Promoting appreciation of wine through education © 2024

Way back in 1980, AWS founding member G. Hamilton Mowbray and his wife Phyllis, Joe and Natty Wood, Jack and Emily Johnston, Max and Ann White, and Phil and Naomi Benzil began a small wine club: the Carroll County Chapter of the American Wine Society. Since then the group has grown to many other members over the years, some have come and gone, and some have stayed, even since that first year. • John Lennon Shot Dead • Mount St. Helen Erupts • Pac-Man Video Game Released • Rubik’s Cube Hits Bigtime • Ted Turner Launches CNN • CCAWS Conducts First Educational Wine Tasting Ok, perhaps not newsworthy, but from that humble beginning sprouted our dear wine club, which we are proud of today. We hold educational wine tastings in home venues, serving 6-8 different wines, typically with an educational or at least enlightening experience. Local wine merchants, some of whom are members, assist in obtaining wines and provide them at near-warehouse prices for us to sample and compare, admire, admonish, and perhaps dump out, but always give a fair audition. While we are fortunate to have a membership of homeowners whose abodes can withstand our brief occupancy, we are also fortunate to have some very knowledgable speakers and specialists. And we have a meaningful experience among friendly folks for an otherwise ridiculously low cost, and in a comfortable environment. We are thankful for the opportunities offered by our dedicated members, and are eager to rejoin each month to gather, learn, enjoy and just have a great time overall.