 Food
Wine
Art
Music
Exhibitors
Seminars
Charities
Designated
Drivers
Search
for more
wines, wineries
and wine
festivals
now:
Web
management:
Wine Group
thompsonwine.com
|
This is an Article from the 2003
Festival Wine
South 2007 is September 28-30, 2007
As
seen in the
Wine South Festival set for Sept. 27-28 at the Gwinnett
Center
By Dyana Bagby
dyana.bagby@gwinnettdailypost.com
In the end, it’s really just a glass
full of grape juice.
Grapes are smashed and their juices are stored in vats or barrels,
a natural fermenting process takes place and, eventually, you have
that cherished alcoholic beverage known as wine.
Of course, there is actually much more to making wine. There are
the kinds of grapes grown, the soil they grow in, the region they
grow in, who grows them.
“ There is so much that goes into making grapes into wine,” said
Lawrenceville resident Dan Thompson, publisher of The Wine Report magazine and
founder of the Wine South Festival, set for Sept. 27 and 28 at the Gwinnett Center.
“ But bottom line, wine is grape juice.”
One of the main missions of the festival is to demystify the drink
that many Americans consider as “pretentious and snobby,” Thompson
added.
|
Kevin Zraly, former cellar master and wine
director of the Windows on the World restaurant, will offer
his famous “One-Hour Wine Expert” seminar at
this year’s Wine South Festival.
“ Many people go to wine tastings that typically last an hour or two and
get a ‘bang’ by tasting numerous wines. But when they walk out, they’re
scratching their heads, saying, ‘What was that good wine I tasted?’
“ At Wine South I wanted to create an all-day event for people to relax
and spend time to learn about the passion behind wine,” he said.
The annual event, which Thompson likened to a “wine expo,” is a
place where the public can also discover more about a lifestyle that celebrates
food, wine, art and music.
“ These are my four favorite things in life,” Thompson said. “Bringing
people to wine is what I like about it. We want to help people improve their
lives and their lifestyle — to have a place to experiment and try more
kinds of wines.”
There will be six separate pavilions dedicated to wines from different parts
of the world: Australian, American, South American and Spanish, Italian, international
and a new South African wine pavilion.
There will also be live music throughout the event, cooking-with-wine exhibits
and seminars, as well as wine-related art on display and for sale.
Another mission of Wine South is to give back to the community. To date, the
event has raised $25,000 for the Hudgens Center for the Arts and several other
charitable organizations, said Thompson.
“ Come in your jeans, your dresses or suits and have a glass of wine, enjoy
some live jazz, watch a cooking presentation and spend some time enjoying with
us,” Thompson said.
“ Winemakers are like artists and the wine in the glass is their art.”
Guru offers classes for ‘One-Hour Wine Expert’
One of the world’s top authorities on wine will be on hand
to offer a quick, but complete look at the world of wine at this
year’s Wine South.
Kevin Zraly, former cellar master and wine director of the Windows on the World
restaurant, will offer his famous “One-Hour Wine Expert” seminar.
Zraly gained fame in 1976 when he created the wine list for Windows on the
World, which was located on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center before
it was destroyed in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
As cellar master and wine director, he was one of the first sommeliers on the
East Coast to feature California wine right next to selections from France,
which at the time dominated most wine lists in the United States. Introducing
customers to Heitz Cellars and Clos du Bois, Zraly showed wine lovers that
these wines offer just as many flavors and nuances as their French counterparts.
At one time, Windows sold more wine than any other restaurant in the world.
Zraly remained active with the restaurant until its destruction on Sept. 11.
His Windows on the World Wine School classes, which were taught in the restaurant
perched high in the north tower, continue uptown in Manhattan’s Marriott
Marquis on Times Square. Nearly 15,000 students have graduated from the Windows
on the World Wine School and the classes still fill up quickly.
Zraly claims a host of other wine education achievements, including the publishing
of the “Windows on the World Complete Wine Course.” First published
in 1985, the book (updated regularly to reflect current trends in wine) has
sold more than 2 million copies.
Zraly’s “One-Hour Wine Expert” presentation, sponsored by
Pacific Wine Partners, will start at 11 a.m. on Sept. 27 and 28. The seminar
costs $28 and tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets for other wine
seminars, held during the festival will cost $18.
Other opportunities include a California class by Hoke Hardin with Brown Forman
Wine Brands USA; a Prosecco class by Enore Ceola with Mionetto Wines of Italy;
a South American class by Macarena Morandé of Morandé Wines;
and a South African seminar moderated by Gideon Theron of Laborie Wines.
— From staff reports
© Copyright
2005 WineSouth LLC, All Rights
Reserved
Security
and Privacy
|
Contact us