By Cindy Chant

cindy@peicanada.com

For young business owner Erica Wagner, operating a business in rural West Prince during the winter months can be a challenge. Ms Wagner is the owner/operator of The Landing Oyster House and Pub and she may have come up with an idea to get weary Islanders out on cold, wintery evenings.

“It is an exciting evening where we have such a wide range of ages who attend...there is never a dull moment,” said Ms Wagner who went on to say, “Many would never expect to find a small local pub in such a quaint town hosting a wine tasting club.”

The club has now grown to as many as 20 members and is growing every month.

“We have one member who is bringing 15 of his friends to the next club meeting,” said Ms Wagner, who explained the friends are all mostly in their 20’s.

Members of the club are reported to range from a retired nurse to a twenty-something hockey player.

What they all have in common? A taste for adventure in both food and wine.

Members are given a chance to dissect and score the wine using a scoring sheet provided. While many members complete the scoring sheet thoroughly by rating each wine tasted. Others scribble and draw smiley faces or frowns. 

“Each person of the club are free to judge the wine in whichever capacity they like,” said Ms Wagner, who went on to say, “This is no uppity wine club.”

The wine club meetings that are held every last Friday of each month also include a variety of appetizers which are chosen to pair nicely with the wines selected for the evenings taste testing. There is a flat fee of $20 that each member pays to cover the cost of the wine and food.

While the wine club is the only club of its kind hosted at the pub - organizers are looking to start up a whiskey club and are currently looking for members.