Start A Chapter

Create an AWS Chapter in Your Own Hometown!

Start A Chapter

American Wine Society (AWS) Chapters are the backbone of the organization!

Each chapter has a unique personality and focus, depending on what the chapter members are interested in. Here are some examples:

  • A bunch of foodies?  Focus some of your events around food & wine pairing;
  • Interested in small or local wineries?  Plan your events around visiting wineries, or inviting wineries to come to your meeting;
  • Live in a community with a common space?  Have events around residents of that community;
  • Grill and BBQ fans?  Hold your events outdoors, with grilling parties, and wines that go with BBQ;
  • Interested in making wine?  Get together to crush, press, taste, blend, bottle, age, and enjoy;
  • Interested in how wines are judged?  Follow guidelines of the WJCP and have meetings to learn to judge wines;
  • Something else?  All of the above?  The possibilities are limitless!

Chapters organize wine tastings and other events to suit members’ interests, ranging from serious wine tastings to wine-making to social events and food pairings.  Nearly all chapters are thrilled to welcome new members and visitors who want to check them out before joining.

AWS members are not required to be in a chapter, but tasting and learning about wine is a lot more fun if you do it with friends!

It’s actually pretty easy and there’s plenty of help.  Of course, there are a few rules.  A chapter must have at least 8 members, meet at least six times a year, have an educational component to the meetings, and enforce the rules of limiting non-members to three meetings before requiring them to join AWS.  That’s all!

Beyond that, we have a TON of information to help with the benefits of membership, the benefits of being part of a chapter, choosing a venue, publicizing the chapter, approaching businesses, setting up meetings, and chapter organization.  Contact the Regional office for assistance every step of the way!

Your Regional VP is Dawne Swanson, and she can be reached at info@awsnorthwest.org or (253) 225-1985 Cheers!