Organic Food & Wine Tasting

Lenox Square - Home Store
April 17, 2010 from 2-4PM

Join us for a special cooking demonstration and organic wine tasting. Come taste samples of sustainably produced local food and drink, and learn how to re-create at home. We'll also be giving you some ideas for how to dress up your spring parties with chic, eco-friendly style!



Chef Angela McKeller , our favorite "Kook", will demonstrate her party-starting, organic Red Apple & Cherry Wine tartlet as we sample artisan wines made with organically grown grapes. Plus, learn how to reuse your grocery bags for refuse, cut down on energy expense and the importance of finding multiple uses for
each ingredient - and the containers they come in! Angela has appeared on the Food Networkwith Paula Deen and loves to teach others how to make the kitchen their playground.

Tickets are $10 in advance online; $5 from each ticket sold benefits
Share Our Strength. Click here to purchase tickets today or vist
www.gogreenatl.eventbrite.com.

Wine & Chocolate Tasting Party

SIP, SAVOR & SHOP!

Lenox Square Mall - Feb. 10th from 5-8p.m.

Level 2

We're treating YOU to a wine and chocolate tasting!




The Grape Girls will share the basics of wine and chocolate pairing as you enjoy fabulous shopping deals. Here's a taste of the fun:

• Sample delectable chocolates and fine wines


• Purchase $1000 or more in Bloomingdale's New View's fresh spring looks from your favorite designers to receive a $200 splurge card and a pair of tickets to Diana: A Celebration, the new exhibit honoring Princess Diana at the Atlanta Civic Center


• You'll also receive spring's most stunning new accessory, an exquisite multi-media necklace (a 125.00 value!) with your purchase (while supplies last) and complimentary alterations


• Buy more, Save more in Ladies Shoes, Fashion Accessories and Handbags

Click here for more information.

RSVP: Send an email to VIP@GrapeCrushEvents.com with your full name and primary email address no later than Noon on February 9th. Please, no more than 2 guests per party. Must be 21 and older with valid ID to attend the tasting.

UPCOMING EVENT: The Atlanta Winter Wine & Jazz Festival sips into town on Sunday, February 21st. Come on out to sip, savor and jam with the Grape Girls and friends! Click here to purchase tickets, or vist http://winejazz.eventbrite.com.

Cheers!

Toast the Season: Affordable Sparkling Wines!

'Tis the season to celebrate!

There's nothing like a glass of Champagne. Whether alone, or with a favorite meal or dessert - it always fits the bill. However, paying the bill can be a problem!

So, with New Year's Eve right around the corner, I have scoured local stores and online resources in search of affordable sparkling wines that will give you as much joy as Champagne without breaking the bank.

Outside of the Champagne region, France is an amazing source of delicious, high quality bubbles. Look for Crémant on the label, to identify wines made in the same manner as Champagne.
Spain and Italy produce enormous quantities of sparkling wine, the most common being Cava from Spain and Prosecco from Italy. The trick with either is to avoid the cheapest wine on the shelf; it's almost always awful. Stick to safe, middle price ranges, roughly $12 to $25. US wineries make good sparklers. Roederer Estate, owned by Champagne giant Louis Roederer, sets the standard for American sparkling wine, and gives French Champagne houses a run for their money. Also, New Mexico's Gruet Winery is a new discovery that won't disappoint - surprisingly!

Here are some of my favorites to share with your friends:

France
NV Pierre Boniface Les Rocailles Brut de Savoie ($15-$19) Jacquère, Altesse, Chardonnay. As crisp as a day in the French Alps, and much more affordable!

2007 Domaine Clavelin Brut Comté Chardonnay, Cremant de Jura ($15-$19) Chardonnay. Rich and commanding, with toasty notes of baked apples and lemons.

Spain
2006 Gramona Gran Cuvée, Cava, Penedes ($15-$21) Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Chardonnay. Creamy and full-bodied, with layers of flavors.

Italy
NV San Giovanni Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC, Veneto ($18) Prosecco.

Fruity and light-hearted, but flavorful enough to stand up to anything.

United States
NV Gruet Blanc de Noirs, New Mexico ($13.75) Pinot Noir.

Medium bodied and perfectly balanced, with flavors of yellow apples, citrus flowers, and biscuits.
2002 Roederer Estate L'Hermitage, Anderson Valley, California ($45) Chardonnay, Pinot Noir. Powerful and elegant. Full-bodied, with commanding and complex flavors of fruit, flowers, fresh cream, and toast. Can stand up to a steak, but delicate enough not to overpower anything.

Cheers!