Serenaded by the harmonies of a barbershop quartet, the air filled with the heady scent of hand-rolled cigars, 350 members and guests were transported back to the Roaring 20s at the inaugural event of the Loose Goose Wine Society on Nov. 18. “Since the whole idea of wine is a journey of discovery,” said Peter Goossens, founder of the Loose Goose Wine Festival in Santa Clarita, sponsor of the Wine Society. “And we are going to help people discover all these great wines, we chose Union Station for the launch party.” In the main concourse by the old ticketing area, every retired ticket counter was staffed by knowledgeable representatives from the different vineyards and wholesalers, pouring tastes. The staff was all dressed in period costume, Model A cars were period-setting props and there were even gaming tables scattered about. “Obviously there wasn’t real gambling,” said Goossens, “but each guest got three chips and there was a raffle to win a year of wine.” He wants to make sure people don’t mistake the Wine Society for a typical wine club. Most events in the wine world are designed to push as much wine as possible to the consumer, said Goossens. He thought it would be more interesting to do something different. “We find the wine consumer and ask them what they want and then we use that buying power to negotiate deals with vineyards or restaurants or whatever,” said Goosens. He plans to put on 60 to 80 events a year, not all as elaborate as the launch party. Society member and good friend of Goossens, Ed Masterson, said the event was truly memorable. “He always does a top-notch event,” said Masterson, “Whenever I think of Peter I always think of David O. Selznick’s quote, ‘There are two kinds of class first class and no class.’ Peter is always first class.” A membership costs $99 for the first year which allows access to any or all of the Society’s events. “Of course, each activity has its own ticket price, but there is no wine-buying obligation,” said Goossens. Events may include wine-pairing dinners, private in-home wine tasting parties, and of course the annual Loose Goose Wine Festival. Another membership perk in the works is discounts on wine purchases at restaurants and vineyards throughout California that Goossens is developing partnerships with. Members will be asked to fill out a “wine profile,” that will give the Society information about what members want. A Web site is expected to be up and running by late spring. That will likely have a discussion board where members can critique wines or restaurants they have visited. Next month, the Society will be opening a retail location in the redevelopment area of downtown Newhall at 22508 Market Street. Goossens couldn’t give an exact date of the opening because there is a final building inspection pending, but he hopes it will be in the first week of December. “It’s our worldwide headquarters, but it’s only 900 square feet,” said Goosens with a laugh. “It’s small for a headquarters but pretty big for a wine cellar.” The facility will be a place for members to pick up wines purchased through the Society as well as a place to roam the new selections. The Society will specialize in boutique vineyards. The next Society event will take place in February. The date and details have not been finalized, but Goossens did say that it will involve chocolate and wine.
