Athens Reporter

Athens Area Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on Jan. 18. 

In an effort to ensure the utmost quality of Athens Wine Weekend, The Classic Center Cultural Foundation has made the difficult decision to postpone the event. Athens Wine Weekend, previously scheduled February 4-6, 2022, at The Classic Center, will now take place May 20-22, 2022.

Athens Wine Weekend is the largest fundraising event of the year for The Classic Center Cultural Foundation and helps to aid the Cultural Foundation in providing over $50,000 in arts and hospitality scholarships to local students. 

The weekend will begin with an Amuse-Bouche, or “A Little Surprise,” on Friday evening from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., featuring several of the most skilled and talented chefs from Northeast Georgia, who will each provide a sampling of their cooking artistry. These samplings will be paired with the perfect wine, selected by Shawn Butcher of Eagle Rock Distributing, to arouse the palate. Attendees are invited to take a chance at this year’s Wine Pull during the Amuse-Bouche, where participants will play for a variety of wine from around the world. Tickets to the Amuse-Bouche are $60 each. This year’s event will take place in The Classic Center Grand Hall.

Wine enthusiasts are invited back on Saturday from 12:30 – 4:00 p.m. for the Grand Tasting event, which will take place in The Classic Center Grand Hall, presented by Akins Ford. Leading wine distributors will offer wine tastings featuring top wines from across the world. Tickets to this event are $50 and include unlimited tastings and a palate-cleansing snack. Guests will also enjoy the return of the popular Bourbon Pull, where every player is a winner and will have the chance to go home with a bottle of bourbon or whiskey.

Take your love of the grape to the next level by attending a wide variety of seminars from some of the most knowledgeable experts and sommeliers in the industry. Mix and match seminars for the ultimate wine experience! Select seminars are $10 and Premier seminars are $15. Space is limited in each seminar, and seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Saturday’s festivities conclude with an elegant multi-course, gourmet South African inspired dinner at 6:30 p.m. in The Classic Center Athena Ballroom. This incredible multi-course meal is expertly prepared by Executive Chef Wayne Michaelson and Pastry Sous Chef Matthew Rosekrans of Levy. Hand-selected wine pairings by Frank Sinkwich, President of Northeast Sales Distributing, will accompany each course to accentuate the palate. Tickets are $180 each or $1,400 for a table of eight.

Round out the weekend with Sunday’s Sparkling Wine Brunch. Morning people unite in The Classic Center Atrium at 11:00 a.m. for specialty mimosas and a delicious brunch buffet. For just $50 per ticket or $500 for a table of ten, the Sparkling Wine Brunch is the best deal in town!

Two Athens Wine Weekend packages are available for guests who want the complete weekend experience: the Full Bottle Package and the Half Carafe Package. The Full Bottle Package is $1,050 and includes hotel accommodations for Friday and Saturday evening at Hyatt Place and two tickets to Amuse-Bouche, Grand Tasting, Gourmet Dinner, Sparkling Wine Brunch, and the Balancing Food and Wine, presented by Levy, Premier seminar. The Half Carafe Package is $450 and includes hotel accommodations for Friday evening at Hyatt Place and two tickets to Amuse-Bouche, Grand Tasting, and the Balancing Food and Wine, presented by Levy, Premier seminar.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit ClassicCenter.com/AthensWineWeekend or call 706.357.4444.

Original source can be found here.