The Wine Experience will take place in the TWELVE Hotel Ballroom from 12:30 - 6:00 on both Saturday and Sunday. VIP guests will enjoy tastes from a wonderful selection of wines and artisan cheeses. Educational wine seminars will be offered on topics ranging from Georgia wines and cheeses to a tasting of favorite Australian wines. Gil Kulers, Certified Wine Educator and popular Atlanta-Journal Constitution wine columnist, will be on hand to share his wine knowledge and moderate the seminars. As a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Gil has worked in the kitchens of several prestigious restaurants in Atlanta and Europe, and was the assistant sommelier at the Cherokee Town Club in Atlanta, overseeing a multimillion dollar, 25,000-bottle wine collection.
VIP patrons will be allowed to register for one tasting class only. Class registration will begin at 11:00 am each day of the festival in the TWELVE Hotel ballroom. Wine tasting class schedule will be posted soon.
*Must be 21 or older to attend Wine Experience
Due to a change in scheduling, Georg Riedel is no longer able to attend Taste of Atlanta.
For more information about the full-bodied Wine Experience and Bowling & Brews, including ticket prices and a schedule of seminars; Please Click Here.
Bowling & Brews at Ten Pin Alley*
New for 2008, Bowling & Brews at Ten Pin Alley will offer VIP ticket holders the opportunity to sample a number of ales, lagers, wheat beers and more. Guests will also be able to relax in the ultra exclusive lounge, bowl a few frames in the high end bowling alley and watch their favorite sport's team on giant plasma TV's.
Matt Simpson, renowned Beer Sommelier, will host Bowling & Brews and share his extensive craft beer knowledge with the crowd. Matt teaches two craft beer courses at Emory University, is a BJCP Certified Judge, is an Administrator for RateBeer.com and co-founder and managing editor of TheBeerCellar.com. Matt is also an award-winning homebrewer and an owner of one of the largest and most comprehensive beer cellars in the world.
*Must be 21 or older to attend Bowling & Brews
Country Road
Taste of Atlanta has partnered with Atlanta's Finest Dining Magazine to bring you the Local Sustainable Country Road. This area of the festival will be devoted to restaurants and chefs committed to the local, sustainable movement. The Country Road cooking stage will showcase the chefs cooking with their local farmer.
Amica Insurance Kid's Avenue
One of the newest ingredients to Taste of Atlanta is the Amica Insurance Kid's Avenue, showcasing tastes for little kids and big kids alike, along with the culinary creations of talented young chefs on their very own cooking stage. The Food Network's George Duran will entertain the crowds with his Pizza Fondue and Roasted Brussels Sprouts and culinary prodigy Lizzie Marie, an 8 year-old Atlantan, will prepare her own version of Green Eggs and Ham.
Take the opportunity to taste fare from kid-friendly restaurants or enjoy these fun and creative sponsor activities.
Amica Insurance Chef Hat Decorating
Taste of the South Sugar Cookie Icing
Young Chef's Academy Pretzel Dipping
Medieval Times Crown Decorating
Silent Auction
Be sure to check out the Silent Auction tents at the event this year! Bid on fantastic items like autographed memorabilia, culinary products and vacation packages. We’ll have over a hundred items to bid on. Come check it out and go home a winner! Bidding for the silent auction will begin at 11:00 AM and will conclude promptly at 4:00 PM each day.
100% of the net Silent Auction proceeds will go to the Georgia Restaurant Association. The GRA's mission is to serve the needs of Georgia's restaurant and foodservice industries by providing value for its members in four key cornerstones: political advocacy, professional development, business development and community involvement.
