What's New?
- We've posted the Newsletter/Announcement for our November 14 wine tasting: "Member's Choice," at Casa Italiana, featuring our very own members, under the THIS MONTH'S EVENT tab.
- We've posted some photos from the September 23rd "The Judgement of Poughkeepsie" Tasting under the HISTORY > PHOTOS tab.
- Do you know someone with a role in the wine industry or a "wine background" who might be interested in presenting to our members in 2024? If so, please contact one of our Board of Directors Members! See the Contact List on the THIS MONTH'S TASTING EVENT page.
- Links to the listings of all the events of each year from 2014 to 2022 have been moved from the HISTORY: PAST TASTINGS, ETC. tab to the ARCHIVE tab under the HISTORY: PAST TASTINGS, ETC. tab.
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About It Was A Good Year, Inc. ("IWAGY")
Website: IWAGY.org
Welcome to It Was A Good Year, Inc, a not-for-profit corporation formed and incorporated in 1980 for the purpose of tasting and learning about wine. We take wine seriously (we also try to have fun), but there is also a social aspect to the Club, in that members meet and converse with other people who have an interest in wine. It is run by its members through its elected Board of Directors and Officers. Prior to the pandemic (for its first 40 years of existence), the Club sponsored about 10 wine tasting events a year. During the pandemic, we began holding wine tastings virtually via Zoom. We resumed indoor face-to-face events (on a limited basis) in July, 2021, followed by a full slate of events in most months of 2022 and 2023. Most of these regular wine-tasting events include food. Tastings are held on weekday evenings, and usually start at 6:00-8:00 PM. A different wine type, region, country, or other theme is featured at each tasting. Wine professionals lead most tastings and discuss the wine theme as well as the individual wines. Many of our presenters choose to embellish their talk with visual aids like PowerPoint projected slides, etc. A typical line-up would include 7-10 wines, with 8 being the most-common choice. Tasters are seated and face the presenter. Tasting pours are small and tasters are encouraged to spit or dump unwanted wine, and to manage their wine consumption. Prices for the individual events reflect the costs of that specific event; none of our Club Leaders is paid.
Although the main focus of the Club is on education, occasionally dinner-tastings are held at local restaurants; in these the wines are selected to complement the menu. Alternatively, other food-wine pairing events take place at rented venues (Locust Grove, etc.). These food-wine events afford members an opportunity to experience pleasing wine and food pairings.
The Club's membership fee is paid annually. Membership runs on a calendar-year basis. Members are entitled to reduced rates for most tastings and dinners, and to an emailed invitation (approximately monthly). This invitation describes each upcoming event. The Club gives members an opportunity to meet other people who are interested in wine. We also maintain our own website, IWAGY.org; a membership application is available there.
If you have any questions about the Club or membership, etc., please feel free to contact anyone listed below:
Board of Directors:
Tim Free [email protected], (845) 896-6361 (Founder)
Stephanie Pyrek [email protected], (845) 454-3402
Chris Umlauf [email protected], (845) 462-4287
Officers:
Patrice Stabile (Scribe - produces & distributes invitations) [email protected], (914) 475-8677
Chris Umlauf (Treasurer) See above for contact information
Remainder of the Club’s Leadership
Advisory Committee (Assists with speaker recruiting and venue searches & relations)
Clay Morrissey, Chair [email protected], (845) 567-1978
Steve Effron, [email protected], (845) 454-2884
Gloria Ghedini, [email protected], (845) 635-1474
Ed Hartmann, [email protected], (845) 831-2294
Suzanne Lunham, [email protected], (914) 213-3323
Arnie Serotsky, [email protected], (845) 473-8426
Communications/Records
Joe DiDonato, Website: [email protected], (845) 337-1702
JoAnn Norris, Club Photographer: [email protected], (845) 464-9152
Tim Free / 2024
Last updated: 10/16/2024
