What are we about? Well, if you thought we were into gardening, you are mistaken.
Let’s look at our Mission Statement: Grapes & Grains is an Intra-Club for members to share their interests in beverages produced from grapes & grains. These would include beverages such as wine, brandy, spirits, and beers as well as recipes made from these beverages. Rallies and Caravans would focus on tours to places that make these beverages and to enjoy venues that serve these beverages. The main objective of the membership is to share their knowledge about Grapes& Grains with others. The club will be open to all members whose interests lie within Grapes & Grains.
Does that help? It’s an Intra-Club for Airstreamers who enjoy distilled spirits, wine, and beer. We are not talking about just consuming these beverages but learning moreabout them, sharing experiences with other enthusiasts, and attending themed events. My wife Karen and I have always enjoyed having the opportunity to visit distilleries, breweries, and wineries when we travel. We are relativelynew to Airstreaming (one year of experience); we previously camped in a restored 1965 Westward Mustang 13-foot vintage camper. In our single year of Airstreaming, we have attended a number of rallies, including the 2021International Rally in Lebanon, TN. We jumped headfirst into Airstreaming and have enjoyed every minute of it. It’s been a great ride meeting great people!
Again, we have always enjoyed distillery, brewery, and winery visits in our travels. This gave me an idea and prompted me to reach out to the WBCCI First International Vice President, Eric McHenry, in mid-August of this year. What about creating an Intra-Club within WBCCI for folks who share our interests? Eric was supportive of the idea and gave me guidance on how to proceed and lay the foundation for the group. After much discussion, we arrived at the name “Grapes & Grains” as a name for the new Intra-Club. To create the group, we had to identify a cadre of charter members and individuals who would be willing to serve as first year officers. This wasaccomplished by connections we had made over the past year attending rallies. After formally establishing our charter members and first year officers, we were cleared to recruit new members on October 2, 2021. The International Board of Trustees acted on the Charter for the Grapes & Grains Intra-Club on January 20, 2022, at the IBT meeting in Savannah.
The purpose of Grapes & Grains (G&G) is to hold rallies and caravans near distilleries, wineries, and breweries. Our members will be able to rally with like-minded individuals who can share and educate each other with their endless knowledge to help all of us become more informed tasters. Our motto is, “All Hours are Happy Ones.” Our first-year officers are as follows: President -Mark Kruer, First Vice President - Matt Hackney, Secretary - Jane Zatorski and Treasurer – Brett Greiveldinger.