The American Wine Society is the oldest and largest consumer based wine education organization in North America.
Membership is open to the general public and has been established for those who have a keen interest in wines and the wine culture. We meet approximately monthly at the homes of our members for an informal tasting that focuses on a particular wine region, grape variety, or style of wine.
04/28/2019
https://daytonaws.teamapp.com/events/7756380
Vintage Ohio South Wine Festival Sat, 11 May from 12:00pm to 9:00pm - Join us again this year as we promote our local AWS chapters and support the Ohio Wine Producers Association. We will be hosting a booth to spread the word about AWS. We also have 4 slots for 15 min educational presentations. In addition to the booth, volunteers....
04/14/2019
https://www.edx.org/course/world-wine-grape-glass-adelaidex-wine101x-2
This is a good self-paced course perfect for beginning winos or as a refresher for more mature winos. And best of all it is free. I did it about a year ago and found it very well done and informative. Taught by the University of Adelaide, Australia but info is applicable for any region.
Dennis
World of Wine: From Grape to Glass Learn about the principles and practices of how grapes are grown and wine is made. Whether you’re a wine novice or a seasoned oenophile, you’ll learn to confidently describe wine appearance, aroma, flavour and taste.
04/06/2019
04/06/2019
04/06/2019
Kathy Lindahl led us on a tasting on March 15th of one of the pioneers from Dry Creek in Sonoma, A. Rafanelli Winery. Since the early 1900’s the Rafanelli family has been growing grapes and making wine in the Dry Creek Valley.
However, this was not just a tasting of their fine “regular label” Zinfandels and Cabernets but a chance to see how the wines evolve over time. We sampled all wines blind and include Cabernets from 1991, 1997, 2000, and 2006; and Zins from 1994, 2002, 2007, and 2012. Whether you like older, mature wines it is an interesting exercise to see how wines from the same vineyard and producer change with cellar aging. There was a wide range of opinions about what is the “best” age for the wines.
As an extra bonus Kathy (thanks) shared a bottle of the “Terrace Select” Cabernet following the formal part of the tasting, which scored very well but it was not compared against the regular bottlings.
• The Cabernet Flight
* 1991 Cabernet
* 1997 Cabernet (2nd place – tie)
* 2000 Cabernet (2nd place – tie)
* 2006 Cabernet (1st place)
• The Zinfandel Flight
* 1994 Zinfandel
* 2002 Zinfandel (2nd place)
* 2007 Zinfandel
* 2012 Zinfandel (1st place)
https://www.arafanelliwinery.com/
A. Rafanelli Winery - A Family Tradition in Dry Creek Valley
Wine & Spirit Education Trust Certification Program
The AWS expands its educational offerings by partnering with a leading wine educational organization, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, to offer WSET Level 2 Award in Wine training and certification at the 52nd National Conference in St. Pete Beach, Fla. on Oct. 31, 2019. The program is part remote learning and one full day of hands-on instruction, learning and testing with leading WSET instructor and WSET Approved Programme Provider Deborah Parker Wong. WSET Level 1 credentials are NOT required to enroll in Level 2. Generally, someone with solid wine experience can successfully complete Level 2 Wine Award. (In 2019, WSET will separate spirit and wine into distinct designations.)
The globally-recognized WSET designation is a great way for ambitious consumers to deepen their appreciation of wine, as well as a valuable qualification for anyone in the wine business. We are offering this at the early-bird rate of $400, it will go up to $425 in June 1. This price, which includes study materials, WSET on-line classroom access, day-long review and testing fee, is very competitive relative to fees charged by private wine schools. This opportunity is available to AWS members only.
We expect this will be just the beginning of the collaboration between WSET and the AWS. If you have ever planned to pursue WSET you can start that journey now. For more information about the program, email [email protected].
This session will be administered and taught by Deborah Parker Wong as a WSET Approved Programme Provider.
02/16/2019
Results from last night's tasting.
There is more to Australian wines than silly cartoon animal names on the labels. The Dayton, OH chapter christened our new meeting location, Brightside Event Center (thanks Carli Dixon) on Feb 15th, with an exploration of the different regions and grape varieties from around Australia. The tasting was presented by Dennis Hall, the slides are available at the following link: https://daytonaws.teamapp.com/documents/589145-wine-of-australia-15-feb-2019
• 2016 Evans & Tate; Fresh as a Daisy; Australia; Sauvignon Blanc; $20 {2nd Place}
• 2016 d'Arenberg; The Hermit Crab; McLaren Vale; Viognier, Marsanne; $18 {Best White & Best Value White}
• 2014 Schild Estate; Barossa Valley; Unwooded Chardonnay; $12
• 2017 Innocent Bystander; Yarra Valley; Pinot Noir; $20
• 2013 Vinaceous; Big Right Hand; Margaret River; Shiraz, Grenache, Tempranillo; $18 {3rd Place}
• 2016 Two Hands; Angels' Share; McLaren Vale; Shiraz; $42
• 2017 Two Hands; Gnarly Dudes; Barossa Valley; Shiraz; $42 {2nd Place}
• 2014 5OS Project; McLaren Vale; Shiraz; $28 {Best Red & Best Value Red}
• 2015 Jim Berry; The Cover Drive; Coonawarra; Cabernet Sauvignon; $24
AWS Dayton The American Wine Society is a non-profit, educational, consumer-oriented organization for those interested in learning more about all aspects of wine. The local chapter host tastings and educational events to explore the world of wine and food.
Wine Judge Certification Program (WJCP) - Spring Session
The AWS is pleased to offer a spring session of WJCP Year 1 at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, VA on Saturday, April 27, 2019. When combined with the regular fall sessions, successful completion of this spring program allows those starting the typically three-year program to finish it in two years.
The cost of the Spring session is $285. We’ve negotiated a special room rate for WJCP students at the NCC--$129 per night, which includes dinner Friday evening and breakfast Saturday. The nearest airport, Dulles, is just minutes away. To make your room reservations, contact Dahlia Williams at [email protected] or (703) 724-5891.
But first make sure you register for this special WJCP session as soon as possible by contacting AWS Director of Education Aaron Mandel at [email protected].
Once registered, you'll be able to participate in the lively and educational monthly on-line study and tasting sessions – lead by wine judge instructors – to prepare you to pass the exam. If you are successful, you can take WJCP Year 2 at the fall conference in St. Pete Beach, Fla. on Oct. 31, 2019. After that, you’ll be just one year away from earning the CWJ initials. Good luck!
If you have questions about the program, please reach out to [email protected].