ARBOR Winter Spring 2017

IN THIS ISSUE: A NEW KNIGHT DESSERT WINES ALLEN SHOUP: WASHINGTON WINE REGION FOUNDING FATHER THE MAGIC OF WASHINGTON STATE WINERIES PROPER WINE STORAGE

Winter/Spring 2017

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Table of Contents Chapters Finland .................................................4 Gulf Coast ............................................6 Los Angeles ..........................................10 Orange County.....................................14 Austin...................................................16 Monterey .............................................19 San Francisco .......................................22 Tennessee..............................................24 Mississippi ............................................32 Arizona .................................................33 Chancellery...........................................34 Lodi......................................................42 Lake Tahoe ...........................................44 Houston ...............................................47

Feature Articles A New Knight......................................13

by Sue Marucci

Dessert Wines......................................20

by G.M.”Pooch” Pucilowski

Allen Shoup: Washington Wine Region Founding Father .....................26

by Nan McCreary

The Magic of Washington State Wineries...............................................38

By Ken Hick

Proper Wine Storage............................50

by Nan McCreary

FICB International Congress Report.....53 from Paris France

Dedication

In Memoriam: Mike Doukas...............37

by Carol Bade

In Every Issue Members In the News...........................8 Application ..........................................52 Accessories ............................................54 Directory ..............................................55

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, Jack Galante, Kenneth A. Haapala, Norman Harris, Ken Levy, Terrance K. McCleerey, 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 Norman Harris, Master Commander Emeritus, Jackson Chapter Pasquale “Pat” Pingitore, International Emissary Terrance K. McCleerey, Grand Commander Emeritus

~

Carol L. Bade, Executive Director

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 COVER IMAGE © Duval Images/WWVWA Yellowbird Vineyard in

Washington State, Walla Walla Valley AVA,

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 ©2017 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, The Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine, Inc.

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From the

Commander’s Desk In the second half of 2016, we were still reflecting on our great success as FICB hosts in Napa and Sonoma and thanking our sponsors and volunteers while still planning new events at our chapters across the country and Finland. One event, in particular, was the elevation of Ken Levy as the new commander of the Lodi Chapter.

Several national officers were there with me where we also had the great honor to thank John Tudor, with Sandy right by his side, for the years of dedication to that chapter. Job well done!

News is breaking about the 2018 FICB so be sure to check that out and make your plans to join us in Macedonia. Gentle Lady Maureen Higdon represented us in Paris for the FICB meeting and reports that the presentation was fabulous. We’ll be sharing more about that as details become available and registration opens.

Those announcements will be posted on our website and emails will be sent to members who have current information on file with the national office.

As I always do, I like to highlight and encourage you to get to know one another. Tennessee Commander Tom and Gentle Lady Beth Webb, along with Knight and Gentle Lady Bob and Gayle Bennett, were traveling west and included stops in Truckee to visit the Lake Tahoe Region Chapter friends and then on to Sacramento for the Chancellery Chapter Assemblage. Great planning! And when Gulf Coast Chapter Commander John and Gentle Lady Adrienne Boothby had business in Houston, they made it a point to reach out and it didn’t take long to make plans with KOV friends there! Take advantage of your membership and all those connections you have made here. Master Lady Trish and I will be traveling to Finland in July for events there. We’d love for you to join us! Contact me if you want more details.

In this issue of The Arbor, you will enjoy all the news from around the country as well as interesting articles about Supreme Knight Allen Shoup and news of the new chapter opening in Washington State. Also, learn about dessert wines and wine storage, plus more in Members in the News.

Sadly, I have to report that our Grand Commander Emeritus Mike Doukas quietly passed away. Please take a moment to read the tribute to him as we thank him still for his years of service and dedication to our dear Brotherhood.

per vitem! ad vitam!

Robert C. “Buddy” Hagner, Jr., Grand Commander

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Finland Chapter Celebrates

17 Anniversary th

The Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine Finland Chapter celebrated its 17th Anniversary dinner on September 10, 2016.

Our venue was the exclusive Pikkupalatsi (www.pikkupalatsi.fi), built in the late 1890’s as a private residence.

Recently renovated, it’s now open for private functions.

At the ceremony’s opening two knights were called to join the Board of the Chapter. Pirkka Peltoniemi was elevated to Master of Feast and Heikki Koski was elevated to Master of Castle.

With fifty people attending, this was the Finland Chapter’s biggest event to date. During the grand ceremonies twelve candidates, two Gentle Ladies and ten Knights were received into our chapter.

After the enthronement ceremonies, we toasted our new members with Champagne Brut Origine from Tribaut-Schloesser. When we were all seated for dinner, a California Wente 2013 Riva Ranch Chardonnay was served.

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The two most famous Chefs in Tampere, Mika Roito and Pekka Salmela, created a fantastic menu for us. Our celebration dinner opened with Rainbow Trout with Dill Mayo and Cucumber, Rye, Chanterelle and Cranberry. The menu continued with Braised Sweetbreads with Apple and Cabbage Broth, then Grilled Beef Cheek with a Celery Salt Crust and Ceps. We finished with a delicious Toasted Oat, Apple and Juniper Butterscotch.

Pairing wines with such an eclectic menu was not the easiest thing to do. Other wines during the dinner were Marchesi Incisa della Rocchetta Leopoldo Pinot Nero 2013, Frank John Das Hirschhorner Weinkontor Pinot Noir 2013 and finally Azienda Agricola Pietro Zanoni Amarone della Valpolicella DOC Zovo Magnum 2010.

by Olli Heikkilä

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Dessert included two different sweet wines – blind, of course. And none of the tables had the same offerings.

After a while, Commander Emeritus Timo asked each table to describe the wines they tasted. He then announced the origin of each wine.

All this was enjoyed with lovely chamber music by Miikka Vilermo and the group.

Following dinner, we all moved to Tampere Gourmet Club (www.gourmetclub.fi), where more beverages and cigars were served to those who would appreciate and enjoy them.

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U Gulf Coast

nder the direction of Master Commander John Boothby, the Gulf Coast Chapter had some outstanding events in 2016. True to the Commander’s word that fun will reign, creativity and planning also reigned to make these events successful — a Drink Pink wine tasting, a Box Wine and Bonfire event on the beach and a Christmas party that broke attendance records.

Master Commander John Boothby gets in the mood with a pink shirt for the Gulf Coast chapter’s Drink Pink wine tasting

Noting the rising popularity of Rosé across the U.S. and France, the chapter held its first DRINK PINK tasting on September 17 at Sea Grapes Wine Cafe in historic downtown Gulfport with members and guests attending. “We are a lively bunch who’re keeping the spirit of Bacchus alive,” Commander Boothby said, “and rolling with the latest trends at the same time. We had a selection of tastes from France, Italy, California and Oregon.”

Wines served included Zoning Sparkling Rosé, Elk Cove Rosé, Bell Gloss Rosé, Notorious Pink Rosé, Impatience Rosé and Zonin, the only sparkling rosé that was served. The wines were enjoyed with fresh fruit and cheese, veggie and margarita pizza squares and cucumber and salmon bites.

On November 12, it was time for a BONFIRE ON THE BEACH, with a gorgeous full moon overhead, the water of the Mississippi Sound lapping nearby and the Biloxi beach sand beneath our feet, chapter members and guests sipped wine from acrylic wine glasses around a roaring bonfire.

Mike Smith, Kristi Smith, Frank Genzer

Selections from four box wines were served, including a Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and a red blend. “It was a perfect evening with pleasant fall temperatures, a crackling fire and a full moon as orange as cheddar cheese,” Vice Grand Commander Rich Moss said.

“Ever y chapter doesn’t have a beach, but we do and wanted to indulge our toes in the sand while sipping some wine around a blazing bonfire,” Boothby noted.

“Since we’re not snobs, we wanted to give the up-and-coming box wine market a tasting.”

Susan Cain and Adrienne Boothby

by Lynn Lofton

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ers brought by members.

We ended the year on a jolly and festive note with a CHRISTMAS PARTY held on December 21 at Destiny Plantation Clubhouse in Biloxi. We enjoyed an array of red and white wines, along with an assortment of appetiz-

Jim Hardaman, Brooke Schultz, Mike McKay

Commander Boothby said, “We had 56 percent of our members join us; 36 bottles of red and 6 bottles of white were polished off (thanks for the help in making room in my wine cellar); and some 70 dirty wines glasses...all signs of a good time!”

In fact, attendance was so good, the Commander, with his customary wit, has suggested that the Superdome in nearby New Orleans may need to be used for the 2017 soiree. “Next year we can rent the Superdome and party midfield!”

Janet & Rocky Rhodes with Diane Burton

Rich & Suzy Moss

The year ended with the wishing of a Happy New Year to members and their families, and that it be blessed with prosperity and smooshed grapes. It was also announced that the chapter will be researching the top charities voted on by members to support in 2017 and is looking for suggestions for the calendar of events.

Bonfire on Biloxi Beach

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MEMBERS IN TH 70th birthday bash 2017

First Pre

ss

40 YEARS IS JUST THE BEGINNING! Supreme Knight and Supreme Lady Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo have a long history with the Knights of the Vine (he in 1987 and she in 1989) …. and an even longer history as industry pioneers in the production of Texas wines as they plan many events this year to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Messina Hof Winery.

The 100-acre estate winery in Bryan now includes a tasting room, restaurant, gift shop and bed-and-breakfast and they have expanded to locations in Fredericksburg and Grapevine as well.

1987 Enthronement

“Merrill and I have enjoyed our 40year journey with our customers, employees and family. We are very blessed” said Messina Hof founder Paul Vincent Bonarrigo. He and Merrill have now handed over operations to the next generation, their son Paul Mitchell and his wife, Karen.

Messina Hof produced 144,000 gallons of wine in 2016, making it the state’s 4th largest winery. They regularly earn awards‑ for their wines, including three 2017 double golds in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s International Wine Competition.

MEMB 8

KOV wants to offer our congratulations and wishes for continued success!

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HE NEWS GINA GALLO & JEAN-CHARLES BOISSET HONORED WITH THE ROBERT MONDAVI WINE & FOOD AWARD Supreme Lady Gina Gallo, Senior Director of Winemaking of the Ernest and Julio Gallo Winery, and her husband Supreme Knight Jean-Charles Boisset, Proprietor of the Boisset Collection, were awarded the Robert Mondavi Wine & Food award by The Collins College of Hospitality Management for their contributions to the wine world and hospitality industry. The couple was honored at Hospitality Uncorked on Saturday, March 4th at the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles. The gala event broke from tradition by honoring not one, but two individuals who together are making an indelible mark on the hospitality industry and the wine world.

The award, now in its 18th year, is given with great appreciation to individuals whose vision and leadership have advanced the wine and food industry.

1987 Enthronement

FICB ANNUAL MEETING IN PARIS Gentle Lady Maureen Higdon represented our Brotherhood at the annual meeting of the FICB in January. She presented each of the national officers there with one of the beautiful photo books documenting our 2016 Congress in Napa and Sonoma along with the last Arbor that covered the events so well. Maureen said they were surprised and very pleased to receive such a wonderful gift. Maureen reports, “The 2018 FICB Congress will be in Macedonia and their delegation gave a wonderful presentation. Excitement is already building.” She continued with more news that the Italians have rejoined the FICB and are talking about hosting the 2020 Congress in Piedmont! While in Paris, Maureen enjoyed great food and camaraderie and her visit to the Musee du Vin .. the official home of the FICB. It is just across from the Eifel Tower in one of the great cities of the world …

She encourages everyone to make plans to visit!

BERS IN

Los Angeles

Sunset Cruise in September The inspiration for this delightful event rose from a conversation at our October luncheon at the Ojai Valley Inn last year. We were brainstorming about the coming year and Gentle Lady Michelle Corey mentioned the Yacht Club at Westlake as a possible venue.

She and Vice Commander Janet Hamilton worked to put the complicated logistics in place for this event. In addition to wine and food, there were boats to commandeer. And rumor was that there was a pirate ship on the lake. This turned out to be true.

On September 25, 2016, we gathered in the openbeamed Westlake Yacht Club, late afternoon sunlight streaming through tall windows that looked out onto the lake. Boats, each accommodating 8 passengers, were waiting dockside to take us in groups on a 30-minute cruise around the lake. Onboard we sipped Codorniu Napa Grand Reserve Brut sparkling wine and snacked on

Sesame Snap Peas and Salted Nuts as we sailed the lake, admiring the many beautiful homes on the shore. One of our skippers, Phil Landry, has a home on the lake.

Phil is a retired airline pilot who had built a replica of a pirate ship. The Pelican is not full-sized, but she’s perfect in every detail as she lies moored against his dock. A pirate ship comes with its own maintenance routine. It was fun to hear him tell about it.

Back at the Yacht Club, our guests of honor were two local Malibu vineyards, Dolin and Colcanyon. Dolin brought their Dolin Rosé 2014 and a Chardonnay, Dolin Malibu Newton Canyon 2013. Colcanyon brought two fine red wines, Colcanyon Wine Estates Merlot 2013 and a Cabernet Sauvignon 2010. Dolin’s 2014 Rosé accompanied three beautiful and delicious appetizers: endive stuffed with shrimp, strawberries and coconut; mini baked brie; and ahi tuna spoons.

As the sunset painted the sky and the water, we took our places for dinner.

Colcanyon Estate wines were served with dinner. Our first course was a chilled avocado cucumber soup with prosciutto. The main course was a delectable veal chop with mustard sauce served with Himmel and Erde (mashed apples and potatoes), oven roasted zucchini, yellow squash, red onions, and asparagus. Dessert was a mixed berry cobbler and ice cream.

It was quite a tasting experience. Each vintner talked about the wines as they were poured. Knights had the great opportunity to purchase wines for their own cellars.

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Oley Young, Denise, Michelle Bobbie Brundige, Rosie Wageschiet and Beverley Scott

Neill Foster and his niece, Kimberley.

Trevor & Claudia Witt, with Knight Randy Witt

John Hamilton & Colcanyon winemaker Norm Stafford

LEFT Tony Shipp and Jane Windsor ABOVE Beverley Scott and Vice Commander Janet Hamilton RIGHT Jim Hamilton and Oley Young continued >>>

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LOS ANGELES CHAPTER CONT’D FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

In December we

Decked the Halls

in Beverly Hills

Who needs a white Christmas when you can be in the city that gave us “White Christmas?” We opened the holiday season on December 3, 2016, at one of our favorite venues, The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Chef David Codney always presents a fabulous menu, beautifully presented. Banquet Manager Toby Lent and Vice Commander Janet Hamilton collaborated on the wine pairings.

Vice Commander Janet Hamilton with Peninsula Chef Hong Kim

Bo & Randy Witt

As we gathered, guests sipped Veuve Clicquot champagne and enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres. The dining room held two surprises for us—a beautiful carved concert harp played by Ted Nicholsen who entertained us with seasonal music throughout the evening. And Santa had stopped by earlier with canvas wine totes that had the Knights of the Vine logo on them, each filled with a bottle of wine.

Our Holiday Dinner began with roasted tomato basil soup accompanied by an Artesa Estate Reserve Napa Valley Chardonnay 2012. This was followed by an appetizer of seared crab cakes with crispy sweet potatoes and coconut lime aioli. The beautifully presented entrée was grilled salmon, Provençal vegetable confit, and wild mushroom risotto served with a Dolin 2012 Pinot Noir from Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley. Dessert was banana bread pudding with bourbon caramel and fresh Chantilly cream accompanied by a Moscato—Michele Chiarlo, Nivole Moscato D’asti, Italy 2013.

Mary Robbins,Vice Commander Janet Hamilton, Michelle Corey and Mary Lotz

Bobbie Brundige and Knight Oley Young

Master Commander John Hamilton and Lucy Zheng

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A NEW KNIGHT

average person has 10,000 taste buds and some lucky souls have 20,000!) I have approximately 3. I was, however, able to make a wine selection to suit my culinary-impaired palate: RED.

That evening my fellow backpackers gathered to toast our adventures amid the clicking of glasses with happy anticipation ... and then that fateful sip. Suddenly the joyful smiles quickly contorted into “weasel faces’’ as our olfactory receptors exploded.Spitting and cursing quickly followed. That beautiful bottle was wine vinegar for cooking.

I did have two things to offer my new friends as it related to wine. The history of the toast: This is an ancient tradition. The Greeks were concerned about being poisoned by their enemies, so when drinking in groups everyone put their wine glasses together and poured some wine into each other’s glass to ensure there was no poison.

Decades later I have decided to try to redeem my reputation as it relates to wine selection. I needed to become more educated on this subject, and I began with a boxed wine (or as I call it, the adult juice box … and wondered why it wasn’t conveniently packaged with a straw).

Needless to say, I wasn’t making progress in this learning process. I decided to join a wine group, The Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine. I found the people to be very friendly and eager to share their knowledge of wine with me. Though strangers, it was easy to address them by name, as each guest had a name tag on the stem of their glass! Well, I thought it was a name tag. The actual use was so that one could locate his or her wine glass if it were to be unattended. This was much more efficient than my old way—simply look on the rim of the glass for the lipstick that matched mine.

I quickly learned the terminology as it related to wine tasting. For example: “richness” was in no way related to the price, and “texture” was not relevant to those pesky cork fragments floating in the glass. (I have since learned that this “roughage” is not supposed to be one of the many known health benefits of wine.)

During the wine tasting some people could get oak, clover, vanilla, musk, floral, etc., etc. I, however, couldn’t even get … GRAPE!! And guess what—there are 600800 grapes in ONE bottle! (I have since learned that the

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OF THE VINE

Long ago I offered to purchase the wine for a special event. Having been a Tang and vodka connoisseur during those backpacking days, I knew little about wine.

I rushed to the nearest market and picked up a very elegant-looking bottle. It was highly decorated with a straw base and beautiful red and gold letters in a foreign language. I figured such a magnificent bottle surely must contain an exquisite wine!

The second is a practical tip (and my personal favorite).

When opening a bottle of wine, use a potato peeler to remove the foil. Just start below the foil, and with one swipe towards the cork, that barrier is history. You can’t appreciate this until you have tried it!

After several meetings I have improved remarkably.

I can now pair the correct wine with most foods. I hold my wine glass with my thumb and forefinger. I no longer serve wine in those big red plastic Solo cups (which one holds like a baseball instead). I have enjoyed these gatherings, and even though I may never be a connoisseur of fine wine, I am a connoisseur of fine people. I have found this experience to be enriching, educational, and elegant. Except for that spittoon thing.

That’s going to take some getting used to.

Sincerely your new member,

Sue Marucci

Gentle Lady, Orange County Chapter

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Orange County

A Gathering in the Desert In November the Orange County Chapter traveled to La Quinta, California for a 3-day adventure in the beautiful Palm Desert area.The agenda included golf, shopping, wine and food, and culminated in a casual Assemblage.

Larry and Nikki Spires hosted Friday evening at their beautiful home in the Tradition Golf Community.

Members and guests gathered just before sunset to enjoy a glass of wine and appetizers, prior to enjoying a delicious catered Chinese dinner. An enjoyable surprise was the Spires’ neighbors, John and Sally Danforth, joined in the fun. (Little did we know John was a former U.S. senator as well as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.)

Saturday evening, members and guests gathered at the estate of Knight Jeff and his Lady, Sue Grether for an early Enthronement Ceremony and wine tasting.

The enthronement ceremony commenced at approximately 3 PM with knighting of four distinguished individuals: Mr. James Schmidt, Ms. Lori Saalberg, Ms. Linda Loomis, and Ms. Debbie Tokarski.

All were subjected to the ritualistic proofs of our Brotherhood and all passed easily. A brief reception followed. Macchia wines were presented

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By Tom McCrystal

for all to enjoy. Macchia’s own Tanya McMahon poured, assisted by Andrew Grimm. A total of eight wines were presented along with a dessert Port. All accompanied by a wonderful dinner prepared by Jackalope restaurant.

ANNUAL RATE THE REDS

By Tom McCrystal

The Orange County Chapter members are no dilettantes when it comes to evaluating red wines. This year our Master of the Cellar, Bill Losee, decided to challenge us with a blind tasting of California Zinfandels with a couple of ringers The wines chosen to test our palates were as follows: 2014 Seghesio Zinfandel • Sonoma County •

2013 Oak Ridge Reserve Zinfandel, Lodi • 2014 Truitt Hearst Zinfandel, Three Vineyards, Dry Creek • 2014 Opolo Zinfandel, Summit Mountain • 2012 Stag’s Leap Petite Syrah • 2014 Tanya & Andrew of Macchia Petite Syrah, Amador County Macchia Wines

Each offering poured—label carefully concealed—is scrutinized for clarity, color, nose, and, of course, taste, by all in attendance. Some of us embrace this manner of wine education and grow in wisdom and discernment, while others have made no progress and, yet, arrive at this annual event with glass in hand and enthusiastically sample each pour of the grape barely able to distinguish a

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New Knight Jim Schmidt sitting on Santa’s lap

John & Cheryl enjoying some holiday cheer

Our Christmas Party Hosts John & Dian Artim

zinfandel from a pinot. It would truly shock our European counterparts who pride themselves on wine sophistication. No matter. Our little band of wine lovers grows each year as word leaks out about all the fun shared by this merry group.

After much tasting the overall landslide winner was Macchia Petite Syrah.

Held in the lovely home of Knight Jeff and his Lady Sue Grether, our wines were accompanied by a wide variety of assorted foods prepared by Master of the Cellar Bill Losee and his lady, Barbara. Additionally, Vice Commander Jonathan Greer and his lady, Mary, also prepared three beautiful tri-tips foods for this event. A big thank you to them for all their efforts.

Christmas Gathering

by Ron Latin

Our annual Christmas party is often held in weather that calls to mind the balmy breeze of Hawaii rather than the frigid chill of winter’s season. However, this year’s event was conducted in the evening chill that required us to don sweaters and coats. But don’t weep for us. We had a marvelous selection of fine wines and gastronomical delights to please the most discriminating palette. Apparently the word of this not-to-be-missed party reached even Santa himself and he made a dramatic appearance during the evening. As each of our Gentle Ladies sat on his lap and confided what would be the most cherished of surprises under her tree on Christmas morning, Santa calculated the cost and remarked that it just might exceed the national debt.

We then began our traditional yuletide gift exchange whereby each of the members selects a gift-wrapped bottle of wine and proceeds to eagerly tear off the wrapper.

There are shouts of delight as a highly acclaimed varietal

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emerges. But it is usually short-lived as a knowledgeable knight or gentle lady will unceremoniously pilfer the bottle and slyly camouflage it so it will remain in his or her possession. Not to be denied, yet another knight or lady will claim the coveted wine and then, by rules of the Master Commander, it nestles in the arms of its joyful owner to be savored on a future special occasion.

Sparkling Wine & Champagne Tasting

by Ron Latin

Our Chapter gathered at the home of Knight Ron and his Lady, Cindy Latin to learn about the health-enhancing benefits of sparkling wines. To educate us about the subtleties of these varietals, we engaged the services of local vintner, Bob Fisher of Salt Creek Wine Company.

He undertook the rather delightful task of advancing our knowledge of these white wines by serving samples from the time-honored regions in France, Spain, Italy, and California. It was an entertaining as well as educational experience and, as a brilliant sunset fell upon our backyard venue and serenaded by the sounds of Sinatra, we resolved to continue our graduate level instruction in Oenology in the very near future.

The KOV Brings People Together Congratulations, Stan and Beverlee and many happy years together! Approximately 2 years ago, Knight Stan Kirst came to Commander Thomas McCrystal’s home to share a ride to one of the summer concerts. Unknowingly, Kris McCrystal had invited a dear friend, Beverlee, to attend the same concert and share a ride. Little did we know that ride-sharing meeting would end two years later in marriage!

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POST-HOLIDAY PARTY

Story & photos by Forrest Preece, Master Scribe

at

FALL CREEK VINEYARDS

Austin

Once again, the Austin Chapter of the Knights of the Vine showed that it knows how to party, no matter what season of the year. On Sunday, January 15, the weather outside was wintery; but inside the sumptuous confines of the Fall Creek Vineyards Tasting Hall in Driftwood, just south of Austin, the atmosphere was warm and happy. In honor of the post-holiday timing, Knights and Gentle Ladies were invited to bring surprise bottles from their own cellars for mutual tasting. The result was spectacular. No grocery store bargain-bin bottles here. The Parker 90+ labels were much in evidence and everything from citrusy Sauvignon Blancs to gamey Pinots to hefty Cabernets were poured.

Of course, Fall Creek owners Supreme Lady & Supreme Knight Susan and Ed Auler were pulling some fine bottles to treat the crowd. Included in their pourings were Fall Creek Vineyards Chardonnay, Terroir Reflection, Certenburg Vineyard, 2014 - Gold Medal & Best White Wine of Houston International Wine Competition, Gold Medal San Francisco International Wine Competition; and their Fall Creek Grenache/Syrah/ Mourvedre Terroir Reflection, Salt Lick Vineyard, 2014 - Double Gold Medal San Francisco International Wine Competition, Gold Medal Houston International Wine Competition.

Both were eagerly sampled by the partygoers, who were exclaiming delight about them. Other wines from the chapter’s cellar included DuMol Chardonnay, Cune Rioja Gran Reserva, Bollinger Champagne and Veuve Clicquot.

As always, Master Commander Jerry Gatlin his wife, Gentle Lady Susan, were conversing with everyone, spreading good cheer and hospitality. One special treat, at least until the last few seconds, was the Dallas Cowboys/Green Bay NFL game on the large-screen television in the grand living room. Spirits soared in the final minutes when Dallas inched ahead, but after the final Green Bay field goal (kicked by a man raised a few miles north of Austin) to put the Packers over the top, all the previously unopened bottles were quickly consumed.

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Deborah Peel and Eva Womack

Forrest Preece, Linda Ball, Chris & Abby Hendel

Susan and Ed Auler, proprietors of Fall Creek Vineyards and hosts for the party

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Seated: Rose Betty Williams, Mike Gambrell, Allan Williams, Dave Proctor.

Standing: Cassie Gambrell and Judi Proctor

Hugh Coates, Jan Burrow, and Larry Peel Gerald Stone and Sean Curry

Jerry & Susan Gatlin

Fall Party: Austin Woman’s Club Chateau Bellevue

Amy Atsumi, Kelley Lightfoot and Cindy Stone

Lilliana Garcia, Harvey Kronberg, and Joe Garcia

Rose Betty Williams, Bill Krumpack, Amelia Bullock

By Forrest Preece, Master Scribe. Photos by Charles Quinn

On Thursday, November 3, 2016, the Austin Chapter of the Knights of the Vine held its final party of the year in the Austin Woman’s Club Chateau Bellevue, a historic multi-story home in the center city. The unseasonably warm weather outside was in keeping with the high-energy and festive atmosphere in the ballroom. The palatial surroundings of the Chateau provided the perfect ambience as Knights and Gentle Ladies savored the fine wine being offered. Master des Partis Rose Betty Williams designed a delicious array of culinary treats and Master Commander Emeritus Larry Peel donated a stellar 6L bottle of 2004 Pride Mountain Cabernet Franc, which was eagerly sampled by the guests. Of course, liberal offerings of wine from the chapter’s cellar were also opened and enjoyed. As the crowd flowed into the dining room, the song stylings of chanteuse Liz Morphis and her Violet Crown Revue trio provided a welcoming background.

Her selections from the Great American Songbook

Susan & Jerry Gatlin, Marcy Melanson

continued >>>

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AUSTIN CHAPTER CONT’D FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

such as “Blue Skies,” “Skylark,” and “Scotch and Soda” produced many smiles and humming of lyrics.

It didn’t take long for the crowd to start mixing and mingling. Master Commander Jerry Gatlin and his wife, Gentle Lady Susan, moved among the conversational groups and the cadre of officers was highly visible, setting proper standards for imbibing and leadership in consumption of the food when the buffet was opened.

Before the attendees moved to the multi-course buffet, Master Commander Gatlin called for order, welcomed everyone, and outlined the party plans for 2017, including the possibility of an early-year event. Many prospective Knights and Gentle Ladies were also in the group and they were welcomed by current members of the chapter.

As the wine flowed, partygoers began exchanging tales about their summer trips and plans for the holidays.

Given that Election Day was less than a week away, many pointed opinions were expressed about candidates and issues, such as Austin’s upcoming vote on sweeping transportation solutions and the Debra Dresser county commission races. Your and Amy Atsumi humble scribe noted that as the evening progressed, the opinions became increasingly erudite and well-parsed—another argument for the judicious consumption of wine. All the members and guests were thrilled to be part of such a delightful gathering of good friends. In fact, as the group scattered into the night, leaving for their homes, a cry of “Per Vitem!

Ad Vitam” was heard.

Andrew & Mary Ann Heller

Susan Auler and Megan Cannon

John Wood, Cindy and Gerald Stone

Travis and Kelley Lightfoot with Susan and Ed Auler

Robyn Pesce, Buckner Hightower

Forrest Preece, Linda Ball, Charles Heimsath, Larry Peel (seated)

Tom & AnneMarie Olivola

KOV judges extraordinaire Chef Wendy, Chef Didier, Sommelier Colleen and Ron

Vice-Commander Rich Kehoe

FORAGER FESTIVAL

and Scott Scheid.

Event Chair, Robert Alvarado

winner in the red category was Chesebros’ La Montagna Sauvage Rhone Blend.

Cadre member and Chef Wendy Brodie chaired the judging of the chef ’s competition for the best foraged dish. The winners were Chef Todd Fisher of Tarpy’s Roadhouse who took “Best of Show” for his Mushroom Upside Down Steak, and Chef Paul Corsentino with Pastry Chef Saul Tejeda of Ventana Inn who took the prize in the dessert category for their Candy Cap Chocolate Mousse Cake. A check for $3,250 from KOV was presented to the Big Sur Health Center in support of primary healthcare services in Big Sur. Looking ahead, among our many plans being finalized for the upcoming months, is a food, wine and art event to be held April 2, at Chef Wendy Brodie’s Zenwood home. Chef Wendy will provide cooking demonstrations and samplings. Artist Tehila Eisentat will conduct painting classes, allowing each participant to create their own work of art.

Pier Party

Fun on the Pier with Greg Cailliet, Di Cailliet and Former Grand Commander Terry McCleerey

Winter/Spring 2017

The Monterey Chapter enjoyed an end-of-summer party on the pier at Stillwater Cove in Pebble Beach.

This year’s gathering was ably co-chaired by Robert Alvarado and Mose Thomas. The annual event featured grilled sausages, tri-tip and chicken prepared

by Scott Scheid of Scott Scheid Vineyards and Jack Galante of Galante Vineyards. Didier Dutertre, Chef and owner of Bistro Milan in Monterey, provided smoked salmon and cheeses whiles salads were provided by Chef Wendy Brody and Bob Bussinger of The Art of Food.

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Monterey

On January 14, the Monterey Chapter co-mingled with the Big Sur Forager’s Festival benefitting the Big Sur Health Center. Vice-Commander Richard Kehoe served as liaison between the Big Sur Health Center and KOV. Fifty members enjoyed a beautiful afternoon at the Carmel Valley Ranch sampling dishes based on foraged foods and pairing them with a variety of wines. KOV members Colleen Manni, sommelier of Bistro Moulin; Didier Dutertre of Bistro Moulin; and Ron Parravano served as judges in the wine competition. Winner of the white wine competition was a 2014 Santa Lucia Highlands Dry Riesling by BBQ Masters Jack Galante De Tierra Vineyards. The

Nowadays, however, I’m not sure anyone remembers or cares about these categories of white table wine, red table wine or dessert wines. And I would dare say, most of us would assume that ANY wine that is sweet could be served with dessert or any other food that suited us. Food and wine marriages are very subjective and dependent on the tastes of the consumer. This sort of leaves the term dessert wine out in the cold, a dinosaur from bygone days.

DESSERT WINES

Let’s discuss the different ways that sweet wine can be made, looking for a clue to determine its taste and therefore its possible food match up.

What the heck are dessert wines? The simple answer would be wines that are served with dessert, but that is not completely true. In days of yore (back in the early 1970s), when I first got into the wine business, I learned that there were five types of wine: red table, white table, sparkling, aperitif and dessert wines. The definition of dessert wine was comprised of two things: it was fortified (legally, defined as having alcohol added to the wine to bring it well over 14% alcohol) and it was sweet. This usually meant the type of wine would be called Sherry or Port, for the most part, and Madeira and Marsala, to a lesser extent.

A winemaker can stop the fermentation process at any time in order to retain the natural sweetness of the wine. Normally, to make a dry wine, yeast “eats” any sugar and stops fermenting when the sugar is gone, leaving the wine dry and the alcohol level between 12 percent and 14 percent.

Off-dry or slightly sweet wines are made by stopping the fermentation at the point the winemaker feels achieves the best taste. There are basically four ways a wine can be made even sweeter:

Food and wine marriages are very subjective and

dependent on the tastes of

1 The simplest way to increase sugar in the wine is to let the grapes stay on the vine longer.

This creates wines that would be referred to as late harvest, generally Riesling or Gewürztraminer, but other grape varieties could also benefit from longer hang-times. Riesling and Gewürz wines can be bone dry to extremely sweet, running the whole range. But late harvest wines generally means the wines will be showing more sweetness in the taste. The longer the grapes stay on the vine, the more sweetness could be expected (up to a point). Rieslings tend to excel with Asian cuisine as well as fish, but to find that perfect balance of sweetness with the taste of the food is left to the sole discretion of the individual consumer.

the consumer. This sort of

leaves the term dessert wine

But this definition did not include all of the other wonderful wines that may be sweet, with lower alcohol, softer taste, and used for drinking purposes as well as to accompany their favorite food. These wines would include late harvest Rieslings, as well as Rieslings, Rosés, Sauternes, Tokaji, Moscato, and late harvest Gewürztraminer — which were placed in the white table wine category because the wines were not fortified. The alcohol remained under 14% (the magical, taxable number). They were simply considered sweet “white table wines” as opposed to dry “white table wines.” Nor did anyone believe they could only be drunk with desserts.

out in the cold...

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The Arbor

2 A winemaker, by adding a high degree of alcohol to an ongoing fermentation, causes the yeast to die and the fermentation to stop, thus retaining the sugar (usually around 10% residual sugar) and increasing the overall alcohol from 16% to 20%. The names of Port and Sherry can no longer to be used except by the country of origin. Under European Union guidelines, Port can only be made in Portugal and anything called Sherry can only be made in Spain. Ports and Port-styled wines are generally red, sweet and high in alcohol and seem to do much better with high-end chocolate desserts, cheeses with strong flavors such as Stilton, Roquefort and well-aged cheddar and of course, with a good cigar!

3 Riesling grapes are left on the vine for months after harvest. By law, wines must be harvested when night time/early morning skies drop to the perfect temperature. These sweet little berries freeze on the vine and are then picked and crushed, leaving the water behind in the “ice.” In warmer climates grapes are put in large freezers, where the grapes can be frozen. Sweet and luscious, I’m not even sure you would want any food to mess with your moment of complete exaltation! But if you must, try any fresh fruit along with soft cheeses such as brie, camembert or chèvre.

Winter/Spring 2017

4 In certain years in certain climates, the grapes will be attacked by Botrytis cinerea or noble rot. This fungus microscopically pierces the skin of the grape, allowing water to evaporate and concentrating the sugars.

Botrytized wines are a version of late-harvest wine, but in this case the grapes are attacked by a fungus. The Sauterne wines in the Bordeaux region most exemplify this style of wine. The most classic food/wine match would be with foie gras.

These are some of the most famous styles and types of sweeter wines available in America today. The one overall classic truth of serving food and sweet wine is the wine should be sweeter than the food it is served with.

Otherwise, if your food and wine are both sweet you cancel out any benefits of flavor diversity.

By G.M. “Pooch” Pucilowski G.M. “Pooch” Pucilowski, CWE and Supreme Knight has been in the wine industry for 44 years and a member of the Knights of the Vine for 40 of them.

He is the Chief Judge of the Consumer Wine Awards and The Bottle Shock Open Home Winemaking Competition.

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sym·bi·o·sis

/,simbīˈōsəs,ˌsimbēˈōsəs/

noun • a mutually beneficial relationship between different people or groups.

By Pat Pingitore

San Fransisco

I mention this word and its definition for a reason.

Ryan Kunde & Giselle McKellar

Managing a Chapter in the Bay Area, in close proximity to Wine Country, you would think would be a huge advantage. In fact, it is not!

There are events on a daily basis everywhere throughout Napa, Sonoma, and in the big cities surrounding wine country. Competing with these events is challenging and, at times, expensive.

The San Francisco/Bay Area Chapter has decided “if you can’t beat them, join them”. To that end, we are having more and more joint events with our surrounding Chapters, wineries and other Organizations celebrating food and wine.

Some of us joined Ernie Grossman in Tahoe this past July for his South American preview dinner, served at his lovely home in Truckee. Ernie is fortunate to have talented people in his Chapter including chefs! They prepared a typical South American meal with Ernie pairing the wines. I am sure he is sharing the details in his section of The Arbor.

Later in the Summer, we invited DRNK winery, to show their wines and invited their budding Wine Club members to join us in San Francisco. Although they were unable to get many members to visit, it certainly is an idea worth pursuing and our members enjoyed club discounts for any wine purchases that day and any club members would be invited to join KOV. We have featured DRNK in previous editions; a young winery started

by Ryan Kunde and his family. Yes, Ryan is

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Roland & Bonnie Medel, Ann Thomas, Gisella McKellar, Laurel Katz, Paul Maroon & Pat

The Arbor

Pat & Linda Pingitore, Meg & Manny Scrofani, Laurel & Dick Katz

Lewis Phillips & Manny Scrofani

Paul Maroon toasts with friends

from that famous family in Sonoma and represents the 5th generation in the wine industry.

In the Fall, we were able to take advantage of an annual event at the Napa Valley Country Club (NVCC) called the Fall Harvest. As a member, the club allowed me to invite 20 members of our Chapter to share in the extravaganza of tasting over 60 wines of NVCC members paired with a wonderful assortment of foods prepared by Chef Robert at the Club. Any of you who were present for the Wines of the World event during the FICB Congress know what I mean! Of course, wine purchases were deeply discounted for that evening and many of our KOV members took advantage.

Ned & Maureen Trippe Pat with Hungarian wines from Pannonian Sisterhood

Finally, we celebrated the Holiday Season with a beautiful evening hosted by Paul and ReneĂŠ Maroon in Napa.

Paul graciously allowed us to share the Hungarian wines donated to us by the Sisterhood of Pannonia, who had been in Napa for Congress earlier in the year. In addition to the very interesting and delicious Hungarian wines, we tasted many Lodi wines which had been donated for Congress and, of course, Paul’s own Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. The delicious food was prepared by Chef Marc Salman, a regular participant at Maroon Winery events.

Laurel Katz,Trish Hagner,Velma Heilman, and Buddy Hagner

One other symbiotic relationship we are cultivating is with the French Heritage Society of Northern California. Dori Bonn is the co-chair of this Organization which is dedicated to protecting the French architectural and cultural legacy both in France and the United States.

She has attended many of our events as a guest and is in turn inviting our membership to attend their events, since the KOV emanated from a French Brotherhood.

We hope to have Dori inducted this Spring at our Assemblage at Whitehall Lane Winery!

Winter/Spring 2017

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Tennessee

Bon Appetit! was exclaimed as the Tennessee Chapter sat down to the delicious French dinner that they had just prepared. Remembering the fun of preparing the Spanish and Argentine dinners at L’Ecole Culinaire, the chapter celebrated the end of a long, hot southern summer with a return to the culinary school for an evening of French food and wine. The event began with a blind tasting of French wines with the question—what do these wines have in common? The answer was that they all were available at Costco, our newest “big box” wine store with the long awaited advent of wine in grocery stores in Tennessee.

The culinary students (the instructors for the evening) greeted chapter members and guests with an official L’Ecole apron along with our menu and recipes for the evening. Cooking teams were decided and then the work began on the French onion soup. While the onions were caramelizing, the teams readied their pans of Potatoes Anna for the oven. Steak au Poivre created the most excitement when the addition of cognac created plenty of fire in the kitchen! The meal was completed with a delicious Cherry Clafouti. Members brought French wines to complement the dinner and, of course, to drink while cooking!

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TOP OF PAGE Jerry Edmonds and Chef Christopher Hudson MIDDLE Christina See and Lauran Wingo BOTTOM Gayle Bennett--”You expect me to cook without wine?”

Articles by Beth Webb The Arbor

Marilyn Schubert with Judy & Mike Fink

Dean Wingo, Debbie Meyers, John Barrios and Beth Webb

The chapter gathered again in early December for a Holiday Dinner at Ronnie Grisanti’s Italian Restaurant. The evening began with an array of appetizers and wines, rated 90 and higher, selected by Master of the Cork, Dean Wingo. While enjoying dinner and wines brought by members, the group decided to celebrate “First Fridays” by getting together at a local restaurant. A different member will arrange the “First Friday” each month that there is no other chapter event planned. The year ended on a high note as planning began for a special Assemblage in February 2017.

Walter Elkins, Bonnie Everson, Sandy Barrios, Dean Wingo, Lauran Wingo, Robert and Debbie Meyers, Tom Webb, Knox Everson, Holly Elkins

Tom Webb with Marilyn & Bob Schubert

Peggy Larkin, Susan Edmonds, Debbie Meyers, Lauran & Dean Wingo, and Robert Meyers

Winter/Spring 2017

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Allen Shoup: Washington Wine Region

Founding Father

By Nan McCreary

KOV Supreme Knight Allen Shoup is often referred to as one of the founding fathers of the Washington wine industry. While CEO of Stimson Lane (now Ste. Michelle Wine Estates), the company put Washington wines on the map by combining stateof-the art technology with exacting principles of viticulture and enology. During his tenure, he grew company revenues from $5 million to $175 million; growth which transformed the industry from 4,000 acres of unsung vineyards into 30,000 acres of world-class viniferous grapes.

Allen began his wine career in Modesto, California, where he reported to Ernest Gallo. Later, in 1979, he joined Chateau Ste. Michelle, then a small, unnoticed winery in Woodinville, Washington.

He developed Stimson Lane Wineries and Estates and began building and purchasing wineries and vineyards in the Columbia Valley. These included a second Chateau Ste. Michelle facility for reds at Canoe Ridge; the state’s largest winery, Columbia Crest; the nation’s third largest sparkling wine facility, Domaine Ste. Michelle; and Snoqualmie Winery, among others. From the beginning, as it does to this day Stimson Lane, represents about 6070 percent of all wines produced in the state.

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Photo by Joann Arruda

While at the helm of Stimson Lane, Allen initiated joint ventures that brought Tuscany’s Piero Antinori and Germany’s famed Dr. Ernst Loosen to Washington. Out of the partnership with Antinori came Col Solare, a luxury wine built around Syrah and Cabernet. With Loosen, the pair built Eroica, a wine which helped spark a Riesling Renaissance throughout the country.

The Arbor

In 2000, Allen left Ste. Michelle and spent the next two years introducing a who’s who list of some of the world’s most gifted winemakers to the vines and wines of the growing region. In 2002, he created Long Shadows Vintners, and invited seven internationally known winemakers to bring their talents to Washington as owner-partners to craft ultra-premium wines from Washington State’s Columbia Valley. From the beginning, the wines have enjoyed critical acclaim, and sell out every year. Long Shadows collectively has won numerous awards, including recognition as Food & Wine magazine’s “Winery of the Year.”

The ARBOR (TA): How did you get into the wine business?

Allen has received numerous industry and business awards in recognition of his work on behalf of Washington wine, including Sunset Magazine’s “Lifetime Achievement Award,” the Auction of Washington Wine’s Honorary Vintner Award and the Clore Center’s Legends of Washington Wine Hall of Fame. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate named him a “Personality of the Year” in 1990. He was inducted into the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine in 1988 and recognized as a Supreme Knight in 1994.

TA: What was your function at Gallo?

Allen took the lead in creating the Washington Wine Institute and the Auction of Washington Wines. He helped create the Washington Wine Commission and was instrumental in organizing the American Vintners Association. He held seats on the California Wine Institute Board, The Century Council and The Presidents Forum. Allen is also the founding chairman of AWARE (Association for Wine Accurate Research and Education).

ALLEN SHOUP (AS): I get a lot of credit for what happened here in Washington, but the truth is I was very lucky. It was pure serendipity. I was working in marketing, developing fragrances and cosmetics, still young and single, and ready to accept any job that offered me more opportunity. At the same time head hunters were actively looking for product developers and brand managers, and because I had a unique marketing background I was asked to interview with Ernest Gallo and he offered me a job at their headquarters in Modesto.

AS: I was a classic group product manager. Eventually, the job description was redefined to what they then called a marketing director. Marketing is different from sales. We were the quarterbacks who called the plays.

We determined how to price and promote the brand, then developed marketing plans around P.R. campaigns, forecasts and cost budgets. We supervised advertising, development and placement, market reviews and so forth. Ernest had to approve everything related to the brand. I would meet with him two or three times a week to present ideas, offer suggestions and provide answers to anything that would impact the brand.

L-R Margrit Biever Mondavi, Allen Shoup and Rober Mondavi

A native of Michigan, Allen did graduate work at Eastern Michigan University and earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan. He currently resides in Seattle with his wife, Kathleen.

Allen, who remains active in Long Shadows, graciously took time from his busy schedule to talk with The Arbor about the history of Washington State wines and his role in bringing recognition to the area. continued >>> Winter/Spring 2017

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L-R GillesNicault, Michael Rolland, Allen Shoup, John Duval, Phillip Melka and Randy Dunn

TA: How did you find your way to Ste. Michelle?

AS: Wally Opdycke was one of the original owners of Ste. Michelle that sold to UST. This group also owned JanSport and what is now K2 Sports. K2 had hired one of my contemporaries in the brand department at Gallo to run the company. Wally asked him if he could recommend anyone just as qualified who might come to Ste. Michelle, and he recommended me. I took the offer and started in 1979 as vice president of sales, marketing and corporate development while being groomed for CEO. I assumed the CEO position in 1983.

TA: You obviously did well at Ste. Michelle. When you first joined the winery, it was tiny and hidden.

Now it’s not only far and away one of the largest wineries in Washington State, it is in the top ten in America and is known world-wide.

AS: When I first came to Ste. Michelle, there was no recognition of Washington wines outside the Northwest, much less Ste. Michelle. The state had only a handful of wineries, and nobody was making much varietal

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wine except us, and we were only making 60-80,000 cases. My initial attraction to Ste. Michelle was their current development project for a new 500,000 square foot winery in the middle of our own 2,000 acres of vineyards in eastern Washington, resting on the shores of the Columbia River. Because my expertise was in marketing wine, I knew little about producing wine or growing grapes. I had to depend on my managing skills to make sure I hired really good people. I learned as we grew. By the time I left in 2000 we had 12-13 winemakers at different wineries in Washington and California.

TA: What were your goals at Ste. Michelle?

AS: First we needed to learn how to plant and grow the best grapes and also how to turn those types of grapes into high quality wines. As mentioned, Washington wines, much less Ste. Michelle, were undiscovered.

Actually Ste. Michelle and sister winery Columbia Crest were discovered before Washington wine was known outside of the Northwest. We had quickly turned them into large wineries with wines that were nationally distributed, but research showed that most

The Arbor

people outside the Northwest assumed they were from California. Also, from the very beginning I wanted to follow Robert Mondavi’s model of collaborating with a world-famous winemaker to make premium wines — in his case, he teamed up with Baron Philippe de Rothschild to establish Opus One. Here you had one of the greatest winemakers in France (and the world) put his imprimatur on Mondavi and Napa, which gave great exposure to both. Bob Mondavi and I developed a close friendship, and with his connections I initiated a joint venture with Tuscany’s Piero Antinori. I also formed partnerships with Germany’s Dr. Ernst Loosen and Brian Croser, founder of Petaluma in Australia. The Petaluma project didn’t survive after I retired but the other two partnerships were very successful.

varietal(s) specialty in exchange for part ownership of that specific wine. Bob died while I was putting this together but those that joined me include Michel Rolland, arguably the most famous winemaker in the world; John Duval, best known for his work with Penfold’s Grange; Agustin Huneeus of Concho y Toro, then Franciscan and now Quintessa and other wineries; Randy Dunn, who established his reputation at Caymus Winery and his cult Cabernets from Dunn Vineyard; and Armin Diel, one of Germany’s most acclaimed Riesling producers. Huneeus brought in Phillip Melka, a native of Bordeaux who honed his skills at Chateau Haut Brion and Chateau Petrus, as well as Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious Tuscan wine families.

TA: It appears that your retirement from Ste. Michelle in 2000 was only the beginning of new adventures for you. Tell us about that.

When we started hunting for a head winemaker, I was sure we didn’t need go too far before one found us, as this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for a winemaker.

And sure enough, a French-trained winemaker, Gilles Nicault, who was then head winemaker for Woodward Canyon, called me one day and said, ‘this is my dream job,’ so I hired him. After the first vintage every one of our winemakers-partners raved about Gilles. The typical comment was, “he’s not just doing what I direct him to do … I value and use his ideas in making the wine…we collaborate. ” As often as not, when Gilles asked for or provided advice, they went with his ideas.

AS: I didn’t want to retire and do nothing. My plan was to become a gentleman farmer with a small winery.

Consequently, I built a winery in Walla Walla for a project I christened Long Shadows (named after those vintners like Bob Mondavi who had individually cast “long shadows” on the industry). Bob, from the beginning, was excited about being part of the project.

So using other contacts I made through the years, I invited other great winemakers of the world to come to Washington and view the project. Each winemaker had to have built their reputation from specific varietal grapes that were grown in Washington. I asked each to create a specialty wine for Long Shadows using their

TA: What was your ultimate objective at Long Shadows?

AS: I shared a dream with my investors that our first vintage of every wine would receive 90+ point ratings. I knew it was unrealistic to expect— some probably would earn 90 points and others wouldn’t. But, in fact, all of our wines from our first vintage received at least 90 points from Parker. Since then, no Long Shadows wine has been rated at less than 90 points. My ultimate object is the same as many other great wineries… to make some of the world’s finest and most sought-after wines.

continued >>> Winter/Spring 2017

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TA: What has been happening at Long Shadows since you built the winery in 2006?

AS: We began very small—we produced 400 or 500 cases of each wine in the first vintage in 2003. When we built the new winery, we were up to 1000-1400 cases of each red wine and more of Poet’s Leap (Reisling).

Last year we made a total of 14,000 cases for our six red wines and 5000 cases of Poet’s Leap, and distribute them all over the world. Our winery is very state-ofthe-art. When we started, I made a commitment to our winemakers that they would receive the best equipment, whatever they needed. Michel Rolland likes upright oak fermenters; Phillip Melka likes brand new oak rotating barrels for fermenting. All like an 80 percent or higher blend of new French Oak. We have all kinds of equipment and procedures, depending on what the individual winemakers want.

TA: You have really been a pioneer in the Washington wine industry. How have things changed since you first came to Washington?

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AS: To put things in perspective, I was lucky to get the job with Ste. Michelle. I believe I was the first person with a wine marketing background to come to Washington. When I arrived, there were only seven or eight wineries in the state. Now there are 900. Ste. Michelle, because of its size and resources, was the giant horse that pulled the Washington industry along.

I started with understanding that if Ste. Michelle was going to be a world-class winery, we first had be known as a world-class viticultural region, and therefore we contributed generously to the promotion of all Washington state wines.

TA: Washington state wines are certainly on the map now. What wines are you known for and what makes them unique?

AS: We were first known for Merlot, but now we’re gaining equal or greater recognition for our Cabernet Sauvignon and our Syrah. At Long Shadows, we work a lot with Cab Franc and Petit Verdot which I believe will also be recognized for superior quality. Washington

The Arbor

is primarily a red wine grape region, but Riesling does famously here. I think the best explanation for our success is that we have many of the qualities of a perfect viticultural region: warm days for ripening and very cool nights for acid retention created by the mountains to the west that shield the region from clouds in the growing season and rainy days during harvest; a constant source of water irrigation form our major river systems that crisscross the Columbia Valley; our long dormant sub-freezing period that allows the roots to rest; and well-draining soils, which, to bring in a bit of history, are composed of wind-blown loess soils created by the sediments deposited during the Missoula Flood. Also, we have no phylloxera, so all of our grapes are planted on natural rootstocks.

TA: What do you see in the future forWashington wines?

AS: It’s unbelievable that we developed this reputation and size in such a small amount of time — most of it has happened in the last 25 years. I don’t think we’ve found the best vineyard sites yet, and I know that we still have

a lot to learn. But our growers are enthusiastic. When our winemakers from other areas go out and introduce themselves to winery owners, they say these owners are like sponges; they want to learn as much as they can.

TA: You are a Supreme Knight with KOV. How do you see our organization fitting in with the Washington wine industry?

AS: I believe that KOV is designed to be a unique social organization for like-minded wine lovers with broad viticultural interest, and we don’t have anything quite like that here. So I think that is a positive development.

I also think it would be helpful to get the large resource wineries like Ste. Michelle, Precept and Gallo and also the Walter Clore Wine Center involved. They have great facilities for hosting events, some with full-time chefs. Washington State University has a new Wine Science Center that could be a resource, and a potential partner in sponsorships.

TA: Allen, we’ve taken enough of your time. Thank you so much for the interview.

AS: Thank you. I’ve really enjoyed talking with you.

Summer/Fall 2016

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A MERRY TIME IN MISSISSIPPI

Nicky Drake and Tiffany Bobbs

Mississippi

By Sherry Storey

December 10, 2016, found a small group of the Mississippi Chapter enjoying Christmas fellowship, great wine, and superb food. Table 100 Restaurant Manager Tiffany Bobbs our own Master Lady, and Chef Chad Lindsay planned and prepared the smorgasbord of delightful dishes. Master Commander Nathan McHardy and Master Lady Leslie McHardy did a splendid job of choosing wines for the evening beginning with a Domaine Chandon Etoile Brut NV, Napa Valley, a vibrant and full body with pleasant toasty nose. Tight full bubbles lifted spirits and set the mood for a fun Christmas party.

Ladies of the KOV

The North by Northwest Chardonnay ‘2014, a classic Chardonnay with a delightfully lean quality from Columbia, Washington was voted a favorite of the group and paired well with the scrumptious Crab Cakes with Come Back Sauce.

Reds followed with the Brooks “Runaway Red” Pinot Noir, 2014, from the Willamette Valley, Oregon, grown on the 45th Parallel in a classic Burgundian style as well as Domaine Eden Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012, Edna Valley, California, which demonstrated bold cepages of Bordeaux’s noble varietals handcrafted in Martin Ray’s signature of Cab forward blends: 75% Cabernet with light dollops of Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Both wines were tasted and debated with Mustard glazed meatballs, saucy meatballs with smoked tomatoes, assorted cheeses, and best of all Miniature Beef Wellingtons. To finish, desserts offered included chocolate brownies, pound cake, and Creme Brule’.

By evening’s end, members determined the evening a roaring success as wishes for a Merry Christmas bounded.

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Diane Drake, Nathan McHardy and Sherry Storey

Thad & Sandra McLaurn with Tom Storey

The Arbor

Send-off and Tribute to

Panamanian Expat Dr. Bill Oates Dr. Bill Oates, our Commander Dos Equis (as Bill likes to call himself ) and now our own KOV Panamanian expat. Bill could almost be called Commander Dos y Dos (he was the second commander of the Arizona Chapter after Supreme Knight Dr. Gordon Dutt) and twice the Commander Emeritus of our fine chapter, as well as our Commander of Vice over the years (oops, got that backward—or maybe not).

Arizona

Now a retired Ob/Gyn doc, Farmer Bill (the grape grower and winemaker) recently received his Master Sommelier certifications. He has now moved to Panama, and we’re certain his past as well as his love of wine will be discovered by the ex-pat community in Panama!

Before we would let Bill depart after the holidays, in early December many of our (longest-tenured) Knights and Gentle Ladies gathered at the home of John Kovacik’s and Leslie Eldenburg’s to reminisce and wish Bill well.

As is evident from the pictures, it was both an informal and heartfelt gathering. We (and Bill) were very pleased to be joined by our newest Knight and Gentle Lady, Jon and Kathy Fory, especially since, during both their illustrious military careers, each spent a number of years in Panama. So it was quite appropriate that they attended dressed in Panamanian shirts that were conveniently still hanging in their closet. It was great to also see Suzanne and Clarence Farr, our Vice-Commander and her husband, with Clarence enjoying much improved health.

In some respects, our send-off for Bill was a partial reprise of our chapter gathering in late October at the Kovacik/Eldenburg residence during which many of the extensive gardens were still in bloom as a nice complement to the wines brought by all. The only requirement was that the wine had to come from Costco! We enjoyed an unexpected surprise when we were serenaded by Ed Delp and his repertoire of songs. Think of being in a good piano bar, surrounded by song, wine, the beauty of the gardens and good company. Ahh! Does it get any better?

Winter/Spring 2017

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Chancellery Assemblage at the

Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science The Chancellery Chapter celebrated is first Grand Assemblage with Master Commander Charles ‘Chik’ Brenneman on November 5th, 2016 at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science on the University of California at Davis. Commanders Ernie Grossman, Pat Pingitore and Tom Webb stepped in to assist Commander Brenneman in his first Assemblage.

Also present to help was Master of Ceremonies, Stan Oppegard and Vice-Commander, Suzanne Oppegard.

Our former Chapter Commander and Grand Commander Michael Doukas was in attendance as well.

Commander Doukas is to be commended for his many years of leadership of both the Chancellery and National organizations.

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At the ceremony, Gentle Lady Polly Brenneman was elevated to Charge D’Affairs for the Chapter and Debbie Fogarty was elevated to Master Scribe for the Chapter. New inductees for Master Knight included Jim Mirowski, owner and ‘chief pirate’ at Treasure Island Winery in San Francisco and Robert Mount, owner of Boatique Winery in Lake County. Heidi O’Connell, Susan Guenard, and and Wendy Hensen-Leist, all true lovers of wine and food were inducted as Gentle Ladies.

Passed hors d’oerves were accompanied by music provided by the UC Davis music department. Elaine Bell Catering of Napa catered the meal and all was complemented with wines of California and France.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of a check for $1,500 from the Chancellery Chapter to the UC Davis KOV Scholarship fund. This check supplemented a previous gift of $1,500 by the Lake Tahoe Chapter. continued >>>

ABOVE Dinner in the UC Davis Winery LEFT Dr. David Block, Chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis holding a ‘check’ representing the checks recieved for the UC Davis KOV Scholarship Fund from the Chancellery and Lake Tahoe Chapters.

BELOW Linda Pingetore with former Chapter Commander and Grand Commander Michael Doukas

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The dinner was held in the teaching and research winery. This afforded the opportunity for the members and their guests to see the facility that their scholarship monies go to support. A completely privately funded facility, it was first opened in 2010. The 12,500-square-foot winery includes a large experimental fermentation area with 152 two hundred-liter research fermentation tanks and fourteen 2,000-liter fermentation tanks. The winery is used for research and teaching and for courses for professionals.

The building enables students to learn both the principles and the practical applications of winemaking and sustainability.

ABOVE Heidi O¹Connell, Polly Brenneman, Susan Guenard Gentle Ladies and Polly now is Charge d¹affairs of the Chancellery Chapter

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BELOW Tom Webb, Chick Brenneman, Pat Pingitore and Ernie Grossman BOTTOM OF PAGE Tom Webb Polly Brenneman, Debbie Fogerty and Susan Oppegard

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In Memoriam Michael D. Doukas The national office is saddened to report the passing of our Grand Commander Emeritus Michael D. Doukas on March 4, 2017 in Sacramento at the age of 87. He passed away in his sleep at Mercy Hospital after six weeks of declining health.

Mike devoted many hours to the Knights of the Vine and helped our founder, Norman Gates, organize and promote our Brotherhood beginning in the early 1980s. Mr. Gates appointed him Grand Protectorate at an assemblage in Oregon, but that title was soon replaced with Master Commander of the Chancellery Chapter when the commander left to open a new San Francisco chapter. Mike held that position for some 30 years until retiring as chapter commander in 2013 at an assemblage in Napa Valley at the Robert Mondavi Winery.

Commander McCleary presents Mike with retirement plaque

When Mr. Gates retired in 1994, Mike was elected Grand Commander and served just over 11 years at the helm of our Brotherhood. He stepped down as Grand Commander at a gala soiree at Silverado Vineyards, where the evening was dedicated to paying tribute to him for his many years of enthusiastic leadership. He received a special Certificate of Homage from FICB President Claude Josse of Paris, France and a three liter bottle of Pinot Noir with an engraved KOV logo on it with gratitude from the entire membership.

Presentation of “Certificate of Homage” Bill Hegland, Mike Doukas, Duane Young, Niell Foster and Don Bade

Mike and his lovely wife, the former Master Lady Judy Doukas, were together for fifty years. She predeceased him in 2014. They traveled together to FICB Congresses, KOV cruises and many chapter assemblages and wine tasting events across the country. As Grand Commander and Grand First Lady, they made a great “First Couple” who represented our Brotherhood with class and distinction and both are greatly missed.

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Mike & Judy

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The Magic of

Washington .

State Wineries

During the 70s, several events started to come together. In 1974 Ste. Michelle was purchased by U.S. Tobacco. A very serious financial commitment was made then to invest in Washington wines. Also, during this time there was an increasing interest by consumers in Washington wines, especially the State’s upstart Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

This interest encouraged many visionaries like Gary Figgins (Leonetti Cellars), Dr. William McAndrew (Celilo Vineyard), Rick and Darcy Small (Woodward Canyon), Jim Holmes and John Williams (Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard), Marty and Megan Clubb (L’Ecole N°41) and others to come to Washington to advance their craft.

Washington State – known for many years for its iconic apple orchards in the Western part of the state and never ending sea of wheat fields in the Eastern part of the state - known for hot summers and very cold winters – mysteriously has transformed its very essence literally overnight. As if under the influence of a magic spell, suddenly Washington State is a viable candidate for one of the top wine growing regions of the world. What were the events that enabled this to happen? How did this transition take place?

Prior to 1970 wine making in Washington was almost nonexistent. With the exception of Associated Vintners (renamed Columbia Winery), which was started by a group of friends at the University of Washington to make wine for their own personal use, and the Chateau Ste. Michelle brand, there were fewer than five licensed wineries operating in Washington State around 1970. Winemaking was definitely not a major consideration in the overall plan for Washington State.

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During the 1980s, the fledging wine industry in Washington State was centered on a group of small wineries, both family-owned and boutique wineries.

These small wineries were quickly gaining attention for their stunning Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlots. By the late 1980s a few large-scale vineyard operations appeared. As the decade continued, the reputation of Washington’s bold red wines grew and was carried by a small group of boutique wineries.

In 1978, Leonetti Cellars released their first Cabernet Sauvignon and it quickly became “one of the best Cabernet Sauvignons in the country”. One year later, Quilceda Creek, created in 1979, drew similar comments for their stunning Cabernet Sauvignon.

Continuing through the 1980s, Washington continued to produce wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Riesling that won national and international attention. In 1988, the first Syrah was produced with great acclaim.

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In fall of 1991, 60 Minutes produced the “French Paradox”, a documentary that set the wheels in motion for a major movement for the wine industry.

Suddenly, it was a good thing to drink red wine and more consumers were looking for quality red wines.

In 1988, Chateau Ste. Michelle was named the “Best American Winery,” and in the following year five Washington wineries made the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wine List.

By the year 2000, Washington had approximately 150 licensed commercial wineries. Merlot and Syrah were becoming more important and were on high demand by consumers. Washington wines continued to excel in all competitions and were winning top awards continuously. The wine industry was now employing over 10,000 full time employees and generating over 2 billion dollars in revenue for the state.

During this time, Washington developed a group of nine AVA (American Viticultural Areas). The first was established in 1983; Yakima Valley AVA. Soon to follow was Columbia Valley AVA (1984), Walla Walla Valley AVA (1984), Puget Sound AVA (1995), Red Mountain AVA (2001), Columbia Gorge AVA (2004), Horse Heaven Hills AVA (2005), Wahluke Slope AVA (2006) and Rattlesnake Hills AVA (2006).

Today there are over 500 wineries in Washington.

There are some stunning wines coming to market from these producers. As the future unfolds, Washington winemakers will continue to improve both their viticulture and their winemaking skills. By continuing to embrace change and new ideas, Washington wine growers will continue to enhance the quality of their product. The question is simply – if Washington wines have attracted so much positive attention in such a short time, what can happen as this industry matures and gains more knowledge in the future? Stand by, for in my humble opinion, “you haven’t seen anything yet!”. It is not possible in a short article to profile all the wonderful wineries and talented winemakers who have contributed so much to the excellent reputation of Washington wines, but we can mention a few.

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Founded by Vic Allison in 1963, Chateau Ste. Michelle was sold to U.S. Tobacco in 1974. Immediately U.S. Tobacco began an aggressive program to expand their portfolio of wineries and vineyards. In 1985, they launched Stimson Lane under the direction of CEO Allen Shoup. When Allen retired in 2000, Stimson Lane had a vast portfolio of worldwide wineries and contacts. Stimson Lane became Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in 2004.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is, has been, and always will be a Washington winery. Their size, marketing budget and emphasis on quality has been very helpful in establishing Washington as one of the top wine growing regions in the world today. Chateau Ste. Michelle produces over 1.3 million cases of wine each year and is the largest producer of Riesling in America.

Founded in 1983, L’Ecole was the third winery to open in the Walla Walla region. Started by Baker and Jean Ferguson as a retirement project, L’Ecole N°41 has consistently produced excellent wines, especially their Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sémillon.

Under the capable stewardship of daughter, Megan, and son-in-law, Marty Clubb, L’Ecole N°41 produces over 35,000 cases each year. Their unique label, portraying the Frenchtown Schoolhouse that they operate from, was drawn for them by a cousin.

By

Ken Hick

continued >>>

Master Commander, Washington State Chapter Note: Some of the research for this article came from Washington: Wines & Wineries, The Essential Guide by Paul Gregutt. Paul is the Wine Columnist for the Seattle Times and a contributing editor for Wine Enthusiast. I have always been very impressed with Paul and his depth of knowledge of Washington wine and wineries. I would highly recommend his book to anyone who desires to learn more about the incredible wine from Washington State.

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Founded in 1972 by Gary Figgins, Leonetti is the winery most other wineries strive to imitate. Gary’s original plantings of Cabernet in 1974 are now the oldest vines in Walla Walla Valley. His ultimate goal was to produce two to three red wines a year from estate grown Walla Walla fruit. Leonetti Cellars has earned a special reputation as the “first cult winery” in Washington. The wines, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, are sold by allocation to an exclusive list of members; average price is over $100 per bottle. The waiting list is rumored to be out over 7-10 years. It is very difficult to acquire Leonetti unless you have an allocation or know someone who has one. Leonetti’s production is now up to six thousand cases per year. Gary’s very talented son, Chris Figgins, is assuming more and more responsibilities as winemaker and vineyard manager.

Founded in 1979 by Alex Golitzin, the vision for Quilceda Creek was to make the best world class Cabernet possible. A cousin of the renowned Andre Tchelistcheff (the famous winemaker for Beaulieu Vineyards and others), Alex put his engineering skills to work and made his first commercial vintage in 1979, which was immediately recognized as an excellent wine and went on to win many awards. In the early 1990s, his son Paul began to work with Alex, both men sharing the same passion and vision and goal to make a 100-point wine. Their dream was achieved when Robert Parker awarded their Quilceda Creek Cabernet 100 points. They have now been given this award year after year for being meticulous winemakers - their wines are consistent and excellent. Their discipline and passion to a single great wine is truly an example for other young winemakers to follow.

CELILO VINEYARD

Founded in 1981 by Rick and Darcy Small, Woodward Canyon was the second contemporary winery founded in Walla Walla. Although they make a stunning Chardonnay and a wonderful dry Riesling, the majority of their 16,000 cases produced each year are world class red wines. Introducing their Artist Series Cabernets around 1992, they continue to produce classic, quality, age-worthy wines. They also make a second label called Nelms Road. Rick Small, like Gary Figgins, is passionate about Washington wines and their place in the world of wines.

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In the early 1970s, Dr. William McAndrew of Seattle had a vision to create world class wine by growing world class grapes. After much research he found the property he wanted in Eastern Washington. Today, after all these years, there is not a winery at Celilo.

Instead the Vineyard continues to supply other top winemakers with some of the best fruit available in Eastern Washington. History has demonstrated that due to their location, elevation, slope and very unique volcanic soil, among other things, the Vineyard continues to supply world class grapes.

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NEW Washington State Chapter Founded in 2002 by Allen Shoup after his 20 year tenure as CEO of Ste. Michelle, Allen designed a master winery with its own boutique wineries. Each boutique winery would focus on a single varietal and the wine would be made by a world class winemaker.

The entire operation would be overseen by another world class winemaker. In 2006, he began construction on a $5 million “state of the art” winery. Now, each of the wines made at Long Shadows has its own name, label and “jet-in” winemaker. The resident winemaker is Gilles Nicault. This world renowned winemaker was awarded a very special award in 2016 as the “Winemaker of the Year” for Washington State. His wine, Chester-Kidder, was served at the White House during for a state dinner under President Obama. There are seven wines made at Long Shadows: Poets Leap (Riesling) by winemaker Armin Diel, Feather (Cabernet Sauvignon) by winemaker Randy Dunn, Pedistal (Merlot) by winemaker Michel Rolland, Pirouette (Bordeaux Blend) by winemakers Agustin Heeneeus & Phillipe Mella, Sequel (Syrah) by winemaker John Duval, Saggi (Super Theresa Blend) by winemaker Ambrogia & Giovanni Folonari and Chester-Kidder (Red Blend) by winemaker Gilles Nicault.

All seven wines are literally sold out as soon as they are bottled and have rapidly become “cult” wines.

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On January 21, 2017, the Grand Council officially granted the charter for our newest chapter, the Washington State Chapter. Led by Chapter Commander Ken Hick, the charter members are enthusiastic and beginning to prepare for their first Assemblage. Centered around Walla Walla, this chapter will certainly be focusing on the wines that have already made an impact on the American wine industry. Walla Walla is described as the crown jewel of Washington’s wine growing area and as the chapter grows, it will continue to attract legendary winemakers and winery owners into its ranks.

The list of charter members, among others, includes Supreme Knight Allen Shoup (Long Shadows); Master Knight Gilles Nicault, legendary winemaker (Long Shadows); and Master Knight Rick Small (Woodward Canyon), a strong supporter of Washington State’s excellence in wines.

Our Brotherhood is very excited to welcome this newest chapter and we look forward to their Assemblage, the presentation of their charter and the enthronement of their new officers and members.

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OUTRAGEOUS, SUCCESSFUL, SOLD-OUT Less Grand Assemblage Outrageous…ridiculous…ludicrous…unbelievable…a Grand Assemblage and Enthronement Dinner for Knights of the Vine members without tuxedos, pomp and circumstance?!

Lodi

Wine Enthusiast magazine named Lodi, California the 2015 Wine Region of the Year partly because of the “young people and youthful attitude of their elders that drive the innovation pushing Lodi forward.” Relying on that youthful attitude and innovation mentioned in the Wine Enthusiast, the Board for the Lodi Chapter agreed to make some radical changes in its Grand Assemblage in order to bring in more young people. For the firsttime ever, tuxedos were banned at the Grand Assemblage. The price for entry dropped almost in half from the previous Grand Assemblage and the event took on a decidedly more informal tone.

The new format was dubbed The Less Grand Assemblage. “Huge Mistake!” wrote one of the long-time members, in an email regarding the changes. As it turned out, the changes were right on the money as the new Less Grand Assemblage sold out right away. The changes were enough to attract attention and participation. We even had guests from the national office including Grand Commander Buddy Hagner and Master Lady Trish Hagner, Grand Treasurer Don Bade and Executive Director Carol

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Bade, Grand Administrative Officer Tom Webb and Gentle Lady Beth Webb and Tennessee Vice Commander Bob Bennett and Gentle Lady Gayle Bennett.

The barrel room at Van Ruiten Family Vineyards offered the perfect setting. Knight Bill Rogan and his partners are to be thanked for providing the venue and wine at very competitive rates! The room and tables were decorated beautifully. John Giannini, the winemaker, did a wonderful job describing each wine as it was poured.

The wines were perfectly paired with delectable appetizers and courses prepared by dedicated Knights and Gentle Ladies, Bob and Janet Smith, Steve and Arlene Fetzer.

Knight Bill Russell played instrumental guitar during the reception while Knight and Gentle Lady Greg and Annie Havens handled the sound system, photography and even treated the crowd to several songs before dessert. Knight Pat Patrick, as always, made the audience smile and laugh, serving as the evening’s Master Orator.

John Tudor was honored with the title of Master Commander Emeritus. Both John and Sandy Tudor were asked to come forward so the audience could thank them for working tirelessly over the years, building the Lodi Chapter of the Knights of the Vine to what it is today. Ken Levy was elevated to Master Commander by Buddy Hagner, the Grand Commander of the Brotherhood of Knights of the Vine for the United States. Eight new members were welcomed to the Chapter, Bob Andrews, Steve and Arlene Fetzer, Greg Havens, Jeff Jenner, Mike Johnston, Dan Panella, and Jeff Werter.

Following the event, many Knights and Gentle Ladies expressed how the new format seemed to be more reflective of Lodi’s agriculturally-based community. They enjoyed the unpretentious nature of the event where people could laugh at and with one another. Since then, five new members have joined and several inactive members have reactivated their memberships.

So how would Lodi follow up its Less Grand Assemblage? With a Junk Food Wine Pairing planned for Valentine’s Day! What else? Good value, good fun, great wine and even better camaraderie are setting the stage for a top-notch 2017 vintage in Lodi.

By Ken Levy Winter/Spring 2017

Lake Tahoe

Sweet 44

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and More!

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While innovation may be the hallmark for keeping the membership excited and interested in our various events, tradition does have its place. Two events each year elicit that heightened anticipation; our Assemblage and the Annual Holiday (Christmas/Chanukah) Party. And, too, novelty is required throughout the year where we will produce unique programs that pique the palate, both gustatorily and oenological.

Our Chapter Cadre participates in the conceptual formulation, venue and chef research, wine and food pairings, and event dates that avoid conflicts with other local activities and other KOV Chapters. We have established a new working relationship with Chapters in our area, namely Chancellery, Lodi and San Francisco/Bay Area.

Email invitations and PayPal have simplified the process enormously for both intra and inter Chapter contacts.

Every year the Chapter Cadre meets at dinner where we discuss and plan the coming year’s activities.

This summer, we followed up with a Country Western Bar B Q Soiree, prepared by the region’s foremost outdoor cooking specialist, Chef Ron Allen and a foot

continued >>> Winter/Spring 2017

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LAKE TAHOE CHAPTER CONT’D FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

stompin’ C & W band. And as good as all of this was, it even got better. John Kautz of Ironstone and Jerry Fry of Mohr-Fry Ranches, brought up a host of Lodi area wines which enabled us to have a broad spectrum tasting from this superior wine producing area. (Thanks to Ken Levy, Lodi Master Commander for coordinating the wine procurement).

To celebrate our Sweet Sixteenth Anniversary, we toasted, at our Assemblage, with 2006 Dom Perignon. An evening of feasting, dancing, ritual induction of four Knights and Gentle Ladies and elevation to Master Knight of our own Pete Bosco, ended with a mellow Benedictine & Brandy salute to our future. The new Inductees are: Dr. Miles Adler, Assistant Attorney General, Nevada, Karen Dickerson , Amateur wine maker and chef, Richard Mackler and Sommelier Claire Torbeck And once again, as if by magic, the clouds parted, the snows stopped, and parking spaces emerged so that the overwhelming number of guests could attend our annual Holiday Party and savor the culinary acumen of our Maitresse de Cuisine, Master Lady Mai Nguyen. Special for the day, hot mulled wine, prepared by our own Stephanie Harris, Charge D’Affaire.

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Original wedding album of Elizabeth Taylor & Nicky Hilton

Houston at

Hilton College

Houston

After a great FICB Congress in June with Distinguished judges! Wolfgang Manz, Lois Van Vooren, Linda 29 Houston members in attendance, we Lattimore, Jim Curtice, Anne Squier, Norma O’Donnell took a short break before regrouping in August for our Annual Business Meeting.

While this is normally a pot luck dinner in a wine warehouse, this year we were fortunate to be able to use the outstanding facilities at the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston for a blending seminar and wine dinner with special guests, Supreme Knight and Supreme Lady Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo of Messina Hof Winery. We worked in teams under the direction of the Bonarrigo’s to use four Messina Hof varietals to make our own blends.

Blending Seminar “Winners” (L to R), Kay Dunn, Then the blends were judged by a panel Richard Leofsky, Jorge & Anne Squier made up by a member from each team. The newly-blended bottles of wines were tasted blind and the team of Richard Leofsky, Kay Dunn, Jorge Squier and Anne Bark Squier was declared the winner! Everyone had a terrific time and it was interesting to see how serious and competitive they all were.

Following the blending seminar, we had the rare privilege of visiting the Hospitality Industry archives. There was no shortage of fascinating things to see, but among them was the original wedding album of Elizabeth Taylor to Nicky Hilton. (It is the Hilton College after all!) Located on the UH campus is a Hilton Hotel and it was the site Blending Wine is Serious Work of the Messina Hof Wine Dinner that followed the blending seminar. While we enjoyed our wine and dinner and heard from Paul and Merrill about the wine and food pairings, we held our annual business meeting. Multitasking at its very best! continued >>>

Winter/Spring 2017

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HOUSTON CHAPTER CONT’D FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Houston at

Holiday Time

October was the return of the ever popular pot luck dinner. No one can figure out how it works that we don’t end up with all salads or all desserts, but it does work every time and the offerings are fabulous! Wine was from our KOV cellar as we enjoyed a casual gathering between summer and what was sure to be a hectic holiday schedule.

The holiday season got a great start as our Ladies of the Knight had a record turnout when we gathered on December 5 at the beautifully-decorated-for-the-holidays home of Laurie Phillips. As her husband is Super Bowl 50 winner Coach Wade Phillips (currently with the Los Angeles Rams), the theme for our wine tasting was NFL wines! Wines from Dick Vermeil, Terry Hoage, John Madden, Mike Ditka and Drew Bledsoe were among the wines enjoyed by the 64 ladies who each brought holiday nibbles to share. Talk about fun! And tasty! It was a great evening of friendship and we owe many thanks to Laurie for being such a gracious hostess.

LEFT Holiday Event! Jan Johnson, Heidi Davis, Jean and Jimmy Duncan, Linda Evans,Wanda Schaffner BELOW CENTER NFL wines intercepted by (LtoR) Lois Van Vooren, Nan McCreary, Kathy Long, Lori Thomson and Wanda Shaffner

Laurie Phillips (standing) and our Ladies of the Knight enjoy the Holidays!

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Ginger Covington, Jim McCreary and others enjoy vast array of foods offer at Potluck!

Knight and Gentle Lady Dave and Jan Johnson graciously hosted our Holiday Tasting at their home on December 9. The holiday table was laden with a gorgeous display of tasty foods and our Grand Commander had selected wines that would celebrate our holiday spirit! While starting with Prosecco, the night was really about enjoying Delectus wines from Napa—most in magnums. We were genuinely pleased to have 64 knights, gentle ladies and guests in attendance and were especially excited to have three people turn in their applications to join our chapter at that event. With the Assemblage planned for January 2017, it wouldn’t be long before we would be officially welcoming them into our ranks!

Our Ladies of the Knight event welcomed many guests!

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Proper So you just brought several bottles of nice wines home, but you don’t plan to drink them right away. What do you do with them? Toss them in the refrigerator?

Stash them in a closet? Store them in a kitchen cupboard?

Before you decide where to keep your treasures, keep in mind that proper storage is critical to maintaining the wine’s flavors.

In fact, if stored improperly, the wine could be ruined. The four factors that affect a bottle of wine’s condition are light, humidity, vibration and temperature.

LIGHT Keep your wine away from strong light.

Some say that light is wine’s greatest enemy.

Natural sunshine or artificial light will heat the wine, causing it to age prematurely and deplete flavors, aromas and structure — essentially the essence of the wine. Did you ever notice that many wines are stored in dark green bottles? Studies have shown that green bottles have a greater protective effect against light than lighter colored bottles. Some Champagnes packaged in clear bottles may be wrapped in tissue paper or special light-proof cellophane to protect them from light damage.

Wine Strorage

VIBRATION Store wine bottles away from vibrations. While the jury is out on the direct effects of vibration, some experts claim that vibration can change the chemical properties in the wine and accelerate aging. At the very least, long-term storage near vibrations may disturb the sediments in older wines and keep them from settling, which can affect the wine’s texture. In any case, it’s not a good idea to store wines close to mechanical systems such as cooling units or laundry equipment, nor should you keep your wine in a converted warehouse next to a railroad line where the walls shake every time a train passes.

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HUMIDITY Experts suggest that the ideal humidity for storing wine is in the 60 to 80 percent range. If wine is stored in too dry an atmosphere for several years, the corks can dry out, which would let air in the bottle and spoil the wine. For this reason, it’s not a good idea to store wine long-term in the refrigerator, which is designed to remove humidity as it cools. On the other hand, excessive humidity can promote mold. This won’t affect a properly sealed wine, but can damage the labels and make wine more difficult to identify or resell.

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STORAGE OPTIONS For long-term storage of valuable wines, many collectors use professional storage facilities specifically designed to maintain wines under ideal conditions. Another option is to purchase a stand-alone, temperature-controlled wine refrigerator for your home. These range in size from units that can store as few as 18 bottles to larger units that can hold several hundred bottles.

A cool, not-too-damp basement can double as a wine cellar, as long as the basement doesn’t get too cold in the winter. A closet in the interior of the house (away from exterior walls) is also a possibility, especially for shortterm storage. The problem with most indoor spaces, however, is that they are too warm.

On the other hand, wines stored between 59 and 68 °F are not likely to be harmed as long as temperatures do not fluctuate.

By Nan McCreary

TEMPERATURE VARIATION Keep wine at a cool, constant temperature. Ideal temperature is generally between 50 and 59 °F. If a wine is exposed to too much heat, it becomes “cooked” and develops off-flavors and aromas. Conversely, cold slows down the aging process. What is too hot and too cold? Temperatures above 70° for a significant amount of time can age a wine more quickly than desirable.

Temperatures below 25 °F pose a risk of freezing, which could cause the liquid to turn to ice and force the cork out of the bottle.

Temperature fluctuation, too, is a serious hazard for wine storage. If wine is repeatedly exposed to severe temperature swings, it could expand and contract, allowing more air/oxygen in the bottle. One of the worst places for long-term storage is the kitchen, because of wide temperature variations in the room.

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Wherever you keep your wines, store corked wines on their sides to ensure that the cork stays in contact with the wine. The cork protects the wine from oxygen. If the cork dries out, air can seep into the bottle. Wines that are sealed with a screwcap can be stored standing up without any risk.

Wine — often called the “Nectar of the Gods— is a living, breathing entity. It can change from year to year, and, once poured, from hour to hour.

Treat your wine properly, and you will more fully enjoy the joys of truly good bottle.

In the next Arbor: WINE SERVING TEMPERATURES References: Jancis Robinson Wine Spectator Wine Enthusiast Wine and Spirit Education Trust

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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 $225 Initiation Fee to cover expenses relative to the Knighthood Enthronement Ceremony.

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 ________________

FICB International Congress ~ REPORT The F.I.C.B. General Assembly met in Paris on January 28 2017. Forty-one active members (out of 43) from 16 countries were present, represented or had sent apologies. The Executive Committee and Board of Administration had met the day before. The very positive outcome of 2016 was reported and new developments for 2017 approved.

2016 was marked by the big success of the 49th F.I.C.B. International Congress held in California (Napa and Sonoma Valleys) in June: over 200 participants from a dozen countries enjoyed an extraordinary programme organized by the Knights of the Vine of America.

Three new members have been registered (two wine brotherhoods from new countries: O.E.V.E. Romania and Macau Wine Society, and a second Serbian brotherhood: the Banat St Theodor Wine Order), while the Commende Majeure du Roussillon (France) made its come back as active member. The programme for the 2018 Congress has been finalized and was presented to the General Assembly by the organizer, O.E.V.E. Makedonia. Registration on line will start on 1 May 2017.

Our multi lingual lexicon has been made available on our website, which is increasingly visited.

The main decisions adopted at the 2017 General Assembly related to: The approval of the “practical guide for the creation and development of a wine brotherhood”.

This document will soon be available on our web site in French and English. German, Italian and Spanish versions should be made available within months; The approval of the creation of two new types of international events under the aegis of F.I.C.B. : the “F.I.C.B. International Wine Tasting Challenge” and the “F.I.C.B. wine discovery tours”. The Executive Committee was requested to develop and approve specifications for each type of event, which will broaden the offer of contacts and discoveries under the aegis of F.I.C.B. They should highlight the dedication of our wine brotherhoods to recognizing individual expertise in wine tasting and allowing new wine experiences; The F.I.C.B. “diplomas of honor” for which the Executive Committee is requested

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to formalize and approve the criteria, while several candidacies are under consideration; The decision to examine further the two remarkable candidacies received for hosting the 2020 F.I.C.B. International Congress: one by the Langhe-Roero region in the Piedmont (Italy) and the other by Portugal (regions of Douro, Vinho Verde and Lisbon). The decision on the hosting will be taken by the Executive Committee, compliant with our Statutes, at its meeting on 2 February 2018.

The meeting of the General Assembly was concluded by a presentation by Ms Noélie GENEVEY (Moët Hennessy) who, on behalf of the international association “Wine in Moderation-Art de Vivre” (click here) underlined the positive partnership concluded last 6 June with F.I.C.B. She presented the “guide for responsible wine tasting” which will be promoted within the F.I.C.B. membership.

The Board of Administration met just after the General Assembly to elect Ms. Bianca VEDRINO as F.I.C.B. Vice-president for Italy. Ms VEDRINO is the Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of the Truffle and the Wines of Alba (Piedmont). The vacant position of Vice-president for Hungary should be filled later in.

Financially, the 2016 accounts were positive due to the royalties from the 2016 Congress and lean management. The 2017 Budget was adopted taking into account the exceptional expenses related to the publication of the practical guide and the launch of new developments. The annual fee for active membership remains at 150€ and 50€ for the admission fee, and 100€ for associate members.

A convivial lunch followed at the Musée du Vin de Paris, thus concluding meetings which open new perspectives for F.I.C.B. and the wine brotherhoods.

Later in the afternoon, a tasting of Macedonian wines was hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia in Paris.

The 2018 F.I.C.B. General Assembly will be held on Saturday 3 February 2018 in Paris preceded as usual the previous day by meetings of the Executive Committee and Board of Administration and closed this time by a gala dinner in the evening.

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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 $5.95

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 John Kovacik 3955 No. Tucson Blvd.

Tucson, AZ 85716 Phone: 520-318-1789 jkovacik@cox.net

Orange County Chapter Commander Thomas E. McCrystal 27245 Regio Mission Viejo, CA 92692 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 612 W. Lodi Avenue Suite 101, #6 Lodi, CA 95240 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 PO Box 7617 Gulfport MS 39506 Phone 228-897-1995 or 228-897-1993 kovgulfcoast@gmail.com Jackson Chapter Commander Nathan McHardy 1414 Brecon Drive Jackson, MS 39211 nmchardy@comcast.net

NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina Chapter Commander Ronald Newcomb 50 Canvasback Court Pittsboro, NC 27312 Phone: 919-533-3300 Fax: 919-533-3300 rnewcomb1@nc.rr.com TENNESSEE Tennessee Chapter Commander Tom Webb 277 College Street Collierville, TN 38017 Phone: 901-853-7781 webbtom@bellsouth.net

TEXAS Austin Chapter Commander Jerry Gatlin 3801 N Capital of TX Hwy STE E-240 Austin TX 78746-1482 Phone: 512 458-4714 office Fax: 512 458-1037 fax jerrygatlin@gmail.com Houston Chapter Commander Buddy Hagner, Jr. 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 Commander Ken Hick P. O. Box 16756 Portland, OR 97292 Phone: 503-680-4920 rnwi@comcast.net

International Chapters FINLAND Finland Chapter Commander Olli Heikkilä Vainamoisenkatu 7D 33540 Tampere Finland olli.kovfinland@gmail.com

visit us online at

www.kov.org Join KOV on Facebook!

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.

Winter/Spring 2017

Supreme Knights Bradley Alderson David G. Armanasco Ed Auler 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 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. Gordon W. Murchie 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 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 Zelma R. Long Michaela K. Rodeno Jean R. Wente

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ÂŽ

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!

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The Arbor