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Rotarians host wine reps from France
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
YOUNGSTOWN
Local Rotarians are the hosts for four wine-industry representatives and a Rotary leader from the Burgundy region of France, who are making a four-week visit to the United States.
The visitors recently toured the L’uva Bella Winery in Poland, met with the Mahoning County commissioners, participated in “An American Wine and Food Pairing Experience” at the Youngstown Country Club and toured wineries along the Lake Erie shore.
The French group’s visit includes tours of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus and a visit to Pittsburgh.
Rotary District 6650 is the host of the group study exchange team from France through May 7.
“It’s an exchange that’s focusing on the good will of international relationships, as well as some vocational aspects of it, so their people can come here and learn about what we do, and we can learn about some of the things that they do,” said Hank Conrad of Poland, district chairman of Rotary’s group study exchange program.
“This is part of a Rotary program for the promotion of relationships between countries and cultures and to help people learn about other people in the world and different professions,” he added.
“There are some things that are specific here, like the ice wines, that they don’t have” in Burgundy, Conrad observed.
“The plants — the variety that you have here — are the same as the ones we have in France” for the most part, said Jean-Alain Vintousky, an assistant Rotary governor from Burgundy and a retired hotel manager, who comes from a family of winemakers.
“The ground, the climate, the way the wine will be made and the plants will be grown — that makes the difference,” he explained.
“I have very much traveled in my life, and I like to meet other people, to meet other cultures, and this is what we’re doing here. We’re not only visiting a wine region, but we’re also visiting other people and another culture,” Vintousky added.
Joe Hollabaugh Jr. of L’uva Bella and Kristopher Sperry of the Myrrdin Winery at Lake Milton were among a group of American wine-industry representatives who visited Burgundy, France, last month as part of the exchange program.
Rotary International is an organization of professional and business leaders who provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and strive to promote good will and peace in the world.