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SAVE THIS
DATE!!! March 30-31,
2011
2011
Virginia Wine Guide
Ready!
"The Gift that keeps
on
giving!"
Virginia's
Foremost Wine Festival & Winery Consultant. Winery
Marketing, Vendor Finder...
and
More! |
| |
Vol. VI, Issue No. 3
March
2011 |
| Virginia Wine Lover
Virginia wines were highly acclaimed this past
weekend at the Virginia Wine Expo held at the Richmond
Conference Center. One of the highlights was the
presentation of the 2011 Governor's Cup for the best red
wine produced in the Commonwealth. First Lady of
Virginia Maureen McDonnell presented the Cup on behalf
of the Governor to Fox Meadow Winery for their 2008
Meritage®, Le Renard Rouge (The Red Fox). To learn
more about the winning wines and the weekend events,
click
here. We are pleased to announce
that the winner of the Great Virginia Wine Lover Chili
Contest is David Miller, proprietor of Dave's Downtown
Taverna in Harrisonburg, for their Vegetarian
Chili...delicious! We're also including the five
runners-up recipes, along with the First Family of
Virginia's favorite chili recipe, which Executive Chef
Todd Schneider of the Governor's Mansion shared with
us. As spring approaches, the list of monthly
wine events gets longer. March includes vertical
tastings, winemaker dinners, and of course, St.
Patrick's Day events. A reservation for the Villa
Appalaccia Dinner at Primland and a visit to our Winery
of the Month, Cooper Vineyards, are particularly
inviting. Cheers!
 |
| Frank
Britt |
Frank C.
Britt
Publisher
 |
|
Dan
and Cheryl Mortland of Fox Meadow Winery accept
the Governor's Cup from First Lady of Virginia
Maureen McDonnell |
 |
|
The
Six Gold Medalists
To
learn more about the winning wines and the weekend
events, click
here. | |
|
|
|
COOPER
VINEYARDS
State
of the Art LEED Certified Tasting Room Opens April
8 |
 |
|
Cooper
Vineyards Tasting
Room | Cooper Vineyards
in Louisa is proud to announce the Grand Opening of its
new "green" LEED Certified Tasting Room and event
facility on Friday, April 8. First Lady of
Virginia Maureen McDonnell and Secretary of Agriculture
& Forestry Todd Haymore will be keynote speakers for
the ribbon cutting ceremony that begins at 1:30 and
signals the beginning of the Grand Opening
Weekend. ( See READ MORE for LEED
description.) On April 9 and 10, the new
facility will open to the public for wine tastings, live
music, gourmet food and tours to showcase the building's
"green" elements. The facility includes a spacious
tasting room with custom concrete bar; a large covered
deck with outdoor bar that offers wonderful views of the
existing vineyards and pond; a private tasting room and
deck for parties up to 25 guests; as well as a covered
40' x 60' wedding/event space.
 |
|
Geoff
Cooper and Jacque Hogge
Co-Owners |
 |
|
Lucy
the Cooper
Mascot
Jan and John
Trevillian | Cooper
Vineyards was licensed as the 53rd Virginia Farm Winery
in July 1999, and the first vineyard block was planted
with Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc and Norton. The original
farm covered 36 acres with two natural springs and a
pond from which the grapes were irrigated.
Additional contiguous land purchases enlarged the
property to 104 acres. Vineyard Manager since
2008, Michael Boone, now tends to 15 acres arranged in
four blocks, which include additional Norton, Vidal
Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonel, Viognier and
Petit Verdot. Graham Bell, Cooper Vineyards'
winemaker since 2002, hand crafts all of the wines from
100% Virginia grapes, with approximately half grown on
site. In keeping with "green" practices, nearly
all of Cooper's wine barrels are constructed from
Virginia Oak. Popular annual events at
Cooper Vineyards include Mardi Gras, Norton Vertical
Tasting, MINI-Cooper Rally, Lucy's SPCA Benefit Weekend
and Jazz and Chocolate festival. A member of
the Heart of Virginia Wine Trail, Cooper will host a new
event scheduled for March 19: "Go Green" with the
Heart of Virginia Wine Trail.
READ MORE:
LEED Certification
Notable Virginia Wines from
Cooper Vineyards
Recipe for Noche Chocolate
Cake to Die For!
|
|
RICHMOND
WELCOMES
WINERIES
UNLIMITED TRADE SHOW
March
30-31, 2011 (Greater Richmond Convention
Center) |
 Want to see, hear, smell
and taste the latest scoop on the Eastern wine industry?
... Then make your way to the Greater Richmond
Convention Center on March 30-31 for the Wineries
Unlimited Trade Show, the second largest vineyard and
winery event of its kind in North America. Better
than surfing the web or thumbing through a catalog, wine
industry personnel will have an opportunity to view new
products up close as vendors from all over the US and
Canada display their wares and services. Attendees can
find everything they need to manage a successful
vineyard or winery including barrels, bottles, corks,
chemicals, equipment, grapevines, insurance, irrigation,
machinery, packaging, software, soil testing equipment,
tasting room merchandise, trucking services and a host
of other items. (Go to http://www.wineriesunlimited.com/exhibitor_kit/exhibitorlist.asp
for a list of vendors.) About 30 percent of the
participating vendors are from the Western US with
products unavailable in the East. Many offer
discounts exclusive to Wineries
Unlimited.
READ
MORE
|
|
LOVE
BY THE GLASS |
|
  "Virginia Wine
Week: Love By The Glass," is an annual event to
highlight Virginia restaurants and retail stores that
sell and promote Virginia wines. This year, the
promotion is scheduled to take place on March 18 through
March 27. Participating businesses will be
offering Virginia wines for sale by the glass and the
bottle, along with various specials and related events
throughout the week. Promotional materials include
coasters, buttons, balloons and chalkboards featuring
Virginia wine. For a list of
businesses participating in Love By The Glass, visit
www.VirginiaWine.org. All
restaurants and retailers will be listed under the
"Where to Buy" section and can be filtered by the
program "Spring Wine Week 2011." This is a
great time to visit some of Virginia's 190 wineries and
taste their wines. You can follow that up by patronizing
the hundreds of restaurants and retail stores around the
state that will be participating in Virginia Wine Week
2011. WHERE TO BUY LOVE BY
THE GLASS: www.VirginiaWine.org |
|
VIRGINIA'S
FIRST BAG IN THE BOX WINE! |
|
 Virginia Wineworks, home of
Michael Shaps wines, recently announced release of the
state's first Bag in the Box wine. Located in
Charlottesville, the winery is now packaging its
Wineworks brand in easy to use, recyclable three-liter
boxes. This new and efficient method of packaging is
environmentally friendly and eliminates the large and
frequent truckloads needed to transport bottles. The
three-liter, airtight bag holds the equivalent of four
bottles of wine and prevents spoilage for at least four
weeks. Virginia Wineworks Bag-N-Box wines will
retail for $30 to $35 and are available through J.W.
Sieg Wines (434-244-5300) or at Virginia Wineworks
(434-296-3438). They are sold at Kroger stores across
Virginia and fine restaurants such as The Jefferson
Hotel's Lemaire.
READ
MORE
|
|
THE
GREAT VIRGINIA WINE LOVER
CHILI
CONTEST WINNER
DAVE'S
DOWNTOWN TAVERNA VEGETARIAN CHILI! |
|
  David Miller and his
wife Julie are the owners of Dave's Downtown Taverna in
Harrisonburg where they have featured Virginia wines for
16 years. When David submitted his chili recipe he
said, "This is the Vegetarian Chili that we serve at our
restaurant. It became so popular that we
completely stopped offering a meat chili version years
ago. I hope your readers enjoy Dave's Vegetarian
Chili as much as our guests at the restaurant."
When in the Harrisonburg area, be sure to visit
Dave's Downtown Taverna at 121 S. Main Street.
(540-564-1487 / www.davestaverna.com) By the
way, David Miller was honored with the Virginia
Hospitality & Travel Association's 2010 Restaurateur
of the Year Award. As the grand prize winner of
the Great Virginia Wine Lover Chili Contest, Dave will
receive the March selection from the Virginia Wine of
the Month Club www.vawineclub.com
DAVE'S
DOWNTOWN TAVERNA
VEGETARIAN
CHILI™ 
2
lbs TVP* (Textured Vegetable Protein)
2 tbsp salt
2
tbsp pepper
2 tbsp garlic powder
1
tbsp thyme
1 tbsp marjoram
1
tsp sugar
1 tsp onion powder
·
Put into ½ pot of boiling water for 5 minutes and drain
in colander. Set aside.
·
Cover bottom of 5-gallon pot with olive oil and
sauté:
4
chopped red onions
1
stalk chopped celery including leaves
4
chopped green peppers
·
When onions are translucent, add:
½
cup salt
¼ cup oregano
½
cup granulated garlic
3 #10 cans tomato strips
1
#10 can crushed tomatoes
1 #10 can water
·
Simmer for 30 minutes, and add:
½
cup cumin
1 cup chili powder
1/8
cup cayenne pepper
¼ cup white pepper
1
tbsp celery seed
1 tbsp paprika
½
cup sugar
2 #10 cans kidney beans (with liquid)
TVP*
·
Simmer all for 30 minutes
(Makes
approximately 50 servings.) If you need to serve later place
in Ice bath or insert chiller paddles.Portion, Refrigerate or
Freeze....................................................................................................... The
Great Virginia Wine Lover Chili Contest, which
was announced in our January enewsletter, attracted lots
of wonderful and varied recipes for this all-American
dish that is often served on winter weekends at many
Virginia wineries. In addition to the winning
recipe, there were four Runners-Up: Max Abrams'
Virginia Wine Country Chili, Jason Terrell's Hot Italian
Sausage & White Bean Chili, Yvette Schumann's
South-Western Chili and George McHale's A Wine Lover's
"Chili with After Burners!".
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE
RECIPES
|
|
CHILI
FROM THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION
A
McDonnell Family Favorite |
 (Our Thanks to Chef Todd
Schneider of the Virginia Governor's Mansion for sharing
this recipe with Virginia wine
lovers.)Ingredients:2
tsp shortening or vegetable oil 1-1/2 to 2 lbs lean
ground beef or ground sirloin 1 lg white onion,
chopped 3 heaping tbsp chili power 1 tbsp
paprika 1 tsp garlic powder (NOT garlic salt) 1
tsp cumin (omit if you don't like cumin) Salt and
black pepper to taste 1 lg can (about 25-32 oz) Ranch
Style Beans 1 lg can (about 25-32 oz) pinto
beans 1 sm can (about 15 oz) kidney beans (optional)
- Coat bottom of a big pot (6 quarts or so) with oil
or melted shortening, just enough to keep the meat
from sticking. Add the meat and let it cook for a few
minutes over medium heat.
- When the meat is starting to cook and is breaking
apart, add chopped onion and stir in. Add powdered
ingredients. Stir this a few times while
cooking.
- When the meat is almost done, add the beans. Rinse
cans with a little water to get all of the sauce out
of the cans.
- At this point your chili should be slightly
watery. If it's not, add a little more water (or
beer). Let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
- After about 20 minutes, taste it! If you
think it needs more flavor, add more seasoning, like
chili powder. (The most common reason I've seen for
having a flavorless batch of chili is not enough chili
powder. So if it's bland at this point, add some more.
DO NOT BE AFRAID!)
- Let cook for about an hour and a half,
stirring and tasting occasionally.
- Chili can be ready to eat any time after the meat
is cooked but gets better after about an hour or so.
And it is better still the next day.
CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONS TO
EXECUTIVE CHILI
RECIPE
|
| MARCH
WINERY EVENTS AND WINE FESTIVALS |
|
 Our
information for event listings comes from numerous
sources. We have included contact information so that
you can verify dates and times, as well as costs and
reservations that may be required. If you would
like to submit a festival or winery event, send it to info@winelover.com no
later than 10th of the month.
|
|
March 5: First
Sunday of the Month Brunch Prince
Michel Vineyard (Leon)
Stop in and enjoy a
delightful brunch buffet, along with wine tastings,
tours, and great shopping. Reservations
recommended.
800-800-9463 · www.princemichel.com
March 5:
Italiano Pizza Day Veramar Vineyard
(Berryville)
Learn how the flavors of
gourmet pizzas can work beautifully with award-winning
wines.
540-955-5510 · www.veramar.com
March
5-6: Past Vintage & Vertical Port
Tasting Horton Vineyards
(Gordonsville)
Taste the history of Horton
Vineyards through vertical tastings of reds and whites,
including award winning past
vintages.
800-829-4633 · www.hortonwine.com
March
5-6: Chardonnay
Days Fox Meadow Winery
(Linden)
Join in the cellar for vertical
tastings of our Barrel Fermented
Chardonnays.
540-636-6777 · www.foxmeadowwinery.com
|
|
March 11 &
13: Winemaker for a Day
Sunset Hills Vineyard
(Purcellville)Create your own
Boudreaux-style red wine. We'll bottle it so you
can put it on your wine shelf. Space is
limited. Reservations
required. 540-882-4560 · www.sunsethillsvineyard.com
March
12: Sangria Saturday
Sans Soucy Vineyards
(Brookneal)Enjoy a lovely evening with live
music, beautiful sunset and fantastic "Blackberry Ginger
Sangria". 434-376-9463 · www.sanssoucyvineyards.com
 March
12: Norton Reserve
Tasting
Cooper Vineyards
(Louisa)Gourmet food and wine pairing of
all vintages of Cooper award-winning Norton.
Reservations required. 540-894-5253 www.coopervineyards.com
 March
12-13: St. Paddy's Celebration Weekend
Willowcroft Farm Vineyards
(Leesburg)A Pre-Celebration of St.
Patrick's Day featuring Irish Stew and Willowcroft
wines. 703-777-8161 www.willowcroftwine.com |
March
13: Wine and Food
Pairing DelFosse Vineyards and
WineryJoin in an afternoon of fun and enjoy
a traditional wine and food pairing at the winery.
Reservations required. 434-263-6100 · www.delfossewine.com
March
13: Corks &
Canvas Princess Anne Country Club
(Virginia Beach)Annual event featuring
wine, art and jazz. Proceeds support Seton Youth
Shelters. 963-5795x102 · www.setonyouthshelters.org
March
17-20: Wearing of the Green
Weekend Potomac Point Winery
(Stafford)Irish cuisine all weekend
long. Begins on 17th with leprechaun toss, Irish
music and dancers. 540-446-2250 · www.potomacpointwinery.com
 March
19: Villa Appalaccia Wine
Dinner
Primland
(Meadows of Dan)Join winemaker Susanne
Becker at beautiful Primland resort for a meal inspired
by Appalachian cuisine and featuring Villa Appalaccia
Italian-inspired wines. Learn about viticulture
and winemaking in southwestern Virginia.
Reservations required. 276-222-3800 or
276-222-3967 · www.primland.com
March
19: Wine and Cheese Pairing
Seminar Vint Hill Craft Winery (Vint
Hill)Discussion of aspects of cheese that
make it such a perfect companion to wines. Sample
a variety of cheeses with different
wines. 703-991-0191 · www.vinthillcraftwinery.com |
March
19: Vernal
Equinox Gadino Cellars
(Washington)Pack a picnic and spend the day
on our deck. Enjoy classic rock favorites from
Robbie Limon. Challenge friends to a game of bocce
on our regulation courts. 540-987-9292 · www.gadinocellars.com
March
19: "Go
Green" with the Heart of Virginia
Wineries
Cooper
Vineyards (Louisa)
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at Coopers' new LEED
Platinum Certified "Green" Tasting Room. "Going
Green" seminars, tours by the architect, live Celtic
music. HOVA wineries include Cooper, Lake Anna,
James River Cellars and
Grayhaven.
540-894-5253 · www.coopervineyards.com
March
19-20: Rites of Spring Wine
Fest Fredericksburg Fair
GroundsFun for the whole family. A
two day event with 10 wineries, 1 microbrewery,
crafters, artisans and children's
entertainment. 540-972-2749 · www.emstat.net/events
March
19-20: Annual Barrel
Tasting Gray Ghost Vineyards
(Amissville)The ONLY weekend that Gray
Ghost opens barrels for wine tasting. Sample from
the barrel, taste developing wines and experience
blending. 540-937-4869 · www.grayghostvineyards.com |
|
March
19-20: Mushroom, Music &
Merlot
Fox Meadow Winery
(Linden)
Celebrate spring with some
wonderful music, mushroom soup, pairing mushrooms with
wine, and tasting 2008 merlot.
540-636-6777
· www.foxmeadowwinery.com
 March
19-20: Baked Potato
Festival
First Colony Winery
(Charlottesville)
Celebrate St. Patrick's
Day with our annual festival. Includes wine
tasting, baked potato and topping
bar.
434-979-7105 www.firstcolonywinery.com
March
19-20: Beef Stew
Weekend
Old House
Vineyards
Enjoy homemade beef stew and soda
bread by the fire.
540-423-1032
· www.oldhousevineyards.com
March
20: Consensus
Release
Keswick Vineyards
(Keswick)
Official release of the 2009
Consensus to the public. Blended by Keswick Wine
Club members in December, Consensus is a blend of
Chambourcin, Touriga and Cabernet
Sauvignon.
434-244-3341 · www.keswickvineyards.com
March
20: Spring Opening & Barrel
Tasting
Woodland Vineyard
(Midlothian)
Get a sneak peek of our 2009
vintage. Taste a variety of wines directly from
our French oak barrels. Light hors d'oeuvres and
wine tastings on the patio.
804-739-2774
· www.woodlandvineyard.com |
|
March
24: Greek Winemaker's
Dinner
Potomac Point Winery
(Stafford)
This exceptional menu includes
wild mushroom baklava with goat cheese, monk fish
poached in olive oil and herbs and braised lamb shanks
with baby fennel and mint gremolatta! Reservations
required.
540-446-2250 · www.potomacpointwinery.com
March
26: Taco
Bar
Veramar Vineyard
(Berryville)
Wine with your next order of
Tacos? Hmmm...you bet! Wine is popular
paired with Mexican and South American dishes. So,
come and enjoy.
540-955-5510
· www.veramar.com
March
26: Fondue &
Willowcroft
Willowcroft Farm
Vineyards (Leesburg)
Join us for cheese
fondue catered by The Melting Pot and paired with our
award-winning wines.
703-77-8161
· www.willowcroftwine.com
March
26: Salad and Wine
Pairing
Prince Michel
Vineyard (Leon)
Spend the afternoon with
Events Director Brad Nicholson and Chef Gil as they
create delectable salads while discussing the
particulars of pairing wine with
salads.
800-800-9463 · www.princemichel.com
March
26-27: Blossom to Bottle Open
House
Peaks of Otter Winery
(Bedford)
Picnic under a blossoming tree,
taste our wines, visit our farm animals and get your
tickets for the famous Horse and Hound Wine Festival in
July.
540-586-3707 · www.peaksofotterwinery.com
March
30-31: Wineries Unlimited Trade
Show
Greater Richmond
Convention Center
The second largest
vineyard and winery event of its kind in North
America. Wine industry personnel have opportunity
to view new products up close from US and Canadian
vendors displaying their wares and services.
Sponsored by Vineyard & Winery Management
magazine. www.wineriesunlimited.com
| |
|
©2006 Britt
Marketing & Public Relations
Official
Virginia Wine Lover™ is not affiliated with or published
by
Virginia Wine Lover Magazine
 
| | |
