Food Notes

By The Daily Progress Staff

Published: July 29, 2008

Cardinal Point Winery uncorks the fun and funds

The inaugural Reading Rocks festival, a fundraiser for Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville-Albemarle, will be Saturday at Cardinal Point Winery in Afton.

Gates will open at 2 p.m., with music starting at 3 p.m. by Six Day Bender, Darrell Rose and the International Councillors, Jim Waive and the Young Divorcees, Andy Waldeck and Junior Moment and the Fun Thieves.

Food will be available from Botali’s Catering, and there will be free wine tastings. A vendor fair will feature work by local artisans. North Branch School will provide free activities for kids.

Funds raised Saturday will benefit LVA’s reading program, which offers one-on-one tutoring for adults. Last year, LVA helped about 250 students with basic literacy and ESL skills.

Tickets are $22, $10 if younger than 18, a family pass is available for $45. Additional donations are welcome. For details, visit http://www.readingrocks.org or call 977-3838.

Hill Top stages its own Blackberry Harvest fest

Hill Top Berry Farm in Nelson County will present its annual Blackberry Harvest Festival on Saturday.

Jason Ring will perform blues, country and bluegrass from 1 to 4 p.m. He performs old favorites and original songs that include jazz and ragtime.

A pig-pickin’ lunch will be catered by Rick’s Barbecue. Guests may purchase meals or bring their own picnics. Pear sangria will be available by the glass.

Gourmet chocolates, blackberry desserts and gelato (Italian ice) will be available from de Rochonnet delights Chocolatier. Blackberry wine will be paired with blackberry truffles.

Vendors will offer jewelry, ceramics, photography, honey and wooden toys, and there will be sand art for children.

The festival will continue rain or shine. There is a covered pavilion, shade trees and a beautiful farm.

The event is $10, which includes a logo glass, entry into the vendor area, live music and a wine tasting of wines paired with foods. It’s the peak of blackberry season, and the field will be open to pickers for the usual price per quart, at a separate price. To learn more, visit http://www.hilltopberrywine.com or call 361-1266.

Homestead names new food, beverage director

Perry Wiley has been appointed director of food and beverage at the Homestead in Hot Springs.

In his new role, Wiley will oversee operations of the resort’s dining outlets, including the Main Dining Room, 1766 Grille, Sam Snead’s Tavern and the President’s Lounge.

Wiley brings more than 17 years of management experience. He served as director of food and beverage at the Vail Cascade Resort and Spa in Vail, Colo., and held the same position at resorts in Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Louisiana.

He also served as manager of Commanders Place, where he trained with renowned chef Emeril Lagasse. He also served as restaurant operations manager at the Palace Cafe.

Wiley has a degree in business management with a concentration in management information systems from the University of New Orleans.

The Homestead is a 483-room resort on more than 3,000 acres of Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains.

Class points out the Southern Love Affair

Jim Winecoff, owner and chef of Mona Lisa Pasta, and Terre Sisson of Charlottesville Wine and Culinary will continue their Summer Cooking Classes series with “Southern Love Affair’’ at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The demonstration-style class will include cool Florida avocado soup with tiny tomato triangles, Louisiana bronzed shrimp with Creole sauce, Krispy Kreme bread pudding and Jack Daniels sauce.

The class is $60. A light meal and complimentary beverage are included. To reserve your space, call 295-2494.

Wineworks schedules a weekend of tastings

Virginia Wineworks will have a special opening for the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Michael Shaps and Philip Stafford will offer complimentary tastings of Wineworks and Michael Shaps wines.

There will be pre-release barrel samples, one-on-one discussions with winemaker Shaps, tours of the winemaking facility and demonstrations from the Charlottesville Cooking School.

Shaps and Stafford also will discuss “custom crush’’ winemaking opportunities.

Virginia Wineworks is behind First Colony Winery on Harris Creek Road, off Route 20. For information, send e-mail to or call 923-8314.

Gray Ghost is ahead of the ‘Class,’ once more

Gray Ghost Winery has won “Best of Class’’ honors in the Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition for the third consecutive year.

Gray Ghost’s 2007 Vidal Blanc took top honors and the 2007 Adieu was awarded gold.

The 69th annual wine competition drew more than 4,000 wines from around the world.

Gray Ghost also won gold at the Virginia State Fair wine competition for its 2007 Gewurtztraminer, which means the winery has won 13 top awards and gold medals in 2008 so far.

Gray Ghost Winery is at 14706 Lee Highway in Amissville. The tasting room is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For information, call (540) 937-4869.

From staff reports