Editor's note: this story is from the July/Aug 2003 issue
of The Wine Report. Kevin Zraly has appeared at several Wine
South Events. To learn more, visit: winesouth.com
Education will
be the word for Wine South 2003. Highlighted by Kevin Zraly giving
his famous One-Hour Wine Expert seminar, the fourth annual festival boasts
a
potpourri of wine presentations and cooking demonstrations.
A sell-out
crowd of 5,000 food, wine, art and music lovers are expected this year,
which will be held on Sept. 27 and 28 at the Gwinnett Center, northwest of
Atlanta. In addition to the educational presentations, hundreds of wines
will be offered to sample and dozens of the Southeast’s best restaurants
will cook up tastes of their mouth-watering dishes. Continuous music on several
stages will feature everything from classical guitar to cool jazz, while
visual artists—often using wine as a theme—will show off their
wares.
But the spotlight of the weekend shines on celebrity guest host, Zraly. Most
famous for his Windows on the World Wine School, 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 gained fame in 1976 when he created the wine list for the Windows on
the
World restaurant on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center in New York
City. 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 U.S. 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. Anything but a salesman, the irreverent
Zraly nevertheless helped create a market for the then undiscovered California
wines.
First thought of as a white elephant, the Windows on the World restaurant
grew in popularity, thanks in part to Zraly’s wine list. 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, 2001. The 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.
A self-described “wine therapist,” Zraly does not try to explain
the vast history and manifold aspects of wine regions and winemaking. He
just helps regular folks
understand what kind of wine lover they are. “I will not judge the
wine for them,”
he says. “They must judge them for themselves what they’re tasting,
what they’re smelling, what kind of foods would go well. It is not
just about wine; it is about their own thresholds for taste and smell….
It’s the Socratic method of understanding wine.”
Zraly’s unique and entertaining One-Hour Wine Expert presentation,
sponsored
by Pacific Wine Partners, will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, before
the festival starts. The seminar costs $28 and tickets must be purchased
in advance. Tickets for other wine seminars, held during the festival will
cost $18. Choose from 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,
or a South African seminar moderated by Gideon Theron of Laborie Wines.
The festival runs from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Advance
tickets to the festival cost $50 per day or $95 for a weekend pass. Discounted
tickets are available for designated drivers. Tickets for the festival and
for the One-Hour Wine Expert can be purchased on line at www.winesouth.com or
charged by phone at (678) 985-9494. All attendees must be 21 or older. Please
be advised, no strollers or children will be admitted.
The Gwinnett Center is located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, off I-85. Plenty
of free parking is available. For directions, call (770) 813-7500 or (800)
224-6422 or
access www.gwinnettcenter.com.
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- 2007 The Wine Report® All rights reserved.
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