Wine, chocolate and music indulgences
By Keith Wall August 1, 2008 San Miguel de Allende
A Wine & Chocolate Indulgence
Benefit for Jóvenes Adelante, A.C.
Sat, Aug 9, 5pm
Casa Grau
Zacateros 19
500 pesos
| Jóvenes Adelante offers an unusual mini-festival this August, a special event midway in the city’s two-week celebration of the annual Chamber Music Festival.
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Tastings of two types of chocolate delicacies with a complimentary wine are selected by expert consultant and renowned Boston chocolatier Cynthia Lynch, who prepares many of the chocolates herself.
Lynch’s creations have been named “Best of Boston” for many years running and have placed her in the Boston “Hall of Fame.” When Cynthia offered her talent and experience in the service of a Jóvenes Adelante fundraiser, the organization did not stop to think about it but immediately began planning this “indulgence” to coincide with the musical celebrations taking place in San Miguel this month.
Organization volunteers are very excited about this event and have engaged the cooperation and donations from local chocolate makers and wine purveyors, many of whom will be present to serve their specialties and chat with guests about them. In addition to delicacies prepared by Lynch, guests will be treated to chocolate delights donated especially for this event by Johfrej, Kaffe y Chocolates and Petit Four. Donations of select wines have generously been made by Café Monet, Club Z, Harry’s New Orleans Café & Oyster Bar, Hospice San Miguel, Leigh Stowell, Romanos, Tapas y Tinis and Vino Club San Miguel. This event will be a convivial, delicious affair in a lovely setting, with musical accompaniment by Jack and Francis, with hosts and servers in black and white. Tickets sales are limited to 200 guests.
Jóvenes President Amanda Ruíz says, “We’ve always put on bargain-priced events: bus trips, musical and comedy shows, small concerts, and so on. With Cynthia’s presence here during August and her amazing offer, and the availability of Peter and Silvia’s beautiful space, we were inspired to try for something different, elegant and unique. Where else would people find the opportunity to taste a dozen local and imported wines paired with two chocolate offerings expertly prepared and selected to complement them?”
All proceeds from “A Wine and Chocolate Indulgence” fund university scholarships for outstanding but disadvantaged local students. Jóvenes Adelante currently supports 42 students pursuing a range of professional careers in 16 Mexican cities, and the organization has just awarded scholarships to an additional 25 talented youngsters starting their university careers this month.
Tickets for A Wine and Chocolate Indulgence are available at local venues and at Casa Grau at Zacateros 19. For more information, contact
jovenesadelante@gmail.com.
House & Garden Tour
By Jennifer Hamilton
House & Garden Tour
Sun, Aug 3, noon
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
US$15 or 150 pesos
Breakfast at Café Santa Ana starting at 9am
Nestled among the hills in the high desert countryside
1. This long-time resident moved to this bucolic country setting in 2005, away from the hustle and bustle of Centro yet only a 10-minute drive away. Entering through a vine-covered arbor, one sees “through” the house directly to the back property and its views extending to town. The long, pebbled channel in the entranceway is centered with a cantera fountain and a stone angel dipping her feet in the pond. An impressive painting thought to be from Cuernevaca highlights the entrance where several parrots greet you, one with a definite “hola.” The living and dining areas blend together, with an ornately carved cantera fireplace and velvet sofa. The dining table was converted from an ancient piece of wood. An art deco lamp glows softly in one corner. The dramatic kitchen sports blue and white tiles with a bóveda ceiling topped by a cúpula, flooding the room with additional light. Zebra finches hop merrily around in their cage, relishing the aroma from the kitchen stove. A baptismal-font sink graces a small powde
r room with its purple walls and from there we see the intimate sitting room with its leopard skin on the wall, wood-beamed ceiling and African bookcase. The outside ramada has two separate seating areas, a carved cantera fireplace and an ancient wood cabinet containing vibrantly colored curios. Another pebbled channel finds its way to a small papyrus-filled pond where one can see the pastoral countryside, surrounding hillsides and in the far distance, San Miguel itself. The gardens are planted with drought-resistant plants which need little or no watering and flourish in the high desert countryside.
2. This luscious home lies nestled among the hills in a country neighborhood. Windows everywhere look out onto splendid yet intimate gardens filled with plants, trees and shrubs. A delightful small pond surrounded by flora and fauna can be seen from almost every room. Entering the dramatic hallway, a huge room with a high ceiling is a juxtaposition of gallery and entertainment space, and contains a collection of outstanding antiques, jewelry, stone architectural pieces and exquisite bric-a-brac. A decorator in her own right, the owner’s eye for the extraordinary and unusual can be seen throughout this beautifully appointed home. The well-stocked kitchen is separated from the dining area (which faces the back garden) by a serving area. The owner decided on a separate tranquil living area, small and elegant, to entertain on a more intimate scale. Filled with books, paintings, tapestries and family photos, it is warm and cozy as is the library filled with books, antiques and precious collectibles purchased on wo
rld travels. The elegant bedroom with a bóveda de cañon ceiling at its entrance is painted a soft mustard color. All rooms face out onto one of the two lush gardens.