Its the Weekend!!! Stop, drop, and shop for wine!

Need a good local shop in which to purchase South African wines? Places to buy wine are endless. Whether it is a high end wine boutique or a neighborhood supermarket, what makes a great wine purveyor are its employees. Are they knowledgeable, more importantly approachable? No one wants to be talked down to by a wine snob. ISAW is always on the look out for wine sellers who know their stuff, but can also be friendly to wine newbies. Here are ISAW’s favorite wine shops, both in and out of town.

Hinton’s Wine Store

With an offering of Riedel stemware glasses and decanters at lower prices, they also pride themselves on having a knowledgeable staff and great customer service.

Keith of Hinton’s wine store located slightly OTP , but definitely worth the drive, says Hinton’s customers are wild for South African Shiraz and Pinotage. While the store does not carry a bevy of black owned vineyards they do carry some great brands like Fairview and Titan. Keith who has been with Hinton’s for 8 years credits a commitment to customer service as the hallmark of Hinton’s success. “People who come to our store often need help with party planning, or are just looking for something different from what they have been drinking. We can cater to those needs by 1, listening, and 2, providing information on production techniques used by vineyards, or the region or varietal.

The staff at Hinton’s is encouraged by what they have identified as an onslaught of new wine drinkers, eager to experiment and a lot less intimidated by wine, than in previous years. Keith finds most of his customers are just looking for a shop with knowledgeable and experienced people. “This is how they learn to trust you and your product.”

Hinton’s is located physically at :8455 Holcomb Bridge Road, Alpharetta, Georgia 30022, 770-641-1900 and virtually: www.hintonswinestore.com

Hall’s of Fine Wines

Located in Inman Park, Hall’s is a marvelous addition to what is now becoming the most up and coming Intown neighborhood in years. At Hall’s customers favorite South African vineyards include selections from both Seven Sisters and M’hudi. The pinotage and Cabernet are amongst the most popular varietals the store retails in addition, to Albarina, Malbec and Zinfandel.

The store’s motto, Engage, enlighten, and enjoy is far more than a tag line. Owner John Hall, is a corporate America evacuee, who brings both his business acumen and passion for ports and pinots to a head in his loft style wine shop. He seeks to make wine shopping an enjoyable experience. Experience his 25 years as a connoisseur of wines of all tastes and styles. Hall’s is also a major supporter of the community offering several of the wines available in some of the city’s best eateries all located in Inman Park.

visit Halls:

www.hallsoffinewines.com

245 North Highland Avenue Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 254-0818

Harlem Vintage

Maintains a Winemakers of Color collection, one of the largest selections from Black vintners and Black-owned wineries around the world!

Harlem Vintage owner Jai Jai says her store makes wine accessible to all, simply by providing a format where new wine drinkers feel comfortable asking questions and exploring different types of grapes. Harlem Vintage holds tastings for all levels of wine knowledge each Saturday form 4p-7p.

Harlem Vintage also can boast something many other wine shops cannot, they offer not only wines crafted by Black owned vineyards, but also women vintners, and organics, which is quickly becoming the next major trend in wine. Jai Jai also notes customer favorites include Indaba Chardonnay, Seven Sisters Rose, which is always a welcome delight on a hot summer day or a great wine to take over to the next family BBQ. In the current economy, Jai Jai finds that customers who are looking for a good wine at a good price are always pleasantly surprised at what they can find at Harlem Vintage that is tasty and also affordable.

Visit Harlem Vintage online at www.harlemvintage.com or in person at:

2235 Frederick Douglass Boulevard
Harlem, New York 10027
212-866-9463

ISAW SUPPORTERS AND FRIENDS KICK OFF BRUNCH AND BUBBLES AT MOSAIC IN BUCKHEAD

This past Sunday, the International Society of Africans in Wine (ISAW) held their inaugural Brunch and Bubbles event. A monthly meal with a message, incorporating great food, champagne and an opportunity to support ISAW’s mission all wrapped into one. Held at Mosaic in Buckhead, the organization hosted the first of many monthly brunches to come, allowing members to meet each other and engage founder Stephen Satterfield and ISAW’s organizing team in a Q&A.

Over a South African inspired meal of lamb sausage, tilapia prepared with peppered onion and avocado, a curry egg scramble, and fresh fruit, ISAW founder Stephen Satterfield, discussed ISAW’s origins and year long campaign of fundraising, promoting awareness, and providing wine education to all. The organization’s goals are simple to state. ISAW exists to empower African farmers by providing access to resources and education that will allow them to learn the production of wine and vineyard management. This will lead to business management and become a platform to assist in land acquisition.

ISAW’s inaugural brunch was a complete success and both members and staff are already looking forward to next month’s event. The next installment of Brunch and Bubbles is scheduled Sunday, July 6, at Parish. A new Creole and Cajun inspired eatery operated by Concentrics Hospitality and located on North Highland in Inman Park. Reservations can be made with Lauren Brown Jarvis at: ISAWLauren@gmail.com; at $30 per person. Also, join ISAW’s monthly wine study group, taking place at Hall’s of Fine Wines. This 60 minute course will provide tips for the wine enthusiast navigating retail shops and wine lists.

The cost of the class will be $25 and will include wine, cheese, and study guides.

Explore the ISAW message in depth on our website: www.ISAWfoundation.org, or blog: www.ISAWTaste.wordpress.com.

Visit Hall’s of Fine Wines online at: www.hallsoffinewines.com

UPCOMING ISAW EVENTS

ISAW sponsored socials you don’t want to miss!!!

Sunday, June 8, 2008: Brunch and Bubble with ISAW as we launch the first of many champagne conversations. To be held at Mosaic located on 3098 Maple Drive, between Peachtree Street and East Paces Ferry in Buckhead. To kick off this monthly meal with a message ISAW founder Stephen Satterfield will guide brunchers through the origins of ISAW and why now is the best time to support our cause. Reservations are $30 per person and can be made by contacting Lauren Jarvis at isawlauren@gmail.com.

Monday June 23, 2008: Join ISAW founder and Sommelier Stephen Satterfield for and education excursion that will have you prepared to “Navigate Restaurant and Retail Wine Lists.” Sure you know which kinds of wine you enjoy drinking, but when presented with a wine list of new vineyards and varietals, or perusing your local wine shop, is it all too much to make sense of?

Join Steven at Hall’s of Fine Wines located on 245 North Highland in Inman Park for a one on one tutorial about how you can quickly choose great tasting wines, at a great value. Class will begin at 7p and is $30. All proceeds go to support ISAW’s global initiatives for economic empowerment for South African vintners, and include wine, cheese and study guides.

Friday, July 18, 2008:

ISAW invites our members and friends to our first networking social and monthly mixer! Soak in skyline views of the city as we sip and socialize at the Capital Grille in Buckhead from 5p-7p on July 18, 2008. Meet the ISAW Ambassadors and other influential wine connoisseurs and food and beverage industry professionals. This is one ISAW event you do not want to miss out on.

Atlanta Wine Socials Gear Up For Champagne Conversations, Hosted By

Atlanta Wine Socials Gear Up For Champagne Conversations, Hosted By

International Society of Africans in Wine

 

Atlanta wine connoisseurs are invited to unite with ISAW, for the first of many Champagne Conversations, to be held Sunday, June 8, 2008, at Mosaic in Buckhead.

As an organization, ISAW is destined to transform the face of South African wine makers forever. They begin by hosting Champagne Conversations; a monthly meal with a message, or brunch discussion, happening every first Sunday around town.

 

Enjoy a lazy morning brunch with ISAW and take part in the conversation, as we discuss economic empowerment for native South African vintners. Providing access to business and economic resources for South Africans looking to enter viticulture is the core of ISAW’s efforts. Through monthly events and year round fundraising, ISAW will provide training and education, creating channels to vineyard ownership and operation within the wine industry for everyday South Africans.

 

ISAW Founder, Stephen Satterfield, will guide brunchers through the origins of ISAW. Founded in January of 2008, ISAW has already established itself as an organization of note, one very passionate about transforming the lives of our South African brethren.

 Brunch will be provided by Mosaic Executive Chef Darrell Rice. For this event he combines traditional and Mediterranean favorites with some South African inspired surprises.

Located at 3097 Maple Drive, Mosaic is a neighborhood bistro known for its personalized service and infusion of seasonal ingredients. As our host Mosaic provides the ideal backdrop for a years worth of Champagne Conversations to come. Featured guests will include Professor William Jelani Cobb, Ntsiki Biyel, Selena Cuffe, George Ayittey and more.

 

Join ISAW at Mosaic for the first Champagne Conversations June 8, 2008.  You are invited to find out how you can support ISAW and its goals of supporting and promoting South African vintners and vineyards.

 

Reservations for Champagne Conversations are extremely limited and are

$30 per person. They include all the brunch and beverage your heart can handle.

For a table please contact Lauren Jarvis at ISAWlauren@gmail.com, or via phone at 770. 255.9354.

Champagne Conversations wth ISAW

Unite with ISAW for a conversation destined to transform the face South African wine makers forever. ISAW will promote the goals and tenets underlying their mission and raise awareness through Champagne Conversations.

A meal with a message, or brunch discussion, intended to take place on first Sundays monthly.

 

Enjoy a lazy morning brunch with ISAW and take part in the conversation, as we discuss economic empowerment for native South African vintners. This idea is the core of ISAW’s efforts to provide training and education, in hopes of creating a means to business and vineyard ownership within the wine industry for everyday South Africans.

 

ISAW Founder, Stephen Satterfield, will guide brunchers through the origins of ISAW, where the organization is now and where we are headed next. In addition, we will munch on tasty delights created by Mosaic Executive Chef Darrell Rice, to include a mix of traditional and Mediterranean favorites and also some South African inspired surprises.

 

To be held Sunday, June 8, 2008, from 11:30am until 2:30pm at Mosaic in Buckhead. Located at 3097 Maple Drive, 30305, this neighborhood bistro known for its personalized service and use of seasonal ingredients. Mosaic is proud to provide the ideal backdrop for the first of many Champagne Conversations to come. Featured guests will include Professor William Jelani Cobb, Ntsiki Biyel, Selena Cuffe, George Ayittey and more.

 

Reservations for Champagne Conversations are extremely limited and are $25 per person. They include all the brunch and beverage your heart can handle. For a table please contact Lauren Jarvis at ISAWLauren@gmail.com, or via phone at 770. 255.9354.

Worth the Investment

Cusinart Private Reserve Cellar (CWC-1200)

A windfall of a gift for the wine collector and connoisseur! 8 pre programmed settings will keep your wines at optimal temperature. Or you can manually select your preferred degree in either farenheit or celsius for our metrically inclined friends.

The unit is beautiful as a stand alone with its brushed stainless steel exterior. It holds 12 bottles, has soft interior lighting and 3 movable shelves. If you need extra wine storage or enjoy serving your wines at precise temperatures, the private reserve is a stellar option for preserving wines.

Having recieved one as a wedding present, I’m now encouraged to dabble into more exotic wines now that I can insure they will be stored properly!

LBJarvis

South Africa Wines for the Adventurous

Enjoy this clip from YouTube in which wine columnists, John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter, discuss what we were already hip to, South African wines, that are not only a  great value, but have phenomenal flavor.

Seven Sisters makes a Chenin Blanc I can sum up in two words. Yummy and refreshing. Crisp yet full enough for a taste your entire mouth will remember.

In the words of John Brecher, “If your wine shop doesn’t have a South African wine section, find a new shop!

LBJarvis

South Africa encourages Black Vintners

Great article from 2004 that speaks to the core of what ISAW is about!

South Africa encourages black vintners

By Shola Olowu BBC News business reporter in Constantia, South Africa Mzokhona Mvemve had never tasted wine before. Mzokhona Mvemve is dreaming about becoming a vineyard owner Yet he applied for the Indaba Scholarship, an award created by wine distributors Cape Classics, to help black South Africans study areas of the wine industry. “I was a student doing chemical engineering when I got the opportunity to come to Stellenbosch University to study wine making,” he said. “It was a time of change in the country and I took a chance.” Black winemakers The government’s attempts to promote greater black participation in all sectors of the economy gave him the confidence to take that chance. The world has rediscovered South African wines Mr Mvemve started a bachelor of science degree in agriculture in 1997 and four years later became South Africa’s first black winemaker. There are now many more black winemakers in South Africa, a significant breakthrough for an industry dominated by whites. But there are none with Mr Mvemve’s level of responsibilities. He began working for Cape Classics in 2001 as an assistant winemaker. Now he chooses and manages the vineyard and decides how and when to harvest the grapes. He also has complete control over the winemaking process right through to the finished product. Slow change The end of apartheid has created new opportunities for the wine industry as the world rediscovers South Africa, according to Andre Shearer, the chief executive of Cape Classics which owns and markets Indaba wines, one of the fastest selling South African wines in the United States. Few black people have, as yet, studies wine making But while wine styles have changed, he admits that the industry has yet to really open its doors to black South Africans. “I’m not sure if as much… has changed [at the grass root level] in terms of the empowerment process,” he says. “There’s hesitancy on some parts. “Some people, frankly, think that things are going OK and that there are empowerment developments.” “But I’m not sure that the [changes] are, in the main, enough.” Black ownership The government’s decision to formalise its approach to black economic empowerment came about because industries were hesitant and in some cases openly hostile. The wine industry should publish its black empowerment charter this year The mining sector, seen as the backbone of the economy, was the first to be targeted and was forced to meet legally prescribed timetables to ensure greater black involvement. Mining firms must ensure that 15% of their equity is black owned by 2009, with a further boost to 26% by 2014. Since the mining charter in 2002, no sector specific laws have been introduced, but other industries are now putting together voluntary charters. The wine industry is expected to publish its charter before the end of the year. Mr Mvemve is hoping the charter will help him fulfil his dream to become a vineyard owner. “I’m pretty much betting on the black economic empowerment charter that is being discussed currently,” said Mr Mvemve, insisting that as this should help him find out what roles black people are able to play in the wine industry. Eventually, Mr Mvemve hopes to raise a quarter of a million rand to release his own label.

A Chat With George Ayittey

The internet is a powerful tool. For better or worse, information and people are pretty much accesible at the click of a button. Last week I sent an email to American University Professor George Ayittey. George is a very accomplished economist who studied in Ghana and has written many books on state of the African economy. He is equally intense and educated about the history and current condition of Africa.

George is the founder of the Free Africa Foundation His research is relevant because it underscores a driving belied for ISAW; Africa can never free Herself until She can feed Herself. It is amazing to think that the continent as geographically blessed as Africa must import $40Billion annually for food. George attributes this to a large degree on African governments unwillingness to invest in agriculture.Though this seems an intuative solution, it was a tremendously positive affirmation to have George Ayittey endorse the ISAW project. As ISAW continues to move forward, helping Africa feed Herself will remain paramount in our endeavors. It was an overwhelming honor and inspiration to receive encouragement from Professor Ayittey.

ISAW in its infancy

Greetings Dear Wine Lover and ISAW Supporter:

Imagine meeting a small child for the first time, yet seeing all the possibility and potential that lie in the path of its young life. Imagine that child, like new wine, evolving from an immature grape into a complex, well groomed, and carefully cared for product of its vintners watchful eye. In the blink of a moment the child has gone from naive and curious to become mature, bold, even assertive. Its destiny comes full circle year after year, as layers and layers of growth and experience begin to craft a distinct impression on the child’s psyche developing a fully formed adult, capable and aware, and filled with the desire to leave the mark of its legacy in the world, in hopes of inspiring generations of new children to come.

ISAW is that child.

At the present moment our founding coalition is hard at work laying the groundwork for what will become for many of us a life long labor of love, dedicated to providing economic empowerment to a majority population of South African’s through viticulture.

At present over 47 million South Africans live below the poverty line. While many work on vineyards and have knowledge of wine making processes, political turmoil and socialized discrimination have kept the majority of South Africans from having access to capital and other resources required for business development.

While we are building this organization one step at a time, interested readers can always tune into our blog, our youtube site:

http://www.youtube.com/isawtv

or visit our global homepage at http://www.isawfoundation.org

This blog primarily will be dedicated to the wines we love to drink, but will also be giving you an ongoing taste of what and who ISAW is as a whole. Take the opportunity to support a fledgling organization as we nurture it to the age of perfection.

LB