It’s a charitable edition of your Monday Menu, with a Black History fundraiser courtesy of two local entrepreneurs, a festival celebrating local brewers and farmers, a wine event on ice and an evening in support of the Nashville State Community College Foundation.
Nashville-based wine company Twisted Sistuhs is a relatively unheralded local success story. Co-founders Ogechi Anyatonwu and Kristi Alderson have been recognized as industry leaders by the Black Influencers of Libations Association for their vegan red wine blend made using grapes sourced from Lodi, Calif., and aged in used bourbon barrels, and the duo is looking to give back in honor of Black History Month.
Anyatonwu is an alumna of Tennessee State University and is quite proud of the college experiences that helped shape her as an entrepreneur. In recognition of Black History Month and in appreciation of Anyatonwu’s alma mater, Twisted Sistuhs is donating $1 to TSU from every bottle sold during the month of February. If you’d like to help out by buying a bottle or a case, search the company's website for local retailers and bars that serve Twisted Sistuhs.Â
On the beer front, last year I told you about the Tennessee Craft Brewers Guild Farm to Tap initiative, a program in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture dedicated to the awareness, promotion and advancement of local farm products by craft brewers. In that story, I promised to share more details about the Guild’s traveling roadshow of beer festivals to showcase Tennessee breweries and products across the state.
True to my word, I can now share the deets of the Nashville event that will go down on Saturday, March 12, from noon until 4 p.m. at TailGate Brewery headquarters (7300 Charlotte Pike). The festival will showcase more than two dozen Tennessee breweries and their beers made using agricultural products from the state. There will also be live music from The Tennessee Warblers and the chance to interact with farmers and vendors. Early bird tickets are available until Feb. 18, for $40, and will cost $50 after that. (If any tickets remain on the day of the event, you’ll pay $55 at the gate for your procrastination.) All tickets include a commemorative tasting cup, unlimited samples and water, so buy yours now at the event’s web page.
I can’t believe that this year marks the 15th edition of the Nashville Predators Wine Festival & Tasting, making it one of the longest-running wine events in town. The event, presented by Deacon’s New South, benefits the Predators Foundation, which gives grants to all sorts of worthy organizations around town.
Join them on Friday, March 11, from 6 until 10 p.m. on the (thankfully covered) ice at Bridgestone Arena to sample more than 200 higher-end wines plus beer, spirits and food samplings from local restaurants. There is also an entertaining silent auction for all sorts of donated items including tons of Preds swag. Tickets for the festival are $89 and include a $30 gift card to Deacon’s. For $200 per person, you can select the VIP option that includes a special five-course dinner in the Patron Platinum Club beginning at 5:30 p.m. The dinner will be paired with wines from Napa’s Wagner Family, best known for their brands Caymus, Mer Soleil and Conundrum. Tickets are still available from the Preds.
Finally, save the date, or heck, just go ahead and buy your ticket for the Ninth Tennessee Flavors extravaganza on the White Bridge Road campus of Nashville State Community College. (That’s the old Nashville Tech for fellow ancients like me.) From 6 until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5, it’ll be a tasting sprint to make your way around all the tables of assembled restaurants, bakeries, wineries, distilleries and breweries that will be hanging out substantial samples of their wares.Â
Tennessee Flavors raises funds for the Nashville State Community College Foundation and the college’s efforts to train the future culinary talent that is so desperately needed in the current hospitality industry. Visit the Tennessee Flavors website to see the growing list of participating vendors, or take the plunge and buy your ticket directly from Eventbrite. For just $75, you won’t be disappointed!
