I have just finished reading through the first issue of a new quarterly wine, food and travel magazine called Brix. This is a high quality large format magazine that will appeal to anyone who appreciates fine wine and dining. It should be of special interest to Guild members as it is the realization of a dream by Guild Director Nicole Vallée. She and her team have been working for well over a year to bring this project to fruition and have done a fine job. In order to introduce this magazine to the Guild, Nicole has agreed to give a free copy of its inaugural issue to every Guild member who joins or renews before February 28. Subscriptions to the magazine are also available to Guild members for half the regular price. We wish good luck to Nicole for the success of this venture.
Financially, the Guild ended 2009 in good shape, finishing the year with a small surplus. The move to Eventbrite for our event bookings has contributed to this and the transition went smoothly. We are better able to manage the Guild with our streamlined reporting system which provides us with much more timely and accurate information. Thanks to our treasurer Robert White and his wife Tracey for setting up and operating it. A complete financial report will be presented at this year’s Annual General Meeting.
Membership renewals are coming in at a faster rate than last year. This is an encouraging sign that the recession may be on the way out. I am pleased to note that several new members have joined in the last month. Welcome, all of you. We are sure that you will find your membership gives you access to an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I encourage you to take advantage of the events we have planned and to bring guests along with you. This will help spread the word that the Guild is for anyone who enjoys good wine. Our winter and spring lineup promises to be an exciting one beginning with the Henry of Pelham winemaker’s tasting in February and the Bordeaux and Burgundy tasting in March. These are selling out fast so is you haven’t reserved your place do it now by following the links in this newsletter.
It is time to start thinking about the Guild Annual General Meeting which will be held Monday evening, May 3 at Algonquin College. Admission is free to all members and food and wine will be served following the brief business portion of the meeting. This is a great opportunity for our members to get together and socialize. Reserve your place now through Eventbrite. If you would like to fill one of the vacant Directors positions for the coming year, please complete the nomination form at the back of this newsletter and send it to us right away.
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.
"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance." — Benjamin Franklin
