MS Wine Festival: Drinking for a Worthy Cause
Three years ago, while I was living in Jackson, Mississippi and dreaming of finding a job in the wine business, an event came along that made the wait a little easier. It’s called Sante’ South, featuring wines from over forty producers, many of which are poured by the winemakers themselves. It was my first large tasting on any scale, and I felt like a kid in the proverbial candy store. Walking around on a lovely spring night under the stars, tasting wine and snacking on paired munchies. I remember talking to Nils Venge from Saddleback, Garth Cobb from Karly, Konstantin Guntrum, and several others whose wines I really loved. It was surreal.
I haven’t been able to make it back home to attend another one. My first year in Caifornia and working at Thomas Fogarty, winemaker Michael Martella was the one to go to Mississippi to pour the Fogarty wines and his own Martella label. He wanted me to come with him, but it wasn’t in the budget. And oh, how I wished I could have—to go back to my hometown and see the wine festival from the other side of the table, to answer questions instead of asking them. Couldn’t go the next year either. And this year, it wouldn’t help anyway because Rosenblum is no longer distributed by broker Norm Rush, who helps organize the event.
However, if you’re anywhere near Jackson on April 19 (next Saturday) from 7-10pm, get thee to Highland Village. Taste wines from the likes of Patz & Hall, Andrew Will, Fiddlehead, Loring Wine Company, Landmark, and many more. Plus, some of the best restaurants in the state (Bravo, Shapley’s, Walker’s, The Parker House, and City Grocery) will be serving up tasty nibbles.
Tickets are $75 in advance and $85 at the door. They can be purchased by mail, online, and at certain stores. Get more details on the website. In addition to being an amazing experience, the Alzheimer’s Association -Mississippi Chapter receives proceeds from the sales. It’s a worthy cause that is painfully close to my heart.
