Uncork A Cure...An Inspi(red) Event

I enjoyed a fun filled night of wine sampling, food tasting, mingling and auction bidding at the ARCA's 19th annual Uncork a Cure. The Foundry at Puritan Mill was a wonderful space to hold such a large event. Although I sipped many fabulous wines, I have to say the most clever was Cabernet Glavingnon, Tom Glavin's new wine.

Now on to the food. My first bite was a trout snack from Shane Touhy at Dogwood.

I was then drawn to a field of strawberry topped sushi from Steel.

While at the sushi plate, I eyed mini beers and chocolate dessert from Gordon Biersch. The beer tasting was refreshing after all the wine.

My sweet tooth was satisfied again with a red velvet cupcake from Highland Bakery.

Back to the savory side for steak and mashed potatoes courtesy of Morton's Steakhouse.

As the night is winding down, I visit El Taco for a pork filled tortilla.

And to end my culinary adventure, I stopped at Eclipse di Luna for a taste of Ben McPherson's unique combination of popcorn and shrimp.

Any event that encourages me to indulge on dessert in between wine tastings and food samplings is a success! Uncork the Cure 2009 proved to be a relaxed yet elegant event for a wonderful cause.

Uncork A Cure! April 24th Fundraiser Puts a Stopper in HIV and AIDS

Last night I attended the annual Uncork A Cure event to benefit AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta (ARCA). Celebrating ARCA's 20th anniversary, corks were certainly popping all night long! It was held at The Foundry at Puritan Mill, and many of Atlanta's finest restaurants served up tons of yummy fare and showed their support for the organization. La Tavola Trattoria, South City Kitchen® Midtown, Morton’s The Steakhouse (Downtown) and Woodfire Grill are just a few of the popular restaurants that provided samples to go with the fine wine that was poured. One of my favorites was South City Kitchen's mini chicken biscuits (pictured above). I have a thing for mini items, especially at foodie and wine functions - they are easier to eat and the presentation is great.

The space was packed with people and a DJ was spinning tons of hip tunes. A silent auction that was placed in the middle of the facility was certainly the talk of the evening as well. Tons of photos and paintings from local artists, spa packages, and many other items from local vendors.

The AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta (ARCA) is a registered 501(c)(3), not-for-profit clinical research, testing, outreach and educational organization founded in 1988. Through a network of 53 physicians and six public health clinics, ARCA conducts clinical drug trials and prevention research studies, provides patient and care-provider educational programs, and provides free HIV and STD testing at ARCA and within the Atlanta community.

Learn more about Uncork A Cure and ARCA at http://www.uncorkacure.org/.