01/Feb/2008
Baton Rouge Uncorked; Eat, Drink and Be Charitable: New Organization Gives Wine Lovers a Taste of Society and Charity
By: Jennifer Russell
Baton Rouge Uncorked Host Committe
Baton Rouge Uncorked is a new, fun and exciting organization that uniquely combines young professionals who love socializing, enjoy tasting great wines, rally for great causes and are excited about the revitalization of downtown Baton Rouge.
Local financial advisor Pete Bush, owner of Baton Rouge-based Horizon Wealth Management, heard of the idea through family ties in Louisville, Ky., where there is a similar organization. Immediately thereafter, he said to himself “hey, this would be great to do in Baton Rouge.”
Bush ,along with six friends – Doug Cochran, Edmund Giering, Doug Allen, Patrick Coogan, Luke Williamson, and Miles Higgins – agreed to help combine charity with a love of wine to bring the excitement to Baton Rouge. They set out with the goal to host events that offer an opportunity to enjoy good wine and have a good time while supporting local charities.
“Over the years I’ve been involved with a lot of things to give back to the community and have enjoyed them all, but Baton Rouge Uncorked is my baby,” Bush said. “We built it from the ground up.”
The concept of the wine tasting/competition is simple. Each event highlights a specific wine variety (such as Cabernet Sauvignon) and is held at a downtown venue to help foster the resurgence of downtown. Guests attend the event in teams of up to three members. Each team participates in the tasting by contributing three identical bottles of their favorite wine. Two bottles are bagged, tagged and offered for blind tasting and scoring while the third bottle is either added to the "pot" to be awarded to the winning team or grouped together for the silent auction.
During the evening, guests enjoy an easy-going atmosphere of socializing, networking, listening to music from a DJ and snacking on h’or dourves, all the while tasting some great wine. At the conclusion of the festivities, the scores are tallied and the winners are recognized and awarded the “pot” to split while the lowest scoring wine is returned to its rightful owner to take home.
Although the social aspect of the tasting is the foundation of Baton Rouge Uncorked, the benefitting charity enjoys the generosity of those attending.
“Baton Rouge Uncorked is not just another charity. It’s a charity that acts as a vehicle for multiple other charities,” Bush explained. “That’s what makes it unique.”
“The events also have a strong pull to a younger crowd of professionals who may not yet think philantropically,” Bush said. The events offer a new and fantastic outlet to bring charitable giving top of mind to these young professionals.
With the experience of our inaugural event back in October under our belt, we are anxiously awaiting our next event, hoping it will be even better than the first. As a member of the host committee, I invite you to join us. Newcomers are welcome!
The next Baton Rouge Uncorked event will be Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 7-10 p.m. at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum.
For more information on Baton Rouge Uncorked, visit neighborsmag.com!
By: Jennifer Russell
Baton Rouge Uncorked Host Committe
Baton Rouge Uncorked is a new, fun and exciting organization that uniquely combines young professionals who love socializing, enjoy tasting great wines, rally for great causes and are excited about the revitalization of downtown Baton Rouge.
Local financial advisor Pete Bush, owner of Baton Rouge-based Horizon Wealth Management, heard of the idea through family ties in Louisville, Ky., where there is a similar organization. Immediately thereafter, he said to himself “hey, this would be great to do in Baton Rouge.”
Bush ,along with six friends – Doug Cochran, Edmund Giering, Doug Allen, Patrick Coogan, Luke Williamson, and Miles Higgins – agreed to help combine charity with a love of wine to bring the excitement to Baton Rouge. They set out with the goal to host events that offer an opportunity to enjoy good wine and have a good time while supporting local charities.
“Over the years I’ve been involved with a lot of things to give back to the community and have enjoyed them all, but Baton Rouge Uncorked is my baby,” Bush said. “We built it from the ground up.”
The concept of the wine tasting/competition is simple. Each event highlights a specific wine variety (such as Cabernet Sauvignon) and is held at a downtown venue to help foster the resurgence of downtown. Guests attend the event in teams of up to three members. Each team participates in the tasting by contributing three identical bottles of their favorite wine. Two bottles are bagged, tagged and offered for blind tasting and scoring while the third bottle is either added to the "pot" to be awarded to the winning team or grouped together for the silent auction.
During the evening, guests enjoy an easy-going atmosphere of socializing, networking, listening to music from a DJ and snacking on h’or dourves, all the while tasting some great wine. At the conclusion of the festivities, the scores are tallied and the winners are recognized and awarded the “pot” to split while the lowest scoring wine is returned to its rightful owner to take home.
Although the social aspect of the tasting is the foundation of Baton Rouge Uncorked, the benefitting charity enjoys the generosity of those attending.
“Baton Rouge Uncorked is not just another charity. It’s a charity that acts as a vehicle for multiple other charities,” Bush explained. “That’s what makes it unique.”
“The events also have a strong pull to a younger crowd of professionals who may not yet think philantropically,” Bush said. The events offer a new and fantastic outlet to bring charitable giving top of mind to these young professionals.
With the experience of our inaugural event back in October under our belt, we are anxiously awaiting our next event, hoping it will be even better than the first. As a member of the host committee, I invite you to join us. Newcomers are welcome!
The next Baton Rouge Uncorked event will be Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 7-10 p.m. at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum.
For more information on Baton Rouge Uncorked, visit neighborsmag.com!
