September 17, 2009 Our 4th Wine Exploration Dinner with Bluff Dale Vineyards

David & Theresa Hayes make one of the few sweet white wines I will drink, Sweet Caramella. This golden wine has a heady floral bouquet with just enough citrus to balance the sweetness. The finish is what does me in on most sweet whites, no cloying finish there, just a saweeet snap! Great ice cold on the patio with apple pie for two or a good Texas cheddar made by our friends at Veldhuizen.

The veranda at the Bluff Dale Winery tasting room has a view of the beautiful vineyards and the Hill Country of Bluff Dale. It is located between Stephensville and Granbury on 377.

Menu

Cabernet Sauvignon - Beef Tournado
- green peppercorns, foccacio crouton

Chardonnay - Pan Seared Ahi Tuna
- Asian greens, wasabi cream, pickled ginger

White Cliff - Peking Duck Salad
- pulled duck, Asian vegetables, glass noodle, sweet sesame vinaigrette

Nexus - Rosemary Garlic Seared Pork Tenderloin
- roasted garlic whipped potatoes, french beans, mango chutney

Lenoir - Caramelized Peaches

For tasting notes visit Bluff Dale vineyards wine list.

Jazz on The Patio Sept 11 and Sept 26, 2009

Enjoy a relaxed balmy evening on the new patio behind The Turtle Enoteca catching the groove of The Heartland Jazz Combo. The band will play two sets on Friday, September 11 and Saturday, September 26, 2009. There will be two shows each day starting at 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm. The Heartland Jazz Combo was founded in 2004 by Brownwoodians, Stephen Cox, Gannon Phillips, Mathew Ramirez and Kristopher Redus, with the mission to bring their love of Jazz music to the surrounding area. Since then the ensemble has played at local weddings, celebrations, and the Brownwood Reunion. Members of the band have performed and won awards in various jazz festivals including the Temple Jazz Festival, the North Texas Jazz Festival, the North Sea jazz festival in France, and for the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The Combo plays a variety of jazz music styles including swing, be-bop, and latin styles such as the bossa nova and samba. They are excited about bringing life and music to downtown Brownwood, especially on September 11. As jazz great, Steve Toure says, "A musician is like a doctor, he's supposed to heal people and make them feel better."

Cover charge is $7.00 seating on the patio or $5.00 (bring your own blanket) on the grass in the Event Garden behind the Turtle Restaurant. Enoteca Menu or Brown Bag Picnic in the grass available. The Turtle Enoteca is located at 510 Center Avenue, Brownwood, Texas The Event Garden and Patio is directly behind the building. For reservations call 325-646-820.

Picture left to right: Stephen Cox, Gannon Phillips, Mathew Ramirez, Kristopher Redus

Photo Exhibit and Reception - Eric McNatt - The Character Project Sept 18-20, 2009 in the Turtle Enoteca

The Turtle Enoteca is hanging Eric McNatt's Photos for viewing by the public in the wine bar during the city of Brownwood's Feels Like Home Festival. Eric McNatt is an Austin Texas native with roots in Brownwood.

He has been living and working in New York as a photographer since 1996. He holds a degree from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, where he graduated with distinction. To date, Eric's work has been published in The New York Times Style Magazine, ESPN -the magazine, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, New York Magazine, Fortune, Wired, Interview, Paper, Flaunt, Spin, and People, as well as many others. His commercial clients range from A & E Entertainment, The History Channel, Sony/Columbia BMG, The USA Network, and EURO SCG to book projects for Galerie LeLong in New York City. He splits his time between his 1970's A-Frame deep in Ulster County, surrounded by trees and deer, and his East Village apartment with a garden view and old men arguing on the stoop.

Hours of Exhibit are: Friday September 18 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Saturday September 19 11:00 am - 10 pm
Reception 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Sunday September 20 Noon - 5:00 pm

This will be an opportunity to buy photos taken for the Project directly from the photographer and talk with him about his experiences photographing the citizens of Brownwood, Texas. Eric will be signing his book which will be available for sale. The framed photos in the exhibit itself will be sold through a silent auction.

And if these pictures have anything important to say to future generations, it’s this: I was here. I existed. I was young, I was happy, and someone cared enough about me in this world to take my picture.

- One Hour Photo