2017 AGM Minutes 19 January 2017 at La Senia Denia

Numbers present 62

President John Sloggie called the meeting to order at 18.30.

1. Apologies for Absence were received from: 

Paul and Helen Nicholls

Gaby and Margaret Ferenczy

Tony and Cherry Cabban

Terry and Mary Sewel

Barry and Pam Burnett                                                                                                           

Malcolm and Sandra Baker

Alan and Rosemary Murdoch                                                                                                

Ian and Gail Watts

Martin and Carole Bentley

Andrew and Kathy Johnson

2. Approval of 2016 Minutes

The minutes from the previous AGM were approved unaltered

3. Matters Arising                                                                                                     

None

4. Presidents Report

It was a great honour to be elected as President in February 2016. I had thought one needed to be in the society for many years before reaching this pinnacle. Unbeknown to me I had been on the fast track recruitment programme having spent just one year as a member, one year as Vice President and now taking over as President. It was a challenge but one I relished.

I was taking over a strong society – a full membership, a healthy bank balance and a very happy and sociable group – which had been led by a succession of excellent Presidents.

It was important to me to maintain the strengths on which the society had been built but also to introduce a few new ideas and venues. It’s a fact that despite living in Spain many of us do not speak good Spanish so one of my key ideas was to have our presentations in English wherever possible.

After the AGM our February tasting was held in the Abiss in Calpe where we had 63 people present. This was a selection of 3 of my favourite wines plus two from our new Vice President Paul Nichols. As usual Abiss delighted with excellent food and service and I believe the wines were well received.

March saw 62 of us in La Senia for a good meal and excellently researched tasting by Tony and Cherry Cabban on Vinos de Pago. This proved a very interesting insight into this fascinating part of Spanish wine production. We tasted some excellent wines that evening and one of them was the second highest scoring wine from 2016 and we will taste it again tonight.

April, as usual, was Ca La Iaia where we enjoyed a presentation from Care wines from Bodegas Añadas. 68 members and guests were present. This presentation was in Spanish but Tony Cabban did an excellent translation and “compression” of the presenters many words!

May 2-5 saw 42 intrepid tasters head off to Toledo and the DO Mentrida. We had an excellent few days of drinking, eating and more drinking. We visited very different Bodegas. The typical CBWS bodega picture is of a stately home with a long spruce lined drive. In a departure from the norm we visited Bodegas Canopy, which is completely unsigned in a run down industrial estate. The owner however told us it’s not the outside that’s important but the inside and he certainly demonstrated a passion for his trade – or was it hobby! At the other end of the scale we visited the magnificent Marquis de Grinon bodega. We didn’t have the traditional tasting here but got straight into plentiful pre lunch drinks and tapas in the courtyard followed by an excellent lunch. I had to take charge after lunch as our wine trip leader had disappeared -later to be found fast asleep on the coach.

In May we had 66 members at Punta Negro in Denia and Paul hosted the evening in my absence. The wines we enjoyed were form Bodegas Barahonda and were much enjoyed.

June saw us in our traditional end of term venue – Puerto Blanco. This evening took the form of a tutorial and Andrew and Kathy Johnson tutored us in the differences between a vertical and horizontal tasting. Not only was it an excellent presentation but also we enjoyed some stunning wines.

In September we returned to La Senia in Denia where Gordon Sellars ably assisted by Caryl and Mary came up with their usual lies and nonsense in the ever popular Whose Wine is it Anyway. The 64 people present were treated to a slight change in that we had to establish the grape variety this time.

Our October trip was to Requena on the 4^th and 5^th of October and we set off with a small but select group of 27. As usual we visited diverse bodegas but all excellent in their own way. The highlight for me was the final Bodega – Bodega Hispano Suiza where we enjoyed an excellent tour and lunch – once again ensuring much animated wine fuelled conversation was quickly replaced by snoring on the coach on the way home.

Paul hosted our October meeting in Abiss in Calpe where we enjoyed a selection of wines from Bodega Dehesa del Carrizal. The final wine tasted that evening, Finca Caiz Carrizal Syrah, was the overall highest scoring wine last year so we will also taste that this evening

November saw us back in Ca La Iaia for a fun evening of wines from bodega Torelló, from DO Penedes. Our presenter was Jose Torello the owner and he was larger than life in every way. He arrived at the tasting straight from lunch and had to leave sharp after dinner as he had another dinner in Alicante at 11pm. He was amusing, punchy and we enjoyed much quicker than usual service to assist his early departure.

In December we visited restaurant Nau Nau in Javea Yacht Club. This was the first time we used this venue and it was very well received by the 54 members present. Traditionally this is a president’s choice so we tasted a selection of favourites and new wines. One wine was tasted blind and members were asked to choose which grape it was and/or where it was from. I didn’t need the prize as no one recognised Beaujolais Nouveau. It was a fun test but the wine was not a top scorer!!

At the AGM Tim challenged me to knock Gaby and Andrew off their perches as wine taster of the year. This I achieved and was pleased to present prizes in December to Keith Pacey who was the clear winner followed by runners up Renate Pluis and Ted Floodgate.

From feedback I have received I believe the past year has been well received by all our members and it is very easy for me to stand here and take the credits. The truth is I don’t do very much and the credit should fall to others who do so much to simply “make things happen”. Tim used the term “well oiled” to describe his committee last year but this year I would say my committee has been very efficient and only “well oiled” sometimes and generally later in the evening!

It’s wrong to single out any one (or two) people but I would like to make special mention of Colin and Sue who have been our menus and venues team for the past year. This is one of the biggest jobs on the committee and I would like to make special thanks to them for a job excellently done. Thank you also to Paul, Debbie, Tony, Sandy, Penny and Gaby and of course Shirley who has combined the role of Treasurer and first lady in excellent fashion. Mention must also be made to Tim who, along with Sandy, heads up the wine trip team and is always at the end of a phone when I need him.

There are many others in the society though who help out and stand in at the drop of a hat and that is one of the lovely things about this society. It has been a great privilege to hold the office of President over the past year and thank you to everyone for all the help and support you have given me.

John asked Tim Fawle to say a few words about long time member Tim Ladd who has returned to the UK due to failing health, a copy of which can be found below. He will be missed by all who knew him and we wish him well.

5. Membership Secretary’s Report

As Tony Cabban was not present John passed on his report.

Our target membership has been maintained at 120 for the past year. There are 8 people on the waiting list but 8 are not rejoining so we will still have 120 It was noted that 67 members attend 4 or less tastings, which is 56%. This was not seen as a problem due to the travelling nature of a large number of the members.

Tim Ladd is returning to live in the UK and Tim Fawle made an excellent presentation on the involvement and influence Tim has had on the society over many years. The members present all joined in wishing Tim very best wishes for the future.

John took the opportunity to note that the website continued to perform well and that Gaby had asked for any suggestions on new or differing content for the website.

6. Treasurer’s Report

Shirley Sloggie reported that the balance had remained similar to last years, and John had failed in his attempt to outspend Tim Fawle. The full report is available on request from the Treaurer..

7. 7-11 Election of Officers As the existing committee have all noted their willingness to serve in office for a further 12 months there was no requirement for any votes.

8. Proposed Budget 2017

Always difficult to predict as a lot depends on the generosity of the bodegas and restaurants, but John was not expecting anything other than the normal expenses, so the budget remains the same as last year.

9. Proposed Programme 2017

John detailed the programme for 2017 which can be found on the website

10. Accounts Reviewer 2017

Keri Theophilus has agreed to continue in this role for another year.

11. O.B.

Casa da Vino Javea had advised Tim Fawle that they were hosting a presentation by the owner of Urbezo winery on February 8th. These wines have won several awards and Tim felt it would be a tasting worth attending.

John Sloggie also had notification from a Hotel company in the Maldives advising of a wine tasting the second half of February, in the Maldives, and would any of our members be interested. Gillian Ashworth did express some interest if diving was available.

John reminded members that in future all bookings for tastings had to be with Penny Floodgate by the Friday prior to the Thursday tasting.

Colin Donadio also advised members that our return to the Cumbre venue needed a minimum of 60 members to guarantee exclusivity and urged members to attend.

John closed the meeting at 19.16.

Tim Ladd

• Tim left the land of Great Wine, Sunshine, Food and friends last Sunday to enter another stage in his life.
• John has written to him on behalf of CBWS to wish him well on the next stage of his journey.
• We thought it appropriate to officially thank him at our AGM.
• Tim has made the decision to return to the UK as he has been suffering from ill health over the past few years and sadly it has got worse needing full time care
• As an active member of CBWS since the mid 90’s many of us have very fond memories of the wine trips Tim organised and the many other activities and presentations he was involved in.
• I remember particularly the concept he developed with our founder Anton Massel and Colin Harkness where they developed a company called WWW – Wines Without Worry and in this you ordered selected wines which Tim had sourced and many of these were from Jumilla, Yecla and Utiel & Requena which at that time was not really on the map and developed as they are today.
• Another event I remember well was in 2008 a radio feature with Tim on Valentine’s day at Onda Cero hosted by Hugh & Beverley Stewart. We selected some Valentine wine suggestions to drink in the show and it was very amusing and extremely interesting and that was Tim for you.
• On CBWS 25^th Anniversary Tim was made an Honorary member for his enthusiasm and dedication in participating in the building of our Society.
• He was also an active member on the political scene in Javea both supporting new parties and deeply involved in Agenda 21 an excellent source of information for everyone.
• Having spent over 30 years of his working life in the Drinks Trade particularly in the Sherry and port business he had many contacts in Oporto and several of us in CBWS had the fortune of celebrating two key birthday events, which were stunningly memorable in Oporto.
• So it is with sadness we say farewell to Tim and wish him well in his new residence a Residential Home in Sandwich Kent, which in fact is a stately home. He hopes to return to Spain some day and we look forward to seeing him. God Bless you Tim and we will raise our first taste of wine to you shortly.