Club Purpose
The Amador Winemakers Association organizes and conducts discussions, lectures, field trips, experiments and demonstrations to promote interest in the art of home winemaking. We foster an environment where 'members help members' to develop the knowledge, skills and experience of our community of winemakers.
How it all began.
In the late 90s a small group of 5 winemakers got together to help each other by having the benefits of a ‘club’ or co-op for purchasing supplies and ingredients in bulk. The other important aspect of the club was to share thoughts and knowledge to improve their skills, ideas and promote the endeavors of each winemaker, and of course sample and critique the wines.
There was a need for an organization in Amador County to bring a group of like-minded people together and in 2000 the Amador Winemakers Association (AWA) was formally organized. The club started by having monthly meetings in the homes of the members. Our goal was to help others learn how to make wine and provide the technical instruction via guest speakers and seminars. Our bottled wines were critiqued by professionals and we enjoyed various social events throughout the year.
AWA has always been about friends helping friends. Some members have become experts in their craft; opening their own wineries, developing their own brands, authoring books and sharing their expertise by mentoring other members. We try to balance the line between technical and social in our quest for improving the ‘craft’ while having a good time. We have become recognized in the county as a source of help at many events that make this community a great place to live and as an organization serious about helping its members enhance their winemaking skills.