Chris Pearmund and friends at City Square Cafe
Pairing Pearmund Wines with Great Food: A Review of the 7th Annual Autumn Wine Dinner at City Square Café in Manassas
Guest post by Tim and Celia Miner (contact: VAWineNDine@aol.com )
(October 27, 2011: Manassas, Virginia) We are privileged to have a passion and a hobby that allows us to enjoy great food that is paired with fantastic wines, and tonight was such a night. For those who haven’t had to pleasure to dine at City Square Café , you are missing something special in Northern Virginia. CSC is owned and managed by Robert and Susana Barolin , who have a wonderful culinary history and a long relationship with Manassas. We have frequented CSC many times on a Friday evening for a pitcher of sangria and several of the best tapas in the state, and we have attended some of the quarterly wine dinners here and have always enjoyed the food immensely. The food at CSC is thoughtfully selected by Robert and by Chef Scott, who is a master in the kitchen as far as we are concerned. Tonight was special though.
Tonight the guest of honor was Chris Pearmund, managing partner at Pearmund Cellars , Vint Hill Craft Winery , The Winery at La Grange , and several other “projects.” It isn’t often one can get wine notes directly from the owner. Chris related that he started his journey with a vision to marry his love of wine production with good food to be created in his own restaurant. While the restaurant never happened, he has been a leading figure in Virginia wine, especially in the Northern Virginia area. During his introductory remarks, Chris mentioned several of his latest projects to produce historic wines for Virginia. First he talked about the new “Winery at Bull Run” which will produce wines without electricity using techniques from the 1860s. Next he talked about using old oak trees legally obtained from the Bull Run battlefield to produce the barrels that will age a wine in honor of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. Chris added his comments between courses on each of the wines that were paired with the meal’s food. Again, this was a rare and wonderful treat.
The first course was an “Autumn Squash Pot Pie” paired with the Pearmund 2010 Viogner. This sweet dish consisted of slices of acorn, butternut, and sweet potato squash cooked in abundant pumpkin gravy and topped with a thin puff pastry. We were pleased with the food for its uniqueness and its good taste. The Viogner pour, like all pours tonight, were abundant three or four ounces. Robert raved about the Pearmund Viogner as the “best Viogner wine outside of France.”
The second pairing for the night was the Pearmund 2009 Cabernet Franc with a Buttermilk Fried Quail with a ginger-spiced sweet potato mash. Once again, the sweet potato mash gave the entrée an overall sweetness that the Cabernet Franc grape stood up to quite nicely. The pairing was excellent, but it was during this course that we noticed that none of the reds used during the meal were decanted. We asked Chris what he thought of decanting and he told the story of how he always takes a drink of the red wine he will serve with a meal while he was cooking—first because the cook deserves it and second because it gives the wine time to breathe. We heartily agree.
The third course was, by far, the best pairing of the evening. Pearmund’s award-winning 2007 Ameritage was served with medallions of roast tenderloins with a chili pepper and blackberry glaze. Personally we are very big fans of cuvee wines and Pearmund’s blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Merlot grapes really stood up and complemented the spicy-sweetness of the peppers and blackberries in the sauce. In his comments, Robert told how it was this wine, served at the official dinner for the sesquicentennial of the First Battle of Bull Run, that inspired the dinner we were enjoying tonight. This course got “two yums” from us.
The fourth and final course for the evening was a pairing of the 2009 Snort from The Winery at La Grange with a slice of pumpkin cake roll topped with a nutmeg-spiced homemade ice cream. The “Snort” (sounds like “port”) wine was very good with the sweetness of the dessert and was a great complement to the wonderful food. During his course notes, Chris challenged everyone to come up with another name for “port-style” wine, saying the official designation of “fortified wine” was just too boring. “Game on” now for all you creative blog readers.
Full house at City Square Cafe
Overall, the meal was outstanding with the pairings appropriate and tasty. The final bill was about $90 per person with tip and taxes, which is a little below average cost for a dinner where four or five wines are served especially with such generous pours. Robert, Susana, and Scott designed a superb menu of foods for the different courses. They were original, very satisfying and there was a good variety of textures and tastes. We are advocates for smaller portion sizes at restaurants, since we believe the average person should be able to appreciate the last course as much as the first without feeling stuffed. Tonight’s meal was right on.
This small restaurant is one of the gems of eating in Old Town Manassas and we would recommend it anytime. Wine dinners take place quarterly and their website is the place to keep track of the upcoming special events. All meals “officially” begin at 7 pm with the first group welcome at 7:30 and the first wine and food served at 7:35 to 7:40 pm. The wines used during the dinners are sold by the restaurant at below the rates charged at the wineries. The seventh annual Autumn Wine Diner at City Square Café rates two “yums up” (YUM+YUM) from us.
Thank you for reading our review and stay tuned for news of more fine wining and dining in Virginia. If you have comments or suggestions for events and locations of upcoming wine-dinners, please contact us at VAWineNDine@aol.com.
City Square Café
9428 Battle Street, Manassas, VA 20110
703.369.6022
www.citysquarecafe.com
Facebook
Wine dinners held quarterly
View "Review: Autumn Wine Dinner at City Square Café, Manassas" on its own page.
As Virginia Wine Month winds down, we think of the many “loves” we still want to bring you – including wine dinners. And just like that – poof! – we get an email from wine dinner enthusiasts Tim and Celia Miner, who have volunteered to bring you the occasional blog post on Virginia wine dinners.
Tim and Celia are avid travelers who enjoy pairing good wines and good beers with different foods. They literally “walk” the world with the International Marching League (www.imlwalking.org) and the International and American Volkssports Associations (www.ava.org). While traveling, they hunt down the best in local wines and beers. They are both aviators and meteorologists and veterans of the United States Air Force. They are also owned by a snarky cat, named Jynx. Tim grew up as the grandson of raters for the Mobil Travel Guide and he took on several assignments for that publication before entering the military. When they came to Virginia in 2000, they used the new “Virginia Wine Guide” travel stamp program to learn about the state. Their motto is “life is too short to drink bad wine and beer!” You can contact them with suggestions and event locations at VAWineNDine@aol.com.
Tomorrow… Tim and Celia’s review of the 7th Annual Autumn Wine Dinner at City Square Café in Manassas.
Welcome Tim and Celia!
View "31 Ways to Love Va Wine: Way #15 – Wine Dinners" on its own page.
Reviews are starting to filter in about the newly opened Trump Winery (formerly Kluge Estate Winery). Here’s a recent comment in our Virginia Wine in My Pocket app:
“Visited the newly remodeled tasting room just around the corner from Blenheim. What an enjoyable time. Not a traditional tasting. Sat outside on the patio on a sunny warm day. The server brings your selected tasting in a 6 oz acrylic cone carafe. Very cool. The sparkling wines were a great surprise, especially the blanc du blanc. It tasted like traditional french champagne. The Sauvignon Blanc was also a nice surprise. The Cabernet Sauvignons were juicy but big soft tannins. Quite different from other lighter body VA cabs. No surprise…Trump is doing it right. ”
Our friend and Virginia wine expert Richad Leahy reports that “wines immediately for sale will be labeled as the Kluge Estate Vineyards products carried over from the previous ownership,” so that’s what we presume our commentor was trying out.
We haven’t visited yet, but it sounds like the Trumps are keeping some of the more interesting elements of Kluge’s former tasting room operation - those tasting cones were cool, and after weeks of standing at tasting bars during our 150 winery tour, we appreciated the option of a self-guided tasting out on the patio.
We’d love to hear others’ experiences at Trump Winery – leave a comment below. Best thing since sliced bread? Just okay? Let us know…
Update 10/30/11: This comment just in from our app – what’s YOUR Trump Winery experience?
When I visited the newly opened Trump Winery recently, I left a bit less impressed than I’d expected, given the hype that had been generated. The flights offered were generous but more expensive than any surrounding wineries. The Kluge wines were higher priced than the Albemarle flight (of only 3 wines) and the self-guided tasting can end up seeming very impersonal. While the Albemarle wines were enjoyable, it is the unique Kluge Cru (100% Chardonnay fortified with brandy) that will be my only reason to make any return visits.
Additionally, most every other area winery offers some discount to industry personnel. To *not* offer any discounts is a slight to those who work so hard at their own wineries. Apparently this is standard procedure by Mrs. Kluge, so the Trump take-over hasn’t had an effect, but it’s certainly something that should be revisited. Creating good will among wineries can be much more helpful than anyone outside the industry could imagine…
View "31 Ways to Love Va Wine: Way #14 – Give Trump a Try" on its own page.
I’d like to thank the Academy, everyone who poured for us on our 150 Wineries in 150 Days Tour, our Va Wine in My Pocket app partner Sutro Media, our Readers, and most of all my husband – my wildebeest! – Rick.
Oh, and those fabulous organizers and motivators at Drink Local Wine!
We’ve just learned that we are among the winners of the Regional Wine Week 47-word essay contest!
We invested veritable minutes on our long, boozy journey to the top of the pantheon of Drink Local Wine essays. We are humbled, appreciative…thirsty.
So, a toast! To Morgan Goodman (the big winner!), our co-winners, Jeff Siegel and Dave McIntyre for launching Drink Local Wine, and to the happy-to-have-their-lives-back essay judges.
And to everyone who drinks wine from their own backyard.
Isn’t it time you discovered your own local crush?
View "Drink Local Wine picks our 47-word essay as a Regional Wine Week Winner!" on its own page.
With nearly 200 wineries in the state, there’s always – and we do mean ALWAYS – something wine-related to do. So if, as Woody Allen says, 80% of life is just showing up, Virginia wineries are making it easy for you to start discovering your local crush 
With thanks to Virginia.org and Virginiawine.org for the great compilation of events below!
Central Virginia
Concord – Oct 21-22 – DeVault Family Vineyards Fall Family Fun – DeVault Family Vineyards name truly does say it all. Our family owned and operated farm winery has a family atmosphere and amenities to entertain.
Powhatan – Oct 22 – Powhatan’s Festival of the Grape – Come down to Courthouse Square and sip the day away at this family fun event featuring 25 Virginia wineries. Great food and continuous live entertainment including Steve Bassett and Casper! Free wine glass with every ticket.
Nellysford – Oct 22-23 – Fall Foliage Open House at Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery – Fall Foliage Open House at Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery.
Orange – Oct 22-23 – Wine, Wings and Wheels Festival – Twelve wineries will present their best at this new Orange County event, which promises to be as popular as other area wine festivals.
Keswick – Oct 23 – Words & Wine Fundraiser at Keswick Vineyards – All proceeds benefit WriterHouse, a local non-profit supporting writers of all ages and stages.
More Central Virginia Wine Events
Hampton Roads
Chesapeake – Oct 29 – Chesapeake Virginia Wine Festival – Come for the second year of this great event benefitting Chesapeake Care Free Clinic, Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Rotary Club of Chesapeake. Entertainment by Lewis McGehee and Borderline Crazy Acoustic Trio.
More Hampton Roads Wine Events
Southern Virginia
Clarksville – Oct 21 – Harvest Winemaker’s Dinner at Cooper’s Landing – Reserve your seat for cocktails at 6:30 and dinner at 7 p.m. Chef will prepare five succulent dinner courses paired with five wines. $65 per person.
More Southern Virginia Wine Events
Northern Virginia
Washington – Oct 22 – Gadino Cellars Bluegrass & Wine – Enjoy a crisp Autumn day, a glass of wine and the bluegrass sounds of Hollowbound Bluegrass.
Linden – Oct 22-23 – A Taste of the Harvest at Fox Meadow – This activity will be held in the wine cellar where we will be tasting our wine-in-process from the current harvest.
Fredericksburg – Oct 29 – Harvest Festival at Hartwood Winery – Hayrides, scarecrow-making, games, pony rides, and the wonderful wines of Hartwood Winery and Rogers Ford Winery. What
could be better? Kids are free!
More Northern Virginia Wine Events
Chesapeake Bay
Oak Grove – Oct 22 – Harvest Celebration Festival – See winemaking demonstrations, and then taste and tour Ingleside Vineyards! We’ll have delicious food, artwork, crafts, exhibits, and live music. Hayrides and more for the kids, so come on out and feel free to bring a picnic. $20 at the gate; reservations recommended.
More Chesapeake Bay Wine Events
Shenandoah Valley
Eagle Rock – Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 – Celebrate Fall at Blue Ridge Vineyard – Celebrate Fall at Blue Ridge Vineyard with music and wine on Sunday afternoons in October.
Fishersville – Oct 21 – Sunsets at the Vineyard-Barren Ridge Vineyards – Join us every 3rd Friday of the month for live music, a roaring fire and expansive patio, all to enjoy with outstanding wine.
Mt. Crawford – Oct 25 – Barrel Tasting with the Winemaker in the Cellar – Join the winemaker at 1pm in the Barrel Room for a tasting, tour and appetizers. $30/person. Must call for
reservations.
More Shenandoah Valley Wine Events
Blue Ridge Highlands
Dugspur – Oct 22 – Fall Treats at Foggy Ridge Cider & Blacksnake Mead – Fall Treats at Foggy Ridge Cider & Blacksnake Mead.
View "31 Ways to Love Va Wine: Way #13 – Virginia Wine Events" on its own page.
 How about a little Virginia wine love on the water?
Washington Wine Academy has lined up some of Virginia’s best wines for their weekly Virginia wine cruises, to celebrate Virginia Wine Month. Cruises are nearly sold out, so if you’d like to get out on the water, reserve your spot now. Every Friday in October, two 90 minute cruise will leave from Gangplank Marina (SW Waterfront- directions here) and feature snacks like Smithfield Virginia ham, cheese, and peanuts. Days: Fridays October 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th Times: 6:30 and 8:30 pm Price: $55 |
Wines include:Rappahannock Cellars Noblesse Viognier 2009
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Chesapeake Wine Company Blue Crab Red NV
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Decided to fly in the face of the Zeus, Jupiter, Freyr, Tlaloc and the wicked witch of the east last night and grill some drumsticks. Rick goes out into the endless drip to get things started and yells back: “Um, hon. Just want to tell you that when I opened the grill to turn it on, it was covered with mold.”
“Mold!? What do you mean mold?”
“Mold. White and green mold.”
Well, that’s a first.
If you’ve had about all you can take of the deluge, get out there and make an offering to Bacchus. Maybe he can help.
Here are a few rainy day wineries you’ll love – they’re pretty inside as well as out, and all pour some lovely, warming, calming reds. See more Rainy Day Picks in the Virginia Wine in My Pocket app for iPhone & iPad.
8 Chains North (northeast)
Annefield Vineyards (south)
Afton Mountain (mid-south)
Rappahannock Cellars (northwest)
West Wind (southwest)
Ingleside (Northern Neck)
View "31 Ways to Love Va Wine: Way #11 – Rainy Days" on its own page.
I tried my first olive in first grade, during “international day” (back before all the standardized testing insanity). I had one tiny, horrid bite that stayed with me for forty years.
Since then, I’ve stood on the sidelines as olives have kicked the bejesus out of cocktail weenies and pigs in blankets and cheese logs to become the party appetizer, especially here in the D.C. area, home to so many olive-oriented cuisines.
The trouble is, people assume I love olives, because I love food, and I love wine. Food + wine = olive lover.
One friend served us golf ball-sized olives stuffed with blue cheese “because I remember how much you love them.” Another kicked off a dinner with two appetizers: roasted olives, and olive tapenade, followed by a main course of homemade pizza with black olives.
Eventually, I figured it must be me. All this olive-love would not be happening if the taste was as horrid as I remembered. So, at a dinner party at my sister’s house, when the (inevitable) olive tray appeared, I breathed deep, took a mental whisk broom to my preconceptions, asked for opinions on the best choice for a “starter” olive, and, finally, bit into a salty kalamata.
It was not bad. I could see a glimmer of the appeal. Briny taste, satisfying meaty texture, a little of the subtle fruit flavor that you pick up in a nice olive oil. Nice combination with a chilled dry sauvignon blanc. I got it.
And just like that, I was over the olive “hump” and on my way to becoming a fan – and less fearful dinner guest.
Unsavory experiences have a way of leaving us with little protective shields of lessons learned. Some lessons are helpful (mothballs look a lot like gumballs, to share an early example), but collect too many shields and you start to look like an armadillo.
Same goes for local wine. Winemaking in Virginia has not been standing still, and there are some exceptional bottles out there. So if you tried some out a decade ago and found it lacking, give it another go. But leave your armadillo home.
Read more about Regional Wine Week (October 9 – 15) and why regional wine matters, by our BFF Dave McIntyre of the Washington Post.
Check out Virginia wine bloggers favorite wineries here
View "31 Ways to Love Va Wine: Way #10 – Don’t be an armadillo" on its own page.
“Oh, do we have to?”
This is something you never say as you set out to explore Virginia wineries.
Oh, I guess Rick and I may have secretly thought it a time or two as we were cruising through 150 wineries in 150 days last year, researching our Virginia Wine in My Pocket app, but as a general rule, exploring wine country is fun fun fun.
And sitting atop the big stack of Virginia wine destinations – King of the Virginia Wine Fun Hill, you might say – is a winery that may be better known for jalapeños than grapes. Tell people you’re visiting southern Virginia wineries, and the first thing they’ll say is “You’re going to LOVE Peaks of Otter!” They say this with a happy little grin and a shake of the head and a warning about Kiss the Devil – Peaks of Otter’s jalapeno wine that’s typically taken with a chaser of Cheese Whiz.
Shannon Johnson awarding Rick his "I kissed the devil!" sticker
You may be shaking your own head at the idea, but to that I say: stop shaking your head! It sounds crazy, but it’s fun! Go to any big wine festival, and I guarantee the loudest and laughingest tent will be Peaks of Otter’s.
Virginia’s first fruit winery, the much-loved Peaks of Otter now produces a couple of vinifera grapes, but fruit wines are clearly still first in their hearts: they produce nearly 40 different types. The winery is a beautiful drive from any direction, located halfway between Roanoke and Lynchburg. In Roanoke, stay at the Rose Hill B&B, or the Carriage House Inn in Lynchburg, where you’ll want to eat at sexy Bull Branch restaurant.
There’s really only one way to share the joy and outrageous creativity of the wines at this winery/market/petting zoo/farm – let you read about it for yourself. We’re partial to the Chili Dawg, Plumlicious, and Pumpkin Pie.
Here’s the lineup. Oh, and the tasting’s free!
Dry Peach – Peach Delight
Virginia Apple Lovers – Dry Apple
What A Tomato – Apple Tomato
Crabapple
Blackberry Cobbler
Golden Nugget – Pear
Light Pear
Peach of Otter Brandy Wine Peach
Sweet Heart – Apple pomegranate wine
Go-Go-Goji - Apple, Goji, Noni Berry
Pumpkin Pie
Plumlicious – Sweet Plum
The Mango Tango
Strawberry Shortcake
Beale’s Treasure Liberty’s Jewels – Apple-Strawberry
Nectarine
Blue Ridge Mountain Grape
Beale’s Treasure Sweet Apple
Acia-Centuate The Positive – Acia Apple
Blueberry Muffin
Chili Dawg – apple blended with 3% chili pepper wine
Cinfulicious – holiday wine, served warm
Ras Ma Tas Raspberry
Frosty Morn – white grapes
Apple Truffle with milk chocolate
Cherry Cherry Cheese Cake
Beale’s Treasure – Pink Sapphire Peach
Blackberry Jammed
Strawberry Reserves
Kiss the Devil Chili Pepper
CAFE VINO – Like a Kahlua
Salty Frog Margarita
Pure Passion – sweet tart wine
Sangria – red grape and citrus wine
Vino Colada – pineapple coconut wine
Bring your picnic, wander the farm, set up next to the pond, and have yourself a day.
Directions:
GPS Coordinates*Elmos Rd @37.398240, -79.624940 = Johnsons Orchards sales room and Peaks of Otter Winery tasting room. Note than Mapquest and GPS will send people coming south on 81 over a fire trail. Please check winery’s directions before visiting.
From I-81, heading south:
Take the US-11 exit- exit number 167- toward BUCHANAN. 0.1 miles, Turn LEFT onto US-11 S. for 1.4 miles, STAY STRAIGHT onto VA – 43 S. for 0.1 miles, Turn LEFT to stay on VA – 43 S. for 4 miles, LEFT on Blue Ridge Parkway north for 5 mil, RIGHT on 43 south for about 4 miles, RIGHT on 682 for 3 mi, RIGHT on 680 and RIGHT again on 680 for 1 mi, LEFT at sign.
View "31 Ways to Love VA Wine: Way #9 – Peaks of Otter" on its own page.
October doesn’t just mean Virginia Wine Month – it also means the start of holiday season. Already, your inbox is being flooded with party invites – Columbus Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, National Boss Day, Mother-in-Law Day, Pan American Aviation Day (Dec 17, which is also Wright Brothers Day, understandably).
Don’t bring a naked bottle to the party! Dress it up with a hand-woven Buri-palm wine bag. The one-of-a-kind bags are part of The Buri Bag Project, a microlending program supporting women weavers and their families in Sampaloc, Quezon Province, Philippines.
Special pricing until October 31.
1 bag – $5.99 plus 50¢ shipping
*5 bags – $24.95 ($4.99 each) plus $2.50 shipping
*10 bags – $44.90 ($4.49 each) plus $5.00 shipping
*Buy 5 or more wine bags and receive a free Va Wine Drinker sticker for each bag you buy!
Buri bags make great holiday gifts! See more Buri Bags here – including beach bags, market bags and more. Contact us for pricing at Nancy@VaWineInMyPocket.com.
To purchase wine bags, by October 31, send your address and a check to In My Pocket Guides, 11160-C1 South Lakes Drive, #288, Reston, VA 20191. (To pay by credit card, send your credit card info to Nancy@VaWineInMyPocket.com.)
View "31 Ways to Love Virginia Wine: Way #8 – Bag It!" on its own page.
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