For these fans, exploring city is key part of trip

A globe-trotting gaggle of die-hard skating fans sampled Syrah and learned the basics of wine fermentation on Wednesday from Greg Lipsker, owner of Barrister Winery.

The visit capped an afternoon tour of four Spokane-area wineries that the group started planning weeks ago through Spokane Winery Tours.

“Every year, when we meet for nationals, worlds or whatever, we make sure to do something specific to the area,” said Paula Snyder, a human resources director from Kent, Ohio.

Snyder met Philadelphia resident Michelle Flamer at a skating event in 1989. Then, at the 1994 Olympics in Norway, she met Gunter and Karlene Schulz, from Colorado Springs, Colo.

Together with Marie Rinaldi, a product developer for a cosmetics company in Tampa, Fla., the group of five plans weeks of fun around skating events.

Actually, plans may be a weak word. The group draws up blueprints.

For at least the past month, the quintet coordinated hotel accommodations, made restaurant reservations and scheduled outings to make sure they all could meet up in Spokane and, well, party like figure skating fans.

So far, they’ve eaten at Moxie, Luigi’s Italian Restaurant, Wild Sage American Bistro and Milford’s Fish House.

“I think it’s more about camaraderie than about sitting at the rink all day,” Rinaldi said.

So far, the five figure skating fans are impressed by Spokane.

But after the week ends, all five sets of eyes will be on the next event.

They’ve already started planning for the Winter Olympics.

“The five of us already have our house rented for Vancouver in 2010,” Snyder said.