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CHANTILLY, VA – The Farm Wineries Council of Virginia will sponsor five major wine events this year, beginning with a grand tasting of Virginia’s artisan wines on Saturday February 6th and Sunday February 7th at the 4th Annual Virginia Wine Showcase to be held at Dulles Expo and Conference Center, just west of Washington DC.
Winemakers from all over Virginia will pour dozens of different wines, ranging from dry and semi-dry table wines to sparkling fruit and dessert wines, for event guests to taste. Wine lovers will have the opportunity to enjoy Virginia in a day, discovering a large variety of award-winning, locally-grown wines all in one place.
“Virginia’s artisan wine is meticulously handcrafted in a way that’s just not possible in big industrial wine operations”, explains Carl Henrickson of the Farm Wineries Council. “Vintners and winemakers in Virginia grow their grapes and produce their wines in small batches on the family farm. Their ability to personally cultivate wine from first bud through fermentation does make a difference you can actually taste.”
The small batch wines being produced in Virginia consistently win gold in national and international competitions. The state has been enjoying considerable attention in wine circles lately. Virginia has been named “one of the top five wine regions in the world to visit”, by Travel & Leisure Magazine, and is considered to be “the most promising, emerging wine region in the United States” by Wine Spectator magazine.
At the Virginia Wine Showcase, winemakers will feature over 300 of the State’s award-winning wines. The event will provide wine lovers the freedom to sample numerous wines from all over the state side by side, and discover for themselves how the combination of terroir and specific weather conditions determines each vintage’s unique flavor.
Besides the wine tastings, a full slate of culinary and tasting seminars will happen every hour all day both days to help guests understand the art of enjoying wine and food, including:
· EMERGING WINE REGIONS AND THEIR REGIONAL DELIGHTS with noted Sommelier, Andrew Stover, of Vino50 Selections. Stover will lead an enlightening tasting tour through America’s emerging wine regions. Guests will sample artisan wines from Arizona, Idaho, Los Angeles County, Maryland, Virginia, Michigan, New York, Southern Oregon and beyond.
· GOURMET GETAWAYS with author Joe David, Chef Jill Prescott & Winemaker, Doug Fabbioli. David, the author of Gourmet Getaways, will discuss the secret cooking techniques of professional chefs. A special demonstration by noted chef, Jill Prescott of Ecole de Cuisine in Asheville NC, will tease your palate with a delectable winter soup. And, Doug Fabbioli, one of Virginia’s leading winemakers, will join in on the fun, experimenting with how to choose the perfect wine pairing for comfort food.
- ALL ABOUT CHOCOLATE with Mary Schellhammer of Spice Rack Chocolates. The audience will spend some delectable time with chocolatier Mary Schellhammer exploring everyone’s favorite subjects - chocolate and wine! During this endorphin-spiking seminar, Mary will share “Three Rules for Pairing Wine with Chocolate”. Then everyone will apply their newly learned skills by pairing three different wines with some of Mary’s chocolate creations.
- OLIVE OIL TASTING with Keith Voight of All Things Olive. This seminar will open with an overview of the history and health benefits of olive oil and how it is made. Participants will conduct the ultimate tasting of the four broad types of olive oil and learn how to match the right olive oil with any dish.
- TEAOSOPHY with Elise Scott of Pearl Fine Teas, one of only 23 certified tea professionals in the United States. Tea is generally described as having a foreground (top note), middle ground, and background flavor. Scott will lead a unique exploration of the unique nuances of tea.
- VIRGINIA VERSUS THE REST OF THE WORLD with Brandon Walsh of Hosted Wine Tasting LLC. Walsh will pit Virginia wines against wines from three major wine regions - California, Washington and France – in a blind tasting. Guests will get to taste for themselves how Virginia wines compare to the rest of the world.
More than 150 fancy food, fine art and valentine product exhibitors will join in the fun of the Virginia Wine Showcase, introducing everything from artisan cheese to wine-aging oak barrels and the latest must-have culinary accessories. Over the past 4 years this event has expanded to become one of the best culinary shows on the east coast. Details and tickets to the event are available online at www.vawineshowcase.org
Five Signature 2010 Epicurean Food and Wine Events
The Farm Wineries Council of Virginia hosts five signature epicurean events each year in the Washington DC metropolitan area to showcase Virginia's hard-to-find artisan wines, fancy foods, fine art, gourmet products, culinary seminars and other “finer things in life” products.
These upscale events are considered the premier "wine & finer things" expos in the Mid-Atlantic region, and they offer their huge following of visitors a much-talked-about secret pleasure - Virginia's award-winning, locally grown, hard-to-find artisan wine!
The Five Scheduled Events
February 6-7, 2010
Virginia Wine Showcase
(11:00 AM-6:00 PM)
Dulles Expo Center, 4368 Chantilly Center, Chantilly, VA 20153
The Virginia Wine Showcase is the HOTTEST winter wine event on the east coast, featuring unlimited tastings of world-class wines from the boutique farm wineries of Virginia and beyond. This year's line-up of culinary seminars features Gourmet Getaways; Artisan Wines from all over the US; Virginia Versus the Rest of the World; an Olive Oil Tasting; Teaosophy Tea Tasting; Chocolate Pairing; Lobster Cracking Demo; Soup Demo; and more! Plus, there will be an ultimate collection of artisan wines, fancy foods, fine arts and culinary products, just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Admission Fee: $35.00
Phone: (703) 823-1868
Fax: (661) 451-5491
Email: donna@vawineshowcase.org
Website: www.vawineshowcase.org
May 22-23, 2010
Spring Wine Festival at The Plains
(11:00 AM-7:00 PM)
Great Meadow Equestrian Center
5089 Old Tavern Road
The Plains, VA 20198
Spring is here, and Virginia’s two favorite pastimes are back – outdoor wine festivals and polo! Enjoy both in the gorgeous Virginia wine-country setting of Great Meadow, Virginia. The event will feature Virginia's award-winning farm wineries, gourmet cuisine prepared especially for pairing by the region's leading chefs, tastings of reserve artisan wines rarely enjoyed outside tasting rooms, the opening night events of the Great Meadows Twilight Polo, and more!
Admission Fee: $35
Phone: (703) 823-1868
Fax: (661) 451-5491
Email: donna@farmwineriescouncil.org
Website: www.winefestivalattheplains.com
September 11- 12, 2010
The Wine Festival at The Plains & 25th Annual Commonwealth Cup of Polo (USA vs Great Britain)
(11:00 AM-7:00 PM)
Great Meadow Equestrian Center
5089 Old Tavern Road
The Plains, VA 20198
2010 is a big silver anniversary for the 25th annual Commonwealth Cup of Polo - USA versus Great Britain, one of the most prestigious polo matches in the USA. It is going to be celebrated in a very big way with a special double-hitter event – The Commonwealth Cup and The Wine Festival at The Plains, the most prestigious wine event in the State of Virginia.
Visitors will taste Virginia wines the way they were meant to be tasted - in the gorgeous wine country setting of Great Meadow Virginia, just 50 miles west of Washington, DC. All this will be paired with gourmet cuisine, fine art, fancy foods and Polo, the sport of kings! It will be a weekend of Great Wine, Great Food, Great Art & Great Polo with Great Britain at Great Meadow in The Plains!
Admission Fee: $35
Phone: (703) 823-1868
Fax: (661) 451-5491
Email: donna@farmwineriescouncil.org
Website: www.winefestivalattheplains.com
Old Town Alexandria Wine Festival
October 9-10, 2010 (11:00 AM-6:00 PM)
Crowne Plaza Hotel
901 North Fairfax
Alexandria, VA 22314
America's favorite original city is set to Swirl, Sip and Sizzle as Virginia’s award-winning winemakers converge on Old Town for a grand celebration of Virginia Wine Month. Visitors will educate their palate with tastings of Virginia's locally grown world-class wine, and enjoy fine arts, fancy foods and culinary seminars in grand tasting ballrooms at the Old Town Alexandria Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Admission Fee: $35
Phone: (703) 823-1868
Fax: (661) 451-5491
Email: donna@OldTownWineFestival.com
Website: www.OldTownWineFestival.com
DC’s Holiday Wine & Finer Things Mall
December 4-5, 2010 (11:00am-9:00pm)
Dulles Expo Center
Holiday shopping has never been this much fun! For 2 days in December, Dulles Expo Center (just 28 miles west of Washington DC) will be transformed into the ultimate Holiday Wine & Finer Things Mall. Visitors will be able to taste over 300 award-winning, artisan wines and delectable gourmet foods while shopping for the perfect holiday gift for friends and family. To make shopping easy, some of the nation’s best collection of unique culinary gadgets and accessories will be or sale, such as one-of-a-kind fancy food products & fabulous fine art gifts for special friends on the Christmas gift list!
Admission Fee: $35
Phone: (703) 823-1868
Fax: (661) 451-5491
Email: donna@virginiawineevents.com
Website: www.HolidayWineMall.com
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