Atlanta Food & Wine Month 2010 "Sips Off" on April 1st!

Discover the Art of Wine! Join us for the Atlanta Food & Wine Month 2010 launch party on Thursday, April 1st at Kai Lin Art.




About Atlanta Food & Wine Month:

At Grape Crush Productions we believe the culinary arts are a vital part of a city's culture. In partnership with the City of Atlanta (Office of Cultural Affairs), we are celebrating the local food and wine scene for an entire month with exciting events at diverse venues. Atlanta Food & Wine Month, now in its second year, effectively fuses the love of food and wine with all art forms in a series of special events highlighting the best venues, chefs, restaurants, sommeliers, art galleries, retailers and more that our city has to offer. April is also Jazz Appreciation Month and many events will feature live entertainment from Atlanta's best jazz artists. From wine tasting parties at art galleries and clothing boutiques, to hot restaurant meal deals - locals and visitors alike are encouraged to eat, sip and savor all around town!

Click here for tickets or visit www.foodwine.eventbrite.com. Don't miss the early bird ticket specials!

Come on out to celebrate Atlanta's fabulous food and wine scene...

Cheers!

Italian Wine & Art at the High Museum

Ciao bella... It's Grape Crush Night at the High!












Thursday, Jan. 21 from 5-9pm
High Museum of Art Atlanta



Celebrate Leonardo da Vinci: Hand of the Genius and all things Italian! Join us for this special wine tasting and enjoy various wines from Italy.



Your ticket includes:
Admission to the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition
Favoloso door prizes and giveaways courtesy of Grape Crush Productions
Three wine samples or one full glass
Italy Grape Escape (Sept. 2010 travel excursion) details and early registration deals



Click here for more information or visit http://italianwine.eventbrite.com.
Use discount code GCP10 to save $5 OFF tickets now thru Jan. 2.

Holiday Rum Cake Recipe

Go "beyond the bar" this holiday season...

Cooking with wine and spirits can be a unique enhancement to an average weekday meal, or a grand special occasion. Try this recipe for Bacardi's Original Rum Cake to WOW your guests and instantly add a little holiday cheer to your next soiree. Bake one to enjoy with your family and friends and a few more to give as unique holiday gifts!

Bacardi Rum Cake:
1/2 cup Bacardi Gold Rum
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 - 18 1/2oz pkg yellow cake mix
1 - 3 1/2 oz pkg vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan or 10-cup tube pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, Bacardi Gold Rum, oil & water. Using an electric mixer, beat at low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed 2 minutes. Pour batter over nuts. Bake 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes, then invert onto serving plate.

Glaze:
1/2 cup Bacardi Gold Rum
1/2 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in sugar, water & Bacardi Gold Rum. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Prick top of the cake with a fork. Spoon and brush glaze evenly over top and sides. Allow cake to absorb glaze. Repeat until all glaze is absorbed.

NEW: Join the Virtual Grape, a new social network connecting Atlanta wine lovers and foodies. Post a profile, get exclusive event invitations, share your best recipes, get wine tasting tips, and more! http://virtualgrape.ning.com/

Cheers!

Shop for a Cause with the Grape Girls!

Click here to enlarge or visit the Virtual Grape social network for details.

2009 Midtown Atlanta Shop & Dine Week

Come Shop, Dine and Stay in Midtown Atlanta!

The trendy restaurants and retailers of Midtown Atlanta have joined forces to present the 2009 Midtown Atlanta Shop & Dine Week, November 13-22. Atlantans are encouraged to spend the day and night in Midtown shopping, dining and enjoying cultural activities. Participating fine dining restaurants are offering 3-course meals for $25 per person, plus tax and gratuity; casual restaurants are featuring two meals for $25, plus tax and gratuity. Retail shops, hotels and cultural attractions are featuring discounted rates and fees. Offers will vary at each participating business.

For a complete list of the participating establishments and the special menus or discounts they are featuring, please click here or visit http://www.midtownatlantashopanddineweek.com.

Esquire Magazine Invites You to Celebrate Paces 88 at The St. Regis!

You're Invited!

Thursday, Nov. 12 from 6-9pm

Paces 88 - The St. Regis Atlanta

John Mariani, Esquire Magazine's Food and Travel Correspondent & Mark Alba, Chef De Cuisine, invite Grape Crush VIP's to celebrate Paces 88 - recently named to Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America list!

Savor a selection of hors d'oeuvres created by the St. Regis Atlanta Culinary Team. Festive attire, must be 21 and older.

RSVP is required. The guest list is extremely limited, you will be notified if you are confirmed for the list. Mailto: VIP@GrapeCrushEvents.com no later than Wednesday at Noon.

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SNEAK PEEK - Check out The Virtual Grape - a new social network connecting Atlanta's wine lovers and foodies! Create a profile, share news and stay updated on local tastings and events.

http://virtualgrape.ning.com/

Introducing Lenox Square Grill!

Grape Crush Productions welcomes new partner - Lenox Square Grill!

The new Buckhead eatery is a concept from CentraArchy, the company that brought Atlantans The Tavern at Phipps, Joey D's, and New York Prime.The full-service restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner daily in a lively, stylish atmosphere and since opening this Fall has quickly come a celebrity spotting site. The menu features imaginative, yet classic comfort foods such as the signature Mac Skillets - Cajun Shrimp, Barbecue Chicken, or Cheeseburger - the creative side of homemade macaroni and cheese. The signature cocktails and great wine list make it a new favorite for both business gatherings and social events alike.

Lenox Square Grill is located at Lenox Square Mall in the space formerly occupied by Clubhouse. It features seating for more than 300 guests, an extensive outdoor patio and private dining rooms.

Location: 3393 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30326

Phone: 404.841.2377

They're open daily until 2a.m. and have a live DJ on the weekends. The Grape Girls invite you to sample tasty tidbits from Lenox Square Grill at Bloomingdale's Shopping Benefit (Lenox Square Mall) on October 29th and other upcoming events. RSVP required - click here to visit our blog for more information.

We'll see YOU there!

Introducing Montaluce Winery!

Grape Crush Productions welcomes new partner - Montaluce Winery & Estates located on the Dahlonega Plateau, one of the emerging wine-growing regions of the United States!

Blessed with some of the steepest, well-drained hillsides to be found in the U.S., North Georgia's topography, elevation, and long growing season creates an extraordinarily climate well-suited for premium wine grape cultivation. This climate, coupled with the classic "Terra Rosa"

wine- growing soils of the region, serves as the foundation for the new wave of Georgia vintners producing wines of truly exceptional quality. Montaluce is North Georgia's finest!

The more than 35 acres of Montaluce's vineyards include varieties of premium vinifera grapes including, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sangiovese, and others. Montaluce is dedicated to growing and making premium wines which compete favorably with artisan wines around the world.

The Grape Girls invite you to sample the quality and taste of Montaluce at Bloomingdale's Lenox Square Mall on Thursday, Oct. 29th from 5-8pm in the Ladies Shoe Department for THE SHOPPING BENEFIT. RSVP required, send an email to VIP@GrapeCrushEvents.com by Thursday at Noon. Be sure to state your full name, guest names, email address and phone number. Must be 21 and older to participate. Click here for more information.

Cheers!

Two Great Foodie Festivals!

So, 2 of my favorite food and wine events have come and gone! Harvest Midtown was held on October 4th and Taste of Atlanta took place October 10th & 11th - both in new locations this year. Click here to visit our Facebook fan page and view photo albums.

The 6th Annual Harvest Midtown Festival moved to the newly renovated Georgian Terrace hotel and took over ballrooms, mezzanines and terraces for the day. The event gave oenophiles the opportunity to select samples from some 200 wines and tastes from the city's top intown chefs. In between sips and bites, Harvest Midtown presented a variety of live entertainment, vendors and art for the enjoyment of all. An elegant hotel with fabulous food and wine on display - all overlooking the lively Peachtree Street in Midtown - if only I could spend every Sunday this way!

The 8th Annual Taste of Atlanta was truly a foodies delight! The 2 day outdoor festival encompassed eight acres and ten city blocks of Tech Square in the heart of midtown. Taste of Atlanta featured more than 80 of Atlanta's finest restaurants, cooking demos from local and national celebrity chefs, a "farm to table" market, kids activities and more. Grape Crush Productions was an official partner of the highly anticipated VIP Wine & Beer Experience and provided 200 enthusiastic volunteers! I had the opportunity to "talk wine" with Atlanta's leading experts including Gil Kulers, Atlanta Journal Constitution wine columnist, and Gina Hopkins, sommelier and owner of Holeman & Finch Public House and Restaurant Eugene. Gil and Gina's engaging seminar - King of Pinot: Burgandy vs. Oregon - even sparked a 2010 Grape Escape. Hopefully you can come with us to explore Oregon's renowned pinot noirs - stay tuned for details!

Click here to join our mailing list to stay "sipped in" on upcoming food and wine event news. Click here to view more event photos.

Cheers!

We've been nominated...

Wow, we've been nominated for Atlanta Tribune's People's Choice Award as Atlanta's BEST specialty business of 2009. Please help us by submitting a supporting nomination via email, it only takes a few seconds!

















Grape Crush Productions is a minority and female owned mobile wine tasting service. The Grape Girls specialize in wine tastings, events, education and excursions. We are the creators and producers of Atlanta Food & Wine Month (held each April) and the Winter Wine & Jazz Festival. We are also partners with the City of Atlanta (Office of Cultural Affairs), Taste of Atlanta (VIP Wine & Beer Experience), Taste of Marietta and support other local, regional and national festivals and cultural events.




















As the leaders in food and wine themed special events and fundraisers, we pride ourselves on bringing the “tasting room” to living rooms, offices and venues all across the country. Wine tasting events are great traffic drivers for businesses of all types, and perfect for home parties too!



















Please email your supporting nomination today! Simply cut and paste the following information into an email if you think we are the BEST of 2009:

Grape Crush Productions - Best Specialty Business
Wine Tastings, Events, Education & Excursions!
Contact: Kyla Cox, 770.579.0808
Email: info@GrapeCrushEvents.com
Web: www.GrapeCrushEvents.com

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Mail your nomination to kmines@atlantatribune.com by October 23, 2009. Be sure to include our website and email address.







Thanks for your support. Cheers!