Cabernet for a Good Cause: The Capital Grille Kicks-off 2013 Artist Series Wine Event Benefitting Share Our Strength, March 18 - April 28, 2013

ORLANDO, Fla., March 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Capital Grille® today announced the kick-off of its fourth-annual Artist Series Wine Event, a celebration of the worlds of fine art and winemaking in partnership with Share Our Strength®.  From March 18 to April 28, 2013, The Capital Grille restaurants nationwide will feature an exclusive California Cabernet Sauvignon adorned with an original piece of artwork as its label. A portion of the proceeds from each bottle will be donated to Share Our Strength in support of its No Kid Hungry® campaign, which is ending childhood hunger in America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. Additionally – and for the first time – The Capital Grille will auction the original painting selected for this year's wine label, with the full amount of the winning bid benefitting Share Our Strength.  

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130312/CL74846)

The bottled inspiration for the 2013 Artist Series Program is a 2009 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon, blended by winemaker Heidi von der Mehden from Arrowood Vineyards & Winery in collaboration with The Capital Grille's own George Miliotes, one of only 197 Master Sommeliers worldwide. Intensely purple in color, this wine presents aromas of ripe, dark fruits that are matched on the palate with notes of blackberry, plum and blueberry. Mehden and Miliotes describe this exceptional wine as "a natural beauty," imparting layers of flavor that begin with a deep intensity and end with a soft, rich finish. Only few more than 11,000 bottles of the 2009 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon have been produced for this year's program; for every bottle sold, The Capital Grille will donate $25 to Share Our Strength.

"In addition to supporting our national charity, Share Our Strength, we are proud to work with and recognize talented winemakers like Ms. von der Mehden," said John Martin, President of The Capital Grille. "Once again, we look forward to offering our guests an exceptional wine experience on behalf of a very worthy cause."

To beautifully convey the work of art inside the bottle, The Capital Grille held a competition last fall inviting artists of all mediums to submit original art to be considered for the wine label. The winning piece is a colorful, abstract composition by North Carolina artist Sherry McAdams. Titled Golden Moments, the painting showcases energetic brushwork, texture and layering, which are intended to convey dimension, nostalgia and emotion.

"While my expertise focuses on what's inside the bottle, I love that this program is as much about the palette as it is the palate," said The Capital Grille's Master Sommelier George Miliotes. "This painting perfectly captures the depth and richness of the Cabernet inside – from its purposeful layering effects to the balanced interplay of vibrancy and subtlety."

McAdams' original painting, Golden Moments, will be on display at six restaurant locations throughout the program (Los Angeles, Costa Mesa, Las Vegas, Seattle, New York and Chevy Chase), allowing guests to view the painting and learn more about how the program provides a "perfect pairing" with Share Our Strength.  Guests also will have the opportunity to fill-out sealed auction bid cards in-restaurant. Interested bidders also can go to http://nokidhungry.org/capitalgrille where they can submit their sealed bid online (minimum bid: $1,000).

Share Our Strength and The Capital Grille have a long history of working together to end childhood hunger in America. To date, The Capital Grille Artist Series Program has raised more than $1 million on behalf of the organization.

About Arrowood Vineyards & Winery & Heidi von der Mehden
Arrowood Vineyards & Winery makes extraordinary small-lot varietals and vineyard designates. It is the dream child of Richard Arrowood, an iconic winemaster who has been making wine in Sonoma County, CA, for more than 45 years and helped make the area the legendary wine region that it is today. He first became famous for producing Chateau St Jean "Robert Young" Chardonnay, the first famous single vineyard Chardonnay in California.  Shortly after, he realized his dream to have his own winery where he could make his own wines to great critical acclaim.  When he retired, he sold the wine to Majestic Fine Wines and apprenticed Heidi von der Mehden as his successor. An intuitive and talented winemaker, Heidi has filled Arrowood's shoes with ease and can claim this year's Artist Series wine, her second vintage, as her own. 

About The Capital Grille
The Capital Grille (www.TheCapitalGrille.com) owns and operates 48 locations nationwide. The restaurant is known for its dry-aged steaks, award-winning wine list and professional service in an atmosphere of relaxed elegance.  The Capital Grille offers more than 350 New and Old World wine selections, including a Captain's List of some of the world's most highly allocated and sought-after wines. The restaurant also offers a variety of elegant private dining spaces for meetings and group events. Routinely recognized by Wine Spectator magazine and receiving other top accolades, The Capital Grille has received the American Culinary Federation's "Achievement of Excellence" Award and was voted a guest favorite on OpenTable's "Best American Cuisine Winners - Top 50 Restaurant List," with 10 locations filling out the List's coveted 50 spots. 

Please visit The Capital Grille on Facebook and follow George Miliotes on Twitter @TheWineExpert.

About Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry® Campaign
No child should grow up hungry in America, but one in five children struggles with hunger. Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry^® campaign is ending childhood hunger in America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. The No Kid Hungry campaign connects kids in need to effective nutrition programs like school breakfast and summer meals and teaches low-income families to cook healthy, affordable meals through Cooking Matters.  This work is accomplished through the No Kid Hungry network, made up of private citizens, public officials, nonprofits, business leaders and others providing innovative hunger solutions in their communities. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.

SOURCE The Capital Grille