively, and lucrative in the past and your donations can ensure that 2022 is the best year ever. The auctions are a fun way to raise money for a worthwhile venture—your industry’s future. The Wine Society will use the auction proceeds to produce exceptional education and member offerings to those in the Society.
Despite the 2021 Silent Auction being held virtually, it was a huge success thanks to the hard work from our Wine Society Chapter Reps and CMAA Managing Directions. With fewer expenses involved in a virtual auction, the Wine Society Board has decided that the silent auction will once again be held virtually, while the Live Auction and Live Dinner Auction will be held in person in San Diego.
Donate
What does that mean for donations? Silent auction items will be collected the same way as they were for 2021, through your Wine Society Chapter Rep, who will then group the wines into lots and enter those on our online auction platform.
Please note the guidelines for the Silent Auction donations:
- Minimum bottle cost of $50 wholesale value, as the focus should be on quality of wine over quantity
- Minimum of 3 bottles/maximum of 6 bottles per lot
- Silent Auction donations must be received by your Wine Society Chapter Rep by Monday, February 7 so that they have time to configure lots and input your donations into the online auction platform.
With the Live Auctions taking place in person, those bottles will be handled in a different manner. All Live Auction donations will need to arrive at the San Diego Yacht Club no later than Monday, February 14.
Please note the guidelines for the Live Auction donations:
- Minimum bottle cost of $100 wholesale value, again with the focus being quality over quantity
- To ensure that we have successful live auctions, we would love to see each Chapter donate at least 3 bottles of wine.
- Donations of wine experiences, such a winery tours and tastings, are also greatly appreciated, as they do well during the live auctions.
And don’t forget, the Chapters that donate to the Wine Society Auctions are in the running for the Wine Society Bucky Awards! The Per Capita Bucky Award Winners typically donate $100 wholesale value per chapter member and the Overall Bucky Award winners typically donate more than $20,000 in wholesale value.
Please complete the online donation form for silent AND live auction donations and include the packing slip at the time of shipping with each Live Auction donation box you ship to the 2022 Wine Auction Clearinghouse:
WS Live Auctions Donation
Attn: Tammy Hackney
San Diego Yacht Club
1011 Anchorage Ln.
San Diego, CA 92106
Additional information can be found on the Wine Society Silent Auction page.
Volunteer
Are you attending Conference? Volunteer to help set up and work the auctions—it’s a lot of fun! Help is especially needed during set up, the Live Auction and Auction Shipping. Please email Sara Thom if you are interested in helping.
Bid
The Wine Society and The Club Foundation will again enlist the help of the experts at GiveSmart, a silent auction technology company, to host the auctions on an online platform. Bidders can preregister for the auction or in person with the swipe of their credit card.
Checkout will improve as you can pay your bill as soon as the auction closes. Just don’t forget to pick up your winning lots on Tuesday, February 22.
Silent Auctions – Bidding will run from Sunday, February 20 at 10:00 a.m. through Tuesday, February 22 at 5:00 p.m. PT. Bidders may view the wine lots online via the auction website, which will be located within the Conference app.
Live Auctions—The Annual Live Auction will be held on Monday, February 21 from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. Location is TBD.
Welcome Our Newest Members!
This quarter the Wine Society welcomed fifteen new members:
- Sally Becker, CCM, Connecticut Chapter, CMAA
- Noelle Cashman, The Moorings Yacht & Country Club
- Brendan P. Clark, Interlachen Country Club - FL
- Veronica Clark, Belle Haven Country Club
- Harrison Clayton, Carolina Country Club
- Danielle Cleary, Maidstone Club, Inc.
- Tamer El-Adawy, CCM, Sunset Ridge Country Club
- Russ Lowther, CCM, Burning Tree Country Club
- Cory J. Menking, Lawrence Yacht & Country Club
- Larry Lane Peel, Jr., CCM, The Golf Club at South River
- Anahi Perez, North Shore Country Club - IL
- Sarah Sanchez, Newport Beach Country Club
- Mary Schaffer, Round Hill Club
- Daryl Lynn Webb, CCM, Quail Hollow Club
- Donald S. Zajac, Merion Golf Club
Do you know someone who might be interested in joining the CMAA Wine Society, but they’re not a CMAA member? They’re in luck with the Wine Society’s Associate Membership!
Associate Membership in the Wine Society shall be open to individuals who are 21 years of age or older and are not members of CMAA. These individuals must be from a club that has a CMAA and Wine Society member to sponsor them. The membership is nontransferable and nonrefundable if the individual leaves employment at the club and moves to a property that is without a CMAA and Wine Society member. They shall be admitted to membership following the receipt of a completed application, a sponsor endorsement, and payment of dues.
Upcoming Deadlines and Events
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As emerging and legacy domestic sparkling wine producers alike invest in quality and ageability, the US market appears ready to embrace a wider array of home-grown bubbly.
The Club at the Dunes Is First Dining Facility to be Inducted into Chaines des Rotisseurs Society
The Club at the Dunes, part of The Dunes of Naples private residential community in Naples, FL. was recently inducted into the Naples Chapter of the Chaines des Rotisseurs Society, the oldest and largest food and wine society in the world. While many hospitality professionals have been inducted into the US chapter over the last 60 years, a dining facility has never been granted membership until The Club at the Dunes was honored in November. The Club at the Dunes is a previous Wine Program Award winner.