Here’s our group’s very first communication. As you read through these old newsletters, bear in mind that all communication was done by US mail, and that I also sent out Xerox copies of auction pages with wines we were bidding on. The paperwork tapered off after the first year, but the US mail communication continued for several years before everyone had email.
Number 1 — January, 1993
Welcome to the organizational letter of a wine tasting group I’ve dubbed “The Wine Syndicate”. If anyone can come up with a better name, I’m open to suggestions.
Charter
The purpose of the Wine Syndicate is to provide spectacular, themed tastings to its members about four times a year. The wines for these tasting will be targeted and acquired over a period of months or years, through auctions and other purchases, plus trades with members. Periodically the Syndicate’s cellar may be purged of excess wines by trading, re-auctioning, or selling or otherwise disbursing the excess wines to the members.
Membership
Group membership will be limited to ten, or perhaps twelve individuals. Tentatively, the charter members are:
Steve & Linda Alcorn
Andy & Libby Crockett
Al & Carol Gane
John & Debbie Henline
Duane & Carol Holder
Acquisition Strategy
Initially the Syndicate will focus on acquiring wines through the Butterfield & Butterfield auctions, and perhaps local Florida charity events.
Butterfield & Butterfield auctions occur approximately six times per year. The next auction is January 23rd, followed by one on March 13th. Our goal at the auctions will be to average $500 of acquisitions, but because this is impossible to control when bids are submitted by fax, we will bid on many times this value of lots but will place a $1200 limit on spending most of the time. With four tastings per year, and assuming that our consumption balances our acquisitions, the average tasting will feature $750 to $1000 worth of wine. While this may sound like a lot of wine, remember that the emphasis of our bidding will be on bottles which no individual members can afford. This means that $300 bottles will not be uncommon.
Our purchasing emphasis will be on the following wines:
First Growth Red Bordeaux
Fine Red and White Burgundies
Chateau d’Yquem
BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve
Heitz Martha’s Vineyard
Dunn Howell Mountain
Caymus Special Selection
Stony Hill Chardonnay
Petite Sirah and Charbono verticals
Pre-1970 French wines in general
Pre-1980 California wines in general
Dues and Membership Privileges
Membership dues will be $150 per couple, quarterly. The membership dues entitle that couple to attend all tasting events. The cost of dinner is not included in club dues. We will aim for an average of $25 per person plus tip, if possible.
Our tastings will attempt to group the wines in interesting vertical and horizontal ways. Wines will always be tasted blind.
The wines will be tasted at either Steve & Linda’s house so they can be drunk between cellar and room temperature, or a local restaurant’s banquet facility. Generally there will be one warm up wine, then a sit down tasting with ten glasses poured simultaneously. All tastings will use our standard evaluation forms, and I hope to keep a complete set of these for our entertainment and perusal in the future. Following the tasting, members are invited to bring a single brown bag wine per couple to taste while dinner is being set up. Dinner will then be accompanied by some of the lesser wines acquired as “filler” in our bid lots.
It is important to note that members do not have an ownership interest in the cellar; however all active members have the right to attend each of the Syndicate’s tastings. I make this distinction in anticipation of the day when a member decides to leave the group, to make it clear that all wines acquired during their tenure remain in the Syndicate’s cellar.
Although we will mutually agree upon a convenient date for each tasting several months in advance, some unexpected conflicts are inevitable. Should a couple not be able to attend, given reasonable notice the other members will attempt to find a guest couple to fill in for them and will refund the absent couple $150. The fill in guest couple will be charged $150.
Startup
In order to build a reasonable selection of wines from which to construct tastings I have donated a number of bottles to begin the group’s cellar. A list is attached for your information. As we add wines to the cellar, they will be cataloged in the same fashion, with their values pro-rated according to their relative merit, and the price of the lot, including the 10% buyer’s premium and air express shipping. Attaching a value to each wine in the cellar will facilitate trading and other disbursements which may take place, and also provides us with the enjoyment of having a dollar value attached to the wines at any given tastings. An updated cellar listing will be distributed prior to each event.
If anyone else has wines they would like to contribute to the cellar, they would be most welcome.
Storage
A separate section of Steve & Linda’s cellar has been set aside for storage of the wines, and the initial donated wines have been moved into it.
Closing Remarks
In order to provide time to accumulate a cohesive group of wines for our first event, our initial tasting will be this Summer, perhaps in August. In the mean time, I will keep you apprised of the bidding action and results. Our bids for January are attached.
If you have not yet mailed me your check, please do so at your earliest convenience. Please also contact me if you have questions or suggestions. We’ll see you all in February at the regularly scheduled monthly tasting.