O MY GOODNESS!

Blame Julia B for this year's MoCool theme. She's been carrying on endlessly, telling anyone who would listen that she's been O-deprived.

"No one's slipped me a Pinot in months," she confided to one of the other MoCool organizers. "And I can't even remember the last time I had a big, fleshy Nebbiolo."

So the rest of the organizers got together to see if we could help Julia out. Clay was totally unsympathetic.

"Just last night, I made sure that Cindy had an earthshaking Orvieto," he boasted. "And her response? Downright Primitivo!"

But such braggadocio left the Noland Brothers looking seriously Bordeaux.

"Let's move things along," said Tom. "Julia's got no problemo I can't take take care of. We'll just head over to the shed and I'll treat her to a Barolo in the hay."

"Things could get hot out there, so don't forget your wine sleeve," Sally helpfully reminded him.

"What's for dessert?" someone wanted to know.

"Not a lot, and it looks like it could rain," observed Guido. "So we may have to settle for any Porto in the storm."

"Then the theme's settled?" Joel asked. "And given the sort of folks who typically show up at MoCool, can we expect that someone will make sure Julia has at least one double-O before the night is over?"

"Dead certain," said Jay. "The only question is whether she gets it from that ultra-steely Pinot Grigio or the Mendocino Merlot that finishes really hot."

August 14, 2010, from 2 PM until we open the final bottles of Muscato and Oporto.

PLACE!

Our home for most of the past decade, under the big tent at Jan and Tom's lakeside camp near Dexter, Michigan, 10 minutes west of Ann Arbor. Directions go out about a week before the picnic to everyone who's signed up.

FOOD!

Once again, Chef Alan Kerr heads up the MoCulinary team. He's promised to inundate us with a non-stop array of wine-friendly foods that include prodigious quantities of hot and cold running appetizers from the opening bell, with the main course served sometime around 6PM, followed by the extraordinary confections of MoCool's longtime pastry chef, Tom Denk. Lots of vegetarian-friendly dishes on the menu, too.

If you're a MoCool newbie, you'll quickly discover that the food alone makes the MoCool picnic more than worth the trip!

MoCool weekend is also NASCAR race weekend at Michigan International Speedway, which makes area accommodations a little tight if you're coming in from elsewhere.

But you do have options. Jan and Tom's lake compound that's home to MoCool has a number of recently rehabbed one and two bedroom rustic cabins that have become a favorite crash pad, at moderate cost. Turn your MoCool into a weekend on the lake! Get up and take a swim the next morning! Great for both out-of-towners and locals who don't want to deal with driving home after the picnic. Only a limited number of cabins are available, but right now the supply is still good. If you're interested, please contact Clay Johnson, our Accommodation Czar.

Several folks also typically stay at the Best Western in Whitmore Lake, ten minutes north of Ann Arbor on US23 and 20 minutes from the Saturday picnic. Phone: 734.449.2058.

With a theme this great, we're doing custom-printed MoCool T-shirts, in your choice of pale grey or burgundy, featuring "The Big O" logo. Sizes Small through XL are $18; XXL and XXXL are $21.

We'll base quantities on individual advance orders, and don't plan for extras to be available at MoCool itself. Because we need the shirts in time to print and distribute at MoCool, our cut-off date for shirt orders is Monday, July 26. Order yours from the signup page.

If you're not coming to MoCool, but want a shirt delivered to you -- there's an option for that when you check out. We'll charge a few dollars for shipping and send your shirt(s) off by Priority Mail.

Last but not least, don't forget the MoCool Shop!  We've replicated some classic MoCool logo designs from past years for shirts and a few other items. So if you're still kicking yourself for not getting that "Tour de France" shirt when you had the chance, or you spilled Syrah all over "Pinot Envy" -- well, your time has come again! Items cost a little more here, because they're made up individually to order and shipped directly to you. Go to the MoCool Shop.

COST!

The picnic costs $60 plus your contribution of at least one bottle to share, from a grape or region that ends with an "O!"

SIGN UP FOR MoCool!

Click over to the MoCool signup site (signup4mocool.com) to let us know you're coming and if other folks are joining you. You can use your credit card or PayPal, which we prefer, to pay when you sign up. Alternatively, you can send a check to the address listed on the site.

As a favor, we ask that you please register ASAP. This greatly helps us plan the food and other logistics. The last day for signup is Monday, August 9.

Fair warning: We can't give refunds to those who cancel after August 9 or simply don't show up. We can't give any refunds for the cabins, unless someone else takes the space. MoCool is a breakeven proposition at best, which doesn't leave room for changes once we set budgets and quantities and start to buy the food and supplies.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

As always, we need several volunteers to help with setup on Saturday morning, cleanup on Sunday morning, and a couple of local folks to run various purchase and pickup errands in the days preceding the picnic. Volunteer kitchen assistants for Chef Alan during the day on Friday or Saturday morning are also welcome! If you can help with any of these, please contact Julia B.

GETTING HERE & AWAY:

The Ann Arbor/Detroit area is five hours or less driving time from Toronto, Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis, and five hours or less flying time from anywhere in North America. The nearest major airport is Detroit Metro (DTW), which is halfway between Ann Arbor and Detroit; it's a Delta hub. You can sometimes find bargain flights to Detroit on Southwest or Spirit, or from the southeast to either Detroit or Flint (FNT) on AirTran.

If you're coming from elsewhere and plan to arrive early or stay late, please let us know! There are often informal gatherings and pre-parties that take place over the weekend, and we'd hate for out-of-town friends to go thirsty.

WHAT EXACTLY IS MoCOOL?

MoCool -- the Motown Co-Operative Off-Line -- is the world's longest-running off-line gathering of wired wine lovers, started in 1992 by a group in the Detroit / Ann Arbor area. Over the years, our annual August tastings have brought together wine lovers from across the US, and as far away as France and South Africa.

The event is non-profit, run by a loosely organized group of volunteers for the purpose of enjoying good wines, good food, and socializing with fellow wine lovers. If you're reading this and that idea sounds pretty good to you, then you're probably one of us!

MORE QUESTIONS?

Go to the Contact page to email the appropriate person.