TOASTS
CONGRATULATIONS TO employees at Volkswagen who raised money for the Greater Chattanooga Area American Red Cross. According to Red Cross spokeswoman Debra Welsh, employees of Volkswagen Group of America, Chattanooga Operations, participated in a charity soccer game centered on the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer Championship.
The employees, who correctly chose the winner of the World Cup, were awarded $200 to be given, in their names, by Volkswagen to the charity of their choice, Welsh said in an e-mail. The five winners, who correctly chose Spain as the champion, donated their winnings to the Chattanooga chapter of Red Cross.
Claudia Moore, chief development officer at Red Cross, said the money is a substantial donation that will help provide about 200 “personal comfort kits” to families who are struggling after a devastating house fire or other natural disaster.
A Red Cross personal comfort kit contains basic hygiene necessities including toothpaste, toothbrush, hairbrush, soap and other items. The kit also includes crayons and safe, small toys for children.
“What a fun way to engage employees and help others. We are so grateful for the support of these Volkswagen employees,” Moore said.
Hans-Herbert Jagla, executive vice president of human resources at Volkswagen, presented the winning employees with certificates of appreciation for taking part in the event.
For more information about the local Red Cross chapter, visit chattanoogaredcross.org.
EAR TO THE GROUND
IT’S ABOUT THE closest experience you can get to making wine the old-fashioned way – the annual Grape Stomp at The Georgia Winery on Battlefield Parkway in Ringgold, Ga., on Oct. 2.
According to Tara Taymore, granddaughter of the winery’s founder, the late Dr. Maurice Rawlings, the event typically draws more than 1,000 people, each of whom are encouraged to take off their shoes and stomp grapes.
“We stomp muscadines from the vineyard,” Taymore said. “People ask if we use those grapes to make wine, and the answer is no. We don’t allow stinky feet in our award-winning wine, but we stomp grapes as a tribute to the history of wine-making where people would really stomp grapes to make wine.”
The stomping blends the skins and seeds into the juice, she said. “The event is held to celebrate the hard work of harvest.”
Prizes will be awarded to the best stompers, she said.
The Grape Stomp is a family-friendly festival, Taymore said.
“We have held this event every year since the beginning of the winery in 1983. The Grape Stomp is a party held after harvesting the muscadines to bring the community together and celebrate the fruits of our labor.”
Highlighting this year’s event will be the debut of Tennessee Tangerine wine, a muscadine/tangerine blend, as well as a tribute to her grandfather, the winery’s founder.
“(He) passed away earlier this year and in honor of his memory, we will be releasing wine tags with his signed autograph with purchase of the wine named in his honor, Rawlings Ruby Red,” she said.
Rawlings, a well-known local cardiologist, was a “closet” farmer, his granddaughter said.
“In the spring of 1982, longing to fulfill his farmer dreams, (he) bought a 52-acre tract of land in the foothills of Lookout Mountain in the northwest corner of Georgia,” according to georgiawines.com. He soon learned that though the land was unsuitable for farming, it was ideal for growing grapes.
Today, the vineyard and winery is operated by Rawlings’ daughter and Taymore’s mom, Patty Prouty.
“My mom now runs the winery and has been the winemaker here since the beginning,” Taymore said. “I grew up on the vineyards in Chattanooga Valley stomping grapes. My brother, Adrian, and my husband, Jesse, also work here full-time.”
The event, rain or shine, will be held from noon to 4 p.m., and the cost is $7 for adults. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. There will be wine tasting, live music, hay rides, children’s activities and more. Guests wearing the Georgia Wines cow T-shirt will be admitted free.
E-mail Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com. Submitted photographs will not be returned.