AIDS Council Prepares for Wine Celebration

ALBANY, NY (11/02/2007)(readMedia)-- “The wine barrels have just been broached, jars and tuns are brimming. A discreet, full wine that runs like a squirrel in the woods, with nary a rotten or sour flavour; it runs on the lees, dry and lively, as clear as a sinner’s tea; a wine inseparable from the tongue. See how it eats its froth, see it leap, sparkle and gush; hold it a little on your tongue and the flavour will go right to your heart.” proclaimed Raoulet, the wine crier to announce the arrival of the Nouveau wine in the streets of Paris in 1200.

Raoulet would be amazed to see how his simple proclamation has turned into a savvy twenty-first century marketing campaign that has turned the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau wine into nothing short of an international phenomena. On the third Thursday of November, the celebration begins in Beaujeu, historic capital of the Beaujolais Region of France at one minute after midnight. Over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau are shipped from Beaujeu to all parts of the globe, and the party heard ‘round the world begins. In the Capital region, this is the inspiration for one of the largest and most popular charity events in the area. The AIDS Council of Northeastern New York will host their Annual Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Celebration on Thursday, November 15, at Franklin Plaza in Troy. You’ll get to taste the Beaujolais Nouveau, along with other fine wines, and gourmet food provided by many of the area’s top restaurants. Live music by Jon LeRoy and dancing to DJ Chrome in the newly enlarged Club Beaujolais add a lively spin to the festivities that many say is the perfect kick off to the holiday season. The folks in Beaujeu have nothing on Capital region guests who last year numbered close to 900. This is not your typical stuffy fundraiser folks, but as if having a great time isn’t enough – proceeds from this event go a long way to fund the cutting edge programs of the AIDS Council. Presented by Time Warner Cable, tickets for this event, which runs from 6pm to 9pm, are $70 in advance, and $80 at the door, and are available online at www.aidscouncil.org. If you’d like to get an early start to your holiday shopping, the silent auction is filled with special one-of-a-kind items that are sure to please the most discriminating on your gift list.

Sponsors of the event include Barefoot Wines, CapitalCare Medical Group, The Desmond Hotel & Conference Center, FLY 92.3, Jaeger & Flynn Associates, KeyBank, Metroland, The Mooradian Lofts, Oberlander Group, Oh Bar, Prime Care Physicians, River Street Club, Romeo’s Gifts, Stewart’s Shops, Town Total Health, Trustco, Wojeski & Company, CPAs P.C.. Participating restaurants include American Hotel, BFS Restaurant and Catering, Cheesecake Machismo, Daisy Baker’s, Dakota Restaurant, DiviniTea, El Loco Mexican Café, The Epicurian, Flavour Café and Lounge, George Weston Bakeries/Friehofer’s, The Gideon Putnam Resort & Spa, Glen Sanders Mansion, Honest Weight Food Co-Op, Magnolias on the Park, Michael’s Catering, Old Daley Inn Catering, Professor Java’s Coffee Sanctuary, Queen of Tarts, Tosca and Vermont Pure Springs/Crystal Rock Bottled Water.

The AIDS Council of Northeastern New York is a not-for-profit human service agency whose mission is to reduce the risk, fear, and incidence of HIV infection, encourage the independence of people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS and promote understanding of their needs. In operation for over 23 years, the AIDS Council is the preeminent provider of AIDS services in a fifteen county region in Upstate New York with offices in Albany, Glens Falls, Hudson, Plattsburgh, Schenectady and Troy. For more information about the AIDS Council, please visit www.aidscouncil.org.

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