The-Wine-Educator    WINE & SPIRITS EDUCATION AND CONSULTING SERVICES FOR THE CONSUMER AND THE PROFESSIONAL

                 Dr. David Muhleman

Wine Groups

For centuries wine was a beverage to drink with your meal. It did not contain harmful bacteria, like most of the water, and it kept for weeks or months without going bad (of course that’s all in perspective to what the wine tasted like originally).

Additionally for centuries more (even after water was clean) wine was part of everyday life in most of Europe. Everyone made home-made wine in the basement cellar and put away massive “jugs” of wine to last throughout the year. Not a lot of thought went into the wine, as it was just for “everyday drinking.”  As more and more families immigrated to the US from European countries, they brought their tradition for basement wines with them. But it was still simple wine; it was jug wine for drinking.

That tradition continues in much of France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Spain. Each family makes enough wine to see them through the year. And for those that choose not to go to the effort to make the wine, they can take their bottles down to the local co-op and buy their weekly wine by the jug full.

The point being, for centuries (and still some places today) wine was NOT a social event; it was daily living.  No one used stemmed glasses, or worried about the correct temperature, or considered wine anything but a beverage for your meal.

in other places of the world, that has changed. Wine is very much in the center of social relationships. In America, wine has become the reason for many social events. Wine tastings, wine classes, wine clubs have exploded onto the social scene. Airlines had wine clubs, gun associations have wine clubs, credit card companies have wine clubs, and more and more restaurants are featuring their wine over their food. Wine has become fashionable in America, and friends are gathering together to enjoy each other’s company, using wine as the catalyst to get together. (It doesn’t hurt that with a little wine, the party becomes more fun).

There are several wine clubs in Tucson/Oro Valley/Marana. Some are made up of a few couples, and some are Chapters of national organizations (e.g., American Wine Society). The point is; you can walk into any wine store in the area and ask; and someone knows of a little wine group here in town. The purpose of the group is social friendship, and the wine is simply the common interest. I belong to several of these “wine groups” and each has their own group of members, and each has their own reason for staying together. My smallest group meets every Friday for steak and wine. But what makes this group special is that at the start of the evening I am presented with 6 unknown wines (“blind tasting”), and asked to identify: the grape varietal (or blend), where the wine is from (as closely as possible, down to the appellation), the year the wine was made, the amount of alcohol and residual sugar in the wine, and finally the price range of the wine. This is all in preparation for my Master of Wine Exam, where I have to do this with 36 unknown wines over a 7 hour period (divided up over 3 days). The goal is to practice analyzing wines; the benefit is that all of us learn more about wine as I go through this process, and that we then have 6 wines to taste with dinner every Friday.

My friends will tell you that the more I practice the better I have become. They will also tell you that at least one wine each week “stumps the dummy.” And that is good so I continue to sharpen my skills. The idea is that you can form a wine group with almost anything as a purpose, or goal. There are wine clubs in town that focus on food/wine pairing. There was wine clubs that focus on trying different restaurants (and wine), and there are wine clubs that focus on experiencing wines that cost $200 a bottle (or more).

There truly is a wine club for all levels here in the Tucson area. All you have to do is stop into any of the local wine stores and ask. Wine has come a long way from clay amphoras and basement cellars, to high society and high fashion. But it still remains, just a beverage, unless we make it something more.

Wine clubs and wine groups have made wine a common interest around which friendships form. So whether you are looking for a wine group that meets once a week to practice for wine tests, or you meet once a quarter to drink $200 dollar wines, there is a group for every wine lover out there. You just need to keep asking until you find one that fits your interests.

Until next time, drink good wine.