Thanksgiving Delights

DID YOU KNOW? American wine drinkers consume more wine on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. Wow!







On Thanksgiving Day we’re thankful for Our blessings all year through,

For family we dearly love,

For good friends, old and new.


For sun to light and warm our days,

For stars that glow at night,

For trees of green and skies of blue,

And puffy clouds of white.


We’re grateful for our eyes that see

The beauty all around,

For arms to hug, and legs to walk,

And ears to hear each sound.


The list of all we’re grateful for

Would fill a great big book;

Our thankful hearts find new delights

Everywhere we look!


Happy Thanksgiving from the Grape Girls!

Please be safe and drink responsibly.

WANTED: Volunteers for the Atlanta Winter Wine & Jazz Festival!

WANTED: Experienced Special Event Volunteers!

Grape Crush Productions invites you to volunteer at the Atlanta Winter Wine & Jazz Festival on Sunday, February, 21st!

Volunteers must commit to a 4 hour shift and will assist with set up, break down, registration, hospitality, wine tasting, beer tasting and other general duties. In return for your service, you will be able to enjoy the event at no cost and participate in volunteer-only prizes and giveaways. Great opportunity for young professionals, wine/beer enthusiasts and volunteer organizations!

Follow these instructions to be considered:

1. Send an email to Volunteers@GrapeCrushEvents.com with your full name, mailing address, primary email and phone number no later than Feb. 10, 2010.
   
2. Indicate if you prefer to work the early shift (11:30am - 3:30pm) or late shift (3:00pm - 7:00pm).
   
3. Be sure to state your past volunteer experience and list the last 3 events you worked.

You will be contacted with a confirmation (if selected) and more information. Space is limited, so submit your interest today!

Would you rather attend the event than work? Click here to purchase tickets or visit http://winejazz.eventbrite.com/. The event benefits the Children's Restoration Network.

Cheers!

Terracotta Armies & Table 1280

A Weekend to Wine

The weather in Atlanta was great this weekend!

Mid 60's, sunny skies, light breezes - you know, all the reasons why so many transplants (like me) from the North and Midwest choose to call Hotlanta home. Although I worked most of the weekend (we're in our busy Spring charity and fashion event season for Atlanta Party Starters and gearing up for Grape Crush Productions Atlanta Food & Wine Month kick-off party and April event series), I did find a little time to wine-down.



On Sunday, my husband (not pictured:) and I finally attended The First Emperor, China's Terracotta Army, at the High Museum of Art. The exhibit came to Atlanta in Nov. '08 and we have been dying to see it before it leaves on April 19th. Well, it was definitely worth the wait and I'm SO glad we took a break from our busy schedules to attend!

Considered the 8th Wonder of the Ancient World, the exhibit explores one of the greatest archaelogical discoveries of the 20th century: China's terracotta army. Showcasing over 100 works from the ongoing excavation, this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition includes the largest number of complete terracotta figures ever to travel to the U.S. Click here to learn more.



After viewing the exhibit, we strolled over to Table 1280 before heading home to prepare for the hectic work week. Located at 1280 Peachtree St. (hence the name), Table 1280 Restaurant & Tapas Lounge is the perfect place to wine either before or after visiting the High, Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, 14th Street Playhouse, or the Alliance Theatre. Order from a variety of small plates and great wine list for a quick bite in the lounge, or stay for an American-brasserie inspired meal in the restaurant.

So, what did you do over this great "weekend to wine"? Leave a comment and let us know. Be sure to take our wine-polls (top right)!

Are You Label Challenged?

How to Become a Grape Guru: Debunking the Wine Label
by the Grape Girls

Wine labels can be a little intimidating to new or inexperienced wine drinkers. The label tells you everything you need to know about the wine inside the bottle and with a little practice it really isn't all that hard to figure out. Click here to check out our new article on eHow and the Grape Girls will have you decoding the label in no time. Be sure to rate our article and let us know what you think!

More articles in the Grape Gurus series are coming soon. Check the list to the right for updates.

Do you have an idea for our next article? Well, let us know! Send an email to info@GrapeCrushEvents.com with Article Idea in the subject heading. All rights reserved.

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!

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/

A Hot New Crush!

Welcome to the Grape Crush blog!

We're the Grape Girls and we'll keep you posted on what's hot on the food and wine scene.

From wine tasting events and food festivals, to Grape Escapes (our cool travel excursions) you'll learn about it here first.

Be on the lookout for our official company launch party coming April 2009 and opportunities to meet us at various events, in our hometown of Atlanta, GA or at a hotspot near you. We've made it our mission to share our love of food and wine and bridge the gap between wine newbies and aficionados worldwide.

We don't consider ourselves experts, we just love good food, great wine, traveling to exciting places and meeting interesting people. We can't wait to share our adventures with you!

As we like to say, the next sip is yours...

Cheers,

The Grape Girls
Live, Love, Wine & Dine!

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST: Send an email to info@grapecrushevents.com for exclusive event invitations, wine club info and special promotions and discounts from our partners.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: Stop by www.grapecrushevents.com for company news and updates. Plus, find out how to become a "Grape Guru"! :)