Fall Festival Has French Accent

Unlike wines made to improve with age, Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be drunk young. Bottled quickly to celebrate the end of the grape harvest, this light, fruity red debuts every year on the third Thursday in November, just in time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. And its annual arrival makes a great excuse to throw a party. To celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau Day 2012, Destin’s Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation and Grand Boulevard at Sandestin are hosting “The Magic of Beaujolais Nouveau, A Taste of France,” featuring French cuisine, French wines, and a visit from French winemaker Georges Duboeuf, a long-time supporter of the arts whose name has become synonymous with Beaujolais Nouveau. Top chefs from the Destin and Highway 30-A area will prepare a French-inspired menu to complement the wines. In addition to the food and wine tastings, guests can watch artist teams from participating restaurants compete in a live art competition. They’ll be vying for the People’s Choice Award, to be decided by “A Taste of France” guests. After the voting, the winning artwork will be auctioned off, with proceeds of the sale going to the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, which was founded in 1995 to promote the arts and art education in Destin. The event is sponsored by My Vacation Haven. Tickets for “The Magic of Beaujolais Nouveau, A Taste of France” cost $45 per person ($40 per person for groups of 10 or more). The event, scheduled for Thursday, November 15, runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. To order tickets, call 850-650-2226 or visit www.mattiekellyartsfoundation.org. For places to stay in Destin, look no further than BeachGuide.com and our Destin vacation rentals. We also have suggestions on places to eat and other things to do. Just click on Destin restaurants, Destin recreation, and Destin fishing for more information.

Published on Monday, October 29, 2012