It's a wine party in ATL

In 2005, at the last minute, I learned of the inaugural Atlanta Fine Wine Festival.
I was in the city at a barbershop I frequent. As I was waiting, I picked up the local paper and saw a little item in the entertainment section: Atlanta Fine Wine festival today, it said in relevant part.
Doggone. I wasn't prepared, I told myself initially. Then I asked: Which do you really want to do -- wait for an hour or two and get a haircut or sample some of the finest wines in the world?
It was a no-brainer. I caught only half of the festival, but it was worth it.
Well, you know what's coming next -- a pitch for you to attend, if you can.
The second event is this Feb. 25, from 2-6 p.m. That's a Saturday, so you should be able to make it. It's expensive: Tickets are $100 beforehand, $120 at the door.
It's worth it. Lots of good wine to sample, some pretty good food -- and you get to hang around fellow wine geeks for a couple of hours.
It will be at the Mason Murer Gallery of Fine Art, 199 Armour Dr., NE, in Atlanta. Call 404-520-3113 for complete information or go to www.localwineevents.com for even more information about the festival and many others around the country this year.

Check out this new study of wine drinkers

So, which came first -- the lifestyle and the attitude, or the love of wine?
The Wine Institute, an industry group out of California, has just released the results of a study it commissioned on wine drinkers. The research was done by Yankelovich and the Segmentation Company and is based on a survey of 2,442 U.S. wine consumers. It says this about wine consumers:
1. We're open to new experiences.
2. We follow our own path in life.
3. We're information-savvy and confident as consumers.
4. We have life's priorities in order.
Not bad, eh? Here's more:
We listen to friends and family when they recommend wines. That is the most powerful influence over what we buy. About 40 percent of us read newspapers or other publications to gain information on what wines to buy.
Finally -- and I'm a little distressed by this -- most of us buy wine by-the-glass. That way, we can experiment -- trying different recommended, or un-recommended, wines.
I'm a little distressed because, as you know, wine by the glass is the most expensive way to experiment with wine. Lots of restaurants charge $7, $8 for a glass of wine in a moderate-size city like the one I live in. But I've paid $12 for a glass of wine at a bar in Manhattan, and maybe some of you have paid more than that.
I'd strongly recommend that if you want to experiment with different wines that you go to a fine restaurant, look at their wine list, memorize a few wines, ask the waiter for a recommendation and then don't buy a glass there. Find a way to get a bottle of the stuff yourself.
You'll save money and it will give you an excuse to open the bottle and share it with family and friends instead of going stag and drinking a glass yourself.