2018 Wine Interest Group
Thank you to those who completed the survey to help us plan the Wine Interest Group for 2018. I am pleased to let you know that Debbie Hirschi has agreed to be our group leader again for this year, and I am taking the role of, well, I suppose it is an administrative coordinator, as Jeannette Beck did last year.
The plan for this year is A World Tour of Wine, with each month’s offerings highlighting wines from a particular country or region of the world. The plan is for no instruction, perhaps just a few opening comments, with wines served at tasting stations – no sitting at large tables. There will be brief notes about the wines available as handouts and electronically.
Debbie will provide all wine and glasses (if the host would like them), and I will provide fruit, cheese and crackers. If the host would like to provide appetizer-sized foods that represent the region highlighted, that is entirely up to her. Debbie is happy to make suggestions for pairings.
The cost for each event remains $15 per person and will go toward the cost of the wine, cheese, crackers, and fruit. Please pay cash at the event though the online registration will show $0.
There was not a strong consensus on which day works best, so we are sticking with the third Tuesday of most (not all) months. Each event will begin at 7:00 p.m. Here is the schedule.
February 20: France Part I – Champagne and Bordeaux
Host: Debbie Hirschi, 2402 High Meadow Lane, Champaign
March 20: France Part II – The Loire Valley and Burgundy
Host: Shari Fox, 1811 Savanna Drive, Champaign
April 17: France Part III – Alsace and the Rhone Valley
Host: Megan Gillette, Lumen, Lincoln Square Mall across from Connections, Urbana
June 19: Italy
Host: TBD
July 17: The Rest of the Old World – Spain, Germany, Austria and Portugal
Host: Jeannette Beck, 2204 Noel Drive, Champaign IL
September 18: The Southern Hemisphere
Host: TBD
October 16: Think Pink in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Host: TBD
November 20 (subject to change): Back in the States
Host: TBD
December 18: A Celebration of Wine and Food from Around the World
Host: Debbie Hirschi
If you are able to attend the first gathering on February 20, please RSVP online. If you can volunteer now to host a future event, please let me know at sharifox@uif.uillinois.edu.
We hope to see you and visit over wines from around the world throughout the course of the year!
Shari Fox
