WINE NEWS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

LATE NEWS!!

Tiger Mountain's '07 Tannat and '08 Petit Manseng won bronze medals in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest competition of American Wines in the world. Sixty-three professional wine judges from throughout the United States evaluated 4,913 wines from over 1,500 wineries across the country. The judging of the wines took place in Sonoma County on January 5-8. See www.winejudging.com (Check white varietals and red varietals to see Tiger Mountain listing)

UPCOMING

Ring in the New Year with our **20**10** Surprises in January! 20 percent off and 10 percent off on two different wines every week-end!! We're not telling which wines - so come enjoy the winter fun! Tasting room open Friday and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Feb. 13-14: Classical guitar by UGA Prof. Bob Burton, homemade chocolate truffles and chocolate fondue will highlight Tiger Mountain Vineyards' annual Chocolate and Wine Week-end. Celebrate the release of Tiger Mountain's latest Mountain Cyn (50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Cynthiana) a rich, dry wine with deep berry and chocolate aromas. Our last award winning vintage of Cyn was a sell-out! Your $15 admission entitles you to taste any or all of our ten current vintages, three whites and seven reds! Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat., and 1 to 5 p.m. Sun.

Recent Happenings at the Winery

Tigerwine Tasters Club and guests enjoy 10th anniversary harvest Sept. 19th. LRA

John and Martha Ezzard and new partners, John and Marilyn McMullan, toast Tiger Mountain's tenth anniversary.

Dr. Carl Fackler and Dr. John Ezzard examine Fackler's 09 Malbec harvested at the Facklers' Stonewall Creek Vineyards in Tiger.

Winery manager Jabe Hilson and tasting room manager Jonathan Engel press 09 grapes after open tank fermentation.

Wine Club member Louisa Videki of Chamblee grew up picking grapes with her family in Portugal!

Wine club member Gene Pipkin enjoys picking Malbec at the Ezzard vineyards in early September.

Co-owners Marilyn and John McMullan poured Tiger Mountain wine and attended a series of wine dinners during the Highlands Culinary Week-end Nov. 12-15, including one hosted by The Old Edwards Inn.

Martha Ezzard suggests one red and a choice of two whites for Thanksgiving dinner: Cabernet Franc, Petit Manseng or the crisp and fruity '08 Viognier to tasting room customers.

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.

HOT NEWS

Taste our wines at Bacchanalia, Quinones and the Cloister Beach Bar - the only Georgia wine listed at these three five star spots

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.

One of the region's most outstanding sommeliers, Herve Pennequin, of the new St. Regis Atlanta, recently selected Tiger Mountain wines for his list of outstanding vintages from around the world.

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 California contest, Jefferson Cup Invitational

Shelly Ezzard Smith designed Tiger Mountain's labels which have won awards in the San Francisco International Wine Festival and the Los Angles County Fair

Tiger Mountain's '08 Petit Manseng won a gold medal in the regional Central Savannah River Association Contest in Augusta last month as well as a "Best of Show" recognition! The '07 Malbec won a silver medal. In the 14-state Wines of the South competition last month, Tiger Mountain's '06 Rabun Red took a silver medal.

The results of the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Competition are in, and Tiger Mountain's '06 Cabernet Franc continues to be an award winner. The Cabernet Franc placed first in its varietal category.

Tiger Mountain Vineyards latest Cabernet Franc vintage, 2006, recently won two medals, a bronze and a gold in different categories in a 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 combines the knowledge of academic experts, experienced winemakers and wine writers. The judging is based in part on research by sensory scientist Dr. Tim Hanni, one of few Americans to hold a Master of Wine degree. 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, 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.

Welcome new retailers

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!

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.

Other gourmet shops and restaurants which have recently added Tiger Mountain wines include: Venus Wine in Buford, Decatur Package Store on Clairmont Road in Decatur, The Chef's Pantry in Loganville, Liam's Restaurant in Thomasville, Christopher's Restaurant and The Midtown Wine Cellar in Statesboro, Southern Spirits and Fine Wines in Alpharetta, Mountain Fresh Market in Highlands, N.C.

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 held its second viticulture course in Cortona, Italy last spring. Recognizing the growing North Georgia wine industry, Dean Scott Angle also created a program in cooperation 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 has hosted an intern for the past three years. UGA interns are also working at Montaluce, Blackstock and Habersham vineyards and wineries.

UGA student Josh Urich worked in Ezzard vineyards all summer 2008 UGA intern Eric Millard

UGA intern Matt Housley learns about pulling leaves and thinning shoots from vineyard owner Dr. John Ezzard

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 Halbkat

Tiger Mountain wines featured at October, 2009 Georgia Organics dinner

The annual Georgia Organics dinner benefitting local organic farmers was staged once again in Woodland Gardens, located at Winterville near Athens. The farm to table affiar featured 10 of the state's top chefs, including Ann Quatrano of Bacchanalia, Hugh Acheson of The five and Ten, Joe Truax of Repast, Hilary Stephenson of The Hil at Serenbe and others. Gracing the long dinner tables for select guests in The Hoop House after the farm tour were Tiger Mountain's locally grown wines! The vineyard is a member and long-time supporter of Georgia Organics.

Tiger Mountain Satellite Tasting Room Open in Dahlonega Square

Naturally Georgia offers wine tastings and cheeses Wednesday through Sunday. Its new location is 90 Dahlonega Square. Wine expert Vickie Cooper pairs Tiger Mountain wines with local cheeses. She gives terrific advice for entertaining with wine. The colorful shop offers pottery and local art, jewelry, hand made candles and soaps. See www.naturallygeorgia.com or call 706-864-0832 for details.

Media spotlight on Tiger Mountain Vineyards

"The Tenth for Tiger Mountain" was a two-page spread with photos in Northeast Georgia Magazine's fall '09 edition. The October 18 Athens Banner Herald hailed Tiger Mountain Vineyards as a trip worth taking and Athens Magazine is featuring the winery in its December '09 publication. The history of the winery and a description of the Ezzards' vineyard venture was the subject of a June 3, 2009 Gainesville Times piece by wine columnist Randall Murray. Martha Ezzard is featured in the July '09 issue of Georgia Trend Magazine.

Black bears truly were vineyard visitors this season, unwelcome ones! Photo:Patti Sells