At our tasting on July 15, 2006, a new member asked how this group got started. Another newer member asked who was left from the original group.
This got me thinking. Well, as the webmaster, I thought,
what the hell, let's
have a page for our members.
One thing that we have always done, since this website was established, is to list members by first name only. Since we have had a couple of members with the same first name, I will use their first name and the initial of their last name.
In 1996, I (Kathy) joined a wine group. I had found the group through a forum on CompuServe. They had twelve members and one had left, so I filled the opening.
Later that year, my "partner" left the group so I invited my ex to join. He did.
We stayed for about a year after that. One night, at a tasting, we made the comment that we were going to the Chateau Bianca Luau the next day. One of the members, the leader if you will, began wretching, putting his finger down his throat and told us that we were so stupid to go there. Hmm, really? While they do not have the best wines, they are a great family and the wines are nice. For this moron to, basically, tell us that we did not meet his standards, well, it was the straw that broke the camels back.
We walked out that night very disillutioned. Another member left at the same
time and he
was upset and told us that he was quiting after Marshall's tirade.
Well, we had his email and phone number and contacted him after sending Marshall our resignation email. The idea was planted that we start another group.
I contacted Fay and told her what had happened, so we brainstormed
and set a date for
a gathering of those who may be interested in joining.
We set a date in August, 1997 and met in Ken R's backyard. We did a BBQ with everyone bringing a dish to go with the meal. Everyone brought a bottle of wine and we chatted about starting a group.
Those present were Kathy, Chuck, Fay, Ken R, Ken P, Amber, Brenda, Scott and Sue.
We still had three spots to fill and began our search.
Fay and I belonged to Women For WineSense (yes I meant to make that one word) and were
active with the monthly tastings. We met a couple there that night that seemed to
be enjoying themselves. We both chatted with them (I was inside pouring wine, Fay
was outside enjoying the event.) We both thought that they may be interested, so Fay
told them about our group. They asked to come to the next tasting.
Their names were Richard D. and Rebecca
This, then, made up our original group:
Kathy
Chuck
Fay
Ken R
Ken P
Amber
Brenda
Scott
Sue
Richard D
Rebecca
Ken P and Amber decided, right away, that they were not
going to continue and
let us know that they were leaving.
Sue had a friend, her hairdresser, who was interested in wine, so they were
invited to a tasting and joined the group. This made the group make up:
Kathy
Chuck
Fay
Ken R
Brenda
Scott
Sue
Richard D
Rebecca
Richard ?
Sunny
We still had one spot to fill, to make us 12, and Kathy met a member of
Women For WineSense who was interested. His name was Gary.
Gary was a single man who had moved here from Sonoma County.
After being
here a short time, he also acquired a puppy, named Tomo.
Now the group was:
Kathy
Chuck
Fay
Ken R
Brenda
Scott
Sue
Richard D
Rebecca
Richard ?
Sunny
Gary
Sue left the group, for a short time. This left a space open. Convenient, as Brenda had a new boyfriend, Dan. So Dan was asked to join the group.
We were then:
Kathy
Chuck
Fay
Ken R
Brenda
Scott
Richard D
Rebecca
Richard ?
Sunny
Dan
In 2000, Richard ? and Sunny had left the group.
In 2002, Richard D and Rebecca had invited their friend to a tasting. They were voted in, by the group. Their names were Rick and Marily.
Ken R had also left the group by this time.
So now, the group was:
Kathy
Chuck
Fay
Brenda
Dan
Scott
Richard D
Rebecca
Rick
Marily
Sue
Jay
In 2004 we had additional changes to the group, we were now:
Kathy
Chuck
Fay
Brenda
Dan
Scott
Richard D
Rebecca
Janis
Doug
Lis
2005 brought us these members:
Kathy
Chuck
Fay
Scott
Richard D
Rebecca
Janis
Doug
Lis
Rick
Marily
In 2006, we decided to downsize to ten members, we are:
*Kathy
*Chuck
*Fay
*Scott
Doug
Lis
Janis
Steve
Donna
Linda
* = original member
