ARBOR SUMMER/FALL 2020

IN THIS ISSUE: GALLO: TRADITION, FAMILY & WINE

2020 NATIONAL MEETING REPORT GINA GALLO: SUPREME LADY ROMANCING THE RHONE NATURAL & ORGANIC & CLEAN (WINE) OH MY! Summer/Fall 2020

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Table of Contents Chapters Monterey .............................................8 Tennessee..............................................10 Nation’s Capital ....................................13 Chancellery...........................................14 Lodi......................................................17 San Francisco........................................18 North Carolina .....................................20 Lake Tahoe ...........................................22 Mississippi ............................................34 Austin...................................................36 Houston................................................37 Orange County.....................................48 Los Angeles...........................................50

Feature Articles Gallo: Tradition, Family & Wine........4

by Nan McCreary

2020 National Meeting Report...........7

by Nan McCreary

Gina Gallo: Supreme Lady..................28

by Nan McCreary

Romancing the Rhone.........................42

National Headquarters

3343 Industrial Drive, Suite 2, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 Phone: 707.579.3781 Fax: 707.579.3996 www.kov.org

Directors Robert C. “Buddy” Hagner, Jr., Chairman Donald D. Bade, Claire Cuccio, Jerry Gatlin, Kenneth A. Haapala, Richard Kehoe, Ken Levy, Pasquale “Pat” Pingitore, Tom Webb

Grand Officers Robert C. “Buddy” Hagner, Jr., Grand Commander Kenneth A. Haapala, Grand Vice Commander Donald D. Bade, Grand Treasurer Tom Webb, Grand Administrative Officer

Grand Council Robert C. “Buddy” Hagner, Jr., Grand Commander Kenneth A. Haapala, Grand Vice Commander Donald D. Bade, Grand Treasurer Tom Webb, Grand Administrative Officer • webbtom@bellsouth.net Pasquale “Pat” Pingitore, International Emissary Janet Hamilton, Vice Commander Los Angeles Chapter

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Carol L. Bade, Executive Director

By Rose Betty Williams

Natural & Organic & Clean (Wine) Oh My!.................................................52

by Claire L. Torbeck, Certified Sommelier

In Every Issue Members In the News...........................35 Application...........................................27 Accessories ............................................54 Directory ..............................................55

Provosts Provost General, Northeastern United States Dave Barber d a ve . b a r b e r @ e a r t hli n k. n e t

Provost General, Southeastern United States Thomas Storey t b s@ e sm he . n e t

Provost General, Northwestern United States Peter Bosco b re d1 @ a t t . n e t

Provost General, Southwestern United States Lois Van Vooren lo i s. va n vo o re n @ g mai l .c o m

Arbor Magazine Dario & Debbie Lorenzana, Layout & Design Trish Hagner, Nan McCreary & Cathie S. Smith, Editorial Review Board

The Arbor is published twice yearly and is the official publication of the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine, a nonprofit, tax exempt fraternal organization. Mailing address for the National Headquarters: 3343 Industrial Dr., Suite 2, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, Phone: (707) 579-3781, Fax: (707) 579-3996, Internet: http://w w w.kov.org. Unsolicited articles and pictures are welcome and will be considered for publication by the Editorial Review B oa rd .

Items, if mailed, cannot be returned. Comments and materia ls should be sent to arbor@kov.org. Members of the K nights of the Vine receive a free subscription. Subscriptions by nonmembers are $20.00 per year. Copyright ©2020‑ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, The Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine, Inc.

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The Arbor

From the

Commander’s Desk I hope this finds you and your family well and happy. It continues to be a time of great uncertainty. With a pandemic, fires, floods, there seems to be no end to the bad news. At the end of the day, we know how fortunate we are and for that we should be grateful.

We wondered if we should put out this issue of The Arbor. Would there be enough to fill the pages? Without even knowing the answer, the decision was made “Yes, we must! Now more than ever!” And I think you will find the pages that follow to be a real treat.

In this issue you will find chapter reports, member profiles, some great feature articles and an amazing interview with Supreme Lady Gina Gallo that we know you are sure to enjoy.

With everything that is going on, chapters had to be creative and you’ll see that some in-person events were held as well as some virtual events. Before it all started, there were some Assemblages and even after we learned of COVID, we have added new members who have found that our Brotherhood provides so many benefits; not the least of which are friendships, education, and opportunities!

Some of those opportunities have been to meet virtually for wine tastings and bingo hosted by some of our Supreme Knights and Supreme Ladies who even offered generous discounts. Through these events, we were able to connect and share in a lovely time together with friends from across the country. While we miss each other and the hugs and handshakes, it’s been wonderful to spend time together even a little more often than usual.

Perhaps an unexpected benefit as I look for something good to come from all this.

It was necessary to cancel our National Meeting which had been organized by the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter and hold it virtually. I’m pleased to report that Rich Kehoe (Monterey) and Jerry Gatlin (Austin) were elected to the Board of Directors and that I have appointed Janet Hamilton (Los Angeles) to the Grand Council. It is an honor to have such talented people willing to join the leadership of KOV. The much anticipated 2020 FICB Congress in Italy was postponed to June 3-6, 2021 with the exact same agenda. It may be possible to still register for that. If you are interested, please send an email to the National Office at kov-office@kov.org without delay.

As we move ahead, let’s not lose focus on the bonds that hold us together … and together we are stronger than anything that might come against us.

“Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Saint Francis of Assisi per vitem! ad vitam!

Robert C. “Buddy” Hagner, Jr., Grand Commander Summer/Fall 2020

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Gallo

Tradition, Family & Wine

by Nan McCreary

If you know anything about wine – and even if you don’t – you probably know the names Ernest and Julio Gallo. The two brothers, sons of Italian immigrants, are legendary in California wine history. They started their own winery in 1933 and, guided by big dreams for the future, a tireless work ethic and a spirt of innovation, built a family legacy that spans 87 years and four generations. Today, E. & J. Gallo Winery is the largest winery in the world.

What is now a wine powerhouse worldwide had very humble beginnings. The two brothers started the winery in Modesto, California in 1933, following the repeal of Prohibition. With $6,000 in working capital ($5,000 borrowed from Ernest’s mother-in-law), the brothers knew little about commercial winemaking. What they did know they learned by reading old, pre-Prohibition

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pamphlets published by the University of California which they retrieved from the basement of the Modesto Public Library. But they were quick studies, and they were determined. When they started the business, according to the story, Ernest’s goal was to sell more wine than Julio could make, and Julio’s was to make more wine than Ernest could sell. Statistics are not available on how much wine they produced that first year, but they did sell 177,847 gallons of wine, or nearly 3,000 cases of 750 ml bottles. The second year they sold 440,000 gallons, or close to 7,400 cases.

From the beginning, the brothers created a synergy that fit their natural inclinations: Julio was the grape grower and Ernest handled marketing and sales. In the early years, they produced inexpensive bulk wines, bringing wine to the masses, and putting California on the wine

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Julio, the winemaker, continually pursued his quest for quality and consistency. He was a genius at finding excellent vineyards and, while his wines were not yet premium wines, in the ‘50s and ‘60s the company was buying some of the state’s best fruit, including grapes from Napa Valley. At the same time, Ernest concentrated on marketing and distribution, developing modern techniques of merchandising that included creating a dedicated sales force and later launching television advertising campaigns. One of his TV ads earned recognition as one of the best TV commercials ever made.

Between 1948 and 1955 alone, the winery’s sales nearly quadrupled, from four million gallons a year to 14 million.

map. Brands like Thunderbird, Ripple and Boone’s Farm were wildly popular and, while often referred to as “street wine,” they hit the market just as Americans were beginning to enjoy wine. Actually, many who enjoy premium wines today learned to appreciate wine on these brands.

As Americans began to consume more table wine, Gallo expanded its operations. In 1954, the brothers purchased the Cribari Winery in Fresno, and in 1958 established Gallo Glass Company, which today operates the largest single glass plant in North America. They continued to develop production techniques to provide high quality wine at lower prices than the competition, implementing skilled marketing strategies to convince wholesalers and retailers to proudly push Gallo wines.

They were so successful in these endeavors that industry experts unanimously praised them for “bringing new wine drinkers into the fold.”

By the 1960s, Gallo was recognized as the largest winery in the U.S. based on sales volume. In 1966 they introduced their first sparkling wines, Eden Roc and André Champagne, which went on to become the largest

With their innovative spirit, the Gallo brothers blazed an entrepreneurial trail that would shape the future of American wines. From the get-go, they understood the importance of protecting the land, and set aside one acre of property for wildlife habitat for every acre of vineyard planted. To this day, E. & J. Gallo is an industry leader in sustainability. In 1939, the brothers acquired bottling plants and began marketing wine under its own name, which increased business substantially. In the 1940s, they purchased 2,000 acres of land in Livingston, where they conducted research and experimentation that covered all aspects of viticulture. In 1946, they registered the Gallo trademark in most states. continued >>>

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selling sparkling wine in the U.S. In 1974, Gallo began producing varietal wines, and in the early 1980s the brothers released their first vintage wine, a 1978 Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon. It was during this time that Julio Gallo developed a quality drive initiative that encouraged grape grows to sign long-term contracts guaranteeing a fair price for their harvest if they would replace existing grapes with grape varieties of Gallo’s choice.

The initiative was extremely successful: more than 100 growers signed contracts, ensuring an ample supply of classic grapes such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Knowing what consumers wanted was one key to the Gallo brothers’ success and, when Americans began to prefer better wine in the 1980s, they were ready to meet the challenge and began producing premium-quality wines. They also expanded their operations into international markets. The storage capacity at the Gallo Winery in Modesto grew from 100 million gallons in 1965 to 330 million gallons in 1986.

beverage products, dessert wines and distilled spirits.

The company is the largest exporter of California wine, and imports wines from Argentina, France, Italy, New Zealand and Spain. E. & J. Gallo owns fifteen wineries strategically located in wine regions throughout California and Washington and over 23,000 acres of vineyards across the state of California. In addition, Gallo maintains contracts with growers around the state that assist with yearly supply.

Gallo’s current production is a far cry from the small number that Ernest and Julio produced the first year they opened their winery. The Gallo Creed, an internal document produced in the 1960s, has a line still used as a rallying cry for the company today … “to endeavor to win new friends for wine.” And they do that every day!

In the 1990s, the brothers launched Gallo of Sonoma, a collection of eight vineyards in Sonoma County. Wines from these vineyards were crafted by third generation family members; winemaker Gina Gallo and vineyard manager Matt Gallo. The firm also introduced Gallo Estate Wines, the winery’s first offering in the super-premium category, and Ecco Domani, the first foreign-based brand developed and imported by the winery. They also bought the historic MacMurray Ranch from the family of famed actor Fred MacMurray. In 1999, Gallo was named Winery of the Century by the LA County Fair’s Wine of the America’s competition.

Ernest and Julio Gallo headed the winery they founded into their 80s. By the early 1990s the winery’s leadership had finally passed on to the second generation. Julio died in 1993 at the age of 83 in a tragic automobile accident, and Ernest passed in 2007, six days shy of his 98th birthday. But, as a family-owned winery, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are carrying on the legacy and honoring the traditions established by the founders.

Today, the next generation is taking E. & J. Gallo to the next level, and they’re doing it with gusto. In the 2000s, the company began a winery buying spree that now includes 100 brands, including table and sparkling wines,

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The Arbor

2020 National Meeting Report Like so many things this year, we had great plans for our National Meeting and then had to make adjustments …

and adjust we did.

to fill the open positions on the Board of Directors.

Elected were Jerry Gatlin, Commander of the Austin Chapter and Rich Kehoe, Commander of the Monterey Peninsula Chapter. Grand Commander Buddy Hagner also announced the appointment of Janet Hamilton to the Grand Council. It’s a bit early yet to make plans for 2021 and we shall remain flexible to the changing times. Let’s hope it is in person … and we can all come together and celebrate!

Those great expectations for our getting together in Sonoma in April with tastings and dinner included what would have been a lavish evening at DeLoach Winery, hosted by the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. Instead, we held a two hour “virtual” meeting on Zoom on Saturday, May 23. Every chapter participated and the feedback was that although we would have preferred to be together in person sharing great times, of course, this did work pretty well. Every delegate was sent a package of information in advance of the meeting. Following our normal agenda, the Grand Officers gave their reports and then every Commander reported on their chapter.

It was good to hear how members across the country are staying connected either in small groups or virtually.

After the reports were complete, there was an election

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The Big Sur Foragers’ Festival

Monterey

The Monterey chapter started the year in style with a chartered bus bringing 54 members and guests down the Pacific coast to The Big Sur Foragers’ Festival. We once again judged the food and wine offerings of a multitude of chefs and wineries. The two winning wines, as described in the local media were: “Wines were also honored, with “Le Souvenir” 2017 Chardonnay by Paul Lato Wines taking home the top honor for white wines. The grapes came from the Sierra Madre Vineyard in Santa Maria, 4 acres of hand-selected grapes from 300 acres. It was aged in 75% new French oak and 25% neutral French oak. The grapes were harvested at 23 brix and ABV is 14.1%. Paul Lato said he used “yeast from the sky” or all-natural yeast. “The color was bright with beautiful clarity. It was well-balanced with excellent acidity. The nose was consistent with the experience in the mouth and had a lovely creamy texture,” wrote members of the Knights of the Vine, who served as judges.

The winning red was Ian Brand from I Brand and Family, a 2016 Grenache, Drossean vineyard, Chalone Appellation. “The epitome of a Rhone wine in the style of Gigoudes - complex, smoky with Mediterranean fruit,” the judges said.”

This was our fifth year in assisting the Big Sur Health center to clearly produce a great event!

Soon thereafter we were stymied by the Covid shutdown and have been biding our time to safely resume some small events. In the meantime, we look to our members for some history of our fine region and are pleased to include a profile of Master Knight Dick Nutter, a longtime member of our chapter, who shares some observations of the development of Monterey county as a wine region which we hope you will enjoy.

Reflections of the Monterey County Wine Grape Industry from 1971 to 1998 When I was appointed Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner in July 1971 neither I (nor anyone I knew) realized that we were entering into a dynamic new era of county agriculture. The wine grape industry had discovered that the county possessed the type of climate, soil and water to become a premium growing region. Research by University of California at Davis had given investors’ confidence to explore this region. The San Antonio and Nacimento Dams had developed and provided a consistent water supply.

James and Rachaelle Schultze from Windy Oaks pour at the Foragers’ Festival

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The established vineyards were Almaden, Chalone, Paul Masson, Mirassou and Wente -- growing a total of 1,155 acres of grapes with a total gross value of $l.9 million dollars. The primary varieties grown were Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Petite Sarah, while the white grapes were Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Riesling.

The advent of sprinkler irrigation made the bench land above the Salinas valley floor attractive for grapes and was sought by investors. Crop land which had produced sugar beets, lima beans, chili peppers and dry-farmed grain crops became attractive grape-growing acreage.

A change in the tax law allowed for the formation of limited partnerships which attracted nationwide attention and resulted in large acreage vineyards being formed. Many of the new vineyard owners were nonresidents which in turn required management companies to be established.

Myron & Jerry McFarland, Al Scheid, J. Lohr and others gained important growing information from established wine grape producers such as Peter Mirassou, Carl Wente, Jack Hays, Julio Gallo and others.

Other pioneers of the industry were Rich Smith and Doug Meador.

In 1977, I was asked to become a member of a new organization called the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine. Commander Norman Gates was the originator of the group and William Cowan was the Vice Commander. Bill Cowan had just retired as Deputy Secretary of the State Department of Food & Agriculture and had formed the Monterey Peninsula Chapter, which I believe was one of the original chapters.

By this time the grape acreage in the county had increased to 33,655 acres which included non-bearing acreage with a total crop value of $26.8 million. KOV was attracting new members, including not only wine grape growers and major wineries but also food and wine critics like Robert Parker, authors, legislators and associated industry members. Many local professional and agricultural-related industries were becoming members and many interesting and fun events were held. For example, the 1978 Assemblage was held at the Carmel Mission with the induction of new members taking place in the Chapel. The trumpeters from

Summer/Fall 2020

the Monterey Symphony who greeted us were a special treat. At that event, I believe Brother Timothy of Christian Brothers winery became a new member. Another memorable event took place in 1980. A group of KOV members chartered a plane and flew to the Grand Canyon in Arizona to attend the first Assemblage of the new Arizona Chapter. We were totally unprepared for the snow storm that we encountered!

At this time the only American Viticulture Area in the county was called “Monterey.” Today there are nine -Santa Lucia Highlands, Hames Valley, Chalone, Carmel Valley, Arroyo Seco, San Lucas and San Bernabe.

In the 80’s, the demand for grape phylloxera-resistant rootstock exceeded the supply during this time of expansion, so many vineyards chose to plant on their own root stock of the chosen variety. Although phylloxera was not present in the county at the time, it eventually became established and many vineyards required replanting on expensive resistant root stock. This was a major setback, and it took a number of years for the industry to recover.

Upon my retirement in 1998, the acreage had grown to nearly 40,000 acres with a gross value of $178 million.

Now, the Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir has become the most renowned of the wines produced in that AVA. Innovative growing methods, along with outstanding vintners, provide for the award winning wines.

Today, there are approximately 44,000 acres of grapes, producing a gross value of nearly $200 million. Like the wine industry, KOV has continued with new leadership, planning interesting events and inducting enthusiastic new members…and I am pleased to continue to be a part of this group.

By Richard W. Nutter

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Tennessee

Feast of St. Vincent As is our custom, the Tennessee chapter celebrated the New Year with the annual Feast of St. Vincent Assemblage. Members convened at the Tournament Players Club at Southwind for an evening celebrating Italy.

There was a bit of excitement about the upcoming FICB event in that beautiful country! We were honored to have Grand Commander Buddy Hagner and Master Lady Trish Hagner join us.

Members of the cadre “rocked and rolled� into the dining room for the enthronement ceremony. We welcomed Jason LaCroix, son of Master Commander Bob and Master of Photography Gayle Bennett, into our chapter in an especially spirited ceremony which included an extremely difficult test for the candidate.

Bob & Gayle Bennett welcome son, Jason LaCroix, to the Tennessee Chapter

Tiffany Werne, representing Pasqua Wine Cellars, presented our wines for the evening. The culinary staff of Southwind did an outstanding job of pairing our courses with the wines. An Italian evening must begin with Prosecco and the Prosecco Treviso was excellent. A huge favorite was the Passimento Veneto Bianco which paired

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Buddy Hagner and Robert Meyers watch as Bob Bennett and Jason LaCroix strike glasses for the hope of all humanity!

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Nan Gallina, Sheila Bentley, Dave Hallin, Mike and Judy Fink, Peggy Larkin

Judy Fink, Debbie Meyers, John & Sandy Barrios, and Karrie LaCroix

nicely with the fish course. Of course, the label was of particular interest to the Memphis group as it is a photograph of the wall outside of Shakespeare’s Juliet’s home (remember Romeo?) and it immediately reminded us all of Memphis’ own wall outside the home of “the King.”

Another big hit that evening was the Rosé Trevenezie 11 Minutes, indicating that the skins only stayed in the juice for eleven minutes. A delicious osso buco was accompanied by Amarone della Valpolicella.

Tom & Alyce Price, Peggy Larkin

Candy Andrasik, Jaime & Steve Munz, Mark & Karen Ozemba, Frank Andrasik

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TENNESSEE CHAPTER CONT’D FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Taking Care of Business

Before Shutdown Our Annual Chapter Business Meeting was held in midMarch at the home of Gentle Lady Holly and Walter Elkins. Members brought appetizers and wines to share while we planned our upcoming events of the year.

Memphis only had two cases of coronavirus on that day and we all anticipated maybe a few extra weeks of spring break and a full year of fun events!! Little did we know…

During the “COVID shutdown,” our members stayed in touch by sharing favorite recipes they were cooking at home (as well as favorite restaurants that were open

for take-out) and the wines that they were enjoying. Our planned Kentucky Derby Party (cancelled twice), an August pasta making party, a Hallow- Angie Lenschau, Holly Elkins, and een party and a Christina See enjoy the best part highly anticipat- about the annual business meeting ed tasting of wines from Talbott Winery will be rescheduled. Our annual Christmas Party has not been crossed off the calendar. Our loyal members have stayed true to the vine by enjoying plenty of wine at home. When we meet again, there will be great cause for celebration!

Spanish Adobo-Spiced Pork Burgers Alyce Mantia Price • www.mantias.blogspot.com

While some Tennessee chapter members opted to pick up meals from neighborhood restaurants, others were inspired to cook and share those recipes! From creative to comfort … here is one for you to enjoy!

Sauce: ½ cup mayonnaise 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 Tbsp sherry wine Burgers: 4 cloves garlic 1 Tbsp salt 2 Tbsp Spanish sweet smoked paprika

1 tsp dried oregano 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 ¾ lbs ground pork To Finish: 6 onion rolls (or other burger buns) 6 crisp lettuce leaves 5 oz Manchego cheese, trimmed and thinly sliced (or substitute Swiss cheese) 2 red bell peppers

Serves 6 Mix all sauce ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve. Drop the garlic, 1 clove at a time, into a food processor with the motor running. When chopped, stop the motor, add the remaining ingredients and pulse until well combined. Scrape down the sides a couple of times. It will make a grainy paste. Add the paste to the pork, mix well and form 6 burgers. Chill until ready to cook.

Slice the top off the pepper and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Cut crosswise into ¼ inch thick rings.

At dinner time, cook the burgers over medium-hot coals until just done through, about 5 minutes on the first side, and 3 to 3 minutes on the second. Internal temperature should be around 150-degrees.

Put the lettuce on the roll bottom, top with the burger, then the cheese and pepper ring. Drizzle with the sauce and enjoy!

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The Arbor

Virginia: First in Wine

By Master Knight Dave Barber

French winemakers were sent to Virginia along with European grape stock. The House of Burgesses even passed a law requiring that ten vines were to be planted for every male in the colony. These efforts still were not successful, especially due to all the new diseases and challenges unbeknownst to these new European transplants. Fortunately, another agricultural crop, tobacco, was found to flourish and kept the colony in good stead.

The pursuit of wine continued to be strong along the whole eastern coast for years. As many vineyardists realized, the problem in growing grapes may be specifically with the vitis vinifera or European family of grapes. As the years passed, there were many hybridists trying to create new varietals of grapes through cross-breeding that would grow and provide palatable wines. One such person was Dr. Daniel N. Norton of Richmond who discovered a “wild vine” growing on his farm in the early 1830’s. He nurtured this vine and proliferated it and it soon was growing throughout the eastern states.

This vine was named Virginia Claret and soon produced award winning wine in many European competitions, and was even named the best red wine of all nations.

(After Prohibition, the Virginia Claret grape was again planted, but this time known as the Norton grape.)

The initial plantings at this time were of hybrid varietals as these were thought to grow better than vinifera. But everyone was more familiar with the European vinifera.

It didn’t take long before they were also planted. In fact, now, Chardonnay is the most widely planted varietal in Virginia.

Today’s vineyardists are still trying to discover the best grapes to grow. Cabernet Sauvignon will only fully ripen every two to three years due to weather conditions, but is still grown throughout the state. Norton, the native Virginian grape, still produces some very fine wines.

Cabernet Franc has taken over the ranks as favorite red varietal to some extent, but Petit Verdot is following very closely in popularity. As for the whites, Viognier has become so popular that it has been designated as the state signature grape. Great success has also been seen in plantings of Albariño and Petit Manseng. The newly developed hybrids of Chardonel and Traminette are also gaining many supporters, along with the traditional red hybrid of Chambourcin. Meanwhile vineyardists are still planting other varietals, hoping to discover that one favorite varietal for their location.

Virginia is a strong wine state. There are currently seven American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in Virginia. and close to 300 wineries, each making great wines. Many of the wines are world-class. However, don’t run out to your local stores looking for them as most of the wineries have still rather small production and limited distribution. If you’d like you enjoy wines from Virginia, try ordering them directly from the winery.

Why not plan your next vacation in Virginia and explore our wine industry? You’ll be pleasantly surprised with what you find and what has developed over the last four hundred years of winemaking. You will see that Virginia truly is “First in Wine” and that you will need glasses to fully enjoy the liquid bounty here.

For more info… virginiawine.org

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Nation’s Capital

When the Virginia Company first sent ships to the New World in the early 1600’s, one of the major reasons was to establish a wine industry there. There were reports that many native vines thrived in that part of the world, so why not capitalize on the natural resources?

All well and good, the first wine made in Virginia was in 1609, from “hedge vines” that were found wildly growing in the area. Needless to say, this was not similar to the wine the colonists were used to drinking, and the small amount shipped back to England had spoiled on the voyage. Nevertheless, the pursuit of making wine in Virginia continued.

Soon, however, the Civil War broke out as well as local movements of prohibition of alcohol. Both of these events caused the eastern, and specifically the Virginia, wine industry to suffer. It wasn’t until the early 1960’s that another interest in Virginia wines began to develop.

As the various farming industries were becoming less profitable, many landowners were looking for a means to diversify their land holdings.

c CHANCELLERY CHAPTER ANNUAL On February 15, the Chancellery Chapter continued the Valentine’s weekend with our Eighth Annual Crab Feed.

We were happy to host many from our chapter along with the Lake Tahoe Region and Lodi Chapters and a number of guests, several who had traveled a great distance. Gentle Lady Glenys Kaye brought her sister who was visiting from New Zealand. I am happy she could attend a Knights of the Vine event. It was wonderful time for the forty in attendance!

The venue the new Baker Family Wines’ Tasting Room and production facility in West Sacramento, California where Master Commander Charles ‘Chik’ Brenneman is winemaker and partner with baseball great, Dusty Baker. Unfortunately, Dusty was unable to attend as he has new responsibilities with the Houston Astros. Many of our members have been drinking Baker Family Wines since our beginnings in 2012. It was fun to introduce our newer members to our brand and to have everyone experience the up and coming urban winery concept.

This is the first of its kind in West Sacramento.

We started the social hour with great conversation complemented with cheese and crackers, provided by Gentle Lady Barbara Walker and Vice Commander

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Suzanne Oppegard. Our taste buds were primed by the hot shrimp that was served for appetizers. They certainly did not last long! Next year we’re definitely have to have more! After a nice social-hour we sat down to salad, pasta and rolls. A local West Sacramento institution for over eighty years, Club Pheasant, made the pasta for us. On a side note, Club Pheasant, still owned by the original family, was a speak-easy in times past and has a lot of experience in supporting wine events. After welcoming everyone, Master Commander Chik spoke about Baker Family Wine’s history for those who did not know it already while we waited for the first trays of crab to come to the table. Chuck Kelly, Cadre member Stan Oppegard and their friend “Dave” cleaned and cooked the crab to perfection, as usual.

The lively conversation continued during the crab cracking and into dessert. There was wonderful team effort even after the event when we had so many help to put away the tables and chairs for which we were very thankful. What a fun evening and a great group of people! The weather was beautiful and we can only hope for the same next year!

BY POLLY & CHIK BRENNEMAN The Arbor

crab

Summer/Fall 2020

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CHANCELLERY CHAPTER CONT’D FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Chancellery Chapter Update

By Chik Brenneman

What do you do when you cannot do much? We can all lament the ‘virtual’ shutdown of the country, but that led to other virtual events and small gatherings of our local KOV members. While the Chancellery Chapter was able to hold its annual Crab Feed, our Assemblage was postponed until larger gatherings are approved here in California. Pat Pingitore worked with Supreme Knight Jean-Charles Boisset to host a virtual tasting in late May. Polly and I were disappointed that we couldn’t ‘attend’ but we were excited to see that our ‘Spyglass Gang’ in Auburn, a mix of both the Chancellery and Lake Tahoe Chapters, was able to participate! In addition to the tasting, their gathering included food pairings, music and dancing; all done with KOV neighbors. It was described

Supreme Knight John Kautz, and our newest Supreme Lady Gail Kautz, with Chancellery Comm Chik Brenneman and Chargé d’Affairs Gentle Lady Polly Brenneman

as the “highlight of our socially distanced experiences”, said Claire Christiansen. I am not sure I can top that, but if this shutdown goes on any longer, we are going to have to try.

different, and is rather exclusive. Far away from any laboratory, we gather at the ‘lake’ on the Kautz vineyard property in Sloughhouse. There we are surrounded by a buffer zone of better than a thousand acres of Chardonnay! To be invited you must own a labrador, or any other water loving doggie. Gail and John’s two beautiful girls, Brandy and Zoe, and our Brixie are regulars. Being joined sometimes by their son Kurt Kautz’s Marley and their friend, hopefully future knight, Mike Hunerlach’s Chloe. We often have as many dogs as people. Being outside on their property and having just a few people is a safe way to safely socialize on a warm afternoon.

We each bring our own lunch and share a little wine, or shall I say that it started out as a ‘little’ wine. We all find it very fun and relaxing to watch the dogs swim, chase sticks and interact. Fresh air, good conversation, wine, and some good dog play for entertainment... what a way to spend an afternoon.

As restaurants started to open for outside dining in California, Gentle Lady Glenys Kaye (Lake Tahoe) and her husband, Knight Jim Kaye (Chancellery), braved the heat for dinner with the Brenneman’s at a nice Italian restaurant in Fairoaks. The restaurant had a shady, well established patio that had a misting system for added comfort. We shared a couple of bottles of wine, enjoyed a nice meal and talked about the trips we could not take this year. The conversation turned to favorite trips and special memories from those trips. We had a lovely evening and it was nice to get together in person. Many fond memories indeed and we are optimistic that we will all be able to get together for chapter events before long and make more memories together.

Jim & Glenys Kaye with the Brenneman’s enjoy dinner in Fairoaks, CA talking about the crazy year that is 2020

On a much smaller scale, Lodi Chapter’s Supreme Knight John Kautz, and our newest Supreme Lady Gail Kautz, Chancellery Commander Chik Brenneman and Chargé d’Affairs Gentle Lady Polly Brenneman have been having frequent “lab” parties. What is a lab party you may ask? You would think it might have something to do with a laboratory, after all this is the era of COVID testing and we hear about labs every day, but this is

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Lodi, California is a town just south of Sacramento with a unique farming community. It is the home to many crops, including cherries, almonds, olives, and pears, but the largest planted crop by acres is wine grapes. The Lodi AVA accounts for nearly twenty-percent of California wine grapes. Everywhere you look there are stunning vineyards. Even the local police cars have a bunch of grapes on their doors!

In 1991, farmers came together to form an organization - still going strong today - called the Lodi Winegrape Commission. The Lodi Winegrape Commission was created by putting all egos aside to improve farming for everyone in the community. Their motto is JFK’s famous quote: “The rising tide lifts all the boats.” Incredibly, Lodi farmers vote every five years on a self-imposed grape tax which funds their Commission, whose mission is to promote the region and provide education and research. In 1992, the Commission launched a grassroots farmer education program aiming to reduce the amount of pesticides used by learning about the entire vineyard ecosystem (called integrated pest management). They wanted to farm more responsibly to ensure that farming could carry on for future generations. This grassroots educational program later turned into the formal LODI

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RULES sustainable certification program in 2005 after more than a decade of input from farmers, viticulturists, and leading environmentalists.

The “RULES” are a set of over 120 farming standard practices which help farmers manage their vineyards sustainably. They are divided into six categories: ecosystem management, water management, soil management, pest management, business management, and human resources. Today, there are over 1,000 vineyards certified under the LODI RULES program all over California and in Israel. In fact, two new seals were created for wineries outside of Lodi to use on their wine bottles. All three seals - LODI RULES, CALIFORNIA RULES, and a universal rules seal - carry the same rigorous meaning of verified, scientifically sound sustainable farming which emphasizes environmentally and socially responsible practices, while keeping economic feasibility in mind for long-term business success.

If you want to learn more about LODI RULES or how you can purchase wine or grapes that adhere to the LODI RULES certified green seal, visit www.lodirules. org which was the primary resource for this article. You can also order wine from a number of our own Knights of the Vine member wineries that practice LODI RULES including Harney Lane Winery, Klinker Brick Winery, Mettler Family Vineyards, Oak Farm Vineyards, and The Lucas Winery.

By Ken Levy

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Lodi

LODI RULES is America’s original Sustainable Winegrowing Program, and is the culmination of decades of viticulture research and input from scientists, farmers and environmentalists. When you drink a glass of wine made from LODI RULES certified grapes, you are supporting a farmer, a vintner, and an entire agricultural community that embraces their responsibility to care for the environment and the people.

What a year this has been so far!

By Pat Pingitore

San Francisco

I think the best comment I’ve read (after lightning sparked record sized wild fires in California in mid August!) was: “Has anyone considered just turning off the year 2020, waiting for 10-20 seconds and then restarting it again?”(aka “rebooting”). If only it could be so!

As with most of you, there has been little opportunity for friendly gatherings with wine tastings among friends; however, the San Francisco/Bay Area Chapter did manage to squeeze in one live event before the shut down and one Zoom Virtual tasting with one of our Supreme Knights during this first part of the year. We unfortunately had to cancel our planned Assemblage at DeLoach Vineyards which was to cap off the National meeting scheduled in late April. To be revisited for sure!

Our first event of the year was facilitated by Ian Devereux White, a musician, wine and travel writer (Wine Director for San Francisco and Silicon Valley Magazines and former contributor to Wine Enthusiast, 7x7, Edible, Psychology Today, Lonely Planet and more) and now vintner since 2011. Smith Devereux farms vineyards in St. Helena, and sources additional grapes from across the Napa Valley and as far as away as Mendocino to balance out their blends. Ian makes an excellent variety of well-made and very affordable wines. Because of scheduling conflicts, we were unable to sample all of Ian’s portfolio at JaM Cellars in downtown Napa (a future event will be planned), but he managed to collaborate with Anne Marie Howle of Peju Winery which also owns a beautiful Carneros property, Calmére Winery Estate, overlooking San Pablo Bay in Napa so on a sunny February afternoon, members of

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our Chapter as well as the Ta hoe Chapter Master Commander Ernie Grossman with Master Lady Margaret Lewicki, Gentle Lady Stephanie Harris with husband Pete, enjoyed a reception and fabulous tasting of Calmére Estate Sparkling Rose, followed by a seated tasting of Calmére’s Pinots and Chardonnays as well as two of Smith Devereux’s Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, all paired with a delicious array of small bites, prepared by Peju/Calmere’s resident chef Sarah Sabatano.

This was all followed by a sumptuous lunch served family-style with a revisiting of any of the wines of course!

Generous discounts were offered for those wanting to take some of these delicious wines home with them.

Later in the spring, we were afforded the opportunity to meet via Zoom with Supreme Knight JeanCharles Boisset. In the spirit of a true national organization, at least 6 chapters (representing somewhere between 30 and 40 appropriately socially distanced members), participated, simultaneously, in tasting three delectable wines from the JCB Collection and enjoyed an hour of stories and Jean-Charles’ passion for food, wine and life as no one else can regale.

Members of Chancellery, Tahoe, Nation’s Capital, Houston, Los Angeles and, of course, the SF/Bay Area Chapter all ordered and tasted JCB No 81 Chardonnay, JCB Passion Red Wine (a Bordeaux blend) and JCB No 13 Sparkling Brut.

To enhance the experience, JeanCharles referred us to his Alchemy

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of the Senses Book for some ideas on food pairings.

It was a welcomed diversion from the forced “stay at home” orders most of us were faced with. Many thanks to Jean-Charles for the opportunity and to Jen Lombard, of the Boisset Collection team for making it all happen, including shipping wines on time all over the country .. from the west coast to the nation’s capital, to North Carolina and Texas!

Stay tuned (hopefully by the time you read this article) for a reprise of this event with Supreme Lady Gina Gallo, featuring her handpicked Gallo Premium Series wines. It will be an outstanding opportunity to visit with one of the legends of winemaking rarely afforded but available to KOV members only. If timing is right, JeanCharles may join his wife for the event!!

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Ian Devereux White

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STAYING AFLOAT AMIDST A PANDEMIC

North Carolina

By Jeff Price, Master Commander

The North Carolina Chapter of the Brotherhood of and restoring it to its former status as one of the largest the Knights of the Vine began the 2020 calendar year KOV Chapters in the nation. Alas, if only we knew what poised for a stunning year! The Chapter was coming lay ahead – for us and for the rest of the Nation! off an exciting year in 2019 when the Chapter, like the Phoenix bird, had reemerged from the ashes to be Plans were made in January for the NC KOV Chapter to reborn with enthusiastic members dedicated to pre- begin the 2020 NC KOV season with a grand wine tastserving the Chapter’s mission and with the full support ing at the home of Master Knight Jeff Price and Gentle of KOV leaders and members from Lady Lisa Tillis, the Chapter’s Master across the nation. The Chapter reCommander and Master Scribe, versed the flow of attrition and, for respectively. A grand tasting of some the first time in years, acquired new of the world’s most amazing and members, allowing the Chapter to stunning wines was just days away in hold its first Grand Assemblage in late March when the COVID pansix years. Chapter members closed demic hit, forcing the nation to shut out 2019 with several additional down and sending everyone inside to wine related events and Chapter shelter at home. Hosting such events leaders had laid out an ambitious plan for the chapter to grow in 2020, planning a number of events Jeff Price and Lisa Tillis attending the Titanic Dinner for the membership.

First off, several NC KOV members accepted the Houston’s Chapter’s invitation to attend that Chapter’s Grand Assemblage in January. Commander Jeff Price and Gentle Ladies Lisa Tillis, Holly Tillis, Kathleen Conn and Denise Hill all traveled to Houston in January 2020 for what can only be described as a spectacular Assemblage! There was so much food, so much fun and so much wine. The NC Chapter has decided that what the KOV offers to its members more than anything is FAME – Friends Are Made Everywhere! The NC KOV made many new friends in Houston and we all returned determined to continue building our own Chapter

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became a recognized health risk and, in fact, a violation of law.

As spring turned to summer, it became clear the pandemic was not going away any time soon and chapter leaders, who had hoped the many wine events we had planned for our members would only require temporary postponements, would, in fact, require cancellations and that a spectacular Grand Assemblage planned for the Graylyn Estate (www. graylynestate.com) in October, would become a victim of the pandemic. Still, we sought to utilize email and social media (www.Facebook.com/KOVNC) to advertise the few opportunities that remained available for our members which included sharing wine information and articles on wine education. The Chapter’s leaders organized a campaign to keep our members informed of virtual wine tastings that were available and several members met in small groups (4-6 members) for these events.

Several North Carolina wineries, among them, Jones Von Drehle (www.jonesvondrehle.com), offered free door-to-door delivery of wine purchases (one case minimum) and our Chapter was quick to advertise this offer to our members and many seized on the opportunity to restock their homes with great wines. The NC KOV has been proud to support NC wineries and NC wine-related businesses during the pandemic.

gust. Both events were held in the restaurant’s truly awesome wine cellar and guests were welcomed to the former event by Ms. Van Eure, the restaurant’s owner, and to the latter event by Captain John Smith of the White Star Line.

In addition to great food and great wine, the restaurant’s incredible wait staff provided outstanding service that was second to none!

Jones von Drehl delivering wine during Covid 19

The Chapter’s Master Vice Commander, Tom Potter, and his wife, Dawn, the Chapter’s Wine Ambassador, led the Chapter’s grand tour of the State’s reopened wineries, including the newest winery, Pilot Mountain Winery. Other wineries visited on their tour were Flint Hill Vineyards, Cellar 4201 Winery, Ragapple Lassie Winery, Sander’s Ridge Winery, Elkin Creek Vineyards, Midnight Magdalena Vineyards, Brandon Hills Vineyards, West Bend Winery and Brewery, Shadow Springs Vineyards, Roaring River Winery, Jones Von Drehle Vineyards, Adagio Vineyards, Windsor Run Cellars and Haze Gray Vineyards. Our group was welcomed at each location and we left our calling card – The Arbor – everywhere we went.

Our chapter has rescheduled our Grand Assemblage for March 5-7, 2021 at the Graylyn Estate in Winston Salem and we look forward to warmly welcoming KOV members from across the nation to the heart of North Carolina’s wine country!

Tom & Dawn Potter relaxing at Pilot Mountain Winery

As North Carolina, like the rest of the nation, gradually began to reopen its doors in June for businesses on a limited scale, NC KOV members began to resurface at NC wineries tasting rooms and restaurants. With indoor seating limited to 50% capacity, KOV members were visible at the 60th Anniversary Dinner for the Angus Barn (www.angusbarn.com) in July and then reappeared when the AB, arguably North Carolina’s premier restaurant, hosted its annual Titanic Dinner in Au-

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OH, WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN …

Lake Tahoe

By Ernie Grossman Back in the day, preCovid of course, we had such high hopes for a fabulous array of events both socially satisfying and educational. Our Cadre gathered in January for our traditional breakfast conclave at the the home of Master Commander Ernie Grossman and Master Lady Margaret Lewicki and were greeted by a banquet table laden with delicacies and bubbles which helped set the tone for the planning of the upcoming year. Had this been a normal year, this would have been our agenda.

Now as we ponder our future, we analyze the lessons of the past few months to determine the perspicacity of trying to arrange “in person” social engagements. Would folks even come if we could present an interesting in person program? Some fifty of our members, through a questionnaire, told us that about ten percent would definitely come, sixty five percent said possibly depending on circumstances at the time, and some twenty five percent indicated they would not participate until there was a vaccine. Well, we are not too sure if the timing is right, but we will try a September afternoon, open air, socially distancing, mask wearing (except when eating and drinking), wine tasting/appetizer event with a limit of perhaps twenty five members. The area can comfortably seat up to two hundred so we feel safe in social distancing. Of course, all party wear will be disposable plastic with the option of bringing one’s own stem wear.

If this works we will repeat the process in October.

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March OVER THE TOP, featuring Chef Billy McCullough of Dragonfly fame.

This event was sold out, but Covid hit and out of an abundance of caution it had to be postponed.

May PIP’S PASS, the wine pairing dinner prepared individually for the attendees by Chef Jason Burton at his Shore Room in the new Renaissance Hotel, Reno.

June OUR OWN TRIP TO ITALY to coincide with FICB. This, too, was sold out.

July COUNTRY WESTERN BBQ AND LIVE MUSIC August A WEEKEND TRIP TO WINE COUNTRY September LA FESTA DE CENA ESTIVA ITALIANA, a retrospective on our trip to Italy October ANNUAL ASSEMBLAGE December ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY

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AND YET STILL HOPING!

By Stephanie Harris The FICB Congress in Piemonte in 2020 was sure to have been a treat. How do I know? I was fortunate to have lived in Torino for six months in 2013. When the Congress filled up, our Lake Tahoe chapter decided to plan our own trip. Since I knew the area well, I was able to coordinate a wonderful and personal trip for a number of our members.

With the help of an Italian friend (who happens to be a travel agent), we were able to organize a special tour of northern Italy. Our trip would have begun with a walking tour of Torino, also known as the King’s City, with visits to both the Palazzo Reale di Torino (the Royal Palace of Torino, historic palace of the House of Savoy) and Palazzo Madama, just a courtyard away.

That afternoon we would have a private tour of the Egyptian Museum (only second to the museum in Cairo) followed by a private dinner among the artifacts and mummies.

The next day would have been a private tour of the Stupinigi Hunting Palace (a Unesco Heritage site). That afternoon would have us being shuttled throughout the Langhe region for more wine tasting. The evening would have finished with a private and intimate dinner in Barolo.

Our last day we were to take our coach to Alba to join the FICB in the procession through town. Afterwards, we would have a gourmet lunch at a winery followed, of course, by more wine tasting on our way back to Torino. Our final evening would have been a grand farewell dinner at a five star Michelin restaurant featuring Torinese culinary delights. Oh Barolo! Oh Torino!

The memories we might have made together. We hope to see you next year. Until then…ciao ciao!

In Memoriam

May Candler

We are saddened to advise that Gentle Lady May Candler passed away following a massive stroke from which she did not recover. May was inducted at our inaugural Assemblage on October 21, 2001 and had been an active member ever since. Knight Ed Candler, her husband for over 70 years (high school sweethearts), was a founding member of our Lake Tahoe Chapter and remains a part of our Cadre. She will be missed!

The third day we would have been coached out to the edge of town for a tour of the Reggia di Venaria; Torino’s Versaille. The afternoon would entail wine tasting of the region’s bountiful fruits. continued >>>

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Tahoe Member Spotlight:

Master Knight Ron Fenolio

I was inducted into the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine as a Master Knight by Norman Gates in 1978 at the Robert Mondavi Winery. That was a long time and a journey of many fantastic memories ago. How did this journey commence and what were the major milestones along the way? Master Commander Ernest Grossman (Lake Tahoe Region Chapter) asked me to reminisce about my journey through wine and food in Europe and America.

“to suck on the plastic hose” and bring wine up for our family dinners. When guests were present, my “Nonno” would take a glass of wine and pour it the length of the red tablecloth and say “Now the tablecloth is dirty, let’s have fun and enjoy our meal”. By the time I was four or five these influences were already shaping my ability to taste flavors and be discerning.

It would be disrespectful to my ancestors not to acknowledge the tremendous contribution of my maternal grandparents and great grandparents. My great grandfather had vineyards in the 1880s-1920s in the town of Casarsa, Friuli, Italy. My grandfather Gelindo left Italy in 1912 to immigrate to Los Angeles to join his brothers who had immigrated starting in 1907. He married my grandmother Rosie in 1918. In the early 1920s they bought our family farm in eastern Contra Costa County and planted grapes.

The big breakthrough for me came in 1957. After Gelindo died of cancer in 1950, my widowed grandmother asked my parents if I, as the oldest grandson, could be pulled out of a semester of ninth grade to go live in Italy at the family homesites and not only tour Italy, but also visit Spain, Switzerland, France, England, Holland and Denmark. Although I was only 14 years old, after three or four months in Italy and Europe I was exposed to the art of fine wining and dining.

Now the die was cast.

Gelindo made wine in the basement. My introduction to wine started early; working with him around the redwood tanks and being sent down with a glass pitcher

Eight or nine years later while attending Hastings College of the Law, I was befriended by

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the College Dean, Marvin Anderson, a lifelong friend and mentor. After graduation and as I was starting out in the legal profession, he told me about one of the UC Berkeley faculty members he knew who wanted to start a winery. Given my farm background, he thought I might be interested. Veedercrest was being born.

We made wine in Al Baxter’s basement using second picking grapes from Supreme Knight Rene De Rosa (Sonoma Cutrer), Richard Stelzner (Kunde) and other vineyards owned by iconic names of the 1960s and early 1970s. We were surprised when in 1971 Andre Tchelistzcheff called, informing us he had heard that we were making good wine and invited himself to dinner the next night. As we all know, he was the Dean of the Napa winemakers (there were less than 40 wineries in the Napa Valley at that time). When he arrived, we went to the barrel room, which he filled with smoke (he was a three pack a day smoker and couldn’t taste without his tobacco), and then started barrel tasting.

At dinner he told us that the wines were very good and we should go commercial. The next year, 1972, was our first commercial vintage.

1972 was a great year in the Napa Valley for new wineries. Eighteen new wineries were started that year including Stags Leap (Supreme Knight Warren Winiarski), the relaunch of Chateau Montelena by Jim Barrett (who was, incidentally Master Lady Margaret Lewicki’s senior partner in a Los Angeles law firm), Clos du Val, Burgess, Silver Oak, Veedercrest, Caymus, and Diamond Creek. Wine writer Hugh Johnson called it “the watershed year” in the history of the Napa Valley and the California wine industry. As part of starting Veedercrest we went looking for land to buy for vineyards and purchased a 300 acre parcel on Mt. Veeder, between Mayacamas and Mt.Veeder Vineyards, and started developing our vineyards.

know the outcome – a California wine was chosen best Cabernet/Bordeaux (Stag’s Leap), a California wine was chosen best Chardonnay (Chateau Montelena), and my beloved Veedercrest was noted for having produced “the most French style wine” in the tasting. The French panel was furious. No one had thought this would be a watershed event. The event would have probably been passed by except for an article written for Time Magazine by one of their journalists who happened to be at the event.

California was on the map.

We grew Veedercrest through the 1970s to a 10,000 case producer, significant for that time, using brokers and selling to fine wine stores and great restaurants.

As Veedercrest’s reputation grew we were noticed by William Deutsch, then President of Somerset Wines, and later the founder of William Deutsch and Sons, one of the best brand builders in the industry. Bill wanted Veedercrest to be the launch winery for a line of prestige California estates to be distributed by Somerset as a companion product line to Somerset’s line of fine Bordeaux estates. After much negotiation we gave Somerset worldwide distribution rights for seven years, but within a few months Bill Deutsch left Somerset and those that followed were not up to the task. Veedercrest began to languish in the marketplace. Litigation followed during the 1980s and, ultimately, Veedercrest won one of the largest commercial litigation jury verdicts rendered up to

Hugh Johnson may have called 1972 the watershed year but in reality, the real important watershed event was the now infamous and iconic Judgement of Paris tasting sponsored by Steven Spurrier in 1976. We now all

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that time in Napa County. However, the brand was severely damaged and I left the industry to become an investment banker for ten to fifteen years in Japan and China.

But my love of food and wine never waned. During the 1980s and 1990s I participated as an investor in or directly owned and operated a number of restaurants and, in the process, decided to relaunch Veedercrest.

Our first “rebirth� release was the widely acclaimed 2005 Rutherford Cabernet (94 points Wine Enthusiast) and the wines that followed also received high marks and great recognition. Our relaunch reputation continued to grow and culminated in being recognized as the American Fine Wine Competition Winery of the Year for 2017.

In the meantime, by chance, I met a European wine distributor who was an investor in a winery in Portugal. We were sharing stories and a glass of wine and over time we became fast friends and Veedercrest became a lead importer of Portuguese wines with additional imports from Spain, France and Italy. Today, Veedercrest is recognized as being the second largest Portuguese wine importer in the western United States.

Through this wonderful journey I was able to enjoy many fine wine events sponsored by KOV including those sponsored by my dear friend Ernie Grossman.

For a short time I served as the Master Commander of the San Francisco chapter, now ably led by Pat Pingitore. I have been honored to be inducted into many other FICB chapters around the world including in Piemonte, Switzerland and France, and am a participant in and officer of many other wine brotherhoods. I was honored to be elected to lead the 350 member Family Winemakers of California from 2020 to 2022.

Suffice it to say I am grateful to have made so many friends around the world in this wonderful industry and have been able to enjoy the fine wines of so many member wineries. I can only hope each of the readers will get even more involved in learning about food and wine and sharing wonderful journeys of their own.

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The Brotherhood of the knights of the vine

Membership

application

Individual APPLICAtion: Mr. / Mrs. / Ms. / Dr. First _______________________________ Last _____________________________________ Phone ______________________________________ Email ________________________________________________ Mailing Address ____________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Occupation ________________________________________ Spouse’s Name __________________________________ Of what professional, scientific, fraternal or social organization are you a member? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

special qualifications: List items of interest that reflect your support of the wines and vines of America (e.g. drink California wines) and any affiliations you may have with wine appreciation groups or gourmet societies in the world. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Signature of Applicant _______________________________________________________ Date _________________

Please include an initiation fee of $225, plus any local dues, if applicable.

Your initiation fee may be tax deductible if you are a member of the trade.

Does not include cost of Enthronement Dinner.

Make Check Payable to THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE KNIGHTS OF THE VINE Return your application and check to KOV National Office at 3343 Industrial Dr., Suite 2, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

sponsoring knight or gentle lady:

First Name _______________________________________

Last ____________________________________________ Phone _________________________________ Email _____________________________________________________ Title in Order _____________________________________ Chapter _________________________________________ Recommendations of the Sponsoring Knight or Gentle Lady_____________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Recommended Title in Order ________________________________________________________________________ Signature of Sponsoring Knight ________________________________________________ Date ________________ Summer/Fall 2020

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Gina Gallo Gina Gallo, Supreme Lady of the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine, is not just known for her iconic name in the California wine world, but as a prominent winemaker who is carrying on the pioneering tradition of her legendary grandfather, Julio Gallo who, with his brother Ernest, founded E & J Gallo Winery in 1933.

Since padding around the Gallo vineyards in Modesto as a toddler, Gina has learned the business, literally from the ground up, and is following in the Gallo founders’ footsteps by blazing new winemaking trails in California and throughout the world. Her story is as inspiring as her accomplishments.

Gina began her professional career by studying business psychology at Notre Dame de Namur University. She then joined the Gallo sales organization to learn all aspects of the family business. To expand her technical knowledge, she enrolled in the University of California, Davis, winemaking program, where she studied viticulture and enology. This is where she discovered her true calling — winemaking. She was mentored by her grandfather and winemaking veteran Marcello Monticello, one of the most respected of the Gallo winemakers and trusted friend of the family, where she honed her craft as an artisanal wine maker. After two decades in the cellar, she established the Gallo Signature Series, a personal collection of premium wines that “brings to life the enduring legacy of Ernest and Julio Gallo and celebrates our family’s vision for the future.”

Today, Gina lives in Healdsburg, where she is Vice President of Estate Winemaking and winemaker for the Gallo Signature Series. For these wines, Gina selects “the best of the best” from their vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Napa Valley and throughout Sonoma County. Gina’s brother, Matt, is intricately involved

in the Signature Series wines as Vice President of Coastal Operations including wineries and vineyards in California’s north and central coast.

Gina has been actively involved in the business and wine community, and has been honored with many accolades and awards, receiving the American Wine Society Award of Merit, and being named one of the Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink by Fortune magazine, and listed as #17 on Decanter magazine’s “Power List” of the most important men and women in wine. She is past president of the International Wine & Spirit competition and was inducted into the 2016 James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America. In 2019, she co-chaired the Sonoma Wine Auction along with Chris Jackson of Jackson Family Wines, representing two of the most influential, long-term Sonoma wine families.

Gina is married to KOV Supreme Knight JeanCharles Boisset, French vintner, and the proprietor of the Boisset Collection. Under Boisset’s leadership, the Boisset Collection operates 28 wineries in California, France and Canada. The couple have twin girls, born in 2011.

Gina recently took time from her busy schedule to have a Zoom conference with Arbor Magazine, where she discussed her family history, her life as a winemaker and her involvement in KOV.

By Nan McCreary continued >>>

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Supreme Summer/Fall 2020

Lady

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The Arbor (TA): What are your earliest memories of growing up in a “wine family”?

Gina Gallo (GG): Being in the dirt. And being out in the garden with my father and my grandfather (Julio Gallo) and pruning different fruit trees.

Our farm wasn’t always just vineyards. We had fruit trees and we had animals—goats and chickens — and I remember collecting eggs. Managing the garden taught me to understand seasonality, like the beautiful vegetables we’re enjoying right now. The greatest memories of my family were the times we had at the table. We had a big family — I have seven siblings — and we’d all pitch in to help.

We’d set the table, help prepare the food and wash the dishes. It was all very warm and inviting.

On Sundays both sets of my grandparents would come for supper and I’d listen to the lively discussions around the table.

I’d hear my grandfather speak of different things about the winery, but wine wasn’t the most important thing. It was just part of the meal. Actually, food was more important than the wine. But what was most important was the people around the table. This is what I remember the most.

TA: Did you decide on your own to go into the business, or was it something that was expected of you?

GG: I definitely wasn’t encouraged by my family. But I was encouraged by seeing my grandfather and my dad talk — back to the table again — and I realized that what they were building and believing in was for the next generation and I wanted to be a part of it. That’s what really attracted me. And I saw that my father and my mother loved what they were doing. My father loved the land, the dirt and sustainability; my mother loved the arts and started a performing arts center in

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Modesto. One day my father said to me, “You have to follow your passion.” So, at a very young age I started searching for my passion. When I first went to college, I studied psychology because I loved it. But then I decided psychology wasn’t for me and I’m glad I did, because I finally discovered that my passion was winemaking.

TA: What guidance did you receive from your grandfather, Julio?

GG: He taught me to appreciate detail. “When you plant that root in the ground,” he said, “you make sure it’s properly planted, and you take care of it intensely.”

And at a young age, I remember him saying, “The beauty of the vineyard, the great wines of the vineyard, are only as good as the footprint of the winemaker in that vineyard.” He was passionate about the soil — he

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it’s going to be a great grape harvest.” He was always looking at who had the best tomatoes, because that person would be the best grape grower. His garden meant everything to him.

Ernest was the salesman. He studied the market and had the discipline to teach the salespeople how to sell. He helped create the 10 steps to a sales call. He instructed his sales people to never park in front of a store because that’s for the customers; survey the store before you talk to the buyer; take your duster and dust your products on the shelves. Wear a jacket and tie…things like that. People want structure, and he built an amazing sales organization.

TA: You’ve immersed yourself in all facets of the wine business, literally from the ground up.

Why did you decide you wanted to become a winemaker? called it “our richest good.” As a family, we’ve come a long way in dialing that in and farming sustainably.

Another thing: one day a rather pompous man was in the winery and after he left my grandfather took my arm and said, “Gina, whenever you stop asking questions and you think you know it all, hand over the baton.” Looking at it now, I completely agree. You always have to ask questions and you always have to be inquisitive. I’m a listener, which I love.

TA: You were fortunate to have grown up with such wonderful mentors.

GG: I was. Grandpa was in the dirt: He loved to talk to the growers all over Napa, the Central Coast and Sonoma. Every year right before harvest he’d have a lunch and ask everyone to bring their tomatoes for a tomato tasting. He’d say, “If it’s a good tomato year,

GG: I started out in sales because I knew I wanted to come back to the family winery, and the best way to learn the business is in sales. You not only learn your own wines, but you learn your competitors’ wines and you establish relationships with restaurants and retailers. I loved building those relationships. At some point, I became curious about winemaking, and asked my dad if I could take extension courses at U.C. Davis. That’s where my passion really hit. I remember taking a sensory course, which was entirely new for me, because growing up, we were not swirling or smelling; wine was just part of dinner. I found the sensory experience fascinating.

I learned about all these amazing smells and flavors — blueberries, blackberries, cassis — and they were coming from a grape! Next, I took a class on the science of wine, which I found fascinating too because I’m not really strong on the technical side, even though I do love to cook. After this, I went home and told my continued >>>

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dad, “I love this. I love wine.”

He said, “Go down that lane and talk to your grandfather.” So, I walked down that lane — I was really nervous — and I talked to Grampa. “I have a place for you,” he said, and he put me in what we called the experimental area in Modesto and I loved it. I knew the vineyard, but I knew nothing about winemaking. Not a clue.

Here, we were harvesting grapes from the Central Coast, Napa, Sonoma and Modesto in one case lots with a half-ton fermenter and experimenting with yeasts, various trellis systems and grape varieties from different areas and learning about the land and the region. It was a great place to start because I love to do a little bit of this and that in the kitchen, but this involved discipline and a focus on science rather that creativity and the arts that I enjoy.

It was enlightening and gave me a solid background which helps me today.

TA: When did you leave the experimental program?

GG: In the Gallo Cellar, I was mentored by Marcello Monticello, my grandfather’s right-hand man. One day he came to me and said, “We’re going to do some estate wines in Sonoma, and we need your help. You can do it.” I had been in the lab for two years and I didn’t want to leave. “It’s time to fly,” he said. He kept pushing me and, finally, I agreed to go. “Okay, I’ll do it for you,” I said. We worked together in Sonoma for five years, driving to and from Modesto every day. He just retired, after 50 years with Gallo.

TA: What did you discover about wine during this journey?

GG: I had a Calera (Mt. Harlan) Pinot Noir in the 1990s and I fell in love with the grape. My grandfather never liked Pinot Noir; he thought it was vinegary, light and wimpy. But in the 40s, 50s and 60s we didn’t have the right clone. If you have the right clone, you can

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make Pinot Noir as good as they make in Burgundy.

When I tasted Pinot from Burgundy, I thought, “Wow, we should be able to do this.” And when I tasted Pinot from Calera, I said, “I know we can do this.” So, I really went to the dirt and started studying to find areas where we could grow Pinot. Today, we have a Two Rock Vineyard in Sonoma that does amazing things with Pinot. We also produce Pinot — and Chardonnay— at our Laguna Ranch Vineyard, in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. My grandfather and uncle purchased that land in 1976. At the time it had apples growing on it and my grandfather would take the apples home to my grandmother and she’d make apple pie. He thought it was great, and said, “One day this land is going to be great for Chardonnay.” I love this: history can challenge and enlighten us. We learn from history to move forward.

TA: In 2011, you launched the Gallo Signature Series, based in Sonoma County. What inspired you to do this?

GG: I wanted to do this for my grandfather Julio and my great uncle Ernest. It was about our family heritage; the family heritage that gave us the foundation for what we’re doing today. People like and respect Gallo wines, but there’s always something else to buy.

With the Signature Series, we can have our family name on wines that are competing with the best of the best.

For me, it was about venturing out. We have all these beautiful, sustainably-farmed estate vineyards (in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Napa Valley and Sonoma) and I wanted to put the family name on these wines. From these vineyards, I get to choose the best Cabernet, the best Pinot Noir, the best Chardonnay and the best Zinfandel. We don’t make a lot of it, but it gives us an opportunity to put our premium wines in the market for people to taste and experience. I think the name Gallo on the label says “pioneers and entrepreneurs.”

We believe we’re here for generations, that there will always be a winemaker in our family. What I like about the Signature Series is that it’s keeping the Gallo name alive. It’s a classic name that can withstand the times.

Everyone loves a piece of history.

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TA: What is your winemaking philosophy?

GG: It goes back to the table. If you have a good piece of meat, you’re not going to mess with it. So, for me, my philosophy is to always go to the dirt. You need to make sure that the Pinot Noir is matched to the right clone; that the Cabernet is on the right soil and on the right side of the slope. You have to do your homework. I learn a lot from history, and I learn a lot from Europe and what they’ve done in the past. Our land is different, but if you get the ground right, the vine right and if you’ve done your homework, you can sail through harvest. Of course, it’s not as easy as it sounds. There is a lot of trial and error, but when it all comes together it’s so much fun. In the winery, I’m very minimalistic. I don’t like to do a lot to the wine.

But sometimes I like to push the envelope if I have the right thing going on in the winery. For example, a lot of winemakers don’t like to do extended maceration.

I’m a believer in it. The fruit needs to stay on the skin for at least 25 days to properly evolve and bring out all the beautiful characteristics. Once the wine goes to barrel, there’s not much you can do. It’s kind of like raising a child: by the time a wine goes to barrel, I want it to be beyond a teenager.

TA: We’re honored to have you and Jean-Charles as Supreme Lady and Supreme Knight of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of KOV. How do you view your relationship with KOV? GG: I would start by saying we’re honored to be part of KOV. What I love and what I am endeared to is how strong you are, how you network and bring people together to learn in a beautiful fashion and to socialize in a beautiful fashion. We had that beautiful KOV event at Buena Vista Winery in 2016, and it was all about coming to the table again. It was about the food, the wine and the sharing. Yes, KOV is about the food and the wine, but more importantly it’s about camaraderie, people learning from each other and growing with each other and leaning on each other. It’s very powerful. And the bonus is that you have some amazing wine and you learn something about wine.

But the huge bonus is the relationships that you make.

TA: We’re really pleased that you’ve spent so much time with us when you have such a busy schedule.

Thank you so much.

GG: Thank you. I’ve enjoyed it.

TA: As you look to the future, what are your goals?

GG: My ambition is to definitely promote the Signature Series to preserve our heritage. Also, we are big believers in sustainability, and work closely with the California Wine Institute to help wineries farm sustainably. I try to support growers and vintners, as they have supported me. It’s not like in the olden days when the industry was very competitive. Today, the more people learn about wine, the more they share. We collaborate and communicate, like we do with smoke taint. The more we collaborate, the better off we will be in the wine world. E. & J. Gallo is also active in programs to help feed the hungry. Being part of that has made me realize that when I step up and partner with these organizations, I gain much more than I give.

It’s amazing.

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In Memoriam Norman Harris (1926 – 2020)

Mississippi

Norman Harris, who not only founded the Mississippi (Jackson) Chapter, served our Brotherhood as a Director on the national board and on the Grand Counci. He was born July 13, 1926 in Malvern, Arkansas to Cora (Thomason) and Joe Harris. After the death of his mother, he was raised by his older sister, Crele and her husband, Alphie Meador of Union, Mississippi.

Norman graduated from Stratton High School in 1947.

He was president of his senior class and named most likely to succeed. He was the captain of the basketball team and lettered in both basketball and baseball. He played semi-pro baseball for two years. He went on to attend East Central Junior College on a basketball scholarship and majored in physical education. He lettered in basketball, baseball, and football. After graduating ECJC, he attended Mississippi State University where he lettered in basketball.

Norman served in the United States Navy during WWII and the United States Army during the Korean War as Chief Warrant Officer and Motor Officer stationed in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After his military service, Norman became an insurance claims adjuster for Calbort Fire Insurance in Jackson, Mississippi and later moved to San Antonio, Texas. Joining the St. Louis Insurance group in 1960, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri as regional claims manager. In 1963, he and three partners formed Volkswagen Insurance Group where he was vice-president of claims and sales.

In 1969, he became president and general manager of Norman Harris Volkswagen, adding Porsche/Audi in 1972. He was also president of N.H. Construction Company.

In 1976, he was appointed by Governor Cliff Finch as Executive Director of the Governor’s Council on Aging. After serving four years with the state, he wanted to do something fun to combine what he knew in sales and travel. He established NH Wines - brokers of fine wine and spirits.

Norman enjoyed sports. He was an avid Mississippi State fan, but supported all Mississippi teams. In his younger years, he was an avid golfer.

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Norman was a member of Ridgecrest Baptist Church.

He was a member of the Blue Lodge for over 50 years, Scottish Rite, 32nd degree Mason, Wahabi Shriner and Jester. He also had memberships in the Rotary Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis Club and Civic Club. He was a member of the East Central Junior College alumni and Mississippi State alumni as well.

Norman was the first Commander of the Mississippi Chapter of the Knights of the Vine, which he established in 1997 and served for 20 years. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Dixie National Rodeo Blue Room.

Norman is survived by his daughter, Susan Harris Wingert and son, William Gregory Harris; granddaughter, Kelli Wingert Wallace and grandson, Kristopher Leigh Wingert (Heather); and three great-grandchildren, Bela Wallace, Jadyn Wingert and Owen Harris Wingert.

Norman was preceded in death by his wife of 68 years, Miriam DuBard Harris; his parents; two sisters, Crele Meador and Lucille Harris; four brothers, Joe Harris, Bruce Harris, Merle Harris and Virgle Harris; and grandson-in-law, Jim Wallace.

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MEMBERS IN THE NEWS ROSEMARY ROOSA Gentle Lady Rosemary Roosa, Gulf Coast Chapter, takes you to the moon and back, and all over the world, in her adventurous and entertaining book called To the Moon: An Autobiography of an Apollo Astronaut’s Daughter. Available on Amazon and Kindle. Rosemary writes about growing up in the space race, while captivating the reader in tales of travel, love, change, and how every once in a while only a glass of champagne will do. The book is endorsed by Apollo astronauts and has received 5-star reviews. Her father was Apollo 14 Astronaut Stu Roosa, who took tree seeds on his mission in honor of his smoke-jumping days with the Forest Service. After germination on earth, the trees were affectionately dubbed “moon trees.”

Rosemary is also the President of the Moon Tree Foundation and has a mission of planting 50 moon trees during the 50th anniversaries of the Apollo Program. For more information about planting a moon tree in your local area or with your KOV chapter for a magical moon event, contact Rosemary at RoosaR14@ aol.com. Cheers and To the Moon!

PAUL & MERRIL BONARRIGO Supreme Knight and Supreme Lady Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo were pleased to share that their Paulo Sagrantino recently won the Gold Medal at the Vienna International Wine Competition. Their interest in Sagrantino began in 2012 when they were speakers at the International Wine Tourism Conference in Perugia, Italy. Since then, they have become the largest producer of Sagrantino in the United States and produce 4 wines using that varietal; the Paulo Sagrantino, the Sagrantino Reserva, the Estate Sagrantino and the Bonarrigo Heritage Blend which has 55% Sagrantino, 30% Primativo and 15% Sangiovese.

JIM SKELTON Knight Jim Skelton’s book, Eradicating Smallpox in Ethiopia just won the Moritz Thomsen Peace Corps Experience Award, an annual honor for Peace Corps volunteers or staffers who best depict life in the Peace Corps. Congratulations, Jim! (Available on Amazon)

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Virtual Summer Party

By Forrest Preece, Master Scribe

Austin

When it comes to high tech pivots, the Austin Chapter of the Knights of the Vine sets a high standard. On the night of August 12, Master Commander Jerry Gatlin presided over a virtual version of a wine tasting and concert for 44 Knights and Gentle Ladies on Zoom.

An additional 19 members from the Houston Chapter joined the party, including Grand Commander Buddy Hagner and his wife Trish.

The night began with fifteen minutes of music from the Liz Morphis Trio singing from a South Austin music studio, while the guests settled in and poured their wines.

A short round of noshing and imbibing followed. Then we were treated with a 45-minute presentation about the wines for the evening by Mark Rashap, a Certified Wine Educator (CWE) and Regional Sales Manager for Broadbent Selections and importer of fine wine from around the world.

Just a few words about Mark – he oversees sales and strategic brand development in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Previously, he served as Director of Wine Education for the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas in Austin and consulted privately for various distributors, brokers, and restaurant chains. With over fifteen years of experience in the wine industry, Mark has worked in practically every sector of the trade, from studying the wine business in Argentina to winemaking and brokering wine in Washington State. He entered the wine education field as a corporate educator for a large Texas retailer and gained national experience with the certifying body, The Society of Wine Educators. He is also the producer, engineer, and host of the podcast, Another Bottle Down, which has been aired on KOOP 91.7 in Austin, bringing his philosophy and open-minded views to the Austin radio waves.

In the weeks leading up to the event, Master Knight David Jabour was offering special buys on the wines for the evening at two of his Twin Liquor stores and one in the Houston area for our friends there. Many of the participants drove by to make pickups of these outstanding bottles and enjoyed drinking them during Mark’s presentation.

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The wines for the evening included: Chateau Fontcreuse Rosé Established in the 1700s in the small appellation of Cassis within the Provence region of France, Chateau Fontcreuse is a relatively small house committed to organic practices.This rosé is a blend of Cincault and Grenache and showcases the beauty of the region.White floral and lovely red and orchard fruit on the nose give way to an elegant mouth feel. Melon, peach and a touch of citrus combined with long and balanced acid which led to a dry finish.

Chateau Musar Jeune Blanc This iconic winery from Lebanon is truly in the spotlight this year with the publication of a book about their history as well as the movie Wine and War.This wine is roughly thirds of Chardonnay, which lends body and a creamy texture, Viognier which adds aromatics and floral notes, and Vermentino which adds freshness and lovely nectarine and stone fruit notes.

J Winery PN Russian River This is one of the more prominent California brands, and this Russian River Pinot displays the classic flavors of the region and grape. Subtle flavors of leather, violets, and cherry are complimented by a silky mouth feel.

Wilson Foreigner Zinfandel This is the classic America grape (though truly coming from Italy and Croatia). Historically, it was made in a lighter style that was more reminiscent of Pinot Noir or Gamay, quite different from the dark, brooding Zins that would prefer to be sipped by a fireplace instead of the pool.This wine strikes the perfect balance of lighter body, but great intensity on the palate. It comes from 100-130 year-old Napa Valley vines, so truly history in a glass.

Who could have known?

Houston

… but before all that …. we started with our Assemblage Weekend January 24-26 and it was one of our very best! We were excited to have so many guests from other chapters join us and to bring in six new knights and gentle ladies. Our featured wines were Galante Family Vineyards and Dawn’s Dream Winery and we were fortunate to have Supreme Knight Jack Galante and Master Lady Dawn Galante with us for the entire “Rodeo Knights” weekend. It all began on Friday evening at the home of Commander and Master Lady Buddy and Trish Hagner with live country music, 55 guests and a fajita buffet. Those gathered enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace and the night under the stars with Dawn’s Dream wines that included 2017 “Escolle” Chardonnay, 2018 Pinot Noir Rosé, 2017 “Rachel” Pinot Noir and 2017 “Bel Sogno” Pinot Noir. Special thanks to Tyri Schiek Centanni for arranging for our cowboy singers and to she and Jack Galante for grabbing guitars to add to the music of the night. Glorious!

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Saturday found our Assemblage committee continuing their great work. From centerpieces to setting up our silent auction, it was true teamwork. The committee included Tyri Centanni, Ginger Covington, Jim and Lulu Curtice, Trish Hagner, Susan Loberg, Leigh Ann Manz, Nan McCreary, Kimery and Raymond McKaskle, Wanda Schaffner, Lois Van Vooren and Michelle Wise.

Our Enthronement Ceremony included not only our cadre, but special guests from other chapters who entered the room as the fanfare played. Commander John Boothby and Vice Commander Rich Moss from the Gulf Coast Chapter, Commander Jeff Price from the North Carolina Chapter, Commander Bob Bennett from the Tennessee Chapter, Vice Commander Russ Davis from the Nation’s Capital Chapter and Vice Commander Janet Hamilton from the Los Angeles Chapter all honored us with their presence. We followed traditions and increased our chapter with the addition of Gentle Ladies Janet Misamore, Debra Price, Leslie Sjurseth and Deborah Thompson, as well as Knights Charlie Ham and Bartt Thompson. Following the Enthronement, 84 members and guests, 20 of them from other chapters, entered the Grand Ballroom at the Royal Sonesta Hotel to view an abundance of great silent auction items and the sounds of our favorite band, Checkered Past. With the generosity of our donors and

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bidders, we were able to raise nearly $14,000, which benefited the University of Houston’s Conrad Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management and the Southern Smoke Foundation. Special thanks to Miguel Cabrera and all those from the Hilton College who helped with the silent auction, cork pull and raffle.

Our dining began with passed appetizers and Galante 2017 Kick Ass White and 2017 Kick Ass Red as guests mixed and mingled. Our first course for dinner was fig, prosciutto, melon and honey paired with butter poached lobster corn velouté and 2018 “Wagon Wheel” Sauvignon Blanc. That was awesome and followed beautifully by glazed duck with cherry coulis and parsnip puree with 2018 “Almond Flat” Pinot Noir. After an intermezzo of strawberry and grapefruit sorbet, our entrée was delicious beef Wellington paired with whipped Yukon gold potatoes and both the 2014 “Blackjack Pasture” Cabernet Sauvignon and 2014 “Ace High” Malbec. The finale was a 2014 Galante “Bulls Eye Red” with whipped brie, triple blu cheese and deep-fried truffles! This is all going to be hard to top .. now we can’t wait until next year!

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HOUSTON CHAPTER CONT’D FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Sunday saw 43 hardy souls gathered for our traditional brunch. This popular event gives us a chance to recount our memories from the night before, hear from our winery reps from across the country, meet our scholarship recipient and say our goodbyes over a breakfast buffet and mimosas. Miguel Cabrera updated us on programs at the Hilton College, our scholarship recipient told us of his plans, Jeff Price gave us updates on the North Carolina wine industry while Bruce Misamore did the same for Arizona’s wine region and David Miller, a Houston member living in Mexico, shared information about the developing wine industry there. Jack and Dawn Galante updated us on the happenings in California and trends they are seeing across the country. How truly fortunate we are to have so many knowledgeable people so willing to share.

Before declaring the weekend over, a small tradition was continued to take out of towners who remained to a meal of TexMex and margaritas at The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation! We can’t wait for 2021!

Our next event found thirty-eight members and guests were excited to try something new! So on March 9 at Café Lili Lebanese Grill, we shared wines from Kosovo and traditional Middle Eastern food. The owners of Stone Castle Winery, brothers Avdi and Avni Gecaj, and their US representative, Bruce Stewart, were present to share the history of the region and their winery while highlighting the nuances of their wines. With dinner we had a 2017 “Reserve” Chardonnay, 2018 Pinot Noir, 2018 Merlot “Selection”, 2017 “Gjergj kastrioti” Vranc, 2015 Shiraz, 2017 “Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon, and a 2016 Red “Owner’s Choice”.

Who could have known that shortly after that dinner things would change so dramatically and for a group of friends who gather so frequently and enjoy each other so genuinely, taking a break from each other was very, very difficult. Like so many, we had to find ways to share and we found a number of ways to do that. Personal hand-written notes of encouragement and friendship, phone calls and emails and a chapter newsletter to highlight what members were doing during these trying times were all important to staying connected. And Zoom! Most of us had never even heard of Zoom before Coronavirus, but we learned and we adapted. We held a couple of cadre meetings via Zoom and two tastings.

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Our first Zoom tasting was with Phil Staehle of Enkidu Winery. Four wines were featured at discounted prices and several members invited a small group to share at their individual locations. In total, we had 21 people participate and learned about the wine directly from the winemaker with a question and answer period that allowed for more in-depth discussions than might otherwise be able to happen. Friends shared Enkidu 2018 “E” Sauvignon Blanc, 2017 “E” Old Vine Zinfandel, 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2018 “Humbaba” Red Rhone Blend.

Our second Zoom tasting was actually hosted by Master Commander Pat Pingitore, commander of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, with Supreme Knight JeanCharles Boisset. This special Zoom event was just for KOV and offered to all chapters across the country. It was great to see so many KOV friends; Houston had 10 of our members participating.

Sauvignon. The best part of the evening … the smiles on so many happy faces.

In preparation for our Annual Business Meeting held every August, our Board of Directors met in July to review all of the chapter’s business. In our effort to help support restaurants in our area that so desperately need it and have been so kind to us and hosted us and our events over the years, we held our Board meeting at Café Benedicte. Owner Vahid Navissi could not have been more generous and accommodating and we can’t wait to bring everyone back as soon as possible.

Plans for our 2021 Assemblage continue and we invite all of our friends to join us for our Assemblage Weekend January 22-24, 2021. It will be, as always, a great celebration. You do not want to miss it! www. kovhouston.org

But virtual gatherings are not the same and so in mid-June when winemaker and Master Knight Bradford Cowin (Washington State Chapter) emailed to say that he would be in Houston to visit his father and was available “if anyone was interested,” a quick email went out to members and the response was quick and positive…. YES! So, on June 17, in a wine warehouse where social distancing was easily managed, 40 friends gathered for a buffet dinner and Adega Northwest wines. With masked and gloved servers, the comfort food buffet of Caesar salad, Merlot chicken, grilled pot roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cookies and brownies was wonderful with the Adega NW 2017 Albarino, 2015 Tempranillo, 2016 Malbec and 2015 “Firethorn” Cabernet

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Xavier and Nicole Rolet pictured in front of the Chêne Bleu with Xavier’s sister, winegrower Bénédicte, and her husband, winemaker Jean-Louis.

The Chêne Bleu or blue oak that symbolizes the Rolets commitment to protecting and preserving the beauty and authenticity of the historic site.

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the Rhone

ROMANCING

By Rose Betty Williams

There’s nothing like a love story to capture our hearts and imagination, and Nicole and Xavier Rolet’s love story is nothing short of remarkable! Their romance has taken them across continents, time zones, language barriers, cultural traditions, weather challenges, geopolitics, global economies and now Covid.

They are a power couple who are passionate about fine wine, the best in organic, biodynamic and sustainable wine making practices and the restoration and preservation of an ancient property called La Verrière.

Xavier is a Frenchman by birth with a career in international finance. He was the former CEO of the London Stock Exchange. Nicole’s parents are French-Italian and American. As a child she attended French Lycees in New York and Milan, and spent time in Germany, Spain and Brazil. She attended Vassar College. Her professional life was in publications, investment banking and think tanks in the United States and the United Kingdom.

In 1994, Xavier purchased the 340-acre La Verrière that is located on a secluded mountain in the southern Rhône in the foothills of Mont Ventoux, in the Vaucluse region of Provence, France.

When Xavier and Nicole married in 1997, Xavier’s enthusiasm and enchantment with La Verrière had rubbed off on Nicole. They were both passionate about honoring the integrity, beauty and history of La Verrière and its vineyards. Using their combined expertise and resources, they worked round the clock to accomplish and expand that goal and to build and launch Chêne Bleu as a state-of-the-art winery.

The earliest written records about La Verrière date back to 1026, when it was used as a farming priory and working vineyard. Later, it was taken over by the Knights Templar, and in the 1400s, the priory was named La

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Verrière, which means glassblowing workshop. When the Rolets acquired La Verrière, it had been abandoned for more than 50 years and was in ruins.

The Rolets were determined to do everything possible to restore the ancient priory and nurture the neglected vineyards back to health.

Today the Rolets are enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Chêne Bleu wines are acclaimed for the aromas and flavors of the southern Rhône, the finesse of the northern Rhône and the aging potential of the region’s finest AOCs. The Wall Street Journal described Chêne Bleu as “stunning grace and freshness…the world’s first Super Rhône.”

When Nicole attended the 49th FICB International Congress in Napa/Sonoma hosted by our KOV brotherhood in 2016, she brought Chêne Bleu wines with her. Everyone fell in love with the wine and with Nicole. I had the good fortune to sit next to her at a luncheon at the Culinary Institute of America and then again at the finale dinner at Jean-Charles Boisset’s Buena Vista Winery. She encouraged us to visit, and indeed we did in September 2019. La Verrière is idyllic and absolutely beautiful!

This September, when we wanted to return for Chêne Bleu’s 2020 Harvest, Covid put an end to our travels. However, we were able to talk with Nicole, celebrate Chêne Bleu’s excellent harvest and retrace the Rolets’ love story and their romance with the Rhône.

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Nicole hand sorting grapes during the September 2020 harvest

I asked Nicole how she and Xavier actually met. She replied that it was at a wedding. “I met this fascinating young Frenchman named Xavier Rolet who seemed wise beyond his years. He was living in London and I was in New York and soon after the wedding he came to visit me in New York and took me out on our first date,” she said. “We spent the first part of the evening talking about lovely personal things, and it was all going swimmingly. Then the plot thickened. Xavier shared with me that he had just started a crazy project that was going to change his life forever. He explained that he had just committed the next 25 years of his life to turning around La Verrière, an incredible vineyard that was a diamond in the rough. His plan was to unleash its hidden potential that somehow no other French people had appreciated in many decades.”

Nicole became a bit apprehensive because she didn’t know much about winemaking. Her mother had been a food critic and her father a wine collector so she had spent many delectable hours in fine restaurants, but it had never occurred to her to actually try her hand at making wine. She also was skeptical that La Verrière was truly the hidden gem Xavier described. “That was underestimating Xavier, which I have since learned that one should never do”, Nicole added.

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Xavier was recovering from a heartbreak and rather than drown his sorrows in wine, he decided to drain his bank account by purchasing a vineyard. He went on a quest for the ultimate site in the usual places, when by chance he noticed a weathered photograph in the window of a real estate agency: “30 hectares of old vines surrounded by 100+ hectares of forest, high in the mountains above Gigondas in Southern Rhône in the heart of the protected UNESCO biosphere reserve of Mont Ventoux, an abandoned medieval priory…” all for the price of two hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape! “It sounded too good to be true, but he made his way up the winding road and instantly fell in love,” Nicole commented. “This must have jump-started his heart again because just three months later we met” and three years after that Nicole and Xavier married at La Verrière.

Xavier’s dream to revive the neglected vineyards was propelled by a family tradition of winemaking in the Jura. When he purchased the vineyard, it was planted with old vines, mainly Grenache (now 45+ years) and Syrah (35+ years). “We were lucky to be joined by his wonderful sister and winegrower Bénédicte Gallucci, and her husband Jean-Louis Gallucci, a talented winemaker,” said Nicole.

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Together they carefully evaluated and restored every vine they could and planted new Grenache and Syrah vines made with cuttings from existing vines. They also decided to include new vineyard plantings of traditional Rhône varieties such as Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Clairette, Mourvèdre, and Vermentino. “At this stage I had not yet gotten bitten by the wine bug and busied myself restoring the ruins of the priory, which had no water nor electricity” Nicole noted.

In 2006, the Rolets formed Chêne Bleu, and from the get-go it was run on organic, biodynamic and sustainable principles. Nicole pointed out that was before it was fashionable. They spent 12 years resuscitating the old Syrah and Grenache vines. “I think, in retrospect, it is fair to say the unusual minerality, tautness, elegance and aging potential of Chêne Bleu’s first vintages redefined the potential of high-altitude sites from the very first vintage,” Nicole said. “The exposed prehistoric soils in the foothills of Mont Ventoux, above Châteauneuf-du-Pape are now recognized as containing a treasure-trove of exciting minerals. This, combined with the pronounced altitude, gives a distinctive finish and freshness to the wines, which has helped propel the reputation of the Ventoux as a rising star among French appellations; the ‘next hot thing’ according to critics such as Jancis Robinson.”

At Chêne Bleu, observing the 1000+ years of the site’s history is very important to the Rolets. “We became driven by one guiding principle - that of ‘balance and harmony’ where the winery, its people, and nature remain in healthy, sustainable equilibrium,” explained Nicole. “The rigorous organic and biodynamic practices were expensive to implement and stressful to manage at the beginning, and while we made a number of mistakes in the process, we also found very exciting solutions.”

They experimented with natural products and composts, used the apiary’s bee propolis as a natural disinfectant and brought in a flock of sheep to provide grass and weed control throughout the vines. The Rolets are consistently seeking out world-class experts on sustainable and biodynamic cultivation practices for new methods that can be applied to the winery.

Their guiding principle is to harness the forces of nature that surround them at La Verrière that is at the top of the mountain in the heart of the forest. “For example, the Biosphere boasts 1400 species of butterflies and the woods are pullulating with animals and we love that there is a seamless integration between the vineyard and the forest,” said Nicole. “In fact, to monitor the ecosys-

Aerial view of La Verriere

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tem, it is customary to count the population of rabbits and hares, which are halfway through the food chain between the predators and the creepy crawlies, to check for imbalances. We even have a reference to that on our wine label with a little bunny hunt”.

Asked why the name Chêne Bleu, Nicole said, “If you visit Chêne Bleu, you will be greeted by a mighty blue oak tree, or ‘chêne bleu’. The tree perished from drought in 2005 but has remained an integral part of La Verrière’s history.” The Rolets commissioned Provençal tree sculptor, Marc Nucera, to transform it into a stunning piece of natural art, painting the trunk and branches with blue green bouillie bordelaise, a protective solution used in organic vineyards. When the Rolets decided to name the wine Chêne Bleu, the blue oak became the symbol for their commitment to protecting and preserving the beauty and authenticity of the historic site. The blue oak is on every Chêne Bleu wine label.

Sheep provide grass and weed control throughout the vines

The names for Chêne Bleu’s flagship red wines are Abélard and Héloïse and are inspired by the famous medieval lovers often referred to as the “Romeo and Juliet of France”. “We fondly conjoin them into ‘Abelise’, as is customary these days for power couples” Nicole noted.

Abélard was a philosopher whose passionate romance with his brilliant student, Héloïse, condemned them both to forced separation and ultimate tragedy. However, their love endured decades of seclusion through the exchange of exquisitely written letters. Chêne Bleu’s Abélard and Héloïse cuvées are derived from mature Grenache and Syrah vines, blending the best of both worlds: the rich fruit of the South of France with the freshness and minerality of the Mont Ventoux altitude.

Abélard is Grenache-based with a touch of Syrah and its flavor is opulent and concentrated, muscular and brooding. Nicole described it as an unusual example of mountain Grenache, rich and dense but not heavy. She described Héloïse as an elegant and refined Syrah-based blend with one third Grenache and a touch of white Viognier or Roussanne depending upon the vintage - in the spirit of the cooler Northern Rhône, like a Côte Rôtie, but with her own identity.

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Chêne Bleu also produces a rich, oak-aged Roussanne blend with a touch of White Grenache and splash of Marsanne. It is named after Aliot de Montvin, the glassblower who purchased the property in 1427 and changed its name to La Verrière. The high altitude and protracted ripening season led the Rolets to consider planting whites, despite the southern latitude. Many people discouraged them because it was not customary, but fortunately they followed their own judgment, and their flagship white has won distinguished awards from its first vintage. “The rich fruit concentration and freshness take oak well so we decided to make a real vin-de-garde,” said Nicole.

Nicole encourages everyone to visit. La Verrière, the part of the property that encompasses the restored priory, has established a reputation as one of the leaders in the region for oenotourism, winning the prestigious Terre de Vins trophy for best wine tourism in France in 2020. Today it operates as a small eco-luxury retreat focusing on wine hospitality, using sustainable practices.

La Verrière welcomes guests who want to rent a single room or the whole property for family and friends in Provence.

“We offer a large list of activities for visitors including daily guided cellar tours, SustainaBEElity tours, wine tastings, cooking courses and much more,” she said. “Our on-site award-winning chef serves several lunch options daily under a vine-covered terrace using ingredients from our own organic and ethically grown vegetable garden, carefully paired with our wines.

Our unique biosphere - Xavier with bee hive

Last but certainly not least, Chêne Bleu also offers an intensive educational course entitled The Extreme Wine Experience, in partnership with the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET). This six day course, renowned as the best of its kind, combines wine theory and practice and is open to enthusiasts of all knowledge levels. Nicole said she likes to think of it as a “boot camp” for serious wine enthusiasts, as it includes intensive tastings of more than 100 benchmark wines from around the world, lectures and trips to noteworthy producers in the region, and hands-on opportunities in the vineyards and winery at La Verrière.

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Orange County

91st Annual Academy Awards

ORANGE COUNTY STYLE The 91st Academy Awards took place on February 8, 2020 at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, just before our lives came to a crashing halt thanks to Covid 19.

Again, the Orange County Chapter enjoyed this event in the beautiful home of Dianna and Knight Steve Bulkeley located in Coto De CAZA. The Bulkeley’s decorated their home in Academy Award splendor; having a red-carpet entrance for guests and a variety of movie posters. Adding to the movie experience, there was an assortment of handmade desserts and a variety of popcorn flavors to enjoy.

Steve and Dianna Bulkeley Academy Award Hosts

Winner of Academy Awards Susan Sommers

Members brought a dish and wines to share during the awards ceremony. All in attendance were given a ballot to vote for each of the categories. Things got very lively during the show as each winner was announced.

At the ends of the Academy Awards, ballots were picked up, and tallied. Susan Sommers was the winner and received a handmade chocolate statue of the Oscar.

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! g n Wro

Jim & Linda Loomis (seated). Hosts for our Free at Last gathering

Free at Last...

On June 27 we had an impromptu event celebrating (or so we thought) finally being freed from our quarantine nightmare. While many opted out and did not attend as they were still unsure, thirty brave souls did attend.

All guests had their temperatures checked upon entrance and a few brought masks, but never used them.

The gathering was held in the large backyard of Gentle Lady Linda Loomis and husband Jim’s home which is on Lake Mission Viejo. The area is large and accommodated our group with ease and comfort. The event was catered using disposable plates and utensils and members brought their own wines and wine glasses.

We had music playing and all had a wonderful, relaxing evening enjoying each other’s company. Everyone felt safe as the proper precautions were taken and it should be noted that no one attending experienced any medical issues for having been present. For that, we are all thankful and can’t wait to gather again.

Planning Party

Summer/Fall 2020

Thank you to Knight Jeff Grether and his lady Sue for hosting the Planning Party on January 18 in their beautifully remodeled home to make great plans for 2020. It was wonderful to have 42 members and guests all together and interested in looking ahead to so many exciting events. Brainstorming was led by Jon Greer and Dianne Artim to establish events for the year. The Mexican buffet was arranged by Kris and TomMcCrystal along with a delicious chocolate cake frosted with our Knights of the Vine motto: Per Vitem! Ad Vitam!

Through the vine, toward life! Sadly, as we all now know, due to Covid 19, most … but not all … of those plans were cancelled or postponed!

Karen Ferkich being Knnighted by Comm Jim Hamilton

New Members Shelly Scott, Pattiann Brundige and Karen Ferkich with the Cadre

Los Angeles

GRAND ASSEMBLAGE The Los Angeles chapter celebrated its 2020 Grand Assemblage on February 8, 2020 at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, California. About forty members gathered to watch our ceremony as we inducted three new members, all Gentle Ladies. Long-time member Gentle Lady Bobbie Brundige brought her daughter Pattiann to the chapter as a Gentle Lady in her own right. Karen Ferkich, retired Vice President of Glendale College, came to us through Janet Hamilton. Both are members of Soroptimist International in Glendale. New Gentle Lady Shelly Scott and her husband Mark have joined us on several KOV occasions. Commander Jim Hamilton even persuaded the Scotts to host a Bastille Day celebration at their home in Bel Air one summer.

Vive la France! We’re so happy to be welcoming these new, vibrant members to our chapter.

The third course was polenta and short rib timbale served with baby winter vegetables and a delicious medley of mushrooms. Accompanying it perfectly was a Cabernet Sauvignon, Jamieson Ranch, Double Lariat.

Our dessert was a breathtaking chocolate pyramid with mixes berries, white chocolate and a crème anglaise served with biscotti. A special dessert calls for a special wine, and the Borgo Scopeto, Vin Santo del Chianti Classico we enjoyed was the perfect choice.

After the Enthronement Ceremony, we chatted and sipped as hors d’oeuvres were passed. When we went into dinner, Oakmont’s Executive Chef Pierangelo Ramponi, shone, as he always does for us. Our first course was a colorful salad of red endive, Little Gem lettuce and burrata with fennel, citrus, and Marcona almonds in a sherry vinaigrette. Accompanying the salad perfectly was a Gold Rush Chardonnay.

The second course was Glacier Patagonian sea bass, risotto Vernaccia with caviar lingotto and asparagus pencils, paired with a Pinot Noir, François Villard, St. Joseph, 2015. An intermezzo followed: a refreshing lemon sorbetto which gave us a little time to chat with our new members and other guests.

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Randy Witt, Jim Hamilton and Janet Hamilton

BY CATHIE SANDSTROM SMITH

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Comm. Jim Hamilton Knights new Gentle Lady Shelly Scott

Two unrelated Scotts Beverley and Mark

Bo & Randy Witt with daughter Sandy and her husband Matt

In Memoriam Neill

Master Historian Cathie Smith

Michael Richmond, Master of Ceremonies

Master Scribe Susan Hunt

Foster

Neill Foster, one of the founding members and a Commander of the Los Angeles Chapter for 39 years, died the day after his birthday, Friday, July 17, 2020. He was honored with a full military funeral at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.

In addition to the military contingent, there were only ten attendees permitted to attend and included, among others, Mara Papatheodorou, Jim Berkeley, LA Chapter Commander Emeritus and the current Vice Commander of the chapter, Janet Hamilton as well as his niece, Kimberly Miller, who cared for him over the years and attended many of the Los Angeles Chapter’s events. She became a wonderful friend to us all. Kimberly’s husband and sons also attended. Neill served his country 30 year and one day in the Army and, in a strange coincidence for the same exact 30 years and one day with US Customs Department. Adding to the synchronicity, Neill was also retired the same 30 years and one day ending in his death. During retirement he did some work with his church, traveled the world and enjoyed good food and wine everywhere. Neill also served for many years on the KOV Grand Council and as our Grand Administrative Officer. We will miss him greatly. He was a force in the Los Angeles Chapter and a friend to all of KOV.

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Natural & Organic & Clean (Wine), Just like Dorothy and her cohorts in the Wizard of Oz, there is a lot of chatter about the virtues of these wine ‘styles.’ Are these just marketing terms to capture our discretionary wine dollars or is there real substance and value?

First, let us look at a bit of history. Once upon a time, vineyards were planted, fertilized, and protected by using manure and other animal by-products. After World War II, the focus was on growing food rather than on the production of munitions. It began the age of science in winemaking which served to give people the illusion that everything could be controlled, and perfect wines could be crafted. That is, until the realization that using a lot of chemicals for any type of food production was not a good thing, for the health of the people or for the environment.

While the ‘natural wine movement’ began in Beaujolais around the 1950s, it was in the 1970s that the Gang of Four (https://www.kermitlynch.com/our-wines/ marcel-lapierre/), took up the torch of the natural wine movement where old vines are prized, synthetic herbicides and pesticides are not used, harvest is late, grapes are sorted rigorously to remove all but the healthiest grapes, with minimal additions of sulfur dioxide (or none at all) and disdaining chaptalization. (While all this sounds fantastic, it was also when the marketing of Nouveau Beaujolais began in an attempt to invigorate wine sales.)

By 2005, consumers’ tastes were changing, and organic products entered the marketplace. People shopped at farmers’ markets, drank craft beer, ate heirloom tomatoes at farm-to-table restaurants and were concerned with the reports of lab created yeasts, grapes doused in weed killer and huge conglomerates being in charge of the products and produce they were eating. The

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Oh My!

by Claire L. Torbeck, Certified Sommelier

natural wine movement fit in with the urban appetite for movements that evoked a slower, more earthbound past. ‘Natural’ wine is, in fact, very trendy today.

So, what is natural wine? Natural wine has no ’legal’ definition and the use of the term is not managed by any regulatory body (while France has formally recognized natural wine, it is approved for a three-year trial period and the term ‘natural’ cannot be used). For natural winemaking, the grapes must be organically or biodynamically farmed which requires following a long list of rules and paying for costly certification. If lab created chemicals are not utilized, there is an expectation that this is natural, pure and the end-product superior. This vagueness is part of what has allowed natural wine to become a cultural phenomenon. However, the product can be cloudy, fizzy and have VA (volatile acidity) along with other off aromas due to using indigenous yeast for fermentation. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my...that seems to be part of the allure of natural wine!

Organic wine is a bit trickier. First, farming organically is regulated, there are annual fees to be organically certified, and various regulatory bodies exist around the world. You can farm organically and not be certified which many growers and wineries choose to do because of costs. I certainly respect those growers that are farming organically as doing so is being kind to our planet which is a noble cause.

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To be ‘organic’ is not just a result of vineyard practices.

Once the grapes arrive at the winery, there are a list of accepted practices that must be followed to be considered organic. These include: • fermentation with indigenous yeasts as natural yeasts are part of the terroir; • no water additions to dilute the sugars which result in high alcohol wines (Note: the practice is legal in California for commercial production); • no enzymes (commercial enzymes are commonly used to improve extraction and the aromatic profile of a wine while also accelerating the winemaking process); • no additives such as acid, tannin, coloring (Mega Purple), yeast nutrients; sulfur dioxide is not used or is used in moderation; • no filtration or fining; • malolactic fermentation happens naturally rather than the typical practice of added bacteria;

harmful chemicals in their production. So why don’t wineries list ingredients? Because winemaking is not an industrial process with a standard recipe that you can replicate every vintage. Winemaking decisions change each vintage and it would be costly to make changes to labels every year.

According to Jamie Goode PhD, wine writer and author of wine textbooks, ‘you can’t grow grapes from Vitis vinifera without spraying eight to 14 times a year.

The problem is mildew and then, at the end of the growing season, rot. One of wine’s paradoxes is that the most prized, expensive grapes come from regions prone to fungal diseases, which can only be treated with commercial pesticides or, for organic growers, applications of copper sulfate. It is all about the concentration,’ says Goode, adding: ‘there are strict regulations concerning their use and concerning residue levels that are permitted. Wine is one of the most regulated and safe products there is.’

‘Natural’ and ‘Organic’ and ‘Clean’ (wine), Oh My! I am off to see the Wizard to see if he can shed any light on this controversial subject!

to name just some of the practices. Whew! A lot to keep up with!

About the Author

So, to be clear, organic wine is made from grapes which are grown according to the principles of organic farming. Having ‘certified organic’ on a wine label only speaks to the farming. There is no organization that guarantees or oversees the actual winemaking function (and even the French ‘certification’ only speaks to the amount of Sulphur in the wine).

Claire is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and a student in the Diploma Program of the WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust). Claire is the Cellar Master for the International Wine & Food Society Lake Tahoe where she purchases and manages a cellar of 1,200 - 1,500 bottles ($75,000 - $100,000), similar to a small restaurant inventory. She is a Master Lady of the Knights of the Vine and a member of the Lake Tahoe Chapter delivering educational events for the membership. In addition, Claire develops and delivers educational seminars for winery staff, clubs and enthusiasts and judges at various wine competitions around California.

Finally, the marketing concept of ‘clean’ wine (vs. ‘unclean’ wine?) is the latest addition to this stable of special wine category styles. To name a few companies touting ‘clean’ wine: Good Clean Wine which ‘pairs with a healthy lifestyle’; the Wonderful Wine Company, which offers ‘wellness without deprivation’; and Scout and Cellar, a multi-level marketing company that boasts ‘clean-crafted wine’ with hopes to ‘disrupt the wine industry and do better for the planet.’ Wineries do not have to list ingredients on their labels. As a result, these opportunists are fearmongering, seeking to make a profit by claiming other wineries are using

Summer/Fall 2020

For more information and articles, visit Sudsy’s Cellar at www.sudsyscellar.com

DISPLAY YOUR KNIGHTHOOD WITH PRIDE! order form Name _________________________ Address _______________________ City ___________________________ State ______ Zip ________________ Telephone _____________________ ficb medallion (not actual size)

This handsome medallion is from our FICB headquarters in Paris, France. We have a limited supply available for those members who have attended an FICB Wine Congress.

Order #FICB

$75.00

shield with motto

maltese cross

(Shown 50% of actual size) This striking badge of honor should be worn at any Black Tie formal event. Finish is enameled gold, white, red and green. Gentlemen’s version includes ribbon.

Order #MCR (with ribbon) $37.00 Order #MC (w/o ribbon) $25.00

medallion with wreath This classic cloisonné medallion with wreath is gold, red and green. It is available for those members with a rank of “Master” Knight/Lady and above. Gentleman’s version includes ribbon.

Order #MWR (with ribbon) $47.00 Order #MW (w/o ribbon) $35.00

This cloisonné Shield with Motto is green and red with gold lettering and comes with a military clutch fastener.

Order #SM $10.00

KOV Chapter ___________________ KOV Rank ______________________ Please send me the following items: Qty.

Item #

Price

Sub Total

Priority Shipping $6.95

Total $

Amount

Visa or MasterCard # ___________________________________ Exp:____________ 3 Digit Code ________ ~OR~ lapel pin (Shown actual size) This cloisonné pin is a miniature of the Knights of the Vine emblem. It has a gold background with pale green and red. It comes with a military clutch fastener.

Order #LPP $7.00

Make check payable to:

blazer crest emblem

lapel rosette

(Shown actual size) This tiny, discrete symbol of your membership in the Brotherhood is made in France from our red and green ribbon. It is perfect for both men and women. People will ask you about it.

Order #LPR $12.00

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(Shown 50% of actual size) This handsome emblem is embroidered with threads of gold, green and red. It comes with your choice of either a “clutch back” with 3 pins & clips or a magnetic bar for quick and easy mounting and removal.

Order #BPEP (Clutch Back) $36.00 Order #BPEM (Magnetic Bar) $36.00

Knights of the Vine 3343 Industrial Drive, Suite 2 Santa Rosa, CA 95403-2060 Tel: (707) 579-3781 per vitem!

ad vitam!

You may order these items on the KOV website store

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Active Chapters ARIZONA Arizona Chapter Commander Darren Jones 5425 E Broadway Blvd #261 Tucson, AZ 85711 Phone: 520-730-5203 darrenj506@gmail.com

Orange County Chapter Commander Thomas E. McCrystal 24001 Muirlands # 76 Lake Forest, CA 92630 Phone: 949-582-9253 Fax: 949-582-9036 cpg@cox.net

CALIFORNIA Chancellery Chapter Com. Charles “Chik” Brenneman 820 Fremont Way Sacramento, CA 95818 Phone: 916-441-3466 charlesbrenneman@gmail.com

San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Commander Pat R. Pingitore 1340 Crestmont Drive Angwin, CA 94508 Phone: 707-965-2868 prpingitore@gmail.com

Lake Tahoe Region Chapter Commander Ernest D. Grossman P.O. Box 3817 Truckee, CA 96160 Phone: 530-550-0570 Fax: 530-550-0575 ernestgrossman@sbcglobal.net Lodi Chapter Commander Kenneth Levy P.O. Box 506 Lodi, CA 95241-0506 Phone: 209-663-8834 levykenneth@gmail.com Los Angeles Chapter Commander James Hamilton 755 Lakefield Road, Suite A Westlake Village, CA 91361 Phone: 805-496-1304 (day) Fax: 805-494-3976 jbhamilton@sbcglobal.net Monterey Peninsula Chapter Commander Richard Kehoe P. O. Box 221664 Carmel, CA 93922 Phone: 831-277-9868 831-625-3338 kehoedc@sbcglobal.net

MISSISSIPPI Gulf Coast Chapter Commander John Boothby P.O. Box 7617 Gulfport, MS 39506 Phone 228-897-1995 228-897-1993 kovgulfcoast@gmail.com Jackson Chapter Contact National Office 3343 Industrial Drive, Ste. 2 Santa Rosa, CA 95403 707-579-3781

NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina Chapter Commander Jeff Price 9404 North Manor Dr Zebulon, NC 27597 Phone: 919-814-2453

919-696-6679 JeffreyHPrice0602@gmail.com

TENNESSEE Tennessee Chapter Commander Bob Bennett 4562 Whisperwoods Drive Collierville, TN 38017 Phone: 901-861-4739 Cell: 954-557-7775 bobbennett@gmail.com TEXAS Austin Chapter Commander Jerry Gatlin 901 West 9th Street, Apt. 601 Austin, TX 78703 Phone: 512-797-3898 jerrygatlin@gmail.com Houston Chapter Commander Buddy Hagner 4448 W. 12th Street Houston, TX 77055 Phone: 713-819-9463 Fax: 713-432-9464 buddy@rchagner.com WASHINGTON, D.C. Nation’s Capital Chapter Commander Kenneth A. Haapala 9634 Boyett Court Fairfax, VA 22032 Phone: 703-978-6025 (day)

703-978-6230 (evening) Fax: 703-978-2258 ken@haapala.com WASHINGTON STATE Washington State Chapter Contact National Office 3343 Industrial Drive, Ste. 2 Santa Rosa, CA 95403 707-579-3781

visit us online at

www.kov.org Join KOV on Facebook! or online @ www.kov.org The national Facebook page is a closed group and we invite you to join in at Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine.You’ll find similar names with many chapters having their own page as well.

Summer/Fall 2020

Supreme Knights Bradley Alderson David G. Armanasco Ed Auler Ted Balestreri Warren W. Bogle, Jr Paul V. Bonarrigo James “Bo” Barrett David Berkley Jean-Charles Boisset George H. Carter Mark Chandler James E. Coleman Richard A. Cuneo Frederick Dame Dennis Devine Lucian W. Dressel Gordon R. Dutt, Ph.D. Gary Eberle Dick Erath Lester A. Fleming Joseph S. Franzia Jeryl R. Fry, Jr. Jack Galante Miljenko M. Grgich Robert P. Hartzell Gary B. Heck Timo Jokinen John H. Kautz Aram Kinosian John K. Ledbetter Lloyd G. Magee Orville T. Magoon George R. McEachern, Ph.D. John P. McClelland J. Douglas Meador R. Michael Mondavi Timothy J. Mondavi Justin Morris, Ph.D. Charles W. Nagel, Ph.D. John A. Parducci Robert Pellegrini Richard Peterson, Ph.D. Vincent E. Petrucci Jefferson Peyser Mathew J. Post G.M. “Pooch” Pucilowski George Radanovich Alfred G. Scheid Scott Scheid Thomas B. Selfridge Allen Shoup Peter F. Sichel Raymond Skinner, Jr. Christopher D. Smith Howard E. Somers Richard H. Sommer Mike Thompson Alex Trebek Peter H. Ventura Richard P. Vine, Ph.D. Fay Wheeler Al Wiederkehr Warren P. Winiarski John H. Wright

Supreme Ladies Susan Auler Heidi Peterson Barrett Merrill Bonarrigo Gina Gallo Gail Kautz Zelma R. Long Michaela K. Rodeno Jean R. Wente

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the brotherhood of the knights of the vine

National Headquarters 3343 Industrial Drive, Suite 2 Santa Rosa, CA 95403-2060 Tel: (707) 579-3781

Water separates the people of the world; wine unites them.

per vitem! ad vitam!

Through the vine, toward life!