The CAWC Committee
The Club is organised by a small committee. It currently consists of five people elected annually by the members at the Annual General Meeting in April.
The chairman is Mike Baldwin, who has been in that position since 2003. The members of the Club see that he does an excellent job of leading the Club, setting and maintaining the friendly and enjoyable atmosphere for which the Club is so rightly renowned. He also passes on his wit, wisdom and wine experiences through his "Chairman's Jottings" in the monthly Club Newsletter.
Carole Hazlehurst has been Secretary since 2009, having first joined the committee in 2005 as the Newsletter editor. Carole is responsible for arranging all the presenters and events.
Sandy Clark joined the committee as Treasurer in 2009, having previously acted as the Club's auditor. As well as his responsibilities for the Club's finances, Sandy is also responsible for the Club's website.
Naomi Jones joined the committee late in 2008 to assist with the secretarial workload. She is now responsible for all membership matters and organising the catering rota.
Suzanne Thomas also joined the committee in 2009. She is responsible for the monthly Club Newsletter and organising events.
2009 saw a significant change in the committee. The new members had a hard act to follow with so much development and success for the Club in the previous years. The efforts of Julia Belton and Norman Smyth, who had been Secretary and Treasurer for many years, were considerable and they contributed greatly to the Club's development. The new committee have brought some new ideas and developments to the Club and it appears to continue to prosper. The committee are committed to the Club's future success and to continuing to meet the members' expectations for lively, enjoyable and innovative tastings.
We asked the committee to answer a few questions.
Australian or
French - your preference?
If I had to choose, it would be French, but
I hope never to be forced to make that choice! The reason I joined the Wine
Club was to discover the New World in particular. It’s still a voyage of
discovery – there’s some great stuff out there. I have found lots of
wonderful South African, Chilean, Argentinean, as well as Australian and New
Zealand, of course. (And just had to go and visit the winemakers,
too, I suppose! - Ed.)
What is your favourite wine?
No such thing – it depends on the situation. For seafood, a Muscadet is
great. For a great roast, then an aged Bordeaux would have to be the prime
choice. For summer on the terrace, then something fresh with good acidity –
a Viognier – I have tasted some great Viognier from South Africa and
Argentina, but the best was a Condrieu from Guigal. Divine ! But then
there’s Semillon from the Hunter, Vouvray, the whole range of Sauvignon
Blancs – and fizz – no the choice is impossible to make!!!!
Riesling - old world, new world or not at
all...?
I love Riesling in all its forms, but I like it aged for several years. For
dry, then probably Australian – South Australia, Clare Valley in particular.
But I also love Reingau or Mosel Ausleses – a fantastic mixture of
sweetness and acidity.
What got you into wine?
My dad made home made and I knew the only way was up…..
Australian or French - your preference?
Aus every time I’m afraid. Can’t afford/won’t pay to drink the high end
French and with a couple of exceptions, the low end stuff is not terribly
good. A £10 Oz is frequently really good and reliable.
What do you drink with BBQs?
Aussie Shiraz, Jim Barry for the quality folk…. Had some Margaret River
Shiraz recently, from Becketts Flat, which was far better than I remember
and was possibly wasted on a BBQ, but went down a treat.
What made you join the Club?
I had been drinking wine for years and had enjoyed visiting
most of the French wine-growing areas as part of holidays. I
then took a six-part wine-tasting course, which really opened my
eyes
to the variety of wines, how to get the most out of them and
how to evaluate them. A few years later, I saw an advert in a
local wine merchant for the Amersham Wine Appreciation Society (as
it then was, now CAWC) and thought this would be a place where I
could continue to learn more about wine in a friendly atmosphere.
I have not been disappointed and have had years of pleasure
attending the Club's excellent tastings and learning much more about
wines.
Old world or new world - any preferences?
I have a particular love of old matured claret, especially right
bank merlot-based wines like St. Emilion. I also love lots of
new world wines, especially big Barossa Valley shiraz and a wide
variety of Chilean wines. Having said that, I am currently
drinking quite a bit of Spanish wine, especially Rioja. So a
real mix of old world and new world, as long as it is decent and
interesting.
What has been your most memorable wine experience?
A hard one to pick only one! Perhaps sitting with my wife in
St Emilion with a bottle of the local fizz and a box of macaroons on
a lazy sunny Sunday afternoon - sheer bliss!
What got you into wine?
I started to become interested in learning more about wine and
enjoying the differences between grape varieties when I used to
stand in front of the shelves in a wine shop or supermarket and not
have a clue as to what was good value and price seemed to be the
only indication of quality. I did a couple of courses to
learn more about the subject as well as tasting a fair few samples
and CAWC seemed an ideal extension for me after this. You do
not have to know a lot about wine but just like drinking wine and
wishing to find out more about it - most importantly it is fun!
Do you have a favourite wine?
I do not have a favourite wine, it depends on the company and the
occasion and whether I am drinking it with food or on its own.
CAWC has introduced me to many, many wines that I know I would never
have sampled otherwise and it is good comparing notes with other
members - remember with wine you are never wrong - it is a matter of
opinion and taste.
What
made you want to join the wine club?
I enjoyed drinking wine, but would always stick with my favourites,
never venturing further than the familiar. I was hoping the wine
club would enable me to learn more about wine and broaden my
horizons of grape and country. Thanks to the Club I’m much
more adventurous with my wine now and drink varieties of grape I
didn’t even know existed a few years ago!
Do you have any wines you are keeping, or aiming to
obtain, for a special occasion?
A number of years ago I was given a few bottles of 1998
Chateauneuf-du-Pape. I wasn’t familiar with the wine at the time,
only that I should be keeping it for a while. The time is getting
closer when it’s going to be good to drink. All I need now is a
special occasion!