{"id":215194,"date":"2025-02-19T08:35:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T13:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/?p=215194"},"modified":"2025-02-19T16:18:53","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T21:18:53","slug":"winetasting-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/2025\/02\/19\/winetasting-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"13th Annual Wine Tasting Returns on April 3, 2025!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In partnership with the Coccia Italian Institute, the Office of Alumni Engagement is thrilled to invite all wine enthusiasts to a night of exploration and education. Embark on a captivating journey through the Twin Islands of Italy\u2014Sicily and Sardinia\u2014known for their exceptional wines and rich cultural heritage, at the <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/engagement.montclair.edu\/e\/13th-annual-wine-tasting\/\" target=\"_blank\">13th Annual Wine Tasting<\/a> on April 3, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re excited to bring our alumni and friends back to campus for activities that are fun and educational,\u201d says Jeanne Marano, assistant vice president for Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement. \u201cOur wine tasting has become a tradition for many attendees and we are delighted to invite our newest members of the alumni community &#8211; the Class of 2025 &#8211; to their first official alumni event!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/02\/Article-Feature-Wine_3-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This year\u2019s event is hosted in partnership with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/coccia-institute\/about-us\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Coccia Institute<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a component of Montclair\u2019s College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The Coccia Institute advances and celebrates Italian American culture, serving as an engine for explorations into the rich history of Italians and Italianit\u00e0 \u2014\u201cItalian spirit\u201d\u2014in the United States in the arts and humanities, business and politics, foodways and popular culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThe Coccia Institute is thrilled to partner with Alumni Engagement to welcome alumni of all backgrounds to the wine tasting event. We seek to celebrate the diversity of cultures in America and provide cultural exploration and preservation of Italian American history for current and future generations,\u201d says Mark Rotella, Director of the Coccia Institute. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While anyone can enjoy a glass of wine, it takes a refined palate to truly appreciate its complexity. Whether you&#8217;re a novice or a connoisseur, in this workshop attendees will learn how to taste wine like a pro, using basic senses\u2014sight, smell, taste\u2014and beyond. As you savor each pour, you&#8217;ll receive in-depth descriptions of the wines, perfect for taking notes and enhancing your tasting experience. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Featured wines include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Planeta Ros\u00e9<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sella &amp; Mosca Vermentino<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cusumano Insolia<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sella &amp; Mosca Cannonau Riserva<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Planeta La Segreta Nero d&#8217;Avola<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/02\/Article-Feature-Wine_2-1024x576.png\" alt=\"A group of women smiling and holding wine glasses.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;Events like the annual wine tasting gave me sense of belonging at ÌÇÐÄvlog as I was able to immerse myself in cultural experiences that enriched my passion for my Italian heritage,&#8221; says Cristina Latino, &#8217;21, &#8217;24 MBA, a first-generation college graduate, and program coordinator at the Coccia Institute. \u201cThese experiences afforded me opportunities to establish a career for myself in Italian American affairs, where I now have the pleasure of creating similar experiences for students and community members.&#8221; <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Attendees can get ready for an unforgettable experience guided by sommelier Gerry Piserchia, director of Education for Fedway Associates Inc. With over 30 years in the wine industry, Piserchia\u2019s deep knowledge and passion for the world of wine will inspire and educate as he takes the group through the tasting of five Italian wines. From his humble beginnings in an Italian household to becoming a Certified Wine Educator, Piserchia has traveled the world, working with renowned wineries and educating both industry professionals and wine lovers alike.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/02\/Article-Feature-Wine_4-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cAt last year\u2019s event, I was able to meet new people, network and discover how I could stay connected to Montclair after I graduate &#8211; all while learning about different types of wine,\u201d adds Matthew Moreau \u201925, pictured above at last year\u2019s event. \u201cI\u2019m excited to graduate this spring and come back to campus for more events like this!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Don\u2019t miss an evening filled with rich Italian wines, expert guidance and unforgettable memories. Seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. This event is open to guests 21 and older. Photo ID is required for verification. Registration is required and the deadline is March 27, 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Event Details:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Date:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Thursday, April 3, 2025<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Time:<\/strong> 6:30 &#8211; 8:30 p.m.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost:<\/strong> $50 per person | Special rate for Class of 2025 graduates: $25<\/li>\n<li><strong>Location:<\/strong> University Hall, Conference Center, 7th Floor<\/li>\n<li><strong>Registration:<\/strong> <strong><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/engagement.montclair.edu\/e\/13th-annual-wine-tasting\/\" target=\"_blank\">Register Now!<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/engagement.montclair.edu\/e\/13th-annual-wine-tasting\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/02\/Button-Register-Now.png\" alt=\"Register Now Button\" width=\"500\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For questions, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at 973-655-4141 or<a href=\"mailto:alumni@montclair.edu\"> alumni@montclair.edu<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embark on a captivating journey through the Twin Islands of Italy\u2014Sicily and Sardinia\u2014known for their exceptional wines and rich cultural heritage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":451,"featured_media":215217,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-215194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-76_alumni-news-and-events"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/451"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215194"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215194\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":215228,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215194\/revisions\/215228"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}