Swampscott resident gears up for wine tasting and fundraiser at town library

SWAMPSCOTT – She calls her wine tastings “a book club without books,” but a Swampscott resident’s next gig at the Public Library fundraiser will provide plenty of literary atmosphere in addition to showcasing her new side business as an educator on the often-intimidating world of wines.”The aim is fun and casual education,” resident Maia Gosselin said. “A lot of people in my circles – meaning moms – don’t have time to take a class. But getting together as a group maybe once a month, is something they really enjoy.”Gosselin first learned about the world of wines while working as a bartender to pay the bills while she pursued a writing career. After a job at a wedding magazine, she became the managing editor of the trade magazine, Massachusetts Beverage Business, in 2004 and began accumulating a different point of view on the oenophile scene.But it wasn’t until she was asked to help select wines for a wine-tasting fundraiser at her children’s preschool – she has daughters aged 3 and 6 – that she decided to start hosting her own events.”The first one was so much fun,” Gosselin said. “I talked to neighbors about doing one, and then my friend Izzie said I have to do something to expand to groups other than new moms – she said, think of the unlimited potential of book clubs.”So four months ago, Gosselin started “Sip ? ?Libation Education in Your Living Room.” Since then, she has hosted wine-tasting events for friends, local organizations and neighbors. She typically has groups of about a dozen people – small enough so that she can speak to them as a group as well as speak to groups of two or three – and prepares a range of wines to sample, all of which are available at either Village Liquors in Vinnin Square or at BUSA Wine and Spirits in Salem. For larger events such as the event planned at the library, she brings in her friend and writer Brandy Rand to help.And the wine world is one where people need a bit of help.”If you go to any nice, mid-range restaurant now, it’s like another language,” she said. “It’s intimidating, so people stick to what they know, a mid-price wine with familiar packaging.”Which makes the wine tastings particularly fun.As an editor, Gosselin is abreast on industry trends, exemplary vintages of all wines – as opposed to a specific wine that she might represent. Most uniquely, she understands marketing.She knows all about the popular “critter wines,” which use cute animals on their labels. She said that people are always confused that French wines are named by region; Californian by grapes. She praised the invention of the Stelvin enclosure or the screw-top wine cap, with eliminating the “huge tainting problems” of corks – “many times, a wine may be a little off, but not skunked, but you won’t order it again so they lose a customer.”By keeping her events small and among friends, Gosselin also is able to cater her wines to individual tastes and make more intimate events. She said that she often coordinates the food to be served – yes, it can make a big difference – with the other attendees, and she will bring wines to encourage participants to “expand” their palates, if you will.”Rose is exploding,” she said. “But it’s pink wine, so I was skeptical.”Most fun – she said she loves the reactions when she tells her customers that almost all of her “winners” retail for less than $10.Which means there are a lot of good wines out there, and a lot of knowledge to be learned.Gosselin said that she would like to see her business expand beyond her neighbors and friends to other small gatherings. As the former editor at a wedding magazine, she sees opportunity in the wedding industry. She said that many brides don’t want to do the bachelorette party, particularly when they are marrying later in life. She also notes that “everybody has a book group.”Swampscott Public Library Executive Director Alyce Deveau said last week that the wine tasting sounded like fun for the library.”Libraries tend to get the older citizens who ar