Visit the "Vineyard in the City" through June 2016
by Christopher A. Daniel (@journalistorian)
A selected group of us foodies, media and influencers were invited out for a glimpse of Atlanta Food and Wine Festival’s (#AFWF16) “Vineyard in the City” the day prior (Jun. 2) to the culinary extravaganza’s official activities. Located directly across the street from the Four Seasons Hotel in Midtown, the four-acre plot is the country’s first ever pop-up vineyard.The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful…until it started to rain once the event ended. Still, the vineyard’s pastoral landscape is garnished with bushels of sungrown grapes dangling everywhere. In the midst of the grape patches sit a wildfire tupelo, an Athena classic elm tree, a Japanese maple tree and quite a few Silver Date palm trees. On the top of the hill sits a really cool, Keith Haring-inspired mural as part of an “Art in the Vineyard” program.The groundbreaking vineyard itself has a beautiful, countryside ambiance. As guests made their way down the path leading into the vast green space, everyone sipped on refreshing glasses of chilled Villa Sandi prosecco. The first stop on the tour had thin slices of country ham that cured for the last two years. David Bancroft from Acre Restaurant in Auburn, AL flipped between shaving the rose-colored meat and convincing us to try some ham fat whiskey pickling in a Mason jar.
Stepping down a small flight of ascending grassy stairs, Chef Todd Richards from downtown Atlanta’s White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails unveiled some samples from his upcoming eatery (Jun. 15 precisely) located inside of Krog Street Market, Richards’ Southern Fried Chicken. He introduced everyone to his scarlet-hued hot fried chicken and its sibling golden brown classic fried chicken.Considering I was the first one to sample (which I typically unapologetically am), I was totally blown away by the marriage of seasonings that actually take awhile to set it. It’s a nice mesh of ginger, garlic, curry and onion powder among others that explodes on the tongue upon chewing and swallowing. Adding onto the sensation of the Southern staple is Chef Richards’ bourbon hot sauce. Needless to say, I made countless trips to his table until all of the white meat had disappeared because that sauce was winning!
Adjacent to Richards’ table sat Chef Gerry Klaskala’s vegetable casserole. At first sight, it appeared to resemble a broccoli casserole. Chewing and tasting was a different story. I appreciated how the casserole totally resembled potatoes-au-gratin, one of my all-time favorite side dishes. However, I couldn’t stop making trips to Richards’ fried chicken table even though I had two servings of Chef Klaskala’s dishes.Anyhow, the Vineyard is here in Atlanta throughout the month of June. #AFWF16 will host a series of master classes and signature events there. Every Tuesday and Thursday will host arts programming, but it’s quite a nice atmosphere for enjoying a light lunch outside or tranquil enough to enjoy a romantic, brisk walk with that special someone.Christopher A. Daniel is an Atlanta-based journalist, cultural critic, historian, ethnomusicologist, and public intellectual. His work is primarily published digitally on The Burton Wire, where he is site's music and pop culture editor. He's also a frequent contributor to Albumism.com and soulhead.com. His work and passion for diversity and multiculturalism have been recognized by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and NewsOne.com. Christopher was also awarded a Community Journalism Fellowship for the U.S. Consulate's Office of Rio de Janeiro, where he traveled to Salvador, Bahia.