ATLANTA WINE PARTY 2015

Chandelier Wishes and Caviar Dreams

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://atlantawineparty.com/

By Liz and John Attaway

Every time I walk the red carpet into Opera nightclub, I immediately start hearing the theme song to The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. It’s a place filled with wonder, as I have decided is, chandelier wishes and caviar dreams. I kid, but it is a beautiful venue with ornate operatic elements, a full stage, VIP seating and a beautiful patio area. In this first annual, first time, Atlanta Wine Party put on by the wildly popular Atlanta Beer Festivals team goes upscale with their new Atlanta Wine Party. It was like going to a high end event with ladies all dressed up in their party dresses and men in their collared shirts and coats then juxtaposed by the regular beer festival goer with their pretzel necklaces. It made for wonderful people watching.

I love wine but don’t know a ton about it and the Atlanta Wine Party was a learning experience for me. I know I really like whites much more than reds and here is why: it’s the crisp, apple tones with some earth and tart mixed in for good measure that appeal to me. I’m not too keen on the ones with too much grapefruit, oak, or smoke. For reds I prefer lighter, brighter ones that aren’t sweet yet not dry. Of the whites at Atlanta Wine Party, I really enjoyed the Kendall Jackson Avant Sauvignon Blanc. This is a new line for Kendall Jackson and I’m glad they did it. My favorite wine of the night. It was crisp and slightly tart, but not too dry. Sav Blancs can sometimes have too much grapefruit notes, but this one didn’t. I was also surprised by Barrymore Pinot Grigio, which is Drew Barrymore’s signature wine. It was a good blend of dry and sweet with apples and citrus notes. My other favorite white of the night. On top of that there were many other red or whites wines to try beyond my two favorites that were good but none really stood out.

There was also beer for those less wine enthusiasts. I’m not sure why you would go to a wine party if you didn’t like wine but I’m sure there were guys and gals that went just because their friends wanted to go or the girl their dating made them go. So this beer was for you! Terrapin and Orpheus, two local breweries were front and center in the beer area. For the Terrapin lover there was their mainstay, the Hopsecutioner in full force hop glory. John loves his Hopsecutioner! I find it tastes like soap but he likes that type of thing. The beer that stood out for me was Orpheus Tart Plum Saison, Atalanta. To me this Saison is more like a sour with a wild sour mash, a tart with plum notes and a little bit of a sour aftertaste. It’s like a Sour Patch kid without the sweet aftertaste. They even put cold press plums in it. Orpheus Brewing is located in midtown near Piedmont Park and is known around Atlanta for its unique Sours and Saisons.

Finally, behind a body guard and a velvet rope, if you were lucky enough to walk up the stairs to VIP, you could watch the party going on below you in style. Our favorite part of the VIP experience was the backstage area where you could watch the DJ from behind and see all the people dancing beyond that. What. A. View. Not only was the view and ambiance stellar, so were the wines and food spread. The champagne was so popular that they were totally out but they had all types of high end wines in white, red, and even Rose. The VIP party goers were treated to a Charcuterie, cheese, bread, and vegetable smorgasbord. They all looked to be having a ball.

If you missed this party, there are several upcoming events and festivals with Atlanta Beer Festivals. Hogs and Hops is on Saturday, April 11th. Here’s their website for more information:http://www.hogsandhopsatlanta.com/