May 2011 Newsletter

TOURISM SOARS IN MAY This month, our editor Doc Lawrence, one of the country's most respected travel writers, heads to the North Georgia mountains as a media guest of the State of Georgia. Two cities, Blue Ridge and Ellijay plus Gilmer County host the state's prestigious 2011 Georgia Travel Media Marketplace event where 40 of the top travel writers from the United States and Canada meet with representatives from around the state to get original and exciting story ideas about Georgia's tourism destinations, attractions and events. Wines Down South will be there and Doc will regularly share tourism and travel gems with our readers. This year, Doc Lawrence will be part of the official tour of Civil War sites, a trove of stories for tourist reading Wines Down South who will know through Doc's reporting about the best values, great lodging, restaurants, parks and villages that welcome visitors. Chances are he'll show the path to some of Georgia's wineries as well. Travel Media Marketplace is jointly hosted by the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Georgia Tourism Division and the host communities. This month we'll travel again to Highlands, the lovely North Carolina city for the Collective Spirits Wine and Food Festival, a major charitable benefit celebration for the Bascom Arts Center. Details are posted in WinesDownSouth.com. Esteemed Chef Todd Richards has the reigns now at the Café, the gourmet restaurant in Atlanta's pinnacle of luxury dining, the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. Read Doc's story in Wines Down South about his evening there with Todd. We will visit the home of author and cook Marjorie Kinnan Rawlins in rural Cross Creek, Florida and tell readers about how this Pulitizer Prize winner (The Yearling) cooked for guests, employing local products, often pairing French wines with roast wild duck. Doc's exclusive interview with noted historian Dr. Gary Gallagher during the Civil War Sesquicentennial kickoff at Stone Mountain Park posts this month. Stone Mountain will attract millions of visitors each year during the commemorative and we will be there to share some truly amazing stories. This is festival season at Wine Down South and we provide the best tips to help our readers enjoy the ones that are worthy of your time and money. We welcome your suggestions! Contact us at winesdownsouth.com/contact. Sincerely, Wines Down South Doc Lawrence - Sheila Brewington - Val Kruse - Guy Mckenzie  Stephen Cannon - Anne O'Keefe - Jordan Bloomingdale   DOC'S DEEP SOUTH FOOD  WITH WINE  JIM SANDERS' GEORGIA  BRUNSWICK STEW (For Free Copy of Legendary Recipe Click Here) WINE Coates-du-Rhone;  Beaujolais-Villages (France), Norton (Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia) Bon Appetite, Y'all    Civil War 150th click Fine Dining click Wine Tourism click Bascom Arts Centerclick Comments click  wds

April 2011 Enewsletter

Winter's chill is a memory. No longer covered with snow, our Southland is blanketed with flowers-those we lovingly plant and the glorious wild blossoms that color the landscape.      Gardens are sprouting and soon tomatoes and cucumbers will rise up alongside squash, corn and peppers. Our vineyards from Virginia down to North Florida are growing grapes that will be harvested in late summer, headed for  the process we call winemaking, a ritual practiced for 6,000 years. Wine will grace our tables to be enjoyed along with grilled delights. Wines Down South is committed to sharing stories about exciting dining and perfectly paired wine.       Friends and family will be coming over to laugh and celebrate, feasting on the bounty from our gardens, local markets and vineyards. Good things never really change.      This year begins the four-year observation the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. It is a commemorative and our Doc Lawrence's features for Wines Down South-some of the most original and interesting regarding the Sesquicentennial-promote the real potential for new tourism. Doc's April schedule includes an interview with Mort Kunstler, the most famous Civil War artist on the planet. The interview was at the wonderful Booth Museum in Cartersville, Georgia. Next, Doc writes about his evening at Stone Mountain Park, with acclaimed author, PBS regular and University of Virginia Civil War historian Dr. Gary W. Gallagher.      No journalist has ever traveled and written about the path of the Civil War from Chattanooga to Atlanta and on to Savannah. Known as The March to the Sea. Doc's original, on- site stories will showcase museums, battlefields, lodging, parks, fishing, family recreation, dining and of course wine. The tourism treasures for Georgia along this historic and hallowed trail are staggering. Read about this exclusively in Wines Down South.      Note that we are offering another unique feature: great Southern dishes paired by editor Doc Lawrence with wines of the world. It's a fun addition, a reader benefit you will find very useful.      April brings us Easter and Passover. Wines Down South honors our readers, friends and tourism partners in observing our precious religious traditions, giving thanks for our way of life that honors freedom of worship.  Sincerely, Wines Down South Doc Lawrence - Sheila Brewington - Val Kruse - Guy Mckenzie  Stephen Cannon - Anne O'Keefe - Jordan Bloomingdale Doc's  Dinner Pairings FRIED CATFISH WITH HUSHPUPPIES Fresh catfish only.  It's plentiful down south, very healthy and affordable. Use  Paula Dean's incredibly delicious recipe WINES Fried catfish will have a natural but subtle sweetness as will the Hush Puppies. Dry white wines with some good acid are the best fit. Be adventurous: An Albarino from Spain, a dry Riesling from New York State or Washington State or JSanders Bourgogne Blanc, available exclusively at Sherlock's in Atlanta.            Bon Appetite, Y'all Want to see what else Doc has planned? Visit WDS for an elaborate array!

SPRING FESTIVALS AND EVENTS IN ATHENS, GEORGIA

Athens, Georgia (April 4, 2011) - Springtime in Athens means new energy after the long, cold winter. Along with spring blooms, the Athens live music scene fires up again with concerts and festivals spilling out onto the streets. Visitors celebrate the scenic views via tours and outdoor events. In addition, Athens boasts local and national athletic competitions, an intriguing comic convention and a new celebration of Athens fashion. There are activities and attractions for everyone looking for unique and memorable springtime fun.

  

Learn more about exciting world cultures at UGA's 13th Annual International Street Festival April 9. Dozens of UGA international organizations and groups from the Athens community bring their cultures to life in the heart of downtown from noon - 5:00 p.m. Live performances, informative and interactive displays, as well as children's activities showcase the many cultures of Athens. Visit www.uga.edu/isl to learn about the event and the international student organizations represented. 

  

Three much-anticipated spring plant sales at UGA have collaborated for Plantapalooza by offering all sales on Saturday, April 9. Gardeners are expected to travel to Athens from throughout the state to attend plant sales held by the State Botanical Garden, the UGA Horticulture Club and The Trial Gardens at UGA. A wide array of garden plants will be available at each location, combined with horticulturists, volunteers and Master Gardeners to help with plant selections.  More details are available at www.ugatrialgardens.com.

2011 U.S. National Fly Fishing Championship

     Cherokee, NC— Team USA recently announced the location of this year's U.S. National Fly Fishing Championships. The event will be held in Cherokee, North Carolina. The dates for the championship event are May 19 to 22, 2011.

     The National Fly Fishing Championship event is hosted by the North Carolina Fly Fishing Team, in partnership with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian Fish and Wildlife Management Department and the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce. This is the first time the event has been in the southeast and May brings some of the best fishing in the region. The championship is expected to draw approximately 60 competitors, more than 60 judges and hundreds of spectators for the competition from across the United States and around the world.

Competitors for the 2011 National Fly Fishing Championships are awarded an opportunity

for competition in this national event based upon their placement at regional competitions, which

are held at different locations around the country. This year, regional competitions are being held

in the following locations:

• SW Regional, Santa Fe, NM - November 7- 8, 2010
• SE Regional, Nantahala, NC - February 19-20, 2011
• NE Regional, State College, PA - March 12 -13, 2011
• NW Regional, Bend, OR - March 26 -27, 2011

     Paul Bourcq, Vice President of the N.C. Fly Fishing Team, is getting his team prepared

for the tournament and said, “I’m looking forward to what is going to be a great competition.

And late May brings the best fishing in the mountains.”

    For more information, please visit winesdownsouth.com/adventure and click on the Cherokee Icon!

HIGH MUSEUM ATLANTA WINE AUCTION

THE BEST OF THEM ALL

 It’s my annual entry into springtime when Atlanta is ablaze with color and natural beauty. The 19^th annual High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction, celebrating  “The Ultimate Collection: A Sumptuous Blend of Wine, Art, Food and Friends,” offers multiple public events leading up to the auction on March 26, 2011.

Dine Around Dinners

Wednesday, March 23, times and pricing vary by restaurant

The prix fixe dinners will pair Atlanta’s most prestigious restaurants with experts and winemaker friends from the High’s Wine Auction

 The 14 restaurants and participating wineries are:

·         Bocado Chef Todd Ginsberg, Fiddlehead, Hourglass

·         Canoe Chef Carvel Grant Gould, Capture Wines, Cliff Lede Vineyards

·         Dogwood Chef Shane Touhy, Hawkes Winery, Martinelli Winery

·         Holeman & Finch Public House Chef Linton Hopkins, Jarvis, Red Car

·         Iberian Pig Chef Chad Crete, Frogtown, Newton 404-371‐8800

·         La Grotta Ristorante Chef Antonio Abizanda, Robert Mondavi

·         La Tavola Chef Craig Richards, Cass Winery, Row Eleven

·         Paces 88 Chef Jonathan Jerusalmy, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars

·         Rosebud Chef Ron Eyester, DeLoach, Peju

·         Serpas True Food Chef Scott Serpas, Long Meadow Ranch Winery, Qupé

·         Sotto Sotto Chef Riccardo Ullio, Carpineto 404-523‐6678

·         Table 1280 Chef Gary Mennie, Arkenstone, R. Stuart & Co.

·         Terra Terroir Chef Cynthia Dieges, Hearst Ranch, LaZarre, Villa San Juliette

·         Valenza Chef Matt Swickerath, Kristine Ashe Vineyards, Skipstone

2011 COLLECTIVE SPIRITS WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL

~ Springtime in beautiful Western North Carolina with world class art, amazing chefs, distinguished winemakers can only mean one thing - Collective Spirits 2011! ~

ATLANTA, GA - Each spring, The Bascom Visual Arts Center in Highlands, North Carolina presents its highly anticipated fundraiser Collective Spirits. This three-day celebration of food, wine and the arts kicks off on May 19 marking the opening of the Summer Season in the mountains while acknowledging the gracious support of its community and sponsors such as Platinum level Wilmington Trust. Bascom Benefactors will wine and dine throughout the weekend with some of the worlds most revered winemakers and the Southeast’s most renowned chefs, who will converge on the town of Highlands among art lovers, community leaders and special guests to raise critical operating funds for The Bascom, its programming and exhibitions.

“While everyone loves a good party, and we will undoubtedly have one of those, this event is truly about The Bascom, this community and its friends coming together to support the role that this Fine Arts Center plays in the lives of the children, artists and visitors that come through its doors,” explains co-chair Virginia (Ginger) Kennedy.

This year, Collective Spirits will welcome the talent of Chef John Besh from Restaurant August in New Orleans for one of its Thursday Opening Night Private Wine Dinners. Chef John Fleer (formerly Chef at Blackberry Farm) now at Canyon Kitchen in Cashiers, Chef Carvel Gould from Canoe in Atlanta, Chef Frank Lee from S.N.O.B. (Slightly North of Broad) in Charleston and Chef Denny Trantham from Grove Park Inn in Asheville will lend their prowess to complete the unparalleled line-up. To pair with the extraordinary culinary creativity these masters bring to the table, wineries like Tuck Beckstoffer Wines, Brochelle Vineyards, DuMol, Ehlers Estate, Lambert Bridge Winery, Miner Family Wines, Paul Hobbs Wines, Reynolds Family, Schug Carneros Estate, Silver Oak Cellars, Solena Estate and Twomey Cellars will have principals and winemakers in attendance to share their wines and speak about their craft. Collective Spirits also presents the opportunity for Highlands residents to ‘stock their wine cellars’ at the beginning of the summer season. Continuing that tradition, current and limited release wines will also be available for purchase at various events during the weekend, courtesy of the guest winemakers in attendance.

GEORGIA HISTORY REVEALED During 3rd Annual Antebellum Trail Pilgrimage April 27 - May 1, 2011 MADISON, GEORGIA (February 23, 2011) -- Georgia's Antebellum Trail, the state's first official tourism Trail, presents the third annual Antebellum Trail Pilgrimage on April 27-May 1, 2011.  The 100-mile heritage trail spans seven historically significant communities including Athens, Watkinsville, Madison, Eatonton, Milledgeville, Gray/Old Clinton and Macon.  During the Pilgrimage weekend, communities along the Trail will offer a wide array of museum tours and special events as well as entrance into private historic homes not generally open to the public. A flexible Antebellum Trail Pilgrimage Pass provides admission to all participating events and attractions in any or all of the communities. The Pilgrimage dates will allow tourists to combine the Pilgrimage with other premiere events, as many other spring festivals and annual events in the seven host communities will also occur during this timeframe.  "With entrance to these attractions and events at a remarkable value, the Trail Association makes it easy for participants to experience all seven historic communities," said Amy Clark of the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau.