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UPDATE: DECEMBER MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

"The December 2005 membership meeting of the Wisconsin Vintners Association was held on Wednesday, the 14th, at Clifford’s Restaurant. This was the 35th anniversary of the founding of the club. Past Presidents of the club were honored at the meeting and were presented with commemorative engraved club glasses. Jerry and Mary Uthemann were also awarded with the club's Lifetime Membership Award by President Joanne Ziarek. The program for the evening included a tasting of three sparkling wines.

Click here to see photos

The November Board Meeting notes were also presented.

Click here to see the November Notes in Pdf Format
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December UpComing Events:

The December 2005 membership meeting of the Wisconsin Vintners Association will begin at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, the 14th, at Clifford’s Restaurant. This is the 35th anniversary of the founding of the club. We’ll have a cake and perhaps a few other surprises. Please take this into consideration in picking and bringing the bottle of, as they say, your best to share. The program for the evening will include a tasting of sparkling wines. This may be a good opportunity to sample and choose a bottle of bubbly for your welcoming in of the New Year. And bring a glass, two, if you can, that would be suited to bubbly wines.

PLEASE SAVE THIS DATE: Saturday February 4th, 2006. This is the date of the annual WVA Dinner-Dance. This is a gala evening for members and their guests with plenty of hors d’ oeuvres, a sit-down dinner, live music and dancing.

WVA Dinner Dance will be held on February 4th, 2006

New Member Introducton:

Dewayne Jackson is our new member for December. He’s been a member for about a year. Dewayne was on active duty with the US Coast Guard for 20 years until he retired in 1995. Since then he keeps himself busy as a custodian for the Sussex Hamilton school district. Dewayne and his wife, Maureen for 21 wonderful years. She works full time at her family’s paint store in Wauwatosa. Their daughter, Kaylee, is 19 years old and is a sophomore at UW-Milwaukee. She is studying to be a middle school teacher. Their son, Marques, is 15 years old and is a sophomore at Arrowhead High School. In addition to winemaking, Dewayne enjoys hunting and fishing, often with his son. Dewayne’s first wines were from kits but he has branched out fresh fruit such as apples and yellow plums. Production now is about 25 gallons a year. Dewayne joined the WVA to learn the tricks of the trade and to meet fellow winemakers. He says everyone has been very nice, very helpful and willing to share information and to share his or her knowledge.

Board Member Introduction:

Meet Your Board Members This month we’re featuring a board member pair, Don Betlej, our Recording Secretary, and Barb Betlej, our Sergeant-of-Arms. Don and Barb have belonged to the WVA for almost five years. Besides being active in the club, they spend
a great amount of time with their children, Alan, Lisa and Brian. A graduate of MSOE, Don is a Wisconsin State Professional Engineer and for 20 years was involved in the design and manufacturing of electronic circuits. Enjoying a Little Chianti in Tuscany For the last 10 years Don has worked for Rathsburg Associates, selling electronic components to local companies. Barb graduated from UWM with a degree in Elementary Education, but changed her career path to purchasing soon after graduation. She has worked for the last 25 years at Milwaukee Transport Services, better known as the bus company, and is currently Purchasing Manager. In case you are wondering, Barb has never bought anything from Don. Don & Barb joined the club after Don had some heart problems and decided to start a hobby. What better hobby then winemaking which helps one relax while producing a product that contributes to the improvement of those same heart problems. Don is the winemaker and Barb helps Don in improving his wines. Barb has been a State Fair wine judge for a few years now. Don has made kit wines, various fruit wines and wines from grapes. Four years ago Don planted grape vines in his yard and just this year harvested his first crop. He’s even utilized their daughter, Lisa’s, feet to crush the grapes the old fashioned way. Barb also designs and makes stained glass creations. You may have seen some of her designs on the annual dinner dance silent auctions. Last year Don & Barb vacationed in Italy for two weeks and wine was a big part of the experience. Wine is a big part of their lives and thanks to wine, they joined our club which they both agree has led them to new experiences and best of all, new friends.

Seeking A Gift Idea?

The medallion is die cast from Pewter and comes with a nice burgundy ribbon. It is 2 inches in diameter and costs $15. Please contact Erv Herman at herm2@charter.net

The WVA wine glass is made from lead crystal and stands about 7 1/4 inches tall. The bowl capacity is about 7 oz. The cost is $6 per and also comes in an attractive carton of 6. Please contact John Rauenbuehler at JARMER@aol.com 

Reminder:

2006 Membership Dues Are Due

Special Thanks To Cliffords For The Use Of Their Hall!

CLIFFORDS

10418 W. FOREST HOME AVE

HALES CORNERS, WI

(414) 425-6226

Please Support Our Sponsor!

To join our organization you can stop by at any monthly meeting or send an email to:

support@wihomewinemakers.com