August News

Click here for your copy of the August Newsletter.

August 19 Annual Picnic

The August 2006 membership meeting of the Wisconsin Vintners Association will be the annual club picnic on Saturday the 19th at Calhoun Park in New Berlin. The club will furnish roasted sweet corn, delicious roast chicken and a quarter barrel of Lakefront beer.  You should bring a dish to pass, your eating utensils, wine, and wine glasses. Plastic beer cups will be provided.

Calhoun Park is on Calhoun Road just north of I43. There is no exit at Calhoun from the freeway so I would advise getting off at I43 at Moorland, go north to Beloit Road, then west to Calhoun and south to the park on the left.  Click for Map  We will be in the upper pavilion (Shelter #2) as last year, just up the path from the building that houses the facilities. You can park in either lot. If you need help in getting your picnic supplies to the site, please let us know and we can help.

Festivities will begin about 11:00am and lunch will begin around noon as the corn comes off the grill. Food, fun, sharing your wine with your friends at the club, games – what more could you ask for?

To get an an appropriate amount of chicken and corn, please click on this Reservation Form if you would like to attend and for more information.

Looking forward to seeing all of you at the picnic.

 

A Note from the President

It was wonderful to see so many people at our third annual pot-luck cookout at the Lakefront Brewery on July 12. We had another perfect evening in terms of weather, food, drink and camaraderie plus a special tour of the brewery by our host, Russ Klisch. Thanks to everyone who donated a bottle of wine to fill the two cases we gave to Russ to thank him for his hospitality. We have another opportunity for another great social event at the annual picnic.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and be safe if your plans include travel.

Joanne

(President Joanne Ziarek sent a letter to Board members recently.  We'll call it the “State of the Association” report.  Click here to read it.)

Advanced Winemaking Project

It's the time of year to start thinking about the upcoming fruit harvest and your fall winemaking projects.  Please go to the web site's Wine Making Info page to learn about a new club program developed to advance winemaking in our club.  Propose a project and if approved your costs will be picked up by the club (up to $30.00).

Meet a Board Member: Mary Howell

Mary Howell is our Recording Secretary.  Here is how she describes herself and her impressions of the WVA:

After 35 years at Eaton Corporation ( You may recognize Cutler-Hammer), I was lucky
enough to take early retirement. I worked in the Telecommunication Department working with teletype in the “olden days” and later maintained the software for the telephone system. While I enjoyed most of my working years, I absolutely love retirement. Never a boring day.

Most of our summers are spent at our trailer which is on a permanent campsite outside of Rio, WI.  We spend as much time up there as possible, enjoying the solitude during the week and the busyness of the weekends. Our trailer faces the woods and like many retired people we enjoy the birds that frequent our feeders.

I have some newly acquired hobbies which also interest me. Basket making, crocheting and knitting. I’m only a beginner but I do enjoy them. Although Chuck is the chief winemaker in our home, I am his favorite assistant by default. We make reds, whites (from juice or grapes), kits and a variety of fruit wines.

We joined the club in 2003 and I was impressed with it and its members from day one. Joining is one of the best things we have done as a couple. There is a wealth of information available from its members and in the short time we have been in the club I am amazed how it continues to develop and improve.

Meet a New Member: Ann and Peter Catlow

Mary Ann and Peter Catlow joined the WVA in 2005. They are both retired, she from being a Realtor in Chicago and he from being a High School Math Teacher in Chicago.
They have 5 children (or as Ann and Peter prefer to say, 5 people younger than we.)
They have 11 grandchildren. They have a refrigerator magnet which says "Grandchildren are the reward you get for not strangling your teenagers”.

Peter is the winemaker and enjoys golf, canoeing, bridge, garage sales and subsequent ebay sales. Their tastes in wine run to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.  So that’s the type of wine that Peter makes. They want to improve their winemaking skills and learn how to make other wines. They enjoy socializing with a lot of nice people.  Their favorite meetings are the wine tastings, the meeting with the food expert at the golf course that showed how to pick a wine depending on the food. The tour of the Lakefront Brewery at the July cookout was a real plus.

Welcome aboard, Ann and Peter, we enjoy having you as part of the group.

Winemaker Magazine Subscriptions

Such a deal. For the past few years Winemaker Magazine has offered to clubs such as ours a chance to subscribe or renew subscriptions at half price. They are still offering that deal. But this is “one list, one check”. Tom Courtney is the collector of such subscriptions and would like to send in the list by the end of this month.  Please get your check, made out to WVA in the amount of $11 and an indication of new or renew to Tom at 10709 De La Warr Circle, Mequon, WI 53092, or bring the check to the club picnic.  This magazine is one of the best hobby-related publication around.
 

It's Dues Time Again

As long as you are making out checks, dues are due in September.  For the $15.00 you could get a majority of it “back” with your subscription to Winemaker. In addition to that the club picks up half the cost of the Harvest Dinner and there are wine tastings at membership  meetings and most of the time we don’t charge for them.  The beer at the picnic is paid for by the club.
 

Welcome!

We welcome Brian Marin from Menomonee Falls, Tim and Monica Harty of Muskego and Steve Franzoi & Cheryl Figg of Mequon as new members.

June Wine Raffle Winner

Mary Howell was the winner of the wine raffle at the June membership meeting.  If you have dinner at Clifford's restaurant before the meeting you are eligible for the drawing.  The wine for the drawing in September will be a Carpineto wine called Dogajolo.  It is described as “Made from Sangiovese grapes blended with a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon grown on dry farmed hillside vineyards in central Tuscany.  Fruity and intense flavors, with hints of berry, coffee, vanilla and spice are matched with a supple tannin structure with along finish.  This young “Super Tuscan” wine shows at its best with full-flavored dishes such as roasts, grilled meats, cold cuts and tomato based Italian specialties such as pizza and pasta.”

WI State Fair Amateur Winemakers Competition

Thank you to all of the club members and others who helped out at this annual event as judges, stewards and various support personnel, and who made this event a great success.  Club members brought home many awards, including Best of Show.  A special thanks to all who participated in the judging committee meetings and to Jill Albanese and her State Fair staff for all the assistance.

Winners lists and awards for the wines judged for the Wisconsin State Fair will be displayed at the fair in the Wisconsin Products Building.  Judging forms and winners' ribbons will be mailed out by the State Fair in August.  Click here (Award Winners) for more information about the results of the judging.

 

Calendar of Events

August 2 - WVA Board meeting at Tim Larsen’s home. W1934 Potter Rd, Burlington, 53105.  7:00 PM.

August 19, Saturday - WVA Annual Picnic, Calhoun Park, New Berlin.  Click on this Reservation Form if you would like to attend.

September 6 - WVA Board meeting at the McKinley Marina. 7:00 PM.

September 13 - WVA membership meeting at Clifford's Supper Club.  7:30 PM.

Special Thanks To Clifford's For The Use Of Their Hall!

CLIFFORDS

10418 W. FOREST HOME AVE

HALES CORNERS, WI

(414) 425-6226

Map

Please Support Our Sponsor!

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

support@wihomewinemakers.com