April 2021 Volume 9, Number 3
• Presidents Update - Ellen Zonn
• Kiva Club Events Update - Mike Hewitt
• Membership Update - Pam Molloy
• So....What's Your Favorite Wine or New Wine Find? -
Mason's, Akers, Trella's & Hancock's
• Kiva Club Events Update - Mike Hewitt
• Membership Update - Pam Molloy
• So....What's Your Favorite Wine or New Wine Find? -
Mason's, Akers, Trella's & Hancock's
PRESIDENTS UPDATE
Greetings,
Spring has arrived in the desert and the flowers are starting to bloom. It is truly amazing to see such vibrant colors emerge from such prickly cactus.
Life is starting to get back to some semblance of normalcy, and the wine club is starting to plan events. If you have signed up to attend the April wine taste, we will be excited to see familiar faces enjoying wine together. Mike and Cory Hewitt have worked very hard along with Gregg Snyder and Sydney Cox to make this happen. If all goes as well as we hope, May and June wine tastes will follow. We are planning for home socials to resume in the fall. If you are willing to host a home social, please contact our new Home Socials Chair, Debbie Edwards. She will be happy to hear from you.
Be happy and healthy and keep drinking good wine.
Cheers,
Ellen Zonn
Greetings,
Spring has arrived in the desert and the flowers are starting to bloom. It is truly amazing to see such vibrant colors emerge from such prickly cactus.
Life is starting to get back to some semblance of normalcy, and the wine club is starting to plan events. If you have signed up to attend the April wine taste, we will be excited to see familiar faces enjoying wine together. Mike and Cory Hewitt have worked very hard along with Gregg Snyder and Sydney Cox to make this happen. If all goes as well as we hope, May and June wine tastes will follow. We are planning for home socials to resume in the fall. If you are willing to host a home social, please contact our new Home Socials Chair, Debbie Edwards. She will be happy to hear from you.
Be happy and healthy and keep drinking good wine.
Cheers,
Ellen Zonn
KIVA CLUB EVENTS: WINE CLUB TASTINGS
We got the word at the end of March from Gregg, Kiva’s Lifestyle Director, giving us the go ahead to have an April Wine Club tasting.
We scrambled and with the help of many, we were able to schedule a Sunday, April 18 tasting for a limited number of seats.
Because of the short turn around to make this all happen, we set up the reservation sales like we do for the December Holiday party. I sent out an Eblast and a Punchbowl notice.
Tickets sold quickly, with only a few seats left and then Kiva will have a waiting list.
We have many Covid19 restrictions for a safe reopening. If all goes smoothly, we hope Kiva will allow us to have a May and possibly a June tasting. Tentative Dates are set for Sunday, May 23 and Sunday, June 27.
For those attending, please wear you masks into and through the club. Once you are seated at your table, the masks can be removed. Remember social distancing, sanitizing and just be aware that we are still being very cautious.
Look forward to seeing those attending the April tasting and hoping we will soon be reopened to other activities.
Mike Hewitt
We got the word at the end of March from Gregg, Kiva’s Lifestyle Director, giving us the go ahead to have an April Wine Club tasting.
We scrambled and with the help of many, we were able to schedule a Sunday, April 18 tasting for a limited number of seats.
Because of the short turn around to make this all happen, we set up the reservation sales like we do for the December Holiday party. I sent out an Eblast and a Punchbowl notice.
Tickets sold quickly, with only a few seats left and then Kiva will have a waiting list.
We have many Covid19 restrictions for a safe reopening. If all goes smoothly, we hope Kiva will allow us to have a May and possibly a June tasting. Tentative Dates are set for Sunday, May 23 and Sunday, June 27.
For those attending, please wear you masks into and through the club. Once you are seated at your table, the masks can be removed. Remember social distancing, sanitizing and just be aware that we are still being very cautious.
Look forward to seeing those attending the April tasting and hoping we will soon be reopened to other activities.
Mike Hewitt
TRILOGY WINE CLUB IS BACK
As the world is starting to reopen, so is Trilogy at Vistancia, as is the Trilogy Wine Club. As you are probably aware, the club is starting with wine tastings at the Kiva Club. The pending wine tasting on April 18, 2021 will be a treat for all of us that have been hunkered down, keeping safe for the last year! Getting back to drinking wine and socializing with friends is an important aspect of life in Trilogy.
Do you have friends that you would like to join you at the various events held by the wine club? If so, this is a reminder for you to let your friends know that wine events are starting and to encourage them to join the club and we hope to be un full swing by the Fall of this year. They can join by visiting the membership section of the wine club at TrilogyWineClub.com
Pam Molloy
As the world is starting to reopen, so is Trilogy at Vistancia, as is the Trilogy Wine Club. As you are probably aware, the club is starting with wine tastings at the Kiva Club. The pending wine tasting on April 18, 2021 will be a treat for all of us that have been hunkered down, keeping safe for the last year! Getting back to drinking wine and socializing with friends is an important aspect of life in Trilogy.
Do you have friends that you would like to join you at the various events held by the wine club? If so, this is a reminder for you to let your friends know that wine events are starting and to encourage them to join the club and we hope to be un full swing by the Fall of this year. They can join by visiting the membership section of the wine club at TrilogyWineClub.com
Pam Molloy
WINE 101
We all love drinking and enjoying wine, that’s a given; otherwise, why would we have joined a wine club. The majority of us are content to be directed toward good wines, either by friends or the floor-persons in your favorite wine shop. Most will be content to stop at that point and simple ENJOY. But I bet there are some that would like to know more about wine; how it is made, does the glass enhance the taste, what are the characteristics of grape varieties, what wines go best with certain foods, and so on.
I have long been interested in wine, but when I retired I made it one of my hobbies. That meant that I needed to learn more about wine. I started with a subscription to Wine Spectator, but like your friend or favorite wine store floor-person, it only directs you to great wines.
One of my good friends gave me a book that has turned out to be the best single source for gaining a basic, broad-range knowledge of wine, from the grape vine to your consumption in the proper glass and paired with a complimenting food. The book is “Wine Folly Magnum Edition”. It is available on Amazon and has just been reduced from $35 to $19.81. This book brilliantly melds words with easy-to-understand graphics, tables and charts. The resulting content is fun to read while filling your mind with useful information. Wine Folly takes you through Wine Basics, Food and Wine, Grapes and Wine and finally the top 14 Wine Regions in the world. For example, did you know that there are more than 1500 grape varieties in the world? The Grapes and Wine section describes the top 100 varieties.
You will find, as I did, that you will want to read the book cover to cover. My wife also found Wine Folly an enjoyable and informative primer on wine. We both refer to it several times a week. I have added several more books on wine to my shelf including “The World Atlas of Wine”, but Wine Folly is the one I reach for most often. So, if you want to learn a bit about the fine wines you drink, order Wine Folly. It will be the best $20 you spend on wine.
Ed & Joyce Mason
We all love drinking and enjoying wine, that’s a given; otherwise, why would we have joined a wine club. The majority of us are content to be directed toward good wines, either by friends or the floor-persons in your favorite wine shop. Most will be content to stop at that point and simple ENJOY. But I bet there are some that would like to know more about wine; how it is made, does the glass enhance the taste, what are the characteristics of grape varieties, what wines go best with certain foods, and so on.
I have long been interested in wine, but when I retired I made it one of my hobbies. That meant that I needed to learn more about wine. I started with a subscription to Wine Spectator, but like your friend or favorite wine store floor-person, it only directs you to great wines.
One of my good friends gave me a book that has turned out to be the best single source for gaining a basic, broad-range knowledge of wine, from the grape vine to your consumption in the proper glass and paired with a complimenting food. The book is “Wine Folly Magnum Edition”. It is available on Amazon and has just been reduced from $35 to $19.81. This book brilliantly melds words with easy-to-understand graphics, tables and charts. The resulting content is fun to read while filling your mind with useful information. Wine Folly takes you through Wine Basics, Food and Wine, Grapes and Wine and finally the top 14 Wine Regions in the world. For example, did you know that there are more than 1500 grape varieties in the world? The Grapes and Wine section describes the top 100 varieties.
You will find, as I did, that you will want to read the book cover to cover. My wife also found Wine Folly an enjoyable and informative primer on wine. We both refer to it several times a week. I have added several more books on wine to my shelf including “The World Atlas of Wine”, but Wine Folly is the one I reach for most often. So, if you want to learn a bit about the fine wines you drink, order Wine Folly. It will be the best $20 you spend on wine.
Ed & Joyce Mason
COVID + WINE = COVINO
As we think back over the last year, it’s easy to get wrapped up in all that’s been lost due to the pandemic. But after closer inspection, we realize there are some positive things that have come our way. And one of them has to do with wine!
A good friend invited us to join a virtual wine tasting group he started call the Covino Club (COVID + wine = Covino)! Every month, a small group, usually 15-20, gather on a Zoom call with a representative from a different winery and we do a virtual wine tasting!
The wineries chosen are typically smaller and it’s been so nice to meet the people behind the wines and hear their stories. Many of these wineries have struggled over the past few years due to the pandemic and the fires in Napa. So, it’s great to have a small part in keeping their businesses going.
Here is a list of some of the wineries we’ve experienced through the Covino Club. Each one is different, but we’ve enjoyed every one!
If we had to pick a favorite from the list above (and it’s a tough one), we would choose Brown Estate. We love their story, and we really enjoyed their 2018 Merlot.
If you’re looking to expand your wine experience, we encourage you to explore any (or all) of these wineries. You would be helping out some great people who have put their heart and soul into their wine business, and you just might find a new favorite wine!
Cheers!
Bill & Jean Akers
As we think back over the last year, it’s easy to get wrapped up in all that’s been lost due to the pandemic. But after closer inspection, we realize there are some positive things that have come our way. And one of them has to do with wine!
A good friend invited us to join a virtual wine tasting group he started call the Covino Club (COVID + wine = Covino)! Every month, a small group, usually 15-20, gather on a Zoom call with a representative from a different winery and we do a virtual wine tasting!
The wineries chosen are typically smaller and it’s been so nice to meet the people behind the wines and hear their stories. Many of these wineries have struggled over the past few years due to the pandemic and the fires in Napa. So, it’s great to have a small part in keeping their businesses going.
Here is a list of some of the wineries we’ve experienced through the Covino Club. Each one is different, but we’ve enjoyed every one!
- Remy Wines (remywines.com)
- Belong Wines (belongwines.com)
- Mountain Tides (mountaintideswine.com)
- Brown Estate (brownestate.com)
If we had to pick a favorite from the list above (and it’s a tough one), we would choose Brown Estate. We love their story, and we really enjoyed their 2018 Merlot.
If you’re looking to expand your wine experience, we encourage you to explore any (or all) of these wineries. You would be helping out some great people who have put their heart and soul into their wine business, and you just might find a new favorite wine!
Cheers!
Bill & Jean Akers
JOURNEY'S INVOLVING WINE
Since moving to AZ 10 years ago we have enjoyed becoming better acquainted with wine. We have traveled to Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Lodi and Temecula in the pursuit of good wine. Our first trip was to Napa and Sonoma and we went to some lovely wineries and joined a few wine clubs. Back in 2012 the larger wineries could not ship to AZ so these were all smaller wineries. Our favorite from that trip was Cyrus wine from Alexander Valley Vintners. This is a delightful, concentrated and aromatic Bordeaux red blend. It is a special occasion wine as the price is around $60. Imagine our surprise when we saw it was one of the featured wines at the first Barrel Master event here in Trilogy in 2019.
Paso Robles was our introduction to Tobin James wines. We especially love the Fat Boy Zinfandel from them. They have the best wine club where twice a year you get a shipment of 8 bottles plus a gift for a flat $179 (retail value $332).
Since moving to AZ 10 years ago we have enjoyed becoming better acquainted with wine. We have traveled to Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Lodi and Temecula in the pursuit of good wine. Our first trip was to Napa and Sonoma and we went to some lovely wineries and joined a few wine clubs. Back in 2012 the larger wineries could not ship to AZ so these were all smaller wineries. Our favorite from that trip was Cyrus wine from Alexander Valley Vintners. This is a delightful, concentrated and aromatic Bordeaux red blend. It is a special occasion wine as the price is around $60. Imagine our surprise when we saw it was one of the featured wines at the first Barrel Master event here in Trilogy in 2019.
Paso Robles was our introduction to Tobin James wines. We especially love the Fat Boy Zinfandel from them. They have the best wine club where twice a year you get a shipment of 8 bottles plus a gift for a flat $179 (retail value $332).
Last Months Shipment
Our trip to Lodi in 2019 introduced us to Albarino at the delightful Harney Lanes Winery. We did the winery tour and then had a delightful tasting. We prefer red wine, but this Abarino was a godsend during the hot summer of 2020. It sells for $16 if you are a member of their club. Later that year we tried the Albarino when we were in Spain, but we really enjoy Harney’s wine. We loved Lodi as it was not as commercialized as Napa—tastings, hotels and everything are less than Napa. It is an excellent spot for a 3 to 4 day trip.
A 4-day trip with Trilogy over to Temecula is always fun. We have done this trip 3 times and have a great time. It is so close that it is a trip everyone should try. Temecula has really grown since our first trip there in 2016. The beauty of the vineyards and being with old and new friends is priceless. Wines are enjoyable, but we don’t have a favorite from there.
Bob & Jan Trella
A 4-day trip with Trilogy over to Temecula is always fun. We have done this trip 3 times and have a great time. It is so close that it is a trip everyone should try. Temecula has really grown since our first trip there in 2016. The beauty of the vineyards and being with old and new friends is priceless. Wines are enjoyable, but we don’t have a favorite from there.
Bob & Jan Trella
WINE BUYING TIP
Since June, 2018, I’ve been receiving email offers from Total Wine Concierge Sales. There are generally a couple of offers each week, one for wine and another for spirits. Each offer is good for 7 days and if you elect to purchase, you pay the entire amount immediately and pick up the wine when it has arrived at the store. Current offers have an arrival date of summer, 2021. Wines offered are select harder-to-find, generally will never be seen in the store, and sold for at least a 10% discount. I have picked up wonderful French and Italian wines from past purchases and am now awaiting summer delivery for:
Concierge Sales also offers Bordeaux futures on selected wines. For futures, you pay a 50% deposit when you order and the rest upon delivery. I am trying this for the first time this year and am awaiting delivery of three 2019s I ordered last fall.
Check out concierge.totalwine.com for details and enter your email to subscribe. Click on ‘See all offers’ to see current offers and take a look at their past offers archive to get a sense of the variety. There’s no obligation to buy, no minimum purchase requirement, just buy whatever strikes your fancy.
Tom & Nancy Hancock
Since June, 2018, I’ve been receiving email offers from Total Wine Concierge Sales. There are generally a couple of offers each week, one for wine and another for spirits. Each offer is good for 7 days and if you elect to purchase, you pay the entire amount immediately and pick up the wine when it has arrived at the store. Current offers have an arrival date of summer, 2021. Wines offered are select harder-to-find, generally will never be seen in the store, and sold for at least a 10% discount. I have picked up wonderful French and Italian wines from past purchases and am now awaiting summer delivery for:
- Il Poggione Toscana 2018 at $17/bottle (James Suckling rated 91 points).
- Damilano Barolo ‘Lecinquevigne’ 2016 at $36/bottle (Wine Spectator rated 93 points).
- Caparzo Grunello di Montalcino 2016 at $45/bottle (Wine Spectator rated 96 points).
- Lucien & Andre Brunel 2016 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Les Cailloux’ at $50/bottle (Wine Spectator rated 92 points and only 575 cases imported).
Concierge Sales also offers Bordeaux futures on selected wines. For futures, you pay a 50% deposit when you order and the rest upon delivery. I am trying this for the first time this year and am awaiting delivery of three 2019s I ordered last fall.
Check out concierge.totalwine.com for details and enter your email to subscribe. Click on ‘See all offers’ to see current offers and take a look at their past offers archive to get a sense of the variety. There’s no obligation to buy, no minimum purchase requirement, just buy whatever strikes your fancy.
Tom & Nancy Hancock