Newburyport Wine Club

Gary Sullivan

Gary Sullivan, a Certified Sommelier and Wine Educator, currently plays a variety of roles in the wine industry. He is the Wine Director for Farm Coast Market in Padanaram, MA. He is a wine consultant for restaurants as well as retail establishments looking for help with their wine program and staff training. He also provides personalized one-on-one consultations and wine tastings to assist with individuals looking to purchase everything from approachable every day wines, to wedding day choices, to cases that can age and appreciate in value for decades to come.

In October of 2016, Gary established the Farm & Coast Wine Club. The concept was a monthly gathering where Gary would present 4 – 6 wines and speak to regions, varietals or occasions (perfect pairings – oysters, BBQ etc). Members came with limited knowledge, but shared a common interest in broadening their understanding of the world of wine.

There were 14 people at the first gathering. Today Farm & Coast Wine Club has over 200 members, and has expanded to 3 nights per month in order to accommodate the interest (seating is limited). Some of these members have been to nearly every gathering over the last 2 1/2 years.

Kathy Bechtel

After a 20 year career as an engineer, long time Newburyport resident Kathy Bechtel switched to culinary and wine pursuits. She graduated at the top of her class from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, and also earned her WSET Level 1 wine certification. Following her graduation, she worked for James Beard award-winning chef Jody Adams at her Rialto restaurant, which is where she first met Gary Sullivan, who was one of Jody’s partners at Rialto. After traveling to Italy several times with Jody, Kathy started her own tour company, Italiaoutdoors Food and Wine, which creates unique private travel experiences in Italy, with a focus on regional foods and wines. She has visited numerous Italian wine producers in her years of travel, you can read about her visits on her blog, www.chefbikeski.com. In 2017 she earned her certification as an Italian Wine Professional.

Kathy recently reconnected with Gary through Jody, and when she learned about his prospering wine club in Padanaram Harbor, proposed Newburyport as his next port of call. Gary didn’t need any convincing.

“there is more to a wine than its nose and its palate: it is the living memory of the culture and place which produced it” — Sandro Boscaini, Masi

We start our evenings promptly at 6:30pm, everyone is seated and we begin the tasting.  Gary will lead us through the wines and provide Cellar Notes, which introduce the wine you’re about to taste including; the vineyard, the region, the grapes; the winemakers, tasting notes and ideal food pairings.  The focus of our monthly gatherings will vary, and will include topics such as;

• Hone Your Blind Tasting Skills – A Varietal Show
• Wine & Oysters – the Lure of the Loire
• Grape Wars – Chile vs. Argentina
• New World versus Old World – A Cabernet Franc Face Off
• Must-Try Wines for Fall – Transitional Seasonal Drinking
• Eat, Drink and Be Merry – Holiday Food & Wine Pairings
• All About Crémant – a Great Alternative to Champagne
• There’s No Place Like Rhône – North to South
• Putting Piedmont in Perspective – ‘the Foot of the Mountains’
• The Essence of Oregon – Handcrafted Wines from the Willamette Valley

To learn a bit more about Gary’s background in the restaurant and wine industry, you can see his credentials here.

You can learn more about Kathy’s adventures in Italy, food and wine here on her blog, www.chefbikeski.com. Her web site for her Italiaoutdoors Food and Wine Italy tours is www.italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine.com.

To learn more, ask questions, or sign up for our mailing list, contact Kathy:

kathybechtel@comcast.net

1-978-270-5774

Contact Us:

26 Marlboro Street  Newburyport, MA 01950

978-270-5774

kathybechtel@comcast.net