Montaluce Estate and Vineyards is pleased to announce two very special August events:

Saturday, August 2, 2008 An Afternoon with Antinori, 3 - 5 p.m., $ 25 per person
Noted wine educator Michael Venezia (Corporate Director Wine Education United Distributors, Atlanta) will join Montaluce as Special Guest to lead this fun and informative discussion with an in-depth tasting of Italy's first family of wine. The Antinori family has been making wines from the most sought-after vineyards in Tuscany and Umbria for more than 600 years. This history spans 26 generations and remains rooted in the qualities of tradition, passion and instinct. Come taste wines that are steeped in heritage and delightfully full of the spirit of innovation. The seated tasting is $25 and includes food accompaniments, reservations are strongly recommended.

After the wine tasting, guests at Ristorante Le Vigne are also invited to participate in an Antinori-themed dinner experience. Particular Antinori wines will be featured on the wine list and Venezia will be available for informal Q & A during dinner service. Montaluce’s Executive Chef Steve Hewins will prepare a la carte offerings to perfectly complement the featured wines. Dinner prices range from $8 to $30 and wines will be available by the taste, glass, bottle or for take-away purchase. Reservations are also recommended for dinner.

Saturday, August 9, 2008 Nathalie Dupree Cooking Demonstration, 4 - 5 p.m., free
Celebrated cookbook author and cooking show personality Nathalie Dupree will engage and educate guests as she prepares a succulent Shrimp & Grits dish in the Wolf Sub-Zero demonstration kitchen at Ristorante Le Vigne on Saturday, August 9. Dupree is the author of ten, widely acclaimed cookbooks including two that received coveted James Beard awards. Over the last 15 years, she has hosted some 300 television segments on PBS, The Learning Channel and The Food Network. Most famous for her approachability and understanding of Southern cooking, Dupree was a pioneer in the New Southern Cooking movement now found in many restaurants. She has been Chef of three restaurants and was Director of Rich's Cooking School, a full-participation cooking school in Atlanta, and stopped counting at 10,000 students. Married to author Jack Bass, she lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

Dupree will also be on hand to autograph books. She appears at Montaluce in conjunction with the Fifth Annual Dahlonega Literary Festival and Writer’s Conference occurring on the Town Square August 9 and 10, 2008 (http://www.literaryfestival.org). Montaluce is a sponsor of the Literary Festival this year. Photos of Ms. Dupree are available to accompany publication.

Montaluce is a new wine country development in the North Georgia Mountains near Dahlonega. Located on 400 rolling acres situated at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains and adjacent to the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Etowah River, Montaluce is a community based on the Italian ideal of "La Vita Bella," or the beautiful life--centered around community, food, wine and sharing. At the heart of the Estate, and at its highest point, the property boasts a state-of-the-art winery that will yield its first grape harvest in fall 2008.

On the winery's main floor, the handsome tasting room and beautiful restaurant Le Vigne offer a place to unwind and enjoy New- and Old-World Italian dishes alongside a thoughtful wine list that includes selections from the United States as well as Italy. In spring 2009, a 63-room hotel will debut and soon thereafter, The Spa at Montaluce will also open its doors creating a true luxury destination only about an hour from Atlanta. Primary and secondary homes and home sites are now available.

Montaluce Estates and Vineyard is located at 501 Hightower Church Road, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533. Telephone: 866.991.VINO (8466) or 706. 867.4060. http://www.montaluce.com