Alumni and Friends Gather for Lessons from Sommelier at Wine Tasting

Alumni were treated to a complimentary wine tasting courtesy of the Office of Alumni Relations on April 17.

Held at the Queens campus, the tasting was led by Michael DiSarno, Executive Director of Advancement Services, who holds intermediate and advanced wine certificates from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust where he is a current diploma student. The evening attracted many of the more recent graduates who took advantage of the opportunity to return to alma mater. “I wanted to become more familiar with wine tasting and I wanted to come back to visit the school,” said Angelo DiMaggio ’05TCB. “I was happy that Alumni Relations was offering this type of event.”

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Tables sparkled with wine glasses, water bottles and red table cloths. Attendees dined on cheese, crackers and fruit as they sampled seven wines from various regions including: a NV Zardetto Sparkling Wine, Brut Prosecco; a 2006 Talbott Kali Hart, Chardonnay; a 2004 Clos De Roches Riesling, Luxembourg; a 2005 Parent Burgundy, Pinot Noir; 203 Marques De Riscal Spanish Red, Reserva; a 2005 Liberty School, Cabernet Sauvignon; and a 2003 Villars Fronsac, Bordeaux.

DiSarno discussed the characteristics of wine and the palate in relation to tasting and gave an overview of the various wines. Those gathered asked questions about everything from what type of wines benefited from being decanted to what to do when a bit of cork ends up in the glass. All of the senses were engaged as they smelled, tasted and viewed the wines for color and clarity. Matthew Debardelaben ’87C said he appreciated becoming more familiar with wine in a setting which included fellow alumni. “I learned a lot and I had a great time,” he said. “It was great to see so many of the young alumni.” “Learning about the different flavors and tasting was my favorite part,” said Jacqueline Bottenbley ’92C, ’97GEd. “I liked expanding my knowledge and it’s nice to come back to the campus since it is constantly changing. “ Kim Miller ’02L said she made some delightful discoveries among the wines offered during the event. “The Riesling was an amazing find for me,” she said. “There was very good commentary on the different wines and all and all it was a very educational evening.”