From Grape to Glass: 21st Beaujolais Wine Event Edited from release by Darryl Beeson Texas continues the tradition of the world's largest Beaujolais wine event and gourmet food tasting with nearly 2000 wine lovers on hand for toasting and tasting Texas-style at the 21st annual Beaujolais Wine Festival! The 2004 vintage is slated for review at The Adam's Mark Hotel. Organized by the French-American Chamber of Commerce Dallas/Fort Worth, the festival will be held on Friday, November 19 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Adam's Mark Hotel Dallas located at 400 North Olive Street. An estimated 2,000 wine lovers will be among the first to taste the 2004 Beaujolais Nouveau as well as many excellent Beaujolais vintages provided by Glazer's Distributors, Republic Beverage Company, Dallas Fine Wine & Spirits, and Horizon Wines. Guests will be immersed in French savoir faire with gourmet food displays, a tempting silent auction, caricaturists, fashion show, dancing, and more. By French law, Beaujolais Nouveau light and fruity red wine known for its history and flavor is only released from wineries at the stroke of midnight on the third Thursday of every November. In France this starts a fate populaire in the streets of French villages and in the heart of Paris. The Chamber has made special arrangements to have the first cases flown in from France in time to celebrate simultaneously with the rest of the world. Some of this year's festival Gourmet Food Sponsors are: Cappucino Express, Chez Gerard, Chaparral, Dakota's Steakhouse, Guthrie's, Hotel St. Germain, Lavendou Bistro Provencal, La Duni Latin Cafe, Main Street Bread Baking Company, Market Street (Colleyville & McKinney), Mozzarella Company & Empire Bakery, M Grill & Tap, Paciugo Gelato, Paris Vendôme, Sambuca, Bodum Cafe & Homestore and more Corporate Sponsors are: Air Liquide, BNP Paribas, Calyon, EADS Telecom North America, Haynes & Boone L.L.P., TLC Schools, Accor North America, Air France, Allied International/Daryl Flood Warehouse/Arthur Pierre, Essilor of America, Inc., Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, Rexel, DISH Network - TV5, Michael A. Burns & Associates, Inc., Rexel, Alcatel, Boardwalk Auto Group, Dallas International School, Arlette Douffiagues-Galland/ Honorary Consul of France, Fongrenier Stuart Wine, Frost Bank, Hotel St-Germain, Jackson Walker L.L.P., Richland College, SDV USA, Inc., UIVB, Inc., and Sandia Imaging. Tickets are $49 per person, parties of 10 or more $45 each, and can be purchased by MC/Visa, American Express, cash or check and are available only in advance through the French-American Chamber of Commerce. Call 972-241-0111 to order tickets or register online at www.faccdallas.com. Checks can be mailed to: 2665 Villa Creek Dr., Suite 214 - Dallas, TX 75234. Every ticket holder will receive a commemorative wine glass to imitate the smelling, swishing, and spitting process known as "degustation." The French-American Chamber of Commerce is a bi-national, non-profit commercial service organization committed to the development and improvement of economic, commercial and financial relations between France and the United States. The Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of the FACC serves as the area's principal forum for French and American business leaders to meet and discuss common interests. Web site: www.faccdallas.com By the time it is over, over 65 million bottles, nearly half of the region's total annual production, will be distributed and drunk around the world. It has become a worldwide race to be the first to serve to this new wine of the harvest. In doing so, it has been carried by motorcycle, balloon, truck, helicopter, Concorde jet, elephant, runners and rickshaws to get it to its final destination. It is amazing to realize that just weeks before this wine was a cluster of grapes in a growers vineyard. But by an expeditious harvest, a rapid fermentation, and a speedy bottling, all is ready at the midnight hour. Beaujolais Nouveau began as a local phenomenon in the local bars, cafes, and bistros of Beaujolais and Lyons. Each fall the new Beaujolais would arrive with much fanfare. In pitchers filled from the growers barrels, wine was drunk by an eager population. It was wine made fast to drink while the better Beaujolais was taking a more leisurely course. Eventually, the government stepped into regulate the sale of all this quickly transported, free-flowing wine. For more great wine suggestions, click here Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.