Gulf Coast

Christmas Capers Christmas Capers & Mardi Gras Memories Mardi Gras Memories

By Suzy Moss

Our Gulf Coast KOV Chapter met to celebrate Christmas and wine at the Destiny Plantation Clubhouse while also respecting socially distancing according to the COVID 19 protocols. That said, this group celebrated and enjoyed the food and wine in spite of the restrictions and was very happy to be together.

We never miss a chance to challenge each other in our holiday dress and revelry and have set a high bar in fashion and fantasy that will be hard to surpass in future years. A merry time was had by all as we look forward to returning to regular order and reuniting with all of the local and regional members who are generally present to share the fun and frolic.

Mardi Gras is a celebration that is deeply ingrained in the Gulf Coast KOV and this group could not let the event pass by even though the local authorities cancelled the parades and balls that are held during the Mardi Gras season. A small group of the members met at Seagrapes in Gulfport, a wine bar that has hosted the group many times in the past. They have an excellent selection of wines and the Gentle Ladies and Knights sampled a number of reds and whites paired with the sumptuous charcuterie that was provided for the culinary pleasure of the group. Wine and food were not the only means of celebration for this royal group. Mardi Gras beads were, of course, part of the evening’s merriment and king cake babies adorned each of the wine glasses of the KOV members. Also, some KOV members are not only Knights and Gentle Ladies, but also Kings and Queens who have served their various Mardi Gras Krewes as special royalty. These royal members wore their crowns and royal garments to the celebration as is their custom each year during Mardi Gras. A great time was had by all and the Mardi Gras royal members agreed that their titles of Knights, Gentle Ladies, and Cadre members were as cherished to them as their royal titles. “Laissez les bon temps rouler!”

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Meet Our Members …

Gentle Lady Windy Stanton began her love story of wine many years ago when she and her husband Robert were college students in Texas. They became regular visitors at Llano Estacado Winery in Lubbock. Robert joined the Air Force after college and they were stationed in California, where Windy continued her love affair with wine in Napa Valley. She and Robert visited V. Sattui winery on weekends as they continued their education about wine and the wine industry. Another of her favorites was the Charles Krug winery, where she enjoyed touring the cellar.

Their next move was to upstate New York, where they spent many weekends at the wineries around the Finger Lakes along the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. Some of her favorites were the Knapp and Hosmer wineries. Windy says she was surprised to learn that the longest running wine trail in the US is Cayuga. She and Robert enjoyed the vineyards and waterfalls that surround the spectacular lakes in the area.

They made their way to Robert’s home state of Pennsylvania, where they lived near the Blue Mountain Vineyards and Cellar. Both especially enjoyed the red and white wines from that vineyard and noted that the reds were much like the French Burgundies.

Windy and Robert have been in Biloxi for the last 16 years, where Robert was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base. Windy is the owner of LADIDAA, which is a ladies clothing boutique. She has considered opening a wine bar since her husband recently retired from the military but says that she is content for now to serve wine to her customers while they shop on Ladies Night. Knight Todd Copeland has been part of the KOV Gulf Coast Chapter for almost five years. He is a family man living in the quiet and quaint town of Pass Christian, Mississippi. His story is one that is similar to that of a good wine, with his shining moments coming into his life after aging a few years. It wasn’t until he was in his 40s that he decided to buy his first home, get married and have a child.

Todd works as the finance director at a Fortune 300 automotive dealer group. Of course, that means working every Saturday and a lot of late nights. Both he and his wife, Nadiya, look forward to attending the social gatherings held by our local chapter. “It turns out that it’s hard to go wrong when pairing good people with a little food and good wine,” he said. “It also doesn’t hurt to have the creative leadership in the Gulf Coast Chapter of Knights of the Vine as they have events for members to attend year round ranging from a simple Winedown Wednesday get-together to a frightfully fun Hallowine party.”

Gentle Lady K. Brooke Shoultz, grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with her mother and brother and spent just as much time with her maternal grandparents, who lived “around the corner” from their home. She has moved throughout the Eastern United States to pursue various degrees to further her education. She was always told by her grandfather, Col. Russell Dailey, USAF (Ret.) that “Education was the key to everything” and she took these words to heart and ultimately obtained her LLM in Taxation from Boston University. Upon graduation, she returned to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to begin her career.

In the summer of 2004, Brooke began working in Mobile as a young tax attorney for Sirote and Permutt, PLLC, a large Alabama law firm with locations in Birmingham, Mobile and Huntsville. She lived in Gulfport to be near family and friends and commuted to Mobile each day. Then Katrina hit! Brooke and her family all lived near the beach and all lost their homes in the storm. It was this event that prompted Brooke to begin her career in Gulfport because she wanted to be a part of the recovery. In February 2006, she left her job in Mobile and started practicing law in a trailer in downtown Gulfport.

Since moving to Gulfport, Brooke has been involved with the business and family legal matters of the Blacklidge family, which owns a large asphalt emulsion business headquartered in Gulfport with locations throughout the Southeast. She has served in a number of positions with Blacklidge and is currently their General Counsel. She also provides financial consulting to several businesses along the Gulf Coast. Brooke is an avid deep-sea fisherwoman and has fished at some beautiful places including Costa Rica, Bermuda and St. Thomas. Her love of wine began about 15 years ago, and she often dines at one of the many wonderful restaurants on the Coast while enjoying a wide array of wines. Although Kosta Brown Pinot Noir is her favorite wine, she enjoys Rosé in the warm summer months as well as red blends, especially those containing Cab Franc.

Knight and Gentle Lady Rod & Donna Krentel live in Pass Christian, Mississippi and have been KOV members for three years. They joined KOV because of their passion for wine and being surrounded by people with the same interest. Rod is an oncologist at Memorial Hospital in Gulfport and, when not working, he and Donna enjoy traveling and visiting wineries and tasting rooms around the world. Their favorites have definitely been the smaller “mom and pop” vineyards and wineries. “It’s amazing to see what hard work goes into these operations and the passion and pride these people have for what they do,” they said. “We have always enjoyed these visits wherever we travel but there are one or two that really stay special in our hearts and memories.” Besides travel, wine and food, they like boating and other outdoor activities. “We really look forward to KOV events. We have met so many wonderful people and made friends that hopefully will last a lifetime.”