Wine News Vine, July 30-Aug. 2

Tip of the week/Make back-to-school trip a 'two-fer'
-Georgia's sales tax holiday is Thursday through Sunday, a big boost for retailers as parents stock up on back-to-school needs from clothing to supplies to select electronics. North Georgia Premium Outlets will be a hub of back-to-school activity. So while in Dawsonville, save a little time for a quick tour or two of the nearby Dahlonega wineries or tasting rooms around the square. After a few hours of retail therapy, a little wine sampling will do you good.

Speaking of trips, Marietta Wine Market organizing road trip to Dahlonega Sunday, Oct. 4. Here's the deal: The popular Marietta wine shop is putting together a bus trip Oct. 4 with stops at Wolf Mountain, Three Sisters and BlackStock on the schedule. The cost: $85 per person. The bus leaves Marietta at 10 a.m. and is due to return around 6:30 p.m. Seats are filling quickly. This is a great way to see some of the North Georgia wineries if you haven't done so before. Details: Marietta Wine Market.
>Sidebar: Wine enthusiasts in the I-75 corridor should subscribe to the Marietta Wine Market's e-mail newsletter. We just did and we're already planning our fall calendar around it. Lots of great events including a "Spirits & Spirits" series of ghost tours in October.

Fresh from the Wine News Vine (and Twitter): Monaluce is "pushing up our red bottling date to Aug. 6. Final preparations being made by Stefano Salviniand Oliver."

What's next:

Saturday, Aug. 1, Banfi Wine Dinner, at Montaluce. This is a multicourse wine dinner with Executive Chef Steven Hartman and crew pairing with Banfi Winery. Cost: $85 per person. RSVP to 706-867-4060. For details on the Banfi Wine dinner and other upcoming events at Montaluce, click Events.

Sunday, Aug. 2, Tiger Mountain: The After Five String Quartet performs from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Hors d'oeuvres and cheeses will be served in the tasting room afterwards. Admission, $5. The tasting room will be open until 5 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 2, Wolf Mountain: 7th Annual Regional Artisan Cheese Month. Each Sunday in August, Wolf Mountain presents handcrafted cheese from artisans throughout the Southeast. The cheeses mix with the Sunday brunch ($30 per person, not counting wine or tip).

Saturday, Aug. 22, Annual Tomato Festival, at Crane Creek, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Young Harris-area restaurants and food vendors will be giving away samples. Also: A special lunch by Chef David with all things tomato. Adults $20, ages 13-20 $10; children under 12 free. Ticket price includes wine tasting, souvenir wine glass, lunch.

Saturday, Aug. 29, Farmer's Pasta Dinner, 7 p.m., at Crane Creek: The dinner starts with a cocktail hour at 7 on the decks overlooking the vineyard. Dinner is served in the Barnswallow Pavilion, prepared by Chef David. Included for $55 per person (doesn't include wine): salad, main course and dessert. Reservations required)

Sunday, Aug. 30, 13th Annual Vineyard Fest, Chateau Elan: 1-5 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person and sold only in advance. Schedule: More than 100 domestic and international wines. Ticket includes parking, wine glass, tasting, admission to seminars, food samples, music, grape stomping.

And for our beer fans:
-15th Annual Southern Brewers Festival, Chattanooga, 2 p.m. until midnight. Brews from across the Southeast plus live music, food and vendors. Click Chattanooga.
-Second Annual Rome Beer Tasting Festival, Sept. 19: The 2009 edition is set for 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Heritage Park off Second Avenue. More than 50 beers will be featured. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the gate. The event benefits the Rome Area Council for the Arts. Details: 706-295-2787> Details

Wine News Vine, July 23-26

Latest updates from North Georgia wineries (and related events)

Labor Day weekend release for reds from Montaluce: Here's another reason to escape to the mountains over Labor Day weekend. Montaluce plans to release its inaugural Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon wines on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5 and 6. Also planned that weekend at the Tuscan-style winery and retreat: Live music and hay rides.

Live from Sonoma, it's the Wine Bloggers Conference: Here's a curious mix of wine and words. the North American edition of the annual Wine Bloggers Conference is set for Friday-Sunday this weekend in Sonoma and Napa. They're calling it the premiere conference for new media covering the wine industry. For updates throughout the symposium, please click Wine Blogger
>Speaking of.... Again congratulating Hardy Wallace of Atlanta for winning the 'wine country lifestyle correspondent' gig. Here's the media release on what's next: Click

What's ahead this weekend:

Saturday, July 25/Southern cooking, wine and more at Persimmon Creek: Meet Virginia Willis, chef and author of Bon Appetit Y'all, Three Generations of Southern Cooking, and Tasia Malakasis of Alabama's artisan cheese maker, Belle Chevre, for a night of "Southern cuisine, wines and hospitality" at Persimmon Creek Vineyards beginning at 7 p.m. July 25. The cost is $95 per person. It does not include tax or tip but does feature a copy of Bon Appetit. Details: Persimmon Creek Vineyards.

Sunday, July 26/At Wolf Mountain in Dahlonega, it is a "Tribute to California Cuisine, Jazz & Bubbles' on July 26. Recipes from some of Napa Valley's top restaurants meet Wolf Mountain's own wines--plus jazz. Also: the release of Wolf's new sparking wines. Cost: $30 per person.

Saturday, July 26/Farmer's Pasta Dinner, 7 p.m., at Crane Creek: The dinner starts with a cocktail hour at 7 on the decks overlooking the vineyard. Dinner is served in the Barnswallow Pavilion, prepared by Chef David. Included for $55 per person (doesn't include wine): salad, main course and dessert. Reservations required)

Sunday, July 26/Wine, water and dinner: Montaluce’s winery manager, Oliver Ausberger, has three wine/food/river rafting adventures set for late summer. The details: for a day of food, wine, and river rafting on the Chestatee River. Meeting at Montaluce at 1:30 p.m. for a tour and tasting. Next up: a trip on the Chestatee River with Huck Finn River Tours;

What's next:

Sunday, Aug. 2, Tiger Mountain: The After Five String Quartet performs from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Hors d'oeuvres and cheeses will be served in the tasting room afterwards. Admission, $5. The tasting room will be open until 5 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 22, Annual Tomato Festival, at Crane Creek, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Young Harris-area restaurants and food vendors will be giving away samples. Also: A special lunch by Chef David with all things tomato. Adults $20, ages 13-20 $10; children under 12 free. Ticket price includes wine tasting, souvenir wine glass, lunch.

Sunday, Aug. 30, 13th Annual Vineyard Fest, Chateau Elan: 1-5 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person and sold only in advance. Schedule: More than 100 domestic and international wines. Ticket includes parking, wine glass, tasting, admission to seminars, food samples, music, grape stomping.

Atlantan wines 'best' wine job

Congratulations to Hardy Wallace of Atlanta for winning the 'wine country lifestyle correspondent' gig. Here's the media release on what's next: Click

News Vine: Best job ever? More social media

DREAM JOB: We wanted to share this story from Sunday's AJC about Atlanta resident and wine blogger Hardy Wallace who is among 10 finalists to spend six months as a “wine country lifestyle correspondent” in Murphy-Goode Winery in Sonoma County, Calif. Even better: the pay is $10,000 a month. For more, click: Wine Job
-Also, check Wallace's wine blog: Click Dirty South Wine

Why we like the story: It shows North Georgia wineries and others in the industry just how important social media is becoming to wine lovers. One of the best in our region is Montaluce, thanks to Facebook updates, daily (or more) tweets via Twitter and even some Meet Up bids.

New to Twitter is Persimmon Creek in Clayton (Northeast Georgia). They're having some fun with it, announcing both a new dog and a baby lamb born over the weekend:
-There a brand new lamb at the vineyard! Baby Daisy was born late Saturday night. Mom and lamb are doing just fine.
-We have a new vineyard dog, Shadow! He is an Akbash, a Turkish flock guard dog. Our farm is growing!

North Georgia Wine Tours (a.k.a WineNewsVine.com) is on Twitter and Facebook. Follow us at:
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Wine News Vine, July 16-19

There's a good mix of wine, food--and rafting--in coming weeks at the North Georgia wineries. Montaluce is behind the Chestatee River trips (three are on the schedule) while another great event on the way: the annual tomato festival at Crane Creek in Young Harris. If it is anything like the Earth Day celebration in April, you won't want to miss it.

What's up:

Friday, July 17/When Napa meets Dahlonega...: At Montaluce, prepare for "Napa Valley’s Frank Family Vineyards Wine Dinner." Details: A multi-coursed wine dinner as Montaluce Executive Chef Steven Hartman prepares "a perfectly paired Frank Family Vineyards wine and dining experience." Cost: $85 per person.

Sunday, July 19 & 26/At Wolf Mountain in Dahlonega, it is a "Tribute to California Cuisine, Jazz & Bubbles' on July 19, 26. Recipes from some of Napa Valley's top restaurants meet Wolf Mountain's own wines--plus jazz. Also: the release of Wolf's new sparking wines. Cost: $30 per person.

Saturday, July 25/Southern cooking, wine and more at Persimmon Creek: Meet Virginia Willis, chef and author of Bon Appetit Y'all, Three Generations of Southern Cooking, and Tasia Malakasis of Alabama's artisan cheese maker, Belle Chevre, for a night of "Southern cuisine, wines and hospitality" at Persimmon Creek Vineyards beginning at 7 p.m. July 25. The cost is $95 per person. It does not include tax or tip but does feature a copy of Bon Appetit. Details: Persimmon Creek Vineyards.

Saturday, July 26/Farmer's Pasta Dinner, 7 p.m., at Crane Creek: The dinner starts with a cocktail hour at 7 on the decks overlooking the vineyard. Dinner is served in the Barnswallow Pavilion, prepared by Chef David. Included for $55 per person (doesn't include wine): salad, main course and dessert. Reservations required)

Sunday, July 26/Wine, water and dinner: Montaluce’s winery manager, Oliver Ausberger, has three wine/food/river rafting adventures set for late summer. The details: for a day of food, wine, and river rafting on the Chestatee River. Meeting at Montaluce at 1:30 p.m. for a tour and tasting. Next up: a trip on the Chestatee River with Huck Finn River Tours; conclude with dinner and a glass of wine back at Montaluce. Cost: $125/person. Upcoming trips: Aug. 9, Aug. 30.

What's next:

Sunday, Aug. 2, Tiger Mountain: The After Five String Quartet performs from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Hors d'oeuvres and cheeses will be served in the tasting room afterwards. Admission, $5. The tasting room will be open until 5 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 22, Annual Tomato Festival, at Crane Creek, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Young Harris-area restaurants and food vendors will be giving away samples. Also: A special lunch by Chef David with all things tomato. Adults $20, ages 13-20 $10; children under 12 free. Ticket price includes wine tasting, souvenir wine glass, lunch.

Sunday, Aug. 30, 13th Annual Vineyard Fest, Chateau Elan: 1-5 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person and sold only in advance. Schedule: More than 100 domestic and international wines. Ticket includes parking, wine glass, tasting, admission to seminars, food samples, music, grape stomping.

Wine News Vine for July 13-19

We're changing our format just a bit with more frequent updates as well as previews of what's ahead.

How to 'Catch Wine': We pumped into this site by accident over the weekend. It is a handy tool, something of a Drudge Report for wine with links to winery information across the country. We're adding it to our links section as well.

A+ boutique winery experience at Sharp Mountain:

A few weeks ago, a story by writer Carol Carter introduced us to Sharp Mountain Vineyards near Jasper. We finally made a quick visit ourselves and quickly added it to our list of favorite boutique wineries. Ron Rathgeb has a wonderful operation just outside "The Preserve" and offers 14 wines, including a rare Gewurztraminer. Our favorite (translation: we bought a few extra bottles for personal use) was SMV's Merlot, served at 55 degrees. The tasting room is cozy but it gets plenty busy. Give it a try next Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
-About the images: Above, the real Sharp Mountain in Pickens County. Below/left, some of the grapes on vine at Sharp Mountain Vineyards.


Sunday, July 19, 26/At Wolf Mountain in Dahlonega, it is a "Tribute to California Cuisine, Jazz & Bubbles' on July 19, 26. Recipes from some of Napa Valley's top restaurants meet Wolf Mountain's own wines--plus jazz. Also: the release of Wolf's new sparking wines. Cost: $30 per person.

July 17/When Napa meets Dahlonega...: At Montaluce, prepare for "Napa Valley’s Frank Family Vineyards Wine Dinner." Details: A multi-coursed wine dinner as Montaluce Executive Chef Steven Hartman prepares "a perfectly paired Frank Family Vineyards wine and dining experience." Cost: $85 per person.

July 25/Southern cooking, wine and more at Persimmon Creek: Meet Virginia Willis, chef and author of Bon Appetit Y'all, Three Generations of Southern Cooking, and Tasia Malakasis of Alabama's artisan cheese maker, Belle Chevre, for a night of "Southern cuisine, wines and hospitality" at Persimmon Creek Vineyards beginning at 7 p.m. July 25. The cost is $95 per person. It does not include tax or tip but does feature a copy of Bon Appetit. Details: Persimmon Creek Vineyards.

Wine News Vine for July 9-12

Recommend reading: There's an interesting profile on Persimmon Creek on the Mother Nature Network blog. The headline: 'A sustainable winery.' Give it a read by clicking MNO

Early to mid-July are busy this year at the North Georgia wineries and vineyards (and tasting rooms). The winery owners know marketing and continue to add special events to the weekend offerings.
-We've got something of a mini-trend this month with two salutes to Napa Valley restaurants. Music also is highlighted this month, especially jazz.
-Frogtown's expanded pavilion is open while Wolf Mountain has some new sparkling wines.
-And Persimmon Creek's month-ending southern cooking package is certainly worth a drive to the northeast side of the state.
-Here's a look at what's ahead:

Saturday, July 11/Crane Creek celebrates Sally's 15th birthday: The popular pup at the Young Harris winery is a healthy 15 years old this week. She's served as the namesake of one of Crane Creek's wines, Sweet Sally, and entertains guests (when she's not resting behind the tasting room bar). How to celebrate? "Bring your own friendly four-legged friend out to celebrate with us! The party will be from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Wine will be available by the glass or by the bottle and lunch will be available as well." Sidebar: Crane Creek wines are now available at the Marietta Wine Market on the city square.

Saturday, July 11, 6-10:30 p.m./At Frogtown in Dahlonega, celebrate Bastille Day this Saturday with music, food and wine. On tap: A French buffet, dancing on the updated pavilion. Music by Dueces Wild. Cost: $45 per person.

Sunday, July 12, 19, 26/At Wolf Mountain in Dahlonega, it is a "Tribute to California Cuisine, Jazz & Bubbles' on July 12, 19, 26. Recipes from some of Napa Valley's top restaurants meet Wolf Mountain's own wines--plus jazz. Also: the release of Wolf's new sparking wines. Cost: $30 per person.

July 17/When Napa meets Dahlonega...: At Montaluce, prepare for "Napa Valley’s Frank Family Vineyards Wine Dinner." Details: A multi-coursed wine dinner as Montaluce Executive Chef Steven Hartman prepares "a perfectly paired Frank Family Vineyards wine and dining experience." Cost: $85 per person.

July 25/Southern cooking, wine and more at Persimmon Creek: Meet Virginia Willis, chef and author of Bon Appetit Y'all, Three Generations of Southern Cooking, and Tasia Malakasis of Alabama's artisan cheese maker, Belle Chevre, for a night of "Southern cuisine, wines and hospitality" at Persimmon Creek Vineyards beginning at 7 p.m. July 25. The cost is $95 per person. It does not include tax or tip but does feature a copy of Bon Appetit. Details: Persimmon Creek Vineyards.

Traveling notes:
-Long weekend, extended stay: In the Dahlonega/Helen area, make time to tube with family and friends. Both communities offer 90-minute plus tubing experiences. We found Helen's meandering trip to be very relaxing, especially in the morning hours.
-Community activities: Dahlonega always has something going on. You can package a nice weekend of winery touring with a late afternoon sampling of the wine tasting rooms and downtown events. Click Dahlonega.
-Helen offers tubing, trout fishing, entertainment, dining: Helen is an easy drive from Dahlonega. Click Helen.
-Young Harris: Home to Crane Creek, this mountain community includes Brasstown Valley Resort (some killer room deals right now), boating and a great indoor fun room (make that mall almost) for kids. Click Young Harris

Wine News Vine: Post-holiday updates

Georgia Trend on Tiger Mountain's Martha Ezzard

The July 2009 issue of Georgia Trend features a quick update with Martha Ezzard, an ultimate multitasker who founded Tiger Mountain Vineyards in Rabun County a decade ago. The story is headlined 'Writer, Vintner, Fund Raiser' and talks about Ezzard's broad career choices (“By profession I’m a writer and lawyer,” she says, “Both [husband] John and I are risk-takers that like new challenges.”) You can read it online by clicking Georgia Trend.

Southern cooking, wines and more set for July 25 at Persimmon Creek:

Meet Virginia Willis, chef and author of Bon Appetit Y'all, Three Generations of Southern Cooking, and Tasia Malakasis of Alabama'sartisan cheese maker, Belle Chevre, for a night of "Southern cuisine, wines and hospitality" at Persimmon Creek Vineyards beginning at 7 p.m. July 25. The cost is $95 per person. It does not include tax or tip but does feature a copy of Bon Appetit. Details: Persimmon Creek Vineyards