SIZZLING CIDER AGING OUR TASTING SENSES DOUBLE GOLD TASTING NOTES BOXED WINE VS. BOTTLED WINE 11 Night West Indies Hideaway Jan. 27-Feb. 7, 2016 AZAMARA INCLUSIVE Tasters Guild Cruise Package! * All Gratuiti es Included! * Select standard spirits, an internati onal selecti on of beers plus bouti que red and white wines through- out the voyage-ALL INCLUDED! * Bott led water, soft drinks, specialty coff ees and teas. * One FREE AzAmazing Evening of entertainment * Private Tasters Guild Wine Tasti ng. * English-trained butler service for suite guests * Free shutt le to and from port communiti es, where available. * Concierge services for personal guidance and reservati ons. * Self-service laundry. * Only 694 passengers aboard Azamara Journey. From pristi ne beaches and waterfalls to simple small towns and elegant resorts, this voyage has adventures for every taste. You'll love the small French fi shing village of Terrede-Haut, with shops and restaurants within walking distance of your ship. Hike to water- falls and rainforests on lush Roseau, and tour old plantati on homes and botanical gardens on friendly Nevis. Sophisti cated St. Barts caters to Jet-set tastes with elegant shops, fi ne dining and gorgeous beaches. The next day you can swim among the giant volcanic boulders at the Baths at Virgin Gorda. And you'll love this ship - Guaranteed! Over half of the Tasters Guild people on our cruise to South America last January have already booked their cabin for this Great Caribbean cruise to the West In- dies. STATEROOMS FROM $3,249 11 NIGHTS - WEST INDIES HIDEAWAY TUE 27-Jan Miami, Florida WED 28-Jan At Sea Cruising THU 29-Jan At Sea Cruising FRI 30-Jan St. John, Virgin Islands SAT 31-Jan Terre-de-Haut, Guadeloupe SUN 1-Feb Roseau, Dominica MON 2-Feb Charlestown, Nevis TUE 3-Feb Gustavia, St. Barts WED 4-Feb Virgin Gorda, Briti sh Virgin THU 5-Feb At Sea Cruising FRI 6-Feb At Sea Cruising SAT 7-Feb Miami, Florida For More Information and Reservations Call Claudia at Cruise Holidays of Shelby 1-800-403-7936 2 SUMMER 2015 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL By Joe Borrello President’s Page In March we announced the Tasters Guild Company) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a selection for the 2014 Winery of the Year, West Michigan and State Distributor that CONTENTS: Affi liate of the Year and Chapter of the has been a valuable affi liate member since Year. the beginning of Tasters Guild. Alliance 4 Aging Our Tasting Senses Tasters Guild selected E. & J. Gallo Beverage is a key cog in the success of By Dr. Richard Vine, PhD Portfolio of Brands “in recognition of the our Annual International Wine Judging by Gallo company’s continuing endorsement receiving and transporting nearly 4,000 of consumer education, understanding bottles of wine every year from wineries 5 Sizzling Styles of Cider to the judging site. The Gary family of and appreciation of the responsible use By Michael Schafer of wine with food through the support of Alliance Beverage has staunchly supported Tasters Guild activities and the winery’s the Tasters Guild chapters in West Michigan commitment to these goals.” by participating in all the community 6 The Retailer's Shelf wine activities sponsored by Tasters Guild for over three generations without any By Dick Scheer hesitation to support consumer wine and food education. After so many years of dedicated support 8 Boxed Wine vs. Bottled Wine it is only fi tting that Alliance Beverage By A Brian Cain Distributing be named Tasters Guild’s 2014 Affi liate of the Year. 9 Ask Tasters Guild Tasters Guild’s Chapter of the Year By Joe Borrello The Gallo company has always shown a The 2014 honor goes to the Central dedicated involvement in wine and food Maryland Chapter #06. Dottie Wayne and education as well as developing a superior Larry Elletson inherited the leadership 10 Tasters Guild's 28th portfolio of premium wines from around role of the chapter from TG Executive the world. Many Tasters Guild chapters Vice President, Yogi Barrett, who retired International Wine Judging have experienced the assistance and and migrated to Texas. Since then, Dottie Results sampled many products of a number of the and Larry have done an exemplary job of wineries in the E. & J. Gallo Brand creating wine and food activities that keep Portfolio in presenting wine and food their members informed and content with a 14 Double Gold Notes events for the local membership. Tasters variety of culinary adventures and tastings. Guild is proud to be associated with E. & J. In recognition of unexcelled leadership Gallo and name it Winery of the Year for in food and wine education, understanding 18 Fruit Wines 2014. and appreciation of the responsible use of By Beth Ann Theiste wine with food through chapter activities, Affi liate of the Year Tasters Guild is proud to acknowledge the This recognition goes to long time Central Maryland Chapter #06 as the 2014 19 Photo Gallery Affi liate MemberAlliance Beverage Chapter of the Year. Distributing (formerly Kent Beverage Tasters Guild Journal is published two times a year by TASTERS GUILD INTERNATIONAL 1515 Michigan NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (616) 454-7815 Fax (616) 459-9969 e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.tastersguild.com Editor Joe Borrello Creative Director Wayne J Brown Copy Editor Beth Ann Theiste Associate Publisher Robert Machera Cover Photo by S. Niedzwiecki www.StacyN.com For advertising information, please contact: Machera Associates Phone/Fax: 802-442-8523 Dottie Wayne and Larry Elletson being congratulated E-mail: [email protected] as Chapter of the Year by “Yogi” Barrett. SUMMER 2015 TASTERS GUILD JOURNAL 3 By Dr. Richard Vine, PhD Aging Our Tasting Senses Whenever we think of wine and aging, the to the olfactory lobe in our brain. As we a wine before we can make a determination idea that usually comes to mind is putting become older this sense of smell will diminish of its character. The minimum amount of this down serious bottles to mature. A farsighted – usually because of the loss of nasal nerve stimulation is called a threshold. As we age wine guru might publish a recommendation endings and also due to a lesser amount of the minimum amount of threshold required that we buy a special new release of a big rich mucus being produced in our sinuses. There will continue to increase. We may never fi nd Cabernet requiring at least ten years of patient are some fl avor detectors in our mouth, too, diffi cultly in our senses being able to identify aging to mellow out the tannins. But during but our 9,000 or so taste buds are primarily a bold sweet Riesling but advancing age might that time our taste may have changed to prefer given to the senses of salty, sweet, sour, bitter make the threshold delivered by some delicate it a bit younger when it had sturdier character. and, more recently, umami, which is a savory young Pinot Blanc wines and other shy types The notion of what transpires as our palates sensation caused by various combinations of a bit diffi cult to recognize. mature is a matter that isn’t discussed very amino acids. These are apt to atrophy a bit As we would expect, smoking, spicy much. sooner than the nerves for our sense of smell. foods and spirituous drinks can accelerate My wife and I rarely miss the frequent It is the salty and sweet tastes that usually taste degeneration. Pollution, diseases and tastings now sponsored by the large wine start to diminish fi rst. Much to the dismay medications can also decrease, deform or store in our city. These events are generally of physicians, it’s common to fi nd seniors disguise our taste functions. Senior wine conducted by distributor professionals well dashing on too much salt to enhance the tasters can revel in their lifestyle by optimizing trained in articulating beguiling presentations. fl avors in certain dishes. Tasting defi ciencies the dynamics of an ever increasing tasting Every wine enthusiast has been in such forums for sweetness may prompt elders spooning experience data base in tandem with an ever overhearing plenty of comments and opinions, extra sugar in drinks that younger people decreasing ability to make rapid sharp tasting some fascinating, some bizarre, others even fi nd already perfectly sweetened. Advancing distinctions. humorous - all surviving controversy only by age can also lead to a decreased production going on to the next wine. Most noteworthy of saliva which, in turn, can cause dry mouth Dr. Vine has authored four wine books and is that most often it seems to be the younger and further diminish the senses of taste. The is Purdue University’s Professor of Enology participants who are quickest to proclaim combination of our nerve endings and taste Emeritus. He recently retired after 21 years both the virtues and the fl aws from each buds must, of course, become stimulated by as the Wine Consultant for American Airlines. selection. Veteran judges serving in formal wine competitions can cite many examples of being at odds with younger panel members regarding a particular entry. As often happens, the fi nal award is a compromise down from gold medal contention to silver or perhaps sinking even further. As Time Goes On Wine tasters differ by many more FOUR GENERATIONS IN SONOMA COUNTY characteristics than age, of course, but it is interesting to know that, whatever capacity our unique tasting physiology has, it will degenerate as we get older. The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, a facility of the National Institutes of Health, points out that as we age our senses provide information about the world at present.