Editorial
Front Page - Friday, September 18, 2009
Cornerstones, Inc., to host Wine over Water event
Samara Litvack
At 2,376 feet long, the Walnut Street Bridge is one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world. Built in 1890, the structure was the first to connect the north and south shores of the Tennessee River, which, at the time the bridge was constructed, were segregated by race.
After years of deterioration, Chattanooga nonprofit Cornerstones Inc. – the city’s only nonprofit historic preservation organization – saw the beauty of the bridge and restored the landmark in 1989. As a celebration of that restoration, and as a way to fund further restoration efforts in the community, Cornerstones is gearing up to host the 15th annual Wine over Water festival, to be held Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, from 5 to 8 p.m.
“Usually the weather is always perfect,” says Amanda Carmichael, public relations chair of the event. “You’re outside. You’re on the bridge and there are around a hundred wineries and like 500 different kinds of wine that you can try. It’s a really great way to learn more about wine and to taste different kinds.”
During the event, approximately 25 to 30 wine tents will be scattered across the Walnut Street Bridge with hundreds of different wines available for tasting. Featured wineries will include Beringer, Gallo, Barefoot Cellars, Raymond Estates, Graceland Cellars, Arnold Palmer, Luna, Little Penguin, Bonny Doon, Cavit, Coppola and several more. Nearly a dozen countries will be represented by wine selection, as well as several different states.
“There’s more than 3,500 people that will actually come out for this,” says Carmichael. “It’s always a sellout crowd.”
Since the bridge is never closed off to pedestrian traffic, she adds there is guaranteed to be a unique mix of people participating in and hanging around the festival.
“There’s just so much energy and excitement and everything going on,” says Carmichael. “It’s just really lots of fun.”
In addition to the wine selection, area restaurants will also be on hand, serving up uniquely local dishes that complement the various wines. On board for the 2009 event are 212 Market, Easy Bistro & Bar, Canyon Grill, Boathouse Rotisserie, Sugar’s Ribs, La Cabriole, The Acropolis, Niko’s Grille on the Southside, St. John’s Restaurant, Bluewater Grille, PF Chang’s China Bistro, Foodworks and more. Local bakeries Niedlov’s Breadworks and Bluff View Bakery will also be providing complimentary, fresh-baked bread, as well as some varieties available for purchase.
“We kind of strategically place restaurants along the bridge to pair with the wines,” says Carmichael. “Most all the tents with all the wines will have white and red and different kinds. There’s just so much variety.”
Wine over Water would not be complete without a variety of musical guests entertaining wine tasters throughout the evening. From a bluegrass, Americana band, to a traditional Native American flutist, to soloists on the dulcimer and fiddle, the musical guests performing throughout the festival will offer entertainment for every taste.
Wine over Water has grown tremendously over the years, and Carmichael says the biggest change within the event has been the influx of people attending from all around the world.
“It has become such a destination event,” she says. “There are a lot of people that come from outside of Chattanooga.
“We do most of our sales of tickets online, and so that’s just opened up so much. So many people make it an annual trip. We’ve got people from California and Texas and we hear about these big groups that come in and take part in it.”
As gracious as event organizers are for this trend, Carmichael stresses the desire for more locals to attend.
“We want people in Chattanooga to enjoy it,” she says. “It’s right here, and it’s benefiting our own city.”
Wine over Water is an event welcome to anyone of legal drinking age who wishes to learn more about wine or support the preservation efforts put forth by Cornerstones.
Tickets for the event are $60 per person and allow the bearer to sample wines, as well as receive a commemorative wine goblet, freshly baked bread and a guide of participating wineries and wines.
For connoisseurs and aficionados of finer wines, Cornerstones is also bringing back this year the Best Cellars event, to be held Friday, Sept., 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at The Chattanoogan.
“This is the fifth year we have held Best Cellars and it is becoming a favorite for those who not only want to taste rare and exceptional wine, but learn more about wines in the process,” said Ann Gray, executive director of Cornerstones, in a recent press release.
At Best Cellars, guests can enjoy a quieter setting, learn more about international and domestic wines, participate in a silent auction and enjoy live jazz music and heavy hors dourves.
Tickets to Best Cellars are $100 per person, and space at the event is also limited.
For more information about Wine over Water or to purchase tickets for either event, visit www.wineoverwater.org.
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