It’s August: Time to Wine, Not Whine!
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, August 1st, 2011
News flash: it is hot right about now, but I am tired of talking weather. Instead, we should be celebrating these last days of summer. And when it comes to celebrating, wine always helps. So to stop our collective whining, here are a few events about town that will quench your thirst:
Wines & Food of Catalonia at Bastille
On Wednesday, August 3, join Chefs Christophe and Michelle Poteaux of Bastille for a wine dinner commemorating their travels in the Languedoc region of France. The night’s courses celebrate Languedoc’s Catalan heritage and are as follows:
First
Squid, Sardine and Mussels Escabeche Salad
Second
Chorizo rillette and tomato salad
Entree
Grilled Virginia lamb, fried eggplants, and fire-roasted peppers
Dessert
Blackberries, vanilla bean bavaroise, and pistachios dacquoise
The dinner is $69 per person with wine pairings; $45 per person without. Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m., with dinner served at 7:00 p.m.
For more information or to make reservations, click here.
Bastille
1201 N. Royal St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 519-3776
Cheese Boot Camp and Wine Tastings at Red, White & Bleu
The gourmet wine, boutique cheese and charcuterie shop, Red, White & Bleu offers customers free weekend wine tastings. August 5 through August 7, look forward to sampling wines from South Africa and New Zealand.
Want to learn more about cheese? Sign up for Cheese Boot Camp, which is an ongoing series of demonstrations, lectures, and tastings. On Sunday, August 14, from 1 to 3 p.m., the latest installment is “Milk Maid Comparison,” which will allow you to compare and contrast goat’s, sheep’s, and cow’s milk cheeses. The cost is $25/person. Call for reservations.
Red, White & Bleu
127 S. Washington St.
Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 533-9463
A Taste of South Africa Wine Dinner at L’Auberge Chez François
And speaking of South African wines . . . You won’t want to miss the South African Wine Dinner at L’Auberge Chez François in Great Falls. Join winery owner and Master Sommelier Fran Kysela on Tuesday, August 23, as she pairs wine with Chef Jacques Haeringer’s tasting menu of:
Canapés
Fresh Carolina Barbecued Shrimp
Spice Filet of Rock Fish with Roasted Peppers
Wild Mushroom Crusted Alaskan Salmon
Grilled Beef Medallions with a Zesty Ratatouille
Blueberry Custard Tart with Cinnamon Ice Cream
Dinner is $125 per person. For more information or to reserve, click here.
L’Auberge Chez François
332 Springvale Road
Great Falls, Virginia 22066
-Johnisha M. Levi
Tags: Alexandria restaurants, Bastille, Cheese Boot Camp, Cristophe Poteaux, Falls Church, Fran Kysela, free wine tastings, French Catalan, gourmet foods, Great Falls restaurants, Gut Check, Jacques Haeringer, Johnisha M. Levi, L'Auberge Chez Francois, Languedoc, Master Sommelier, Michelle Poteaux, Milk Maid Comparison, New Zealand wines, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, Red White & Bleu, South African wines, summer wine events, wine dinners, wine events, wine in August, Wines & Food of Catalonia