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About Us Who we are Join Events German
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The German Wine Society is dedicated to improving knowledge of German wines and conducting events at which such wines are shared and appreciated. The Society is private, educational and not for profit. Annual dues are currently $35 per individual or couple, and there is also a one-time initiation fee of $10 per person for a GWS medallion.Goals of the Society
About the German Wine Society Efforts to bring together those who enjoy German wine in the US were not made until 1977. At that time, the growing numbers of Americans who had attended the German Wine Academyin Geisenheim demanded the formation of a society of oenophiles devoted to the wines of Germany, similar to those existing for lovers of the wines of Burgundy, Bordeaux, Alsace and Italy. The foremost of these societies originated in the mid-thirties, for the express purpose of promoting the wines of their areas at a time when Americans having just lived through Prohibition, had little knowledge of the fine wines of the world. Germany, on the other hand, produces fine wines in small quantities, and her export of them was of little importance to an industrial nation. With the growing appreciation of fine wines in America, tastes evolved, and the tremendous surge of interest in the wines of Germany stimulated imports and understanding. Thus the desire for a German Wine Society has grown from the wishes of the consumer rather than the producers. The Society was founded in 1977 when 83 graduates of the German Wine Academy were formally inducted in a ceremony at the German Embassy in Washington, DC. Those residing in the Baltimore/Washington area were the nucleus of the Ambassador Chapter, chartered on February 24, 1979 at its Inaugural Tasting. (The Ambassador Chapter evolved into the Capital Chapter in Washington DC, a few year later.) A special tasting and induction was held in Houston in 1978, proving national interest. The Society functions as an association of autonomous local chapters, which are self-supporting and conduct meetings in accordance with the wishes of their memberships within the parameters of the National By-laws. Membership in the National society is a prerequisite for membership in a chapter. Members at large reside in cities where there is no local chapter. The affairs of the National organization are managed by a Board of Directors, Officers and an Executive Committee, representing all areas where there are Chapters. The National Office is currently located at: 1014 Reserve Champion Drive, Rockville, MD 20850.Liability insurance is provided through National dues. The Society welcomes all those with a sincere interest in learning about German wines and welcomes the opportunity to charter new chapters where groups of interested individuals reside.
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