Food Notes

By The Daily Progress Staff

Published: May 20, 2008

Wintergreen Winery plans memorable Memorial

Wintergreen Winery in Nellysford will present its annual Memorial Weekend Celebration from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

There will be tastings of Wintergreen’s award-winning wines, including recent releases of Viognier, Three Ridges Red and Mill Hill Apple, as well as locally produced favorites Black Rock Chardonnay Reserve, Three Ridges White, Thomas Nelson White, Cabernet Franc, Brent’s Mountain Merlot and Raspberry dessert wine, paired with chocolate.

Chickenhead Blues Band will perform Saturday, and William Walter and Co. will play on Sunday.

There will be door prize drawings and wine and gift shop specials. Light picnic fare, wines and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.

Admission is $7 on Saturday and Sunday, which includes the wine tasting and a souvenir wine glass. The event will go on rain or shine.

On Monday, there will be no live music and no admission fee.

The tasting room, gift shop and picnic area are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at 462 Winery Lane, off Route 664 in Nellysford. Visit http://www.WintergreenWinery.com or call 361-2519.

Then try the brew at Wintergreen Resort’s fest

The Blues and Brews Festival at Wintergreen Resort will begin Friday with storytelling by the campfire, including Appalachian tales and s’mores.

On Saturday, there will be myriad outdoor activities on Lake Monocan, including a sand castle competition, pony rides, boat demonstrations and a concert by the popular local band Mongrel.

Visitors can visit a chili cook-off and attend a craft workshop. Later in the evening, there will be a musical hayride and a movie night featuring “Enchanted.’’

Sunday events include a summer reading program with local author Marti Regan, an arts and crafts fair on the courtyard and the Blues and Brews Festival, which will include music by the Nicholson Brothers, Eli Cook and Deanie Blues. Beer from area breweries will be featured.

There also will be a craft workshop with Meredith Young, a pie-eating contest, a Create-a-Bear workshop and a family movie night featuring “Horton Hears a Who.’’

For details, visit http://www.wintergreenresort.com or call 325-8180.

Sample music at Wintergreen Performing Arts

Wintergreen Performing Arts will present its 2008 Festival of Wines from noon to 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Evans Center at Wintergreen.

There will be wines from Kluge, Barboursville, Cardinal Point, DelFosse, Veritas, Gabriele Rausse, Horton, Flying Fox, Rockbridge, Wintergreen and Villa Appalaccia .

Admission is $20 and includes a souvenir glass. Proceeds will support Wintergreen Performing Arts’ performance and educational activities.

For details, visit http://www.wintergreenperformingarts.com or call 325-8292.

Nelson County’s Mountain Cove goes Primavera

Mountain Cove Vineyards will present its 29th annual Fiesta de Primavera from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Jimmy O will perform from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and the Roadhouse Blues Band from Lexington, making its first appearance at the festival, will perform Sunday.

Admission is $10, which includes a souvenir wine glass. Children and those age 12 to 20 pay $2, and children younger than 12 get in free.

Please leave pets at home.

For information, visit http://www.mountaincovevineyards.com or call 263-5392.

Meanwhile, at DelFosse, there’s some barbecue

DelFosse Vineyards and Winery in Faber will present its Memorial Weekend BBQ from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

There will be pulled pork barbecue, homemade relish, coleslaw, barbecue beans and potato salad by Daddy Bims Barbecue. Jan Smith and Jeff Vogelgesang will provide the music. DelFosse wines will be served.

There will be a 10 percent discount on wines purchased at the events, plus a complimentary wine glass.

The event is $20 per person, and reservations are required. For details, call 263-6100.

You’re invited to Oakencroft’s 25th anniversary

Oakencroft Vineyard and Winery plans its 25th Anniversary Celebration for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.

Featured will be Oakencroft’s 2006 Reserve Merlot, Chambourcin and Cabernet Franc.

Food provided by BBQ Brothers will include slowly smoked barbecued pork and chicken, cole slaw, potato salad and baked beans.

Admission is $15 and includes a souvenir glass. For information, visit http://www.oakencroft.com or call 296-4188.

There are new wines in nearby Rappahannock

Rappahannock Cellars will fill its Memorial Day Weekend festivities with new wine releases, foods and music on Saturday and Sunday.

Rappahannock will release its 2006 Claret, a full-bodied Bordeaux-style red with layers of chocolate, cherry and spice. The recently released 2007 Seyval Blanc also will be available.

Music will be performed by Danny Schneible from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday and by Robbie Limon from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Picnic baskets must be reserved from Katie’s Kitchen by the end of the business day Thursday. Baskets can be created for any size of group.

The first picnic-basket choice features an assortment of cheeses, crackers or breadsticks, olives and meats for $7 per person. The second option includes a choice of chicken salad, egg salad or country ham sandwiches, choice of Greek salad, pasta salad or Waldorf salad, choice of peanut butter and jelly or pigs-in-a-blanket for children and a selection of fresh fruits and cheeses for $15 per adult and $8 per child.

Rappahannock Cellars is at 14437 Hume Road in Huntly. To reserve a picnic basket, or to learn more, call (540) 635-9398.

White Hall grabs the gold for its 2006 Viognier

White Hall Vineyards received a gold medal from the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition for its 2006 Viognier.

The award was the only gold medal presented to a Virginia wine in the competition this year.

For information, visit http://www.whitehallvineyards.com.

Salmon is the class at Mona Lisa Pasta tonight

Jim Winecoff, owner-chef of Mona Lisa Pasta, and Terre Sisson of Charlottesville Wine and Culinary have teamed up again for a series of spring cooking classes.

“Spring Salmon’’ will be the class at 7 tonight. There will be a demonstration of sun-dried tomato and prosciutto palmiers, wine-poached salmon wit sour cream dill sauce, spring vegetable risotto and fresh berry fool.

The class is $55. A light meal and complimentary beverage are included.

To reserve your space, call 295-2494.

Romancing the ‘Ham’ at the Surrey House

Peacock-Harper Culinary History Friends Group will present “The Romance of Virginia Ham: History and Production’’ with Sam W. Edwards III at 9:30 a.m. Friday at Edwards’ Virginia Hams at 11455 Rolfe Highway in Surry.

Edwards is owner of Edwards’ Virginia Hams, which produces acclaimed Virginia hams.

Lunch will be at the Surrey House in Surry after the talk and tour.

Registration for the talk is $15. A deposit of $25 is required if you’d like to attend dinner at the King’s Arms Tavern in Williamsburg the night before on Thursday, where dinner will be about $35; lunch at the Surrey House on Friday will be about $20.

Make checks payable to “Peacock-Harper Culinary History Friends’’ and mail them to JoAnn Emmel, treasurer, Peacock-Harper Culinary History Friends, P.O. Box 11086, Blacksburg, Va. 24062.

Lafayette Inn supports Four County’s ‘Cause’

The Lafayette Inn in Stanardsville will present its “Cause Thursday’’ in support of Four County Players on Thursday.

Twenty percent of the evening’s dinner proceeds will be donated to the community theater, which currently is presenting the comic farce “Lend Me a Tenor.’’

Reservations are highly recommended. For information, visit http://www.thelafayette.com985-6345. or call

The strawberry parlor is open at the orchard

Strawberries are ripe for the picking at Chiles Peach Orchard in Crozet.

Guests can pick their own berries from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Strawberry-picking field trips can be scheduled for preschool, elementary school, home-school and other student groups.

The new farm market is stocked with jams, jellies, local crafts, fresh vegetables and strawberries.

The ice cream parlor will feature frozen yogurt, soft-serve ice cream, sundaes and shakes. Learn more at http://www.ChilesPeachOrchard.com or call 823-1583.

The Invader is hoping to defend strawberry title

Ian “The Invader’’ Hickman will be aiming for the title in the third annual National Strawberry Eating Championship at 1 p.m. Saturday at Sky Meadow State Park in Delaplane, during the Delaplane Strawberry Festival.

Hickman, 25, from Herndon, has established several world records and captured several national titles since he began eating competitively in 2005. He smashed the world record by downing more than 10 pounds of chili in only five minutes and has won the World Black and White Cookie Eating Championship.

The annual festival, an outreach ministry of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, supports outreach grants to local, regional and international nonprofit organizations. Learn more at http://www.emmanuel-delaplane.org.

It’s time to get outside at Orzo’s covered patio

Orzo Kitchen and Wine Bar has opened its covered patio for lunch and dinner.

Starting in June, Orzo will be open for dinner on Monday evenings. Guests will want to look for new spring additions to the menu.  Visit wwworzokitcheon.com or call 975-6796.

South River invites Giuseppe for Italian dinner

South River Restaurant and Wine Shop will an Italian wine dinner at 7 p.m. Thursday featuring Giuseppe from Bravo Wines in Italy. A new event, Monday Blues, will kick off from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday on the patio. There will be live entertainment, a menu of Cajun specials cooked outdoors on the grill and homemade ice cream.

South River is at 23 Windgrove Road in Waynesboro. For reservations, prices and details, call (540) 942-5567.

Gray Ghost goes for the gold, again, in California

Gray Ghost Vineyards’ 12007 Adieu and 2007 Vidal Blanc won gold medals at the 23rd annual Pacific Rim International Wine Competition in San Bernardino, Calif., in April.

Gray Ghost was the only Virginia winery to win gold at the event. Its 2006 Reserve Chardonnay won silver.

Gray Ghost’s Adieu has won a total of 10 medals, seven of which came in California wine competitions.

The Pacific Rim wins come on the heels of three medals at California’s Riverside International Wine Competition, where the Adieu, Vidal Blanc and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon all won bronze. Adieu also won a bronze at San Diego’s International Wine Competition.

From staff reports

From staff reports