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While the Southern Hemisphere wineries begin separating grape clusters from their mother vines, our vines in the Northern Hemisphere are still dormant or "sleeping."
Most vineyard photography captures the virgin Spring, the lush Summer, or the sighs of Fall and the bounty of Harvest. However, recently I particularly fell for a collection of vineyard & winery photos that captured the beauty of Winter. But let's not stop there--the photos were of North Georgia winery landscapes--not well known vistas like Champagne, Mosel, or Piemonte.
For photography buffs you're probably saying, "Oh yeah, Kirt Witte, he's very good." Well it was news to this student of eye-candy.
Kirt Witte has opened up his entire collection of images for your viewing pleasure, and they are not solely on North Georgia wineries. His company is dubbed The Other Savannah and like a good artist, his talent creates something where there was nothing; he gives solace depth and the mundane stirs alive in his imagery.
All of his photos are for sale. Simply email kirt@theothersavannah.com for a quote.
Links
North Georgia Wineries (starting with Tiger Mountain)
North Georgia Mountains
The Main Website (and multitudes of picture portfolios)
And on another topic, Atlanta has lost it's cheese-guy Matt Bonano, who got the cheese programs either started or on track at places like Muss & Turners, (the late) Market One, Alon's Bakery, Belly, and recently The Barrelman. He has abandoned his curds & whey here for an opportunity to work under cheese-uberlord Steve Jenkins of Cheese Primer fame at the famous Fairway Market stores in NYC. If you are up that way say hello and let him take you through the 800 cheeses he sells!
Which means Atlanta Wine School needs another Cheese instructor for our Wine & Cheese classes--contact me if you are or know a cheese person! Also, we are looking for an office helper 20 hours per week (days are flexible) who has awesome computer mastery in MS Word/Excel and perhaps some HTML editing.
Michael Bryan
Editor
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NEW Mastering Wine Course: Intermediate Level
March 1st (last Intermediate until Sept!)
Including an instructional binder, this six-session course delves deeper into terroir, and uncovers the wines of South America, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Germany & Austria, as well as Sparkling Wines & Fortified Wines.
More Info |
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World of Reds, February 16th or March 16th
Our classic format of 10 reds from 10 corners of the world. Offered February 16th in Dunwoody or March 16th in Midtown. More Info |
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NEW Introduction to Wine
February 27th (2 seats remain) or April 17th
Our flagship class. The proverbial who/what/how/why of wine. Build your confidence, tasting skills and knowledge around wine.
More Info |
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Atlanta Wine School Private Tasting Services
The cocktail party of the new millennium is the Wine Social.
Let us help you plan one for your group from start to
finish. From American Express, A.T. Kearney, Bain &
Co., Morgan Stanley to UBS, IKON or the neighborhood tennis
team--we provide the best experience for your guests.
More Info |
The Dump Bucket
- Wine-themed cross-word puzzles
Cross
word puzzles are both thrilling to assess your knowledge
while at the same time difficult if not frustrating. If
you find enjoyment with them, you can download ten "wine-centric"
ones free here.
You will need the free software here
to play them.
- Devotion to Pinot Noir
Both of these writers have decided the universe of wine
revolves around the grape Pinot Noir. These unselfish devotees
have provided their tasting notes on hundreds (if not thousands)
of Pinot Noir pursuits. I met Patty of Patty's
Pinot Closet last Summer in Vancouver and she
is a delightful person. Her bi-monthly is complimentary
via email. And the Prince
of Pinot is a machine, churning out a weekly
report on Pinot Noir since April 2001! View the current
or past issues on both of their pages.
- Look Out for China
The Chinese are rapidly replacing agricultural products from our traditional sources. Apples from Washington? Not anymore. Pears? Now coming from China too. But wine is not a big conversation--yet. They have the microclimates & latitude for wine--they simply lack wide-spread expertise, but that can be purchased. North America has some big wine conferences, Europe has the biggest. But check out Interwine 2006 in China--800 wine distributors and 80,000 visitors?! That's big.
- You Tree Huggers Won't Like This One
According to wine writer Jennifer Rosen, the very last tree from an oak forest planted during Louis XIV's reign for the purpose of supplying timber for navy ships just sold to a Bordeaux cooper for $45,600. Planted in 1669, Le Chene de Morat is 40 meters high and 15 feet around and should yield about 60 barrels after they fell it this spring. More on the Story
- Wine Photography Quiz--Not Easy Either
Last month we had quizs on Bordeaux, Champagne, and the ability to download a free wine calendar from Swedish wine fanatics Per and Britt Karlsson. Now they are back with a quiz of their own, but forcing the player to guess what is shown in the photo. Try it here.
- Critter Wines in the South Pole
We're usually not too hip on critter wines--drinking them or talking about them. They are inexpensive, easy to drink, and crowd grocery store shelves--right between the mixed nuts and the antifreeze. But we made an exception in this case as the wines are sitting on Antartica soil (er, uh ice). More here
- When it Comes to Port...
Make sure you check with Roy Hersh's website. Port
or Madeira, current vintage or 150 years old--it is likely
he has tasting notes on it. (I was searcing for a '55 Port
or Madeira recently as a golden anniversary present--I checked
his site first. In his latest newsletter he shows readers
the "Hersh Method" for decanting vintage port.
Check
it out
- No More Driving Home Intoximicated, Occifer
My gosh this makes me laugh but it is a legitimate service and downright useful in our liability-laden world. Check out the folks at Zingo and how they do it. Here
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Advertisement
The
following retailers support Atlanta Wine School AND Jane's
Weekly Wines AND WE SUPPORT THEM! Is your retailer NOT on
this list? Have them call 770-668-0435.
Pearson's Wines of Atlanta
3072 Early Street, Atlanta, GA 30305
404-231-8752
Corner Wine & Art
1402 N. Highland Ave, Atlanta, GA 30306
404-875-8810
Sigman Bottle Shop
425 Sigman Road, Conyers, GA 30012
770-929-8797
Marietta Wine Market
18 Powder Springs St., Marietta, GA 30064
770-919-1574
Feddeaux
The Shops at Hamilton Mill, Braselton, GA
770-904-2212
Home Town Spirits
4856 Hog Mountain Rd, Flowery Branch
GA 30542, 770-965-6058
The Colors of Wine
2355 Cumberland Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339
770-432-2828
Shiraz
675 Pulaski Street, Athens, GA 30601
706-208-0010
Windward Beverage
12915 Hwy 9, Alpharetta, GA 30004
678-566-3301
Manna TOGO
126 Grant St, Clarkesville, GA 30523
706-839-1441
Events at Shiraz
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21
WINE 101--A SEMINAR
IN THE LEATHERS BUILDING, 675 PULASKI STREET, ATHENS
HOSTED BY SHIRAZ FINE WINE & GOURMET
6:30 P.M. $20
This will be the first in a series of wine classes hosted by Emily Poole, due to customer requests. In this segment, we will be covering the basics, such as how wine is made, a primer on food and wine pairing,
and how to read wine labels. We will also have a small tasting for those of you who participate, to illustrate some of the points made in the class.
TUESDAY, MARCH 7
TANTARA WINE DINNER
AT THE BASIL PRESS, ATHENS
HOSTED BY SHIRAZ FINE WINE & GOURMET
6:30 Reception; 7:00 Dinner
$65 per person, all-inclusive
6 Wines and 4 Courses Tantara Winery is located on the pristine terroir of Bien Nacido
Vineyard in Santa Barbara County and dedicated to producing the ultimate
vineyard designated Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Central Coast growers. Join us as we taste the brand new 2004 releases, including our state exclusives on their Pinot Blanc and Hank's Faultline Red.
BOTH EVENTS REQUIRE RSVP
Call 706-208-0010
Events at The Colors of Wine
Wine Tastings Every Wednesday
7pm - 8pm
Held at Marlow's Tavern (next door)
RSVP 770-432-2828
Website: http://www.thecolorsofwine.com
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