Blais, Burgers & Wine - Oh My!

Well, I must say, the last few days were a great wine-down from a hectic week!

The Grape Girls and I have had a whirlwind past few days. We attended a "grape" tasting at 10 Degrees South featuring lovely South African wines, went back to cool new find Cellar 56 Tapas & Wine Bar, I met African-American winemaker Johnathan Branch at The Colors of Wine and THEN caught up with celebrity chef Richard Blais at his new gourmet burger joint FLIP!

Ok, let me start from the beginning... (Whew!)

10 Degrees South - On Thursday, Feb. 19th Atlanta's only authentic South African restaurant celebrated 350 years of South African wine! South African experts paired up with wine guru’s from Vineyard Brands to hold a wine tasting reception, complete with South African delicacies from the highly acclaimed 10 Degrees South menu. The festivities topped off with live performances from authentic South African Zulu dancers.

Of course, when we left we just didn't want the party to end so the Grape Girls headed on over to Cellar 56 - read Christine's Feb. 12th post for more info on East Andrew's latest addition!

The Colors of Wine - This cool little wine retail store (located at 2355 Cumberland Pkwy in Vinings, GA) boasts a great wine assortment, accessories, gift baskets and more. I fell in love with this place a few years ago when former owner Twyla (rhymes with my name!) first opened shop. Now the charming Brenda & Clayton Brown are running things and haven't missed a beat, errrr sip! On Saturday, Feb. 21st my husband and I attended their wine tasting featuring the Georgia premier of Branch Cellars with Winemaker Johnathan Branch. He's an African-American chef turned wine producer who first fell in love with wine many years ago while visiting Alsace and honed his skills working with some of the best winemakers in Napa. We were lucky enough to sample several of his limited-production wines and purchased a bottle of the Branch Cellars Cabernet to savor on our upcoming 1-yr wedding anniversary. He even personalized it, see below! Meeting Mr. Branch and enjoying his wine was truly one of those great life experiences and I'm so glad I got to share it with my hubby Greg. See us with the winemaker (center) pictured below!

DID YOU KNOW? Though there are nearly 6,000 wineries in the United States, African Americans own fewer than a dozen.

Flip Burger Boutique - After the wine tasting, Greg and I stopped by Atlanta's newest culinary offering from Bravo's Top Chef (season 4) finalist and Food Network's Iron Chef competitor Richard Blais. Now, those of us in Atlanta have known of this hotshot since he opened Blais in 2003 - emphasis on the word hot! ;) This burger-meets-molecular-gastronomy eatery features a liquid nitrogen milk shake bar (look for the Krispy Kreme shake) and alterna-burgers like the Lamburger with green olive relish, cucumber yogurt, raisin ketchup and mint. My fave is the Butcher Cut with carmelized onions, blue cheese and red wine jam. Creative sides include sweet potato tots, vodka battered onion rings and tempura fried okra, all begging you to give 'em a try. Needless to say, this ain't your average burger stop. Look for more Flips, and Blais' signature mohawk, coming soon to a city near YOU!

Be sure to visit our blog again soon for the latest adventures of the Grape Girls and visit http://www.grapecrushevents.com/ to sign-up for our mailing list to receive your exclusive invitation to the official Grape Crush launch party coming this April.

Cheers!

Lights, Cameras, Casting for Top Chefs!

NOW CASTING: Top Chef Season 6!

Do you have what it takes to be the next Top Chef?
Do you KNOW you could mop the floor with the chefs on Bravo's smash hit competition series? Well, this may be your chance to make it happen!


Bravo TV is now casting for Top Chef Season 6! They are looking for chefs with a passion for food, creativity, a knowledge of cooking techniques and trends and oodles of charisma.

UPCOMING CASTING CALLS:

ATLANTA
Sunday, February 22, 10:00 AM – 2:00PM
Craft Restaurant http://www.craftatlanta.com/

NEW YORK
Sunday, March 1, 10:00 AM – 2:00PM
CraftSteak Restaurantwww.craftrestaurant.com/craftsteak_newyork.html

PHILADELPHIA
Wednesday, March 4, 10:00 AM – 2:00PM
XIX NINETEEN at Park Hyatt at the Bellevuehttp://www.nineteenrestaurant.com/

LOS ANGELES
Sunday, March 15, 10:00 AM – 2:00PM
Craft Restaurant www.craftrestaurant.com/craft_losangeles_style.html

CHICAGO
For casting information in Chicago, please email TCCastingChicago@gmail.com

Click here to apply and be sure to give the Grape Girls a shout-out when you make the finals!

Break a leg, ummmm, frying pan!!! Never mind, don't break anything.... Good luck! :)

Top 15 Love & Wine Quotes

Ok, since Cupid's arrow is poised and ready to fire, we thought we would share a few of our favorite love quotes with you. Of course, love and wine go hand and hand if you're grape lovers like us!

• How much better is thy love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than all kinds of spices! (Song of Solomon 4:10)


• Love is like wine. To sip is fine, but to empty the bottle is a headache. (Julio Iglesias)


• What though youth gave love and roses, Age still leaves us friends and wine. (Thomas Moore)


• A sweetheart is a bottle of wine, a wife is a wine bottle. (Charles Baudelaire)


• Your words are my food, your breath my wine. You are everything to me. (Sarah Bernhardt)


• Age is just a number. It's totally irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine. (Joan Collins)


• A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover. (Clifton Paul Fadiman)


• Beauty is worse than wine, it intoxicates both the holder and beholder. (Aldous Huxley)


• Wine makes a man more pleased with himself; I do not say it makes him more pleasing to others. (Samuel Johnson)


• I took up French boys and wine and I studied psychology. (Joely Fisher)


• A gourmet meal without a glass of wine just seems tragic to me somehow. (Kathy Mattea)


• I like my wine like my women - ready to pass out. (Robin Williams)


• Men are like wine - some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age. (Pope John XXIII)


• Wine comes in at the mouth And love comes in at the eye; That's all we shall know for truth Before we grow old and die. (William Butler Yeats)


• Wine gives courage and makes men more apt for passion. (Ovid 17AD)

Happy Valentine's Day, Cheers!

Cellar 56 Tapas and Wine Bar

For those of you who haven't been to East Andrews lately, they have a new addition--Cellar 56. They turned part of the downstairs into a great tapas and wine bar. The atmosphere was great, the food was amazing (and VERY reasonably priced!) and they had a good selection of wine. Cellar 56 is open every night but go early on Fridays or Saturdays as it turns back into East Andrews at 11pm!

Yoga and Wine--the Perfect Combination!

Yoga and Wine...never thought you would hear those 2 words together. Well last night I attended the Body Vision Studio Yoga and Wine class in Brookhaven and it was fabulous! For all of you that don't think that yoga is a workout...attend this class. Not only was I completely sweating after an hour of yoga but I was also completely stress-free! And then to top it off, they then bring out wine and munchies. Everyone "popped a squat" on the floor in a circle and had a wonderful time getting to know one another. I got a great workout, had some great wine and met some new people...who could have asked for a better evening :)

Christine

The Wine Loft - A "Grape" New Place!

Hi Everyone,

Last week the Grape Girls and I stopped by the Wine Loft for a quick business meeting, and of course a great glass of wine. I had been a few times before, but wanted the rest of the gang to see it as we narrow down our options for the upcoming Grape Crush launch party. As suspected, they loved it as much as I do! The Wine Loft is an upscale wine bar featuring over 90 wines (yes, 90+) by the glass and 230 by the bottle. Plus, they have great food like wild mushroom bruschetta, artisan cheeses, lamb lollipops, BBQ shrimp and more. It has the feel of a contemporary urban loft, but is SO intimate and cozy!

Be sure to stop by for the Wednesday wine tastings or live music on the weekends. Visit http://thewineloftatl.com/ for directions and more info. Say "hi" to Ashley and Rob for us!

Cheers,

Kyla

WANTED: Independent Wine Consultants

MUST LOVE WINE!

(No Experience Necessary!)

Grape Crush Productions has partnered with a top winery based in Napa, CA (the heart of wine country) to offer turn-key wine tasting parties! We are looking for new Wine Consultants to conduct private wine tastings and create a fun, educational environment. Requirements? Must love people and wine!

Private wine tastings are great for:

• Anniversaries


• Birthdays


• Couples Showers


• Girls Night In


• House Warmings


• Office Parties


• Open Houses


• Any excuse to get together with family and friends!

Contact us for an exclusive invitation to an upcoming road show where you'll sample some of our handcrafted artisan wines and get an "insiders" view of the wine industry to discover the joys and rewards of a career in the wine business. Send an email to: info@GrapeCrushEvents.com.

Road Shows are currently being held in Kennesaw, GA (Feb. 10), Columbus, GA (Feb. 11), Alpharetta, GA (Feb. 12), Napa, CA (Feb. 21) and Las Vegas, NV (Feb. 24).

Can't attend a session? Just let us know and we'll give you all the information you need to get started. We are looking for consultants in other areas of the country as well. This is a great way to be in business for yourself, but not by yourself!

Cheers!

The Grape Girls

http://www.grapecrushevents.com/