Seriously good news...

Kirrihill Wines will be sponsoring the Dead Reds Wake 4

Your first welcome wine sample will be a yummy drop courtesy of the wine group... and there will be a few things raffled off as well on the night. All in good cause towards the MS Foundation. Our charity of choice this round.

http://www.kirrihillwines.com.au

Dead Reds Wake 4.... rules

Hi all,
I've had a few emails so thought I'd send a general blanket one... as we have a few newbies coming (and that's awesome!!!)

So, the rules are quite simple really:

a) have fun, b) enjoy yourself, c) meet people and d) taste wine and hopefully find a goodie (or dead one!!)... however also at the door you need to pay $10 if you bring an old bottle of wine (older than 10 years) OR pay $20 to contribute to the nite :)

Your bottle is labeled with your name and entered into the judging / tasting "pool". Your bottle has an official bottle opening ceremony at one of the tables - with you having first taste (it's all fairly casual really). The bottle is then shared... and if it's any good - it's all in to taste. If it's dead, generally it's all in to taste too as people LOVE trying the dead ones (strange I know).

Official judges for the nite are Jim Manning and Lee Ryan.

It's a friendly mob... this is our 4th and so we are all kinda still new to it. Each one gets better but the format is still changing slightly each event - we think we are getting the format down pat now though...!

The official part of the nite goes for about one / half hours, maybe two... with some staying on for a more casual "after party".

I look forward to meeting all the newbies - and catching up with the regulars!!! xc

Introducing: the Nederburg Wine, Edelrood 1986...

Nederburg 1986, originally uploaded by charlierobinson1966.

Have you ever heard of a wine being (Gesertifiseer) Certified before?

If you haven't, you will get to witness, see, smell and maybe even taste the Nederburg Wine, Edelrood from 1986... with another bonus being that the wine is from the Paarl Valley (coastal region), South Africa.

Dead Reds Wake 4 is due to unearth the next round of dead reds in 2 weeks time, Friday 27th March from 7pm. The venue is the Adelaide Bowling Club - in the Adelaide Parklands. Looking forward to catching up with you all again. You know the group/wake rules (and if you don't - please message me).

Take care til then, and enjoy the fringe!!! We caught the BOTOX show the other nite @ Comedy Cellars. AWESOME xx

networking at events

best friends meet for first time, originally uploaded by charlierobinson1966.

it's not just a place to share stories, taste some excellent (and dead) wine... you also get to meet up with new people AND perhaps even network a bit. the event has it all. it's what you make it.

a great nite out xc

remembering deads reds wake 2

DRW2 bottle line up, originally uploaded by charlierobinson1966.

the bottle line up... quite impressive all round really :)

Dead Reds Wake 4 - venue announced

Finally, we can share our next venue... like I said last email, our theme this round is steeped in history. And our venue has a bit of history too.

The Adelaide Bowling Club has been based in the Adelaide Parklands since 1897... gosh... and wouldn't we all like to get our hands on a bottle from back then! However, i doubt we'd find any (LOL).

That said, on the night I am positive there will be stories to be told!! (or MC Steve can make some up for us!!)

Let's have a session that looks at the why the bottle label came into "being".

There have been MANY conversations within the group and at events about the various labels on the bottles presented. I remember fondly one of my own bottles still had the measurements in pints and ounces.

And another from the connawarra (inland) including a ship - it turned out the vineyard owner was previously the captain of one.

Bring and share the stories of these bottles that we open and enjoy - or judge as "dead". xc

PS address details are on the event wall now xxx

PPS spread the word and bring a friend... we're friendly !!

Dead Reds Wake 4 supports MS: what is MS and why should you help.

As you know, last event we raised dollars and donated to Movember and Cancer research. This time round we have selected "MS" as our charity. Here's a special message from the MS Foundation... to us.

http://www.ms.asn.au/default.asp

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What is MS and why should you help.

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that involves the gradual destruction of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) by the bodies own immune system.

MS is the most common neurological condition affecting young Australians with diagnosis occurring in people between the ages of 20 and 40, however in 2007 and 2008 we had diagnosis occur in children as young as 12. The average is that out of every four diagnosis’s 3 will be women.

MS is random in the effect that it can have on a person from almost unnoticeable to very aggressive with a high level of disability. MS is not only physical it is also cognitive; this leads to the need to often re-educate on movements, processes and general tasks.

The impact of MS not only affects the person with the diagnosis but also the family, as they may have to change work and social behaviours to care for their child, partner or in many cases a child will have to provide care to their parent, a responsibility that changes their childhood.

The Society provides low or no cost services to people and families living with MS, the cost of these services equates to approximately one point two million dollars per year. The South Australian Government provide only 4% of our funding, the rest of our income derives from our 6 lotteries that we hold over the year, fund raising events, charity partners and most recently the development of our community fund raising.

Services provided by the Society are occupational therapy, physiotherapy, nursing, social work, counseling, and exercise programs such as hydrotherapy, theravitals and movement classes and rehabilitation.

The Society strives to continue to improve the services and facilities we can offer clients, families and carers to ease the impact on their quality of life.

Donations and support go a long way in assisting with this aim.

Here's the event details again:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=42622196321

Steeped in history. The theme for the next dead red. @Wake 4

There are stories to be told!!

Whilst I'm securing approval for use of our next event venue (needs management approval at their end) this note is to touch base, remind you to pop the date for the next Wake (4) in your diary and start hunting down that bottle from the back of the pantry, nana's house, cellar, favourite bottle shop, or vintage auction (if ya dare share).

Let's have a session that looks at the why the bottle label came into "being". There have been MANY conversations within the group and at events about the various labels on the bottles presented. I remember fondly one of my own bottles still had the measurements in pints and ounces. And another from the connawarra (inland) including a ship - it turned out the vineyard owner was previously the captain of one.

So, let's tell and share the stories of these bottles that we open and enjoy - or judge as "dead".

To follow:

Dead Reds supports the Multiple Sclerosis Australia fund raising efforts this round... more soon...

Wine sponsor suggestions... please let me know if you or one of your contacts would like to be featured at event commencement (approx 6 bottle donation to group). Contact me.

Table monitors... please let me know if you are happy to be one again - or want to join the fun. Table monitors help with bottle opening ceremonies and alert our 2 judges (Miles & Jim) when that special moment happens... IT'S DEAD!!! Contact me.

Chat soon... xc

Day Twenty of the Twitter 365 Project, conversation a plenty

Day Twenty, conversation a plenty, originally uploaded by charlierobinson1966.

and the Dead Reds Wine Group is featured...!

tonight was the first meeting for the year and we focused on ground rules to take it forward. the characters in the back were there to lend a hand...

Here's more about the project:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/twitter365project/

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So crack open that red, give it a tasting and then share the news with the rest of us. How old can that bottle go?

Here's the next event details:

http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=42622196321

See ya there :) xc

Merry christmas deaders

Hope you have a wonderful holiday party season, fantastic christmas and new year celebrations and get to sample awesome wines. Thanks for supporting the facebook group and helping to make it an offline success as well - with the Dead Red events.

No idea what 2009 has in store for us... but hang in there cause i reckon we might have a few things up our sleeve to enjoy. Stay tuned.

chink chink pop cheers sniff sip .... wait .... mmmm xx