Tag Archives: wine event

Valentine's Day Wine Dinner – Pittsburgh 2011

Events


It’s back!

The Grape Thoughts Valentine’s Day dinner – for singles, couples, and groups of friends to celebrate wine and the holiday, yet break away from some of the cheesy traditions and create ones that are more memorable!

This year’s event:
I He(ART) Valentine’s Day
$50, 7pm – 10pm*
Schmutzco Lodge
http://schmutzco.com/
5405 Broad Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15206

This Valentine’s Day dinner will include 4 courses paired with fabulous wines,  and some very interesting new traditions wrapped around this He(ART) Theme…

  • A non-stuffy venue with a great atmosphere – filled with art to gaze upon – always something to look at if you run out of things to say
  • Chef Adam & Wine Maven Judy carefully plotting dinner and wine pairings. **
  • Some good beats and fresh tunes
  • In bucking tradition – START WEARING PURPLE. Unless you want to make a traditionalist statement WEAR RED
  • A CMU MFA grad walking us through an intriguing talk on emotional love and an opportunity to participate in a LOVE project
  • A heart shaped fire ring for burning some wishes for the future and letting go of the past

*For those of you concerned with it being a school night, dinner and the wines are served early.
Our hosts just want to give us time to hang out if we want.

**Those with food allergies, vegans/vegetarians – please contact us or make a note when you purchase your ticket so we can accommodate.

Click here or follow the link in the upper Right to get your tickets.

This event is limited and WILL sell out.

Hosts Dave English and Gian Carlos Silva-De Jesús have prepared a unique space for us to wine, dine, mingle, and also to get creative!

Dave English is a founding member and the creative director of The Schmutz Company. He also works as the Studio Program Coordinator at The Andy Warhol Museum. His work includes puppetry, sculpture, performance, arts education and arts organization. Dave is from Pittsburgh, PA, and studied at West Virginia University.”

Gian Carlos Silva-De Jesús is from Santurce, Puerto Rico. He has received a BFA in Puerto Rico and a MFA degree from Carnegie Mellon.  He has participated art performances and has art displayed in Puerto Rico, New York, the Dominican Republic, London and Pittsburgh.  His works confront the everyday situations that involve communication and deep feeling confrontation. Walkmic is part of his last project in which he built a sculpture of a microphone in which people went inside and recorded themselves, talking or singing about different emotions like love, sadness, or thoughts within the Pittsburgh community while listening to a Reggaeton beat.

Happy Beaujolais Nouveau Day – 2010 !

Events, Wine Education, Wine News

A couple of years ago,  our local wine club in Pittsburgh started celebrating Beaujolais Nouveau Day.

Beaujolais is a region in France which has found marketing gold in offering Beaujolais Nouveau – a wine in which Gamay grapes are picked, pressed, fermented, bottled, in a matter of weeks.

These bottles are rushed around the world to go on sale the third Thursday in November.

This light bodied red finds it’s way to us in the States just in time for Thanksgiving.

This Gamay is made to drink young, with the distinct aromas of….Bananas?!?!!

That sure is a fun aroma to search for when you try this one.

So, set Pandora to a French station, and open a bottle of the 2010.

Even though some say Beaujolais is only good for a year, others have attested to finding Beaujolais that has aged well up to three years or so. What’s nice, if this is true, most shops put their Beaujolais Nouveau on sale to make way for the new releases.

I have been so busy lately, no time for a full French menu in a happening location.

So, this year I am having members of the wine club over. Not enough room for everyone as we are remodeling.

SO, please pop open a bottle and leave a comment here about your experience.

One lucky commenter will win a gift certificate to use for wine gifts for the holidays.

Enjoy! Or should I say…

May 11th – Wine Tasting for a Cure – $20

Events

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 7 PM
Benefit wine tasting for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Minimum Tax-Deductible Donation – $20
Includes:
– Wine Tasting (a variety of red and whites from around the world)
– Wine Education
– Free Test – Rate Your Sensory Abilities
– Buffet dinner which compliments the wine (meat and vegetarian options)

Joey D’s 2801 Freeport Road Harmarville, PA 15238

Register now! Space is limited.

Proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society – and help out Deena Alansky as she raises money to help find a cure. Learn more about Deena and the LLS at: http://www.deenasfriends4acure.org

IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT

If you are unable to attend this event, but still want to help, I would appreciate if you could please spread the word to your friends. (You can use the Facebook, or Twitter link below, or send emails).

You can also make a tax-deductible donation online at Deena‘s official home page for the 2010 Man & Woman of the Year Campaign at:  http://www.wpa.llsevent.org/alanskyd.
Thank you for helping in the fight against blood cancers.

SEEKING SPONSORS

We are seeking sponsors for this event. Donations and items for the chinese auction are tax-deductible.
Sponsorship levels and benefits of being a sponsor are listed on Deena’s Website

April 25th – ANZAC Day

Events

This is our third year getting together for ANZAC Day.

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, of conflict that occurred during World War I in Turkey.

All three nations now come together to commemorate this date.

We will experience a blending of their cultures as we sample wines from Australia and New Zealand, along with Turkish cuisine.

Sample Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from New Zealand, and some adventurous blends from Oz, as we try different Turkish dishes from Istanbul Grille.

Istanbul
4130 Butler St
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
412-683-1623

3/26/10 These are a Few of My Favorite Greens – BYO Wine Tasting in Pittsburgh

Events

When: March 26th

This is a BYO tasting of wines that are GREEN.

This can be interpreted as:
1. A green label
2. Eco-friendly
3. Green in the name
4. However you are able to interpret the theme

Feel free to bring a green side dish, wear green clothes, wear green make-up…whatever!

Why Green? Well, it is the month of the St. Patty’s Day, and also Poison Prevention Week!

Mark of Panza Gallery is hosting this event in Millvale.
He has a great space and is eager to try some of your wines as well!

I look forward to seeing you there, and to see what creative touch you bring to the event.

Location:
Panza Art Gallery
115 Sedgwick Street
Millvale, PA
(412) 821-0959

More details – and RSVP online here: http://wine.meetup.com/306/calendar/12782401/

Let's Think Outside the Box, by Drinking from the Box.

Events

TUESDAY, JANUARY 12th – 7:00pm

Think of “Boxed Wines” and it may be hard to shake the image of a big cube of cheap White Zin.

Disclaimer: I have the “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink White Zin” t-shirt – but it can be a good
gateway wine for those with a sweet tooth that you want to join you in your wine explorations.

How nice would it be to have a better quality wine that is out of the box?
A good Chardonnay that keeps chilled in the fridge, or a Cab at the ready on your counter?

Boxes don’t let air in, allowing you to experience the wine over weeks, rather than 1-2 days.
They are good for big get togethers, and wont break dangerously if someone gets a little too tipsy.

Well, they are here. We will explore a few different wines not bought in the bottle.

This event is $10 and is being held at Doug Staas’s house off of Negley near the zoo.
Hope you can make it!

Get Directions and Register here http://wine.meetup.com/306/calendar/12171626/

Judy

Beaujolais Nouveau Tasting 2009

Events

When
Thursday, November 19, 2009 6:30 PM
Details

Its out 4th annual celebration of the release of Beaujolais Nouveau!

Join us as we celebrate this yearly event, where grapes are picked,
crushed, the juice fermented, and bottled, in just weeks, in order to be
shipped from France to the US for our enjoyment the THIRD Thursday in November.

We will be enjoying this wine the very first DAY it is available for purchase!

Join us for light appetizers and wine at Joey’s house.

You can purchase via Paypal or send a check to Grape Thoughts.

This Event will fill up quickly, sign up soon!

Contact me with any questions,

Judy


$10 gets your RSVP to learn more about this wine, and to try this year’s offerings.


Where
Joey’s House
413 Aleta St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15215

Basic Wine Class: Red Wines – $40

Events

Also see our list of  White Wine Classes:

This is a 2 hour class that is being offered on 3 different dates to try and accommodate people’s schedules.

Dates Offered:

Sun Jan 17th: 2:00pm – 4:30pm
Thur Jan 21st – 7pm

This class is intended to make wine tasting less intimidating. It will cover the basics of wine.

How its made
How to taste wine
How to describe wine

We will use a fun game to learn to identify and discuss aromas and flavors in Red wines. This class will provide you with a better understanding of the characteristics of 3 popular red wines varietals.

Featured wines:
Merlot, Cabernet, and Syrah/Shiraz, and Malbec

The classes this month will be held in Springdale.

460 Porter Street Springdale, PA 15144

Hope you can make it!

January Classes are now Closed. Thank to those of you who attended!
Please sign up and be notified when the February Schedule is posted

Basic Wine Class: White Wines $40

Events

Also See our list of  Red Wine Classes:

This is a 2 hour class that is being offered on  different dates to try and accommodate people’s schedules.

Grape Thoughts wine classes are intended to make wine tasting less intimidating.

This basics class covers the basics of wine:

How its made
How to taste wine
How to describe wine

We will use a fun game to learn to identify and discuss aromas and flavors in White wines. This class will provide you with a better understanding of the characteristics of 3 popular red wines varietals.

Chardonnay(Oaked versus Unoaked),
Sauvignon Blanc, and
Riesling
*bonus Gruner Veltliner

The classes this month will be held in Springdale.

460 Porter Street Springdale, PA 15144

Hope you can make it!

January Classes are now Closed. Thank to those of you who attended!
Please sign up and be notified when the February Schedule is posted