Valentine's Day: Vineyards Celebrate with Chocolate, Cabernet
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Monday, February 2, 2009
Mulled Cabernet Sauvignon, imported truffles, Riesling ice wine and other sugary delicacies will comprise the Valentine's Day selections of several local Vineyards.
At Breaux Vineyards in Purcellville, sample seven chocolate and Cabernet pairings - from youngest to a reserve bottle - in the low-lit barrel room.
Sip a glass of Canadian Cabernet Franc ice wine at Willowcroft Farm Vineyard in Leesburg, or fill a plate of strawberries, pineapple and butter cookies to dip into Swedenburg Estate Vineyard's chocolate fountain.
This Valentine's day, you can enjoy the creations of Northern Virginia's chefs and winemakers without emptying your wallet.
Chocolate & Cabernet
When visitors enter Breaux Vineyards, they will be whisked away to a barrel room filled with rose petals and tables draped in red linens. In the dimly-lit room featuring up-lighting on ceiling-high barrels, guests will sample seven pairings of hand-rolled truffles with Breaux's Cabernet Sauvignon.
Wines will progress from younger labels to Breaux's 99 Reserve, and the chocolate from dark to light.
Photo Gallery
Valentine's at the Vineyard
Breaux will serve hand-rolled truffles and cabernet on Valentine's Day. (Charity Corkey)
Swedenburg Vineyard Estate is located off of Route 50 in the Middleburg area. (Charity Corkey)
Swedenburg's award-winning Chantilly, an off-dry fruity wine with a citrus background, will be available to guests on Valentine's Day. (Charity Corkey)
Guests can also sample Swedenburg's Pinot Noir--a berry and allspice flavored wine with a touch of oak--or the Cabernet Sauvignon. (Charity Corkey)
The Valentine's Day event at Willowcroft Farm Vineyard in Leesburg will be held in the barn's cozy, rustic rooms. (Charity Corkey)
The younger the Cabernet, the younger and tangier the tannins, so those are paired with darker chocolates to soften the tannins, explained owner Jennifer Breaux Blosser.
As the Cabernet grows older, the tannins soften, and a lighter percentage of cocoa is more complimentary.
However, Breaux Blosser encourages guests to take a bite of each truffle, and save a bit to sample with other wines in the progression.
"It's all about the experience, and with chocolate and cabernet, you can't go wrong," she said. "It's a match made in heaven."
Event Info:
Where: Breaux Vineyards, 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Purcellville
When: Feb. 14 &15, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Available Feb. 13 by reservation.
Web: www.breauxvineyards.com
Phone: 1-800-492-9961
Prices: $15 online, $15 Cellar Club, $20 Day of the Event
Ice Wines, Dessert Wines & Sweets for Valentine's Day
Willowcroft Farm Vineyard, a rustic country farm and winery, will offer ice wines to its Valentine's Day guests on Feb. 14.
Ice wine, a thick dessert wine, is processed from frozen grapes. The winemaker waits for the first frost on the grapes, picks them while frozen and immediately presses them to trap the sugar. The wine is bottled quickly so the sugars become concentrated, resulting in a sweet, almost syrupy, drink.
Willowcroft is serving three imports: Canadian Cabernet Franc, German Riesling and Canadian Vidal.
Guests to the afternoon event, which will be held in the rooms of the vineyard's barn, can also sample Willowcroft dessert wines, and a variety of treats including chocolate-iced Bundt cakes, raspberry dark-chocolate brownies, and piles of Ghirardelli chocolates.
Event Info:
Where: Willowcroft Farm Vineyard, 38906 Mt. Gilead Road, Leesburg
When: Feb. 14, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Web: willowcroftwine.com
Phone: 703-777-8161
Price: $12. Call for Reservations.
-Swedenburg Chocolate Fountain & Wine
Melons, apples, strawberries, pineapple, rice crispy squares, and marshmallows will cover the tables, ready for dipping in a chocolate fountain, at Swedenburg Estate Vineyard on Valentine's Day.
To accompany the melted chocolate, the vineyard will offer Aslatian-style Riesling, allspice, berry flavored Pinot Noir and Chardonnay barrel fermented in French Allier oak, for tasting.
Mark Swedenburg's mulled Cabernet Sauvignon will also be available to guests. A zesty winter wine, the drink is spiced with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, orange rinds and lemon peel.
Event Info:
Where: Swedenburg Estate Vineyard, 23595 Winery Lane, Middleburg
When: Feb. 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Web:www.swedenburgwines.com
Phone: 540-687-5219
Price: $10. Reservations required for large parties.
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