The answer woman
Mr. Beard: I read with interest your recent article on the vocabulary of wine [“Red wine, please, easy on the scorched earth,” The Working Pour, November 4, 2008]. I would suggest, as a strident supporter of our Sister City in Besancon, France, that you purchase and read the most recent book on the vocabulary of wine. The author of the Dictionnaire de la langue du VIN, CNRS Editions, 2008, is Martine Coutier, who is Bisotin and an ardent Sister City supporter as well. She has traveled to Charlottesville many times and has appeared twice at the Virginia Festival of the Book. Ms. Coutier’s book goes a long way to demystify the descriptive language of wine and I believe answers many of the issues that you and some of your readers have raised. Give it a read. And thank you for spelling “remuage” correctly. Mr. Rose’s letter [“The other three ‘Rs’," Mailbag, October 28, 2008] would have more to add if he had invested time in a dictionary (as above) or at least with Google.
Blake Caravati
Charlottesville
That’s a yes
At the end of Jayson Whitehead’s article regarding IMPACT in last week’s issue of C-VILLE Weekly [“IMPACT targets education after dental success,” Government News, November 4, 2008] the question was posed, “Can IMPACT make an impact on education?” Here are my thoughts.
For the past two and a half years, IMPACT has brought together hundreds and hundreds of people from all backgrounds who want to make systemic changes in order to better the lives of their neighbors, friends, colleagues, fellow congregants, family members and many others. I’ve been involved with IMPACT since 2006 and each year my excitement, dedication and determination grow as I realize the influence the group has had in affecting positive change. IMPACT has done far more than simply raise awareness about injustices in our community; IMPACT has served as an impetus for addressing the root causes of these problems, promoting solutions and action. For example, around the issue of transportation, IMPACT identified gaps in service and funding sources to remedy these gaps. Around the issue of affordable housing, IMPACT recognized the need for representatives from the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the University of Virginia to sit around the same table and work together, and made a push for a task force rather than just for more monies to be earmarked for affordable housing.
Stephanie Austin
Albemarle County