Due to Covid restrictions, this year’s winetasting had a different format, with two wine experts selecting the wines for us to taste — three wines from Abruzzo and a sparkling wine from Veneto. Fifty of our members and guests gathered at Casa Italiana on December 5, 2021 to enjoy a delicious lunch and winetasting with wine experts Stephen Yanuck and Beth Dahlburg, who came up from Charlottesville, Va., for the event.

AMHS members may recall that Stephen and Beth led us in a joyful and informative virtual event last November. They not only led us in a discussion of wines from Molise, but also arranged a livestream from Italy with Antonio Valerio of Campi Valerio in Monteroduni, Molise.

This year, their enthusiasm and knowledge again made for a delightful afternoon. They even fit in a mention of biodynamics as well as the use of sea salt from the Adriatic. Who knew?

Stephen has conducted educational wine-themed lectures since 2018. Both Stephen and Beth have received certificates in wine education and are continuing their studies of the vines. Since March 2020, they have held monthly streaming tasting lectures. Their passion for wine and desire to bring good vibes to the world helped them become a 2020 Wine Spectator video competition finalist. You will find some very interesting information on their Veni Vini Amici website, www.VeniViniAmici.com. As Stephen noted, their name Veni Vini Amici means to gather, learn of wine, and become friends.

Before and during lunch, Stephen and Beth discussed three wines from Abruzzo from the Tenuta Terraviva Vineyard in Tortoreto, a coastal town in the province of Teramo, and one sparkling wine from Veneto:

• EKWO 100% Pecorino (white wine)
• GIUSI Cerasuolo D’Abruzzo DOC, 100% Montepulciano (rosé wine)
• Luì Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOC, 100% Montepulciano (red wine)
• Colferai Col Blanc Frizzante White Veneto

A big thank you to AMHS Board Member Chris Renneker, who put us in touch with Stephen and Beth; to Maria D’Andrea-Yothers who did so much to help organize this event, including bringing plates of Italian cold cuts, cheeses, and Italian cookies; to Lynn Sorbara for the gluten-free crackers and cookies; and to all those who helped set up and serve the delicious lunch catered by Three Brothers Restaurant, especially Michelle Bishop, Elisa DiClemente, John Dunkle, Joe and Joanne Novello, and Benjamin O’Hara. And of course, a special thank you to Stephen and Beth, for making the event so much fun.

January/February 2022

Dear members and friends:

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone was able to enjoy the holiday season and that the New Year brings us all good health.

This is the time of the year when I like to take a step back and review our principal activities of the previous year. Despite the ongoing difficulties posed by the pandemic, the Society worked hard to continue offering programs for the edification and entertainment of its members. On January 30th, we enjoyed a virtual discussion of the film “From the Vine.” Led by film producer and director Jim Toscano, the discussion featured the participation of Emmy award winner Joe Pantoliano, who was also the film’s protagonist. On February 21st, we held our first general meeting of the year — a virtual presentation in which Abruzzese author Michele Antonelli discussed his latest book — “My Land Was Wise: Over 2000 Proverbs from the Abruzzese-Sabine Apennines.” Mr. Antonelli spoke to us from Abruzzo and passed on a wealth of local color and wisdom culled from the popular sayings of the region. This type of presentation, made possible by today’s technology, demonstrated the great value of virtual events and the extent to which they can expand the horizons of our in-person programs.

In May, the Society awarded scholarships to two outstanding students: Naomi Lebowitz and Cora Williams. Ms. Lebowitz is currently a freshman at Columbia University’s Barnard College, where she is studying neuropsychology and art history, while Ms. Williams, also a freshman, is preparing for a career in social work at Belmont University. On June 12th, our program committee organized a virtual discussion of the documentary film “Funke”, which profiled professional chef and pasta expert Evan Funke. AMHS member Kirsten Keppel led the discussion, conducting a fascinating interview with the film’s producer and director Gab Taraboulsy. On August 15th, the Society and the Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center (CISC) jointly sponsored our annual Ferragosto picnic, which took place at the Ben Brenman Park in Alexandria, Virginia. The turnout was exceptional and it made our first live event in over 17 months a great success. On October 3, we held our first in-person general meeting of the year at CISC. Our guest speaker was Steven Livengood, the Director of Public Programs at the United States Capitol Historical Society and the Chief Visitor Guide to the U.S. Capitol. He showed how Constantino Brumidi created the murals on the Capitol walls and painted the “eye” of its rotunda, providing interesting information unknown even to Washington locals. Finally, on December 5th, our annual wine tasting event took place at the CISC. Wine experts Stephen and Beth of Veni Vici Amici talked about three select wines from Abruzzo and one from Veneto, while Three Brothers took care of the catering. The wines were great, the information provided by Stephen and Beth was interesting, and the overall atmosphere was congenial and comfortable.

Looking ahead, our Program Committee is organizing additional programs that should be of interest to a broad section of our members. I expect that they will be in the live, in-person format, with whatever cautions appear prudent to ensure the health of those in attendance.

I would like to express my appreciation to all of the Society’s officers, who have agreed to serve another term in the leadership of the organization. Their commitment, energy and skills are what keeps the AMHS moving forward. I also want to welcome our new Board members Rico Allegrino, Julia Paola and Benjamin O’Hara. Rico served once before on the Board and contributed in important ways, so we are fortunate to have him back. Julia and Benjamin will bring a new and valuable perspective that only youth can provide. I am grateful for their willingness to share their abilities. I also want to thank our departing Board members Andrea Balzano, Alfred Del Grosso and Helina Zewdu Nega, whose terms concluded at the end of December 2021 and who each lent their talents to the Society.

Finally, I would like to remind you that it is not too late to contribute to our annual scholarship fundraising campaign. Last year’s drive, as of June last year, raised over $8000 — our best effort ever and just enough to fully fund our two scholarships. Let’s try to surpass that total this year so that we can continue to carry out our mission of promoting the Italian language and culture to future generations. In addition, if you know of any students with an interest in Italian studies, direct them to the scholarship tab on our website. There they can learn about the eligibility criteria for our scholarships and how to apply for them.

Regards,
Ray LaVerghetta

January/February 2022