Front row left to right: Pete Toppan, Susan Parker, Vickie Bone, Nancy Toppan, Jere Bone; Second row: Dick Weiss, Eileen Whittaker, Millie Aramanda, Rupa Mathur, Vivian Wright, Linda Sorg, Bernadette Fideli, Kathy Perry; Back row: Beverlee Deardorff, Jim Fox, Mike Aramanda, Alfred VanGool, Dave Parker and Al Wright.
The Wine Stewards kicked off the holiday season with a glass of warm mulled wine and a dinner of simple elegance. Mulled wine is a very popular and traditional holiday beverage in the European countries. It is a red wine blended with spices of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, and a touch of vanilla. Wine was first recorded as spiced and heated in Rome during the second century. The Romans traveled across Europe, conquering much of it and trading with the rest. The Roman legions brought wine and viticulture with them up to the Rhine and Danube rivers and to the Scottish border, along with their recipes. Warmed by their glass of wine, the Wine Stewards feasted on a dinner of Jack Daniel’s whiskey and brown sugar crusted ham, smashed potatoes and the famous black-eyed pea squash casserole. What better way to finish off an elegant dinner than with a dessert of international acclaim, fragole con il mousse di ricotta. It was difficult to pronounce, but enjoyed by all. Friends gathered round a table reflected the simple joy and warmth that comes from sharing a meal and a glass of wine. The Wine Stewards truly shared the holiday spirit.