Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / March 30, 2006, edition 1 / Page 10
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2B m~mcT LIFE/ Cliarlotte $o«t Thursday, March 30, 2006 Destination: Charlotte Continued from page 16 grown by 86 percent since 1999. But will that be enough for black visitors to consider Charlotte to be a major desti nation dty? The reasons Atlanta ranks 30 high among black visitors, according to TIAA, is the way the, city celebrates and dis- plaj^ African American histo ry . “Atlanta resonates with African American history, from the negative slavery and Civil War era to the positive modem success of black entrepreneurs, pohticians, entertainem, and athletes in the city Civil ri^ts history and continued political activi- tyis of course a main focus, as Atlanta was the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. The King Center offers an educa tional and inspirational ejqje- rience for the entire family The city’s hip hop talent, including such nationally acclaimed acts like Outkast and Ludacris, also biing an influx of young African Americans, many of whom end up attending one of Atlanta’s black colleges and universities. Sweet Auburn offers tourists a variety of influences in African American culture, including some great soul food. The Atlanta Jazz Festival is also a big draw among African Americans, as was the dis continued Montreaux Music Festival. Rehgious confer ences and family reunions is another major draw for African American tourism in Atlanta,” the report stated. Charlotte, Coxmts said is becoming that type of dty as well (minus the famous rap pers and hve music events). “There are endless possibil ities in Chjulotte,” she said. ‘Teople think there isn’t a lot to do here, but when they get here, they realize we have a Johnson C. Smith is the only historically black college in Charlotte. Atlanta, a top destination city among blacks, has four HBCUs in the city. The Afro-American Cultural Center is among on of the few obvious attractions that Charlotte has to offer African American vistors. Unlike Atlanta, Charlotte doesn't draw black visitors based on it’s historical and cul tural attractions. According to the TIA, Civil rights history and contin ued political activity is of course a main focus, as Atlanta was the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. The King Center offers an educational and inspira tional experience for the entire family. variety of things to do. ” Black travel: •African-Americans are much more hkely to travel to destinations thiou^out the southern census divisions, specifically to the South Atlantic (37% of person- trips), West South Central (15%), and East South Central (13%) divisions. •About one-tenth (9%) of all African-Ameiicans travel indudes a rental cai' as a pri mary mode of transportation. One in seven (14 percent) African-American person- trips . include air transporta tion. •On one in ten trips (10 per cent), African-American households spend $1,000 or more, exduding transporta tion to the destination. • More than half (51 per cent) of African-American trips are made by adults trav eling alone or with someone outside their household. About one in four (269^) trips taken by Afncan-Ameiican households include children under 18 years old. •Aside from shopping (41 percent of person-trips), othei' popular activities on African- American trips are nightlife or dancir^ (13 percent), visit ing historical places or muse ums (12 percent), attending cultural events or festivals (12 percent), vidting theme or amusement parks (12 per cent), and gambling (12 per cent). • Minority travelers spent about $90 billion in 2002. -Travel Industry Association of America. Macho wine pitch Continued from page IB grapes frem hillside vine- yaixls where the vines have to struggle to survive, produc ing richer fr-uit that adds heft to the flavors. Don’t expect any Ray’s Station butteiy chardonnays or sOky sauvignon blancs, though. “White wines ain’t cutting it,” Hilliard said with a laugh, referring to the industry axiom that women prefer white wines. The wines are packaged simply with a label bearing the outline of a galloping stal- hon. The accompanying tongue-in-stubbled-cheek ad campaign features the win ery’s namesake, Sonoma Coimty pioneer John G. Ray, and such masculine pursuits as fishing and hrmting. One ad shows a hunter at sunset, dog by his side, with the copy "John G. Ray did not serve pinot noir,” a sly dig at the varietal adored by wine sophisticates. The company does not have sales data yet, but the response from distributors has been good, said Hilliard “People react to it in the way they should; they chuck le,” he sa}^- "It’s a little irrev erent and it’s meant to be fun. But, at the same time, the wine that’s going into the bot tle is veiy serious stuff” Another Sonoma County winery, Ravenswood, has been getting in touch with its strong side for years, rallying behind the slogan “No Wimpy Wines!” The winery known for its zinfandels, is sponsor ing the No. 27 Brewco f Motorsports car in the NASCAR Busch Series for 2006. Although they may seem an tmusual pairing, wine and auto racing have been con nected for a while, with a number of wineries founded by the sport’s greats, includ ing car racer Mario Andretti, founder of the Andretti Winery in Napa. NAS(i)AR fan . Boyce Brannock of Staunton, Virginia, is watching the trend with some interest. He is someone who already appreciates fine wines and fast cal's. He and hke-minded enthusiasts of both sexes— they call their group “Rednecks and Red Rhones”—get together every February to kick off the sea son and sample wines fium the Rhone region of France. Brannock sees the new marketiig outreach as dove- tailirg with a consumer-dri ven trend of more nontradi- tional wine drinkers being willing to take an interest in wine, "or at least not turn up their nose when it’s offered.” He was not sure men would be won over by marketing aimed at them, but speculat ed it might be a hit with their wives. "Something like Ray’s Station might be an opportu nity to say ‘Here’s somethii^ that’s not coming out of a flowsy bottle,”’ he said. Leslie Sbrocco, author of "t\Tne for Women,” hked the idea of trying to broaden wine’s appeal. "I’m aU for gender market ing,” she said. "I’m all for get ting wine in more people’s hands regardless of how we do it.” On the Net: http://www.raysstation.com http://www.ravenswood- wine.com/ http://www.lesliesbrocco.co ml Your Life, Your Paper, Your Post
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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March 30, 2006, edition 1
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