How-To Host a Wicked Wine Tasting Party!

I vant to drink your vine...

Halloween heralds the start of the holiday season - and where there is a party, there is wine! A wine tasting party doesn't have to be a stuffy affair, so mix things up a little by throwing a unique Halloween bash that is sure to be a treat.

Host a wicked wine tasting party in 5 easy steps:

1. Invitations - Get crafty and make your own wine bottle shaped party invitations. Use construction paper or poster board, flat sheets of cork to make a life-like cork stopper for the top, a label in the middle of the "bottle" should provide party details.
2. Decor - Create your very own haunted wine cellar with equal amounts of sophistication and spook factor. Use old wooden barrels to hold platters of food and wine and decorate with large glass jars, grapes, pumpkins, gourds, faux leaves, lots of candles and scary touches like fake spider webs and spiders.
3. Food - Set up a nice assortment of fruit, cheese, crackers, bread, nuts and a few heavier appetizers (think stuffed mushrooms or a hearty pumpkin soup). Be sure to label your assortment with toothpicks that have labels attached - use a ghoulish computer font or eerie hand writing for maximum effect!
4. Wine - Use an old wooden door, wine crates or designate a large coffee table to display your wicked wine collection. Be sure to include some spooky brands like Vampire Wines (from Transylvania!), Poizin Zinfandel (comes in a coffin shaped box), Owen Roe Sinister Hand or Evil Cabernet Sauvignon. Add some dry ice to the display area for a ghostly effect!
5. Attention to Detail - Be sure to have great music, lots of candy, plenty of dump buckets and bottled waters handy. Place small gift bags or containers near your candy station so guests can help themsleves to take-home treats as parting gifts.
   
   

Wine & Candy Pairing Tips:

• Almond Joy and Sparkling Wine

• Snickers and Sangiovese

• Three Musketeers and Ice Dessert Wine

• Hershey’s Dark Chocolate and Syrah

• Caramel Apples and Sauvignon Blanc

• Candy Corn and Chardonnay

With these spook-tacular tips from the Grape Girls you are sure to pull off the perfect Halloween wine party. So, dress up, party down and enjoy the wine. Cheers!

Taste of Atlanta VIP Volunteers

WANTED: ENTHUSIASTIC WINE VOLUNTEERS!

Grape Crush Productions is seeking experienced volunteers for the VIP Wine Experience at Taste of Atlanta on October 23 and 24, 2010.

The popular foodie event features "tastes" from the city's best restaurants, cooking demonstrations from national and local celebrity chefs and live entertainment. The event takes take place in an 8-block area of Tech Square located in the heart of Midtown.

A highlight of the 2010 festival is the VIP Wine Experience, open only to VIP ticket holders over the age of 21. The "Experience" will feature a series of highly anticipated wine tastings and educational seminars led by top industry professionals. Wine enthusiasts and experienced volunteers are encouraged to register to help with this one-of-a-kind event. Volunteers are rewarded with "taste" coupons to enjoy the festival after their shift.

VOLUNTEER:
Interested participants should send an email to volunteers@GrapeCrushEvents.com for more information.
Registration deadline is October 8th!

TICKET DISCOUNT:
Purchase tickets at www.tasteofatlanta.com.
Use our special discount code GRAPE to save $5 OFF VIP or General Admission advance online tickets!

Taste of Atlanta dishes up flavors to satisfy every taste. So, grab a fork and a glass and prepare to stimulate your mind, body and taste buds. Cheers!

Wine Making Meets Reality TV

Just when you were about to write off reality TV, here's come a new show that will make you think twice!


THE WINEMAKERS gives twelve men and women the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make their wildest dreams come true - to become a winemaker. Living in a house and facing various challenges, Big Brother style, the strangers compete for a chance to create and launch their own wine label nationwide. From viticulture and enology, to sales and marketing, the grueling challenges are devised by real world winemakers, as well as top chefs, sommeliers, restaurateurs and industry leaders. And they'll be judged every step of the way by some of the toughest critics around.

The stakes are high and the competition is fierce. But in the end, only one will earn the title they all aspire to - only one will become "The Winemaker". The show will begin airing nationwide on PBS in September 2009 during California Wine Month.

Click here for more info.

Cheers!