Carroll County Maryland Chapter	WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! This page is especially for new members to the Carroll County chapter of the American Wine Society, or CCAWS   click this symbol anywhere in this website to go to the AWS National Website.. After that, you're on your own!   You probably discovered our chapter through a friend, and enjoyed one of our tasting meetings as a guest. Thanks for joining, and we are glad you share our enthusiasm. There are other AWS groups in other areas which hold meetings in different fashions and on different schedules. Our meetings are held monthly, and are usually at members' homes. As the timing or need arises, there are occasional exceptions. It is also good that you have visited our website, where there is quite a bit of information - too much maybe, so this "Quick-Start Guide" will help you find things a little more easily. Before getting into details, you should also know that your bona fide membership (as both a CCAWS local AND National AWS registered member) grants you the following discounts when you present your membership card: 20% OFF on all non-sale wines at these fine local wine stores: College Square Liquors Cranberry Liquors House of Liquors (410-840-3662) A Little Bit Of Tuscany 15% OFF wines from Serpent Ridge Vineyard NOTE: Discounts subject to change by individual proprietors without notice. A meeting typically starts at 2pm on a Sunday, and usually has two hosts: a wine host, and a house host. These are listed in the schedule, and often the same couple manages both. A small taste of wine is casually enjoyed during the first few minutes as business and announcements are made, followed by the tasting, usually a guided flight of about 6-8 wines, presented with a theme or a common thread. Wines are scored by the AWS method, and votes for favorites are tallied. After the wine presentations, the casual social gathering finishes the meeting, with ample hors d'oeuvres, cheese, snacks and desserts to accompany wine. RSVP! As venues are often intimate, space is limited, so it is important to RSVP well before the meeting. Very few meetings are attended by all members. If you wait, you may not be allowed to attend. Regardless, please RSVP, don't just drop in. Also, please CANCEL if you can't make it! You will likely make room for someone else!   Attendees are expected to pay only for the costs of the wines, and a small fee for the host's expenses (typically $15-20 per person). Attendees are asked to bring a dish of light fare to share after the educational portion. Strong perfume or cologne is discouraged, as it interferes with your own and others' perception of the wines. Less is more! Smoking is not permitted in tasting venues.   The Home Page You have already seen the home page (at right) but this is a quick list of the main features: 1 The AWS Logo - click on this anywhere in the CCAWS website to go to the National American Wine Society (AWS) website home page. 2 The Link Buttons - click these to jump to various sections of the website - you will find these buttons all around. If you get confused click one that says "Homepage". The most useful is the Tasting Schedule, where future dates and locations are listed. Another good one for newcomers is Documents, where all the rules are. More on these below. 3 The Chairperson's Link - this will typically open a blank email to the chairperson about any membership issues. (If you use web-mail such as Gmail or AOL, this may not work) 4 The Webmaster's Link - click here to send me an email about the website or problems relating to it. 5 The NEXT MEETING - Probably the item most sought after subject. A big, brief listing of the date of the next tasting and it's location. You may need to see the Full Newsletter for details - you'll need the password, it's for Members Only. 6 The PDA Schedule - this is a "tiny" version of the meeting schedule. Put a link to this on your Blackberry, iPhone, mobile etc. and you can see a brief listing from anywhere!       The CCAWS Home Page       The Link Buttons Tasting Schedule - takes you right down the home page to the list of upcoming meetings for the next year or so. Links, Literature & More - Goes to a web page which contains links to other websites of wine interests: magazines, shops, restaurants and information resources. Also here you will find links to articles in the news, handouts and brochures from previous tastings, and even Recipes collected by members. Links may lead to other websites. Newsletters - The chairperson issues a monthly newsletter, delivered via email. This button will take you to a library of our monthly newsletters dating back to Sep. 2000, but the current issue is highlighted and easy to spot. To prevent spam and security problems, newletter archives are posted publicly, but all personal phone numbers, addresses, directions and maps are removed. The upper section displays a link to the "FULL VERSION" which is complete, but for members only, and is password protected. Email the chairperson or the webmaster for this password, and please keep it to yourself. Documents - Here you will find forms, tasting sheets, bylaws and guidelines used by the members and officers. Newcomers should read the House Host Guidelines and the AWS Manual, to learn about how a wine tasting should be held. I Want To Host! - this is of particular interest to members who wish to host a wine tasting at their home or other venue, and some ideas and tips on wine-hosting. Feedback - a quick link to contact the chairperson. On most pages a Homepage button (as seen near the top of this page) is available to return back to the entry point. Now bookmark www.ccaws.net and start exploring! And once again, welcome!
		Promoting appreciation of wine through education