ByMariaFogliasso

mariafog@gmail.com

Itwasadarkandstormynight.No,scratchthat.Itwasneitherdarknorstormy.ItwasSaturdaya8ernoon–a

beau%ful

Saturdaya8ernoonwithclearblueskies,awarmbreezeandraysofsunshineradia>ngdownonKansasCityassummerbegantoslowlycreeptowardfall.ItwasthetypeofweatherthatputsasmileonthefaceofeventhebiggestGrinch.Andiftheweatherwasn’tenough,therewere60bolesofwinethatcoulddothejob.Itwas,a8erall,the2010Village WestWineFest!

WhatistheVillageWestWineFest?

TheVillageWestWineFestisacommunityeventdesignedtoraisemoneyforlocalchari>esandpromotethewineindustry.IﬁrstlearnedabouttheeventlastsummerwhenIwasdrivinghomefromTargetandwontwo>cketsonStar102.Background:Ineverwinanything.Never,ever,

ever

.SoitwasabigdealwhenIwasthecovetedcallernine.Combinethatwithmypassionforwine(Ithinkit’ssafetocallita“passion”consideringIstartedawineclubin2007),andIfigureditmustbedes>ny.Iwasright.The2009VillageWestWineFestwasanamazingevent,andIle8commiedtoaendingagainthefollowingyear.Evenbeforethewebsitewasupdatedwithinforma>ononthe2010event,Iwentsearchingfordetails.Iwrotethewebmasterbeggingforthedate.Itenta>velymarkedoffeverySaturdaynightinSeptember.IevenwarnedmybestfriendthatImaynotbeabletoaendherbacheloreepartyifthedateconflictedwithWineFest.I.Was.Determined.SoimaginemydelightwhenIreceivedanunsolicitede-mailfromAbeGlaser,co-founderofKCCause(thebeneficiarycharity),invi>ngmetobetheofficialreporterforVillageWestWineFest.That’sright:TheOFFICIALFREAKINGREPORTER!!!Iwasecsta>c.

Hermineain’tgotnothingonthisthing

FastforwardtoSept.11,2010.Asmen>oned,itwasagorgeousa8ernoon–somethingwedidn’ttakeforgrantedconsideringtheremnantsofTropicalStormHerminehadjustpassedthroughtheKansasCitymetroonly24hoursearlier.WhileIknewitwasgoingtobeafantas>cevening,Ihadmydoubtsaboutthechosenloca>on.WineFestwasbeingheldfortheﬁrst>meatSchlierbahnKansasCityWaterpark.

VILLAGE WEST WINEFEST

SEPTEMBER11,2010

NowI’dbeentoSchlierbahnontwopreviousoccasionstosoakupsomesunwhilefloa>ngdowntheTorrentRiver,andboth>mesIhadablast.ButIjustcouldn’treconcilemywaterparkmemorieswithwhatIexpectedtoseeatawinefes>val.AllIcouldpicturewereteenagelifeguardsblowingtheirwhistlesatsunburnedchildrenhavingcannonballcontests…SoimaginemysurprisewhenIpulledintotheSchlierbahnparkinglottobegreetedbyafriendlyyoungmandrivingagolfcartshuleservice.It’sasifheknewIwaswearinghighheels.Talkaboutagreatfirstimpression!Anditonlygotbeerfromthere.AsIwalkedintoSchlierbahn,ImetAbeGlaser.Hewasafun-loving,formidable,energe>cguywholovedgoodwine,good>mes,andtheKansasCitycommunity.Icouldtellhewasbreathingabigsighofreliefthattheeventwasgoingoffwithoutahitch–thanksinlargeparttoallthehardworkheputinforthreemonthsprior!Withaglassofwineinhand,Glasersharedsomeimpressivestatsaboutthe2010VillageWestWineFest:

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VIP>cketssoldoutinjustthreeweeks

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Generaladmissionsoldout–twice!

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AllKansaswinedistributorswerepresent

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Therewere60bolesofwine,200typesofbeerandtwomar>nibars

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Thirty-twofoodvendorswereonsite

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Allfoodandbeveragewasdonated

Allforagoodcause:KCCause

Butevenmoreimpressivethantheenormousselec>onoffoodandcopiousamountsofwinewasthestoryofhowtheen>reeventgotitsstart.Glaserco-foundedKCCausesevenyearsagowithBryanAlbers.They(andboardmembersManuRaan,Cpt.JohnCosgrove,JasonPuckeandJoeChandler)didn’tknowatthe>metheorganiza>onwouldmakesuchabigimpacttotheKansasCitycommunity;itwasjustagroupoffriendswhowantedtocreateawayfor

KC CAUSE

KCCausewascreatedbyagroupofKansasCityyoungprofessionalswhowantedtocreateawayforarearesidentstosupportcausesthatspecificallybenefitKansasCity.KCCauseassistslocalnonprofitorganizaGonsbysupporGngspecificprojects,andprovidesassistancetoarrangetheirownfund-raisingefforts.OrganizaGonssupportedincludetheSunflowerHouse,HALOFoundaGon,AmericanRedCross,andSpecialOlympics.InaddiGontoitscontribuGonstogroupssuchasthese,KCCauseprovidesdirectfinancialassistancetolocalindividualsexperiencingunexpectedfinancialhardships.ItalsoencouragesyoungpeopletodiscoverthespiritofgivingbyofferingscholarshipstoareahighschoolstudentsexhibiGngaspiritofvolunteerism.

Photos courtesy of CJ Armstron

arearesidentstosupportcausesthatspecificallybenefitKansasCity.Sotheydecidedtoholdanetworkingeventwheretheywouldallbringgi8cardsandauc>onthemofftooneanother.Thateventbroughtin$3,000.Impressive?Ofcourse.Butitwasmerechumpchangecomparedtocurrenteventfigures.Thisyear’sVillageWestWineFestbroughtin$25,000.That’s$25,000forlocalchari>esliketheSunflowerHouse,HALOFounda>on,AmericanRedCrossandSpecialOlympicsaswellashighschoolscholarships.Impressiveindeed.

Yo,VIP...Let’skickit!

LeavingGlaserbehind,IpickedupmyofficialWineFestwineglassandwentinsearchoftheexclusiveVIPareathatI’dreadsomuchabout.Icesculptures?Mar>nibars?Aprivateband?BolesofwineIcouldneverafford?Yes,please!IhadneverbeenconsideredVIPbefore.Itwasexhilara>ng.IeagerlyflashedthatgoldVIPbraceletlikeabride-to-beflasheshernewengagementring.VIPwaslocatedonafloa>ngwhitepaddlewheelsteamboatnamedLillyBillieBellyBo.ItwasherethatImetKeithPaden,awineaficionadofromStandardBeverageCorpora>on(andmynewwinehero).Froma2007Kendall-JacksonGrandReserveMerlottoa2006Chateau

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MontelenaNapaValley

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CabernetSauvignon,Padenwalkedmethroughnearlyadozentypesofwine,pa>entlyexplainingtheintricaciesofeachandwhatIshouldbelookingforwhenwinetas>ng.AndtothinkIhadbeenmerelydrinkingwinealltheseyears!Theshame.IwassoimpressedthatIbrieﬂyconsideredleavingthecomfortofcorporateAmericatofollowthepathofPadenandsomanyothers.“Howdoesonebecomeawineexpert?”IaskedPaden.“Drinkalotofwine,”herepliedwithasmile.Inthatcase,Iﬁguremyexper>sewillbeinevitable!

Generaladmission:Idreambig

A8erspendinganhourinVIP,Iventuredintothegeneraladmissionarea.Imaginetakingathree-daywinetas>ngtourofNapaValley.Nowimaginebringingallofthosewinesintoonecompactarea.Poolside.ThereyouhaveWineFestgeneraladmission.Spiﬀy!AtﬁrstIwasdeterminedtotryeachandeverywine.(Idreambig.)ButassoonasIsawthespread,Iknewthatwasanimpossiblefeat.Notonlywas>meagainstme,butsowasbiology.Apersoncanonlydrinksomuchwinebefore…Well…Beforetheycan’tdrinkanymorewine.SoIfocusedmyaen>ononexploringallofthebooths.Hungry?WineFestaendeeshadtheirpickofsushi,BBQ,Mexican,sweets,Cajunandmore.Thirsty?Well,therewas justnoexcuseforthatnonsenseeither.A8errockingouttothebandplayinghitslike“NoDiggity,”“BustaMove,”“Regulator”and“EverydayPeople,”myboyfriendPatrickandIeach

“How does onebecome a wineexpert?” I asked Keith Paden, a wineaficionado fromStandard BeverageCorporation. “Drink a lot of wine,” he replied with a smile.