Photo by Brian Benefield
[This is the latest installment of “Cobb Cuisine, Culture and Community” by Brian Benefield. Photo above by Brian Benefield]
There are certain days in Marietta when the town seems to loosen its belt, straighten its collar, and decide that whatever else needs doing can probably wait until tomorrow. The Marietta Wine Market Expo on October 18th, 2-6 pm is one of those occasions. Suddenly, the important business of the day involves swirling, sipping, sniffing, and trying to look as though you know the difference between a chewy Cabernet Sauvignon and something your cousin brought to Thanksgiving in a box.
We have attended most all of the twenty times Karen and Randall Heard (owners) have thrown this shindig and it keeps getting better every year. With over 200 wines to taste and transport you around the globe, delicious food, live music and local artists peddling their wares.
It’s hard not to have a good time at this epic event, and if you don’t have tickets yet, what are you even doing? Call the Marietta Wine Market to secure your spots 770-919-1574. Karen and Randall have been developing relationships with high caliber wine purveyors since their shop opened in 2005, and we have been their happy guests since day one.
Marietta Educational Gardens provides the perfect backdrop. The historic house is a handsome old building that seems almost designed for an afternoon of civilized indulgence. The lush green, tree lined outdoor area is filled with familiar faces, enthusiastic wine lovers, curious newcomers, and people who may have arrived primarily because someone mentioned the word wine and the possibility of snacks.
Conversations mingle with laughter, glasses catch the light, and the occasional enthusiastic taster discovers a wine so remarkable that everyone within a ten-foot radius must hear about it. If the laughter is unusually loud, it is probably from my wife, Cecilie or my dear friend Janice Lofgren. Both of whom have a contagious guffaw! This is Marietta, after all. We don’t just enjoy things here. We discuss them, recommend them, and occasionally explain them to strangers who were perfectly happy before we started.
The expo also provides an excellent opportunity to practice the fine art of wine appreciation. One person detects hints of cherry, oak, and dark chocolate. Another confidently announces that the wine tastes like grapes. Both may be right, and both deserve another sip. If you purchase wine at the event, you’ll receive a generous discount and can pick it up several days after the Expo at Marietta Wine Market on the square.
And let’s not forget the friendly competition that develops between tasting stations. One wine is smooth. Another is bold. A third is described as having a surprisingly long finish, which sounds less like a beverage and more like a home renovation project. Before long, people who arrived knowing absolutely nothing about wine are confidently using words like tannins and mouthfeel. Give Marietta an afternoon and a tasting glass, and we can become experts in practically anything.
Of course, the real magic of an event like this isn’t confined to the wine. It’s the chance to wander around, run into neighbors, catch up with friends, and enjoy the peculiar pleasure of being somewhere everyone seems happy to be. The venue becomes a gathering place where strangers become acquaintances and acquaintances become fast friends.
By the time the afternoon winds down, the beautiful old house has witnessed countless toasts, several spirited debates about favorite vintages, and perhaps a few newly discovered opinions about what constitutes the perfect glass of wine.
The Marietta Wine Market Expo reminds us that the good life doesn’t always require a plane ticket to Napa Valley or a reservation at some restaurant with seventeen forks. Sometimes, it simply means showing up at the 20th year of this amazing event, raising a glass, and enjoying the company of the people who make this town feel like home.
And if you happen to leave with a new favorite bottle, well, that’s just the grape on top.
Brian Benefield is an Atlanta native born in Dekalb County, who has lived in Cobb since 2003. He has worked in Hospitality, Marketing, Real Estate, and most recently Food Tourism. Married to Cecilie Benefield for 12 blissful years. They have a dog, Miss Pickles. Hobbies are mountain biking, running, gardening, and trying new recipes in the kitchen. Member of Les Marmitions cooking club since 2016, where we cook 5-course meals with local Atlanta chefs.