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WINE NEWS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Tiger Mountain Vineyards '08 Petit Manseng, won a silver medal last month in the 2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition. The 30-year-old prestigious contest drew more than 3,500 wine entries including the top California labels. We are proud that 100% of the Petit grapes are grown at Tiger and that our winery is the only one in the region making the unusual varietal. We have only 22 cases of the vintage left!
Touriga Nacional is our summer special! Pick up this elegant wine with cherry and mulberry aromas for just $16 per bottle - a 35% discount! Touriga is the main grape in fine ports and loves the Tiger terroir - produces quality fruit here and has won more than 16 awards since 2001. It's an unfamiliar wine to many - so this an invitation to be adventuresome. Price break is only for the three months of summer! We have 100 cases of the latest vintage. Wine club discounts apply.
Tiger Mountain's new Rosé - a hit for late summer and fall parties! Tiger Mountain's new Rosé, primarily from Cabernet Franc and Viognier, is running out the door! At $14 per bottle, only 75 cases left! Delicate nose, deep pink color, semi dry with refreshing fruit flavors. Pairs with blue cheese, salads, pastas, burgers, and other casual dishes.
UPCOMING
Sept. 4 Celebrate Labor Day weekend with wine, cheese and live music on the patio. No admission charge; $5 tasting fee only. Tasting room open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Music, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
 Sept. 11: Annual Harvest Party for wine club members and their guests. (Click on Tigerwine Tasters and see how to be included!) Grape picking, 10 a.m. to noon. Gourmet picnic and live music under the old oak trees, noon to 2 p.m., featuring guest chef Jamie Allred, Lake Rabun Hotel, salad and sumptuous desserts by Anne McMullan, Martha's tomato mozzarella. Bradley Smith & Co. on guitar.
Sept. 18: Georgia Organics harvest day at Tiger Mountain.
Sept. 23: 4 to 8 p.m. Wine pouring/reception, Phipps Plaza, Atlanta, featuring Tiger Mountain wines. Sponsored by Frontgate and featuring hors d'oeuvres by Chef Dean Corbett of Robinson's Prime Reserve. For more information contact the Phipps Plaza Frontgate store or call 513-603-1467.
Sept. 25: Release of Stonewall Creek Vineyards Rabun Red, a first harvest blend of French vinifera from the Tiger vineyards of Carl and Carla Fackler! Details to come.
Oct. 2: wine, cheese and live music on the patio. See crushing and fermenting of 2010 vintages.
Oct. 2: Taste Tiger Mountain and other wines and enjoy jazz at the annual Savannah River Festival, Augusta. See www.csrawinefestival.com for details.
BRAVO FOR TIGER MOUNTAIN MALBEC!
2008 Tiger Mountain Vineyards Malbec: Review by Master Sommelier Yves Durand
(Tasted 08/12/10)
"Attractive forward aroma of ripe black fruit, plum and Bing cherries. Most enticing! On the palate rich and opulent, full bodied entrance of delicious red and black juicy fruits. Fleshy and velvety texture, round and supple. Quite harmonious. The middle palate lacks some intensity but the sensual finish redeems the nectar which lingers as a soft fleshy lover (speaking of long, long ago past experiences). Over all this is a very well made Malbec. I was born a few miles away from Cahors where Malbec is king. My Grand-father had a small vineyard; but too far to be included in said Appellation. He never produced such a tasty Malbec nor did I ever savor a Cahors wine as good as this expression of Malbec. Bravo!!!"
--Yves Durand
Yves Durand, restaurateur, sommelier and author on Bordeaux wines
Yves Durand, noted wine consultant, author and lecturer, was born in the Bordeaux region of France and worked in some of the most acclaimed restaurants in Europe. Durand immigrated to the United States in 1965, and opened the very successful Rue de Paris Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1985, after winning top honors at both the regional and national competitions, he was named Best Sommelier in French Wines in the United States. In 1987 he authored Connoisseur's Guide to Bordeaux Wines, twelve years in the making; he is a frequent contributor to regional and national food and wine publications. In 1990, Durand was decorated with the Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite Agricole for his achievements in promoting French wine. Until June of 1998, Durand was President of the Sommelier Society of America, known today as the American Sommelier Association. "A sommelier's sommelier," Durand organizes and hosts' for his colleagues of the "Chaîne des Rotisseurs," the "Commanderie de Bordeaux" and other wine tours to his native France, as well as Spain, Italy and Portugal.
Recent happenings at the winery
Picking to the piper! Wine Club member George MCClellan plays bagpipes for pickers at the annual harvest party. He'll be playing again for our 2010 celebration!
John Templeton and fans with one of Templeton's flower arrangements at the Rosé release party. Templeton, of Tiger, owns The Glorious Daisy and provides all of the winery flowers.
Jabe Hilson, winery manager, at the grill; serving up sliders at the Rosé release.
Dr. Carl Fackler was quite busy pouring wine at our recent Rosé release party.
Jonathan Engel, tasting room manager, prepares for daily wine tastings with local cheeses at the winery.
Thinning shoots and clusters is an annual July undertaking. ( Shelly Ezzard Smith and husband, Brian, work in the vineyards)
Music and roasted sausages on the patio-July 31 Lake Rabun Association scholarship fund benefit.
Co-owners Marilyn and John McMullan enjoy April Malbec Release Party.
Martha Ezzard recommends Tiger Mountain's Viognier to April Hawkins, fruity, crisp and perfect for summer patio parties.
Wine club member Betsy Fowler oversees cheese table at the recent Malbec Release Party.
Satellite tasting room offers tastings of Tiger Mountain wine in Dahlonega Square
Vickie Cooper, manager of the Dahlonega tasting room, recently visited Tiger Mountain.
TMV partner John McMullan receives UGA honor
John F. McMullan, partner in Tiger Mountain Vineyards, was honored recently at a university luncheon in Athens with the prestigious Alumni Merit Award. This is the 74th year the award has been given to a UGA graduate who has demonstrated outstanding support for the university in addition to achieving superior professional leadership.
McMullan earned bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting and is a former chairman of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners. He is chief executive officer of Camden Real Estate, an Atlanta-based company he founded in 1990.
An Athens High School classmate of Dr. John Ezzard, the founder and CEO of Tiger Mountain Vineyards, McMullan joined as a partner in Rabun County winery last January. He and his wife, Marilyn, have been active in Atlanta wine organizations for many years; both are members of the Tiger Mountain Vineyards Board of Directors. McMullan serves as Chief Financial Officer of the winery corporation.
HOT NEWS
Taste our wines at five star hot spots, including Bacchanalia, Quinones and the Cloister Beach Bar
John and Martha Ezzard helped harvest their '08 Petit Manseng grapes. In Georgia the unique seven year old vines are exclusive to the Ezzard vineyards.
Bacchanalia and Quinones are Atlanta's most celebrated restaurants. Chef/owners Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison have won dozens of national awards including the coveted James Beard "Best chef in the Southeast." TMV wines have also been selected for Bacchanalia sister restaurant, Floataway Cafe, located between the Emory campus and Virginia Highlands. Floataway features locally grown produce with a Mediterranean flare. See www.starprovisions.com for more information on the restaurants.
Five star is synonymous with Sea Island's Cloister resort and its nationally known chef Scott Peacock. Sommelier Heath Porter has selected Tiger Mountain vineyards '04 Norton, a hearty, dry red wine made from a native American grape, to serve at the Cloister Beach Bar. This four-year-old vintage exudes some Bordeaux characteristics with its deep cherry aromas, hints of chocolate and slight peppery finish.
Tiger Mountain wins awards in two 2010 California contests
Shelly Ezzard Smith designed Tiger Mountain's labels which have won awards in the San Francisco International Wine Festival and the Los Angles County FairIn addition to the silver medal Tiger Mountain's '08 Petit Manseng won in the San Francisco International Wine Competition, the Petit Manseng and the '07 Tannat won bronze medals in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest competition of American Wines in the world.
Tiger Mountain Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Franc won two medals, a bronze and a gold in different categories in the 2009 California contest, Lodi International. The Rabun County winery's Touriga National, made from a Portuguese grape cultivated in the Ezzard vineyards, won three bronze medals. A unique competition headed by three professors at the University of California at Davis, the contest judging includes assessments of fruitiness, acidity, tannins, oaked aging and other components of wine character. Tiger Mountain also won two bronze medals for its labels in the California Lodi competition, which were described as "artistic and graceful." The unique tri-color labels, which portray a profile of Tiger Mountain vertically on each bottle, were created by Shelly Ezzard Smith and printed by Wright Labels of Thomasville, N.C. The latest awards bring to four the number awarded for label design in international contests - the previous two at the Los Angeles County Fair and in the San Francisco International Wine Competition.
The '07 Tannat and the '07 Cabernet Franc, though newly bottled, both won bronze medals in the 2010 Finger Lakes International Competition. In the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Competition, Tiger Mountain's '06 Cabernet Franc won a gold medal.
Tiger Mountain's '08 Petit Manseng won a gold medal in the 2009 regional Central Savannah River Association Contest in Augusta as well as "Best of Show," and the '07 Malbec won a silver medal.
Welcome new retailers
The Ritz Carlton in downtown Atlanta offers Tiger Mountain Cabernet Franc by the glass. Enjoy it at lunch or dinner, on the veranda or inside with live music! Green's Beverage Stores in Atlanta, under the direction of wine connoisseur Michael Bishop, stock some of the world's best wines and now both of the stores offer Tiger Mountain Vineyards wines. Visit the store on Ponce de Leon or the one on Buford Highway and receive expert advice for entertaining and gift giving. Tiger Mountain wines are also featured in The Wine Corner of Melissa Cavanaugh's Wakoola Water Gardens in Cumming. See www.wakoola.com for a description of this unique shop. Now you can purchase Tiger Mountain wines in Columbus at Columbus Beverage Superstore on North Lake Parkway (See www.columbusbeverage.com) where Ken Young and his staff offer expert advice on wine and food pairings for events or wines to suit particular tastes. In St. Simons, The Still and Winery has already gained a reputation for choosing the best and most affordable of boutique wines. Tiger Mountain is proud to be one of those selected by wine savvy owners Aaron and Christy Krisfalusi.
Tiger Mountain wines are also available in the Buckhead Whole Foods store this fall and, as always, in the other five Whole Foods stores in the metro Atlanta area. In the spirit of Whole Foods, pair your locally grown dishes with a fine locally grown wine from Tiger!
LaPrade's at Lake Burton now features Tiger Mountain Vineyards' Mountain Cyn to complement its delicious meats from the grill or southern style chicken! Two excellent establishments in Sautee Nacoochee are featuring Tiger Mountain wines: The Vines Restaurant at Edelweiss Inn and the Stovall House, a charming bed and breakfast which also serves delectable dinners several nights a week.
Welcome new retailers and restaurants - you can now order/buy Tiger Mountain wines at these establishments:
The Cupboard Café, Clayton; Lighthouse Liquors, Albany; Dizzy Dean's, Tybee Island; Roux on Canton, Roswell; Alpine Brew House, Helen.
See "Where to Buy" for contact information on all of our vendors.
UGA College of Agriculture interns learn viticulture first-hand
The University of Georgia College of Agriculture will hold its third viticulture course in Cortona, Italy this spring. Recognizing the growing North Georgia wine industry, Dean Scott Angle also has created a program in cooperation with the Winegrowers Association of Georgia to place students in the North Georgia vineyards. Some work on grape cultivation and others on winemaking or a little of both. Tiger Mountain is looking to host an intern for its fourth consecutive year. In the past, UGA interns have also worked at Montaluce, Blackstock, Persimmon and Habersham vineyards and wineries.
UGA graduate Josh Urich worked in Ezzard vineyards and is now pursuing a career in the wine industry
UGA intern Matt Housley learning about pulling leaves and thinning shoots in 2009
Petit Manseng wins acclaim from top international wine critic Doug Frost
The '07 Petit Manseng took its second gold medal ("A Great American Wine") in the most recent Jefferson Cup Invitational. The contest, to which wineries must be invited to participate, is headed by Doug Frost, one of three wine experts in the world to hold both Master Sommelier and Master of Wine credentials.
Choosing Tiger Mountain's '07 Petit Manseng as one of his "10 most exciting and unusual wine finds," Doug Frost writes in Tom Stevenson's 2009 Global Wine Report:
Is Petit Manseng the right grape for Georgia's elevated vineyards in the northeast? Who the heck knows? But this (Tiger Mountain's '07 Manseng) is very,very interesting, balanced with honey, lemon, apples, and some ripe melon. And it's not the first delicious Petit Manseng the region has produced, just the best one this year.
Winery manager Jabe Hilson recently attended a course on microbiology and other aspects of fermentation and wine making at the University of California at Davis, widely regarded as the top viticulture and enology program in the country. He was accompanied by Dr. Carl Fackler, owner of Stonewall Creek Vineyards at Tiger and a Tiger Mountain Vneyards board member.
Locally grown food and locally grown wine: a perfect match!
A "locally grown" vineyard dinner for visiting artists at the Hambidge Center for the Arts with local Chef Cindy HalbkatTiger Mountain wines featured at 2010 Georgia Organics Conference
Georgia Organics held its 2010 conference in Athens. The "Farmer's Feast," a farm to table dinner, featured Tiger Mountain and other Georgia wines as well as 10 of the state's top chefs, including Ann Quatrano of Bacchanalia, Hugh Acheson of The Five and Ten, Kevin Maxey of Craft, Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene and others. Tiger Mountain is a member and supporter of Georgia Organics and is striving to grow some of its Norton grapes organically this year!
Media spotlight on Tiger Mountain Vineyards
The Atlanta Business Chronicle featured three local wineries including Tiger Mountain in its May 21, 2010 "Around Atlanta" edition. Southern Living's April, 2010 magazine featured The Blue Bicycle in Dawsonville and Tiger Mountain's Viognier which the restaurant lists. Tiger Mountain's '08 Petit Manseng was the subject of Edgar Solis' online Atlanta Wine Pairing Examiner recently. "The Tenth for Tiger Mountain" was a two-page spread with photos in Northeast Georgia Magazine's fall '09 edition, and Athens Magazine featured the winery in its December '09 publication.
Southern Living Magazine, April 2009
PEOPLE & PLACES peach page .....
TOASTING THE TIGER
Besides winning awards in tasting contests, wineries often measure success by what top-tier establishments pour their vintages. Tiger Mountain Vineyards of Northeast Georgia supplies the finest restaurants in Atlanta, including Bacchanalia, Quinones, The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead, Woodfire Grill and the Floataway Cafe. It also stocks the Beach Bar at the Cloister on Sea Island. Look for Tiger wines at other fine eateries, from Harry Bissett's Bayou Grill in Athens, to Grits Cafe in Forsyth.
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