Did you know that the Midwest wine region consists of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Ohio, and South Dakota? Did you know that many of the grapes grown in the Midwest are the same grapes that are grown in the Finger Lakes region? The Midwest also grows several grapes that you may have not heard of.
Join us as we journey through the wines of the Midwest. We can’t taste wines from all 12 states so our speakers Lorraine Hems and Tito Erb have selected some fun wines for us to enjoy, including some grapes that may be new to you.
Speaker Bios
Lorraine Hems: Lorraine Hems has been involved in the wine and spirits industry for over 40 years. The Finger Lakes region is where she has lived since birth. She has experience in retail, wholesale, and education. She is a Senior Lecturer of beverage and food courses in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. She authored a workbook, then website, titled Passport to the World of Wines, and has now gone back to a workbook titled Is Wine a Foreign Language? Lorraine helped start the Rochester chapter of Women For WineSense and has received their Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a CWE and CSS with the Society of Wine Educators and serves on their Board of Directors. Other industry accreditations include CS with the Court of Master Sommeliers, and the WSET Level 3 Certification. She teaches their courses at several locations. She is also a Certified Wine Judge with Merit with the American Wine Society and teaches in their Certified Wine Judge program. Lorraine just completed her Wine Scholar Guild Certified Sherry Wine Specialist. Lorraine has judged at amateur and commercial wine and spirit competitions held in the US and internationally. Locally, she has worked with a variety of charities on wine events. She kinda likes wine ;)
Tito Erb: As a Certified Wine Judge through the American Wine Society and holder of a WSET Level II certification, Tito has dedicated himself to the art and science of wine tasting and appreciation. Owner of Discover FLX Wineries, he passionately promotes the Finger Lakes' small wineries, focusing on the unique experiences offered through food and wine pairing events. Tito's journey in the wine world is complemented by his personal venture into home winemaking, allowing him to explore the full spectrum of wine creation from vineyard to glass.
April is a Charity Month!
In honor of Lucia Shean, a long time member and board member of the Rochester Chapter, we are dedicating this months charity to her and her struggle with pancreatic cancer. Please consider bringing a cash or check to the April event to donate to this cause so close to our heart.
The Pancreatic Cancer Association of Western New York was formed in 2009 by three Rochester Women who found they had an unlikely and unfortunate bond. Two had recently lost a husband and brother to Pancreatic Cancer while one's mother was fighting the disease at the time. Their fervent desire to battle back and fight this dreadful disease was the first step taken towards their collective fight against pancreatic cancer. Today, the organization continues to expand outreach efforts beyond fundraising events to educate the community about pancreatic cancer (symptoms, risk factors, research progress) and support patients and families impacted by the disease. The Pancreatic Cancer Association of WNY is committed to • bringing more awareness to pancreatic cancer and the vital need for funding to advance research critical to understanding the genesis of the disease and which can lead to identifying early detection measures. • educating the community on the risk factors and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, treatment options, and research efforts so they can have more informed dialogues with physicians about their health and medical care, or that of their loved ones. • offering support to patients and their families to help them remain strong in the fight.
To find out more visit their website.
Please Note: If you are a non-member registering for this event and paying with a credit card, you will be charged a small service fee for this transaction. This fee will appear as a separate line item on your credit card statement.