“April is the cruelest month” wrote T. S. Eliot in 1922. Let’s hope he is wrong this year. After a long, cold winter, it’s time to bring out the patio furniture, pour a glass of your latest Vintages bargain, and wait for the vines to bud. As you read this, the California Wine Fair will be upon us. Once your visit to the Fair has created a thirst for more, be sure to come to the April 23 VPR and sample the newest California fare arriving at the LCBO.
Thanks to everyone who helped us close last year’s books. Once all the receipts are in the Guild should finish with a small surplus for 2008. A financial report will be presented at next month’s Annual General Meeting. Maintaining and processing credit cards has been a real headache for us over the past few years and the EventBrite booking system is a big improvement.
The AGM will be held at the Vendange Institute on Monday, May 4 beginning at 7 PM. To accommodate as many members as possible, we will be using one of the larger classrooms. Nominations for Director positions up for election still are coming in but more are needed. Please consider putting your name forward. I encourage you to come out to the meeting, ask questions, and see what goes on behind the scenes to keep the Guild running smoothly. I promise the speeches will be short and sweet. Refreshments will be served.
At a recent tasting, we had a real eye-opening experience. Two Cabernet Sauvignon wines were served blind. The result was an almost even split between the two for favourite. We were taken aback when the wines were unveiled. One was a premium Niagara wine that sells for $100. The other was California’s “Two Buck Chuck”. In these tough economic times, it’s comforting to know that scaling back our wine budgets doesn’t have to mean sacrificing quality.
April finishes off with a great tasting. Former Guild Governor and Past President Pierre Dupont is opening his cellar for what should be an outstanding evening at Divino Wine Studio on April 30. Since this is the Canadian income tax filing deadline, it’s a good way to celebrate that fat refund you are expecting or, as in my case, drowning your sorrow over the cheque you wrote. In either case, I hope to see you there.
To register for an event, click the Register for this Event button on the event's description page. This will take you to the EventBrite registration page.
The National Capital Sommelier Guild strongly supports moderate and responsible consumption of wine and spirits. Guild dinner events allow a designated driver to attend at a reduced price. The designated driver will not be served alcohol. Guild tasting events provide and encourage the use of spit buckets.
"Where there is plenty of wine, sorrow and worry take wing." — Ovid
