Orange County

Orange County Orange County

By Tom McCyrstal

Our Annual Rate the Reds event was held on July 31 and hosted at the home of Knight Jeff Grether and his wife Sue who opened up their spectacular home on Lake Mission Viejo. Our members are no dilettantes when it comes to evaluating red wines. Each offering poured, whose label is carefully concealed, is scrutinize by all in attendance for clarity, color, nose, and, of course, taste after having been instructed in the formally accepted method for tasting a wine which includes gurgling!

Some 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 enthusiasti‑ cally sample each pour of the grape barely able to distinguish a red from a white even though whites are non‑existent in this an‑ nual event. It would truly shock true oenophiles who pride themselves on wine sophistication. Our little band of wine lovers grow each year as word leaks out about all the fun shared by this truly merry group. This year our Master of the Cellar, Bill Losee, decided to challenge us with a blind tasting of California Cabernets. The chosen wines were intended to educate and improve our palettes.

After all wines were poured, a vote was taken. The results of the tasting of these Cabernets, in order of preference, were 2018 Austin Hope, 2016 Jordon, 2016 Groth. 2017 Beringer Knights Valley Reserve, and 2017 Ray‑ mond Vineyards. Austin Hope, the overall winner, hails from Paso Robles and is somewhat fruit forward; a char‑ acteristic our group favors.

To compliment the various wines a wide variety of assorted foods were prepared by our Bill and Barbara Losee. A big thank you for all the effort that goes into planning and hosting such a great annual event.

On August 17 our illustrious group once again enjoyed a fun evening of great food, wine and entertainment at Quattro Caffe in South Coast Plaza Mall in Costa Mesa, California. As always, the evening commenced with a welcoming glass or two of wine and then we were on to the main event of the evening ‑ a cooking class. This class had a number of members participating in the preparation of each course making for quite an ad‑ venture. While guests remained seated and watched the

courses being prepared, all enjoyed wine and a number of Italian songs performed by our instructor, Dominico, with many of us joining in. It was good times as our rambunctious group sang their hearts out to Frank Sina‑ tra and Dean Martin's oldie but goody tunes.

At the conclusion of the evening, we all received detailed recipes on how to prepare each course at home. We must thank Knight John Moreiko and his wife Cheryl for set‑ ting up this event. It’s quickly becoming another annual event since everyone enjoys it so much.

Knight John and Dianne Artim hosted our annual Holiday Party on December 4. Being in Southern California we are used to warmer weather, 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 and warm our hearts.

The evening includes our traditional yuletide gift ex‑ change 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 emerges. But it is usually short‑lived as a knowledgeable Knight or Gentle Lady will uncere‑ moniously pilfer the bottle and slyly camouflage it so it will remain in their possession. Not to be denied, yet another Knight or Lady will claim the coveted wine and then, by degree of the Master Commander, it nestles in the arms of its joyful owner after it has been stolen twice, to be enjoyed on a future special occasion.

And thus our festive evening concludes and we all so‑ journ back to our homes well prepared for the Holiday season to continue. We are immensely thankful for the priceless gift of fellowship that is truly displayed in our community of wine lovers and good friends.