IWAGY Virtual Tasting Event
Wednesday, February 15th at 6:30pm Volume 45 #2
Please join us for a free virtual tasting, via Zoom, of two examples of the delicious “wine produce” of southeastern France: Provençal Rosé and red Côtes du Rhône. This event will be presented by Tim Free, founder of It Was A Good Year, Inc., and hosted by Arnie Serotsky, our Zoom “master”.
How to Participate
All IWAGY members must RSVP Tim by Monday, February 13th. To join in the tasting you will need to purchase a bottle of Provençal Rosé and a red Côtes du Rhône. Either of these wines can be found for well under $20 per bottle. If you need help shopping, we will be sending a list of wines available in the Mid-Hudson Valley in a separate email which will also include a few recipes to help, if you wish, in your preparation of some regionally-inspired foods to accompany the wines.
To RSVP: email Tim at timothybfree@gmail.com if you want to receive the Zoom link to join us or call Tim at (845) 896-6361. You are welcome to invite other members or friends to join you. We would like to get an idea of the number of participants in advance, so please email Tim regarding your plans as soon as possible.
For "home-theater viewing" (viewers distant from the monitor), please notify us when you RSVP- we would be happy to send you a copy of the PowerPoint presentation before the event, if requested.
We will send out an email with the Zoom link about 3 days before the event.
The Presentation
The presentation will start promptly at 6:30pm and last about an hour. All participants will be muted except for the host and presenter. During scheduled breaks participants with questions can raise their hands and will be unmuted, one at a time, by Zoom-host Arnie Serotsky. Try to keep your questions/comments brief in consideration of other participants. At the conclusion of the presentation participants can continue the meeting to socialize or discuss the wines, presentation, food, etc. The meeting will conclude at 8pm.
The Wines
Rosé de Provence is made from many of the same grapes used for the region’s red wines. They are delicious, widely-distributed wines that are warm-weather favorites that also can be enjoyed year-round, as evidenced by the selection available in local stores in winter months. In the region, they are the go-to wines to pair with bouillabaisse, ratatouille, and other Provençal foods that incorporate locally available seafood and/or fresh garden produce. There are numerous appellations for these wines. When you are choosing, just look for the word “Provence” in the wine’s origin declaration. If you wish to splurge, you might try a Bandol or Cassis rosé wine whose label does not mention Provence.
Côtes du Rhône red wines predominate in the appellation, accounting for about 75% of Côtes du Rhône production. The area enjoys a warm climate and occupies much of the land on both sides of the River. There are actually red Côtes du Rhône wines made in the northern Rhone, between Lyon and Montelimar, but these are mostly made with Syrah. They are not often encountered here. You will likely find wines from the southern part that are just labeled “Côtes du Rhône”. These wines are mainly blends with Grenache as the dominant grape.
Mark Your Calendar
Sunday, March 26 at 4:30pm: Wine Dinner at McKinney & Doyle (Pawling, NY)
Co-Coordinators: Stephanie Pyrek, Chris Umlauf, Patrice Stabile, Janice Lawler
Planned Events
April 2023: Business Meeting / Informal wine tasting; Coordinator: Tim Free
May 2023: Tasting of French wines with Antoine Lefort of La Caviste; Coordinator: Arnie Serotsky
Please take a look at our newly updated and refreshed website, IWAGY.org.
Board of Directors:
Tim Free (timothybfree@gmail.com) (845) 896-6361
Stephanie Pyrek (shp0304@aol.com ) (845) 454-3402
Chris Umlauf (chrsumlauf@gmail.com) (845) 462-4287
Officers:
Chris Umlauf (Treasurer) * see above
Patrice Stabile (Scribe) (Stabeast@gmail.com) (914) 475-8677
Advisory Committee
Clay Morrissey, chair (espz2@aol.com) (845) 567-1978
Steve Effron (Sleefco@aol.com) (845) 454-2884
Ed Hartmann (hartmann@prodigy.net) (845) 831-2294
Arnie Serotsky (arniser@aol.com) (845) 473-8426
Website Updates/Maintenance
Joe DiDonato (Maxfire@hvc.rr.com) (845) 337-1702
Club Photographer
JoAnn Norris (jannorris17@gmail.com) (845) 464-9452
Please let us know if you are interested in getting more involved.
Last updated: 1/20/2023
