Food Notes

By The Daily Progress Staff

Published: December 2, 2008

Forest Lakes holds Holiday Farmers’ Market

The Holiday Farmers’ Market and Craft Fair is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the North Recreational Poolhouse and Pavilion in Forest Lakes, off Timberwood Boulevard.

The Forest Lakes Community Association, the Piedmont Environmental Council and Buy Fresh Buy Local will present the event, which will feature holiday treats from local farmers. There will be holiday trees, wreaths and swags, as well as seasonal produce, grass-fed meat, pastured poultry, farm-fresh eggs and handmade items. Also offered for sale will be homemade jams and butters, as well as breads, scones, granola, pastries, chocolates, pies, crackers, teas, pickles and salsas. For information, visit http://www.buylocalvirginia.org.

Early wine dinner on tap at DelFosse

DelFosse Vineyards and Winery will have its Early Winter Wine Dinner from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

DelFosse wines will be served with a menu by Genevieve DelFosse, and there will be a 10 percent discount on wines purchased at the event.

The event is $65 and includes a wine glass. Reservations are required. For information, call 263-6100.

Keswick is serving up a five-course dinner

Keswick Vineyards will present its first five-course Winemaker’s Dinner at 7 p.m. Thursday.

A reception with pre-dinner wines will begin at 6:30 p.m., and dinner will begin promptly at 7 p.m.

Keswick will team up with Harvest Moon to present courses paired with award-winning wines. Wines will be available for purchase at increased discounts at the end of the evening.

The event is $100. Space is limited to 50 people. For information or reservations, call 244-3341.

Kluge Estate Farm Shop plans open house

The Kluge Estate Farm Shop will present its Holiday Open House from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. There will be seasonal treats and year-round offerings. There also will be mulled spice wine and passed hors d’oeuvres.

From 2 to 4 p.m. both days, Kluge Estate’s winemakers will be available for a meet-and-greet and tastings.

Kluge Estate Farm Shop is the tasting room, gift shop and gourmet food outpost of Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard. Established in 1999, it is on 2,000 acres on Carter’s Mountain near Monticello.

Also in December, the farm shop will switch over to holiday hours, which will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, with the last tasting at 4:30 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with the last tasting at 5:30 p.m.

For information, visit http://www.klugeestateonline.com or call 984-4855.

Oakencroft will hold its last holiday opening

Oakencroft Vineyard and Winery will present its final Holiday Open House weekend from 11 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The winery will be closing its doors permanently on Dec. 31. The open house will give fans a chance to find discounts on wines and sample some tasty holiday snacks.

Admission is $3. For details, visit http://www.oakencroft.com or call 296-4188.

Holiday wine and food will be paired at winery

DelFosse Vineyards and Winery will present a Holiday Wine and Food Pairing at 1 p.m. Sunday.

A menu of four seasonal gourmet dishes by Genevieve DelFosse will be paired with four generous samplings of award-winning wines, and there will be a short discussion of the pairings. There will be a 10 percent discount on wines purchased at the event.

The event is $30 per person and includes a wine glass. Additional glasses may be purchased. Reservations are required. Call 263-6100.

Afton prepares for its winter holiday festivities

Afton Mountain Vineyards will present the first weekend of its Winter Open House from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The farm winery will offer barrel tastings of its 2008 wines and formally release two 2007 wines — Barrel Select Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard also will re-release the 2005 and 2006 Cabernet Franc and the 2005 Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon.

Shinko Corpora’s minestrone will be served and winery tours will be conducted.

Admission is free. Call (540) 456-8667.

Fondue Party brings out the chocolate at R2

The “Eat Chocolate — Change the World Fondue Party,’’ set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at R2 at Rapture, is designed to help raise awareness of the problem of child labor in the world’s cocoa crop.

Sisters-in-law Elisabeth Barahona and Anita Oliver and their friends are planning the event to benefit Stop the Traffik’s Chocolate Campaign.

Tickets are $5. Dance fans will get an extra break, because guests who donate $5 for the chocolate event will not have to pay the $10 cover charge to dance later in the evening at R2 to the music spun by DJ Select. Call 242-4982.

There are new hours at Carter Mountain

Carter Mountain Orchard has switched to new December hours for the rest of its season.

The orchard will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 21 and will close for the season after Dec. 21.

For information, call 977-1833.

Chiles Peach Orchard closed for the season Nov. 30. For details, call 823-1583.

First Colony will host a cooking class Sunday

First Colony Winery will present a cooking class from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

Guest chef Terre Sisson of Charlottesville Wine and Culinary will lead the class in preparing and enjoying a three-course meal paired with First Colony wines.

The class is $65 per person, and reservations are required. For details, send e-mail to or call 979-7105.

Several classes on burner at cooking school

Charlottesville Cooking School will present “Holiday Brunch” with Ashley Clarke at 10:30 a.m. Saturday for $65.

“Chocolate Workshop” with Eric Speer is at 6 p.m. Sunday for $65. Speer’s “Holiday Buffet” class will be 6 p.m. Monday for $65. Call 963-2665 to sign up.

From staff reports

Charlottesville Cooking School will present a “Vegetarian Harvest Dinner’’ class with Marisa Catalano at 2 p.m. Saturday.

In the class, students will make a salad of frisee, butterlettuce, arugula, watercress and walnuts with sherry vinaigrette, as well as Camembert toasts, cassoulet of leeks and white beans with parsley and garlic crumbs, brown and wild rice cakes and apple cranberry clafouti for dessert.

The class is $65 and will last three to four hours.

Charlottesville Cooking School also is booking private holiday cooking parties, so call 963-2665 to sign up. Learn more at http://www.charlottesvillecookingschool.com.

From staff reports