Wine and Cookies

Yummy! Wine and cookies. Take a look at the wine and cookie tour we are doing with Virginia Wine Adventures. This is going to be a combination of tasting wine and pairing them with holiday cookies. There will be cookies purchased from local cookie companies and Deidra (VA Wine Adventures) and I are going to each make a cookie to show off our baking abilities.

I am torn on which one to make. I have a recipe for a wine cookie -- it's more savory than sweet but I was thinking of using the wine that we taste in the recipe. The other one is a traditional almond paste cookie that everyone always raves about. Any ideas?

Hey, Doug Fabbioli will be pouring on this tour and I understand he is breaking out his newly bottled Raspberry Merlot and a pear apertif especially for us. I love the merlot he does each year and now I am also excited to try the pear. Anything Doug does, in my opinion is wonderful! Check out his website at www.fabbioliwines.com.


If you haven't been to Sunset Hills yet, go take a peak at their gorgeous tasting room. It is done and wow the Amish who restored the barn are true artists and craftsmen. Just beautiful! They as well as Notaviva will be a regular stop on my Virginia Wine Tours. People enjoy the wine, music and beautiful surroundings of both places so I like to spend time there.

Hey, here is a tour I am doing for a private group, I can't wait! This is going to be a "Culinary Day in Middleburg". First a stop at Chrysalis Vineyard for a wine tasting and tour by their winemaker. Then on to the Red Fox Inn, the oldest working inn in America. This is such a cool place with a cool history. Anyway, we are going to have lunch there, and offer Virginia wines of course, but the menu will feature courses that they would have had during the Civil War period. The chef will do a chef demo of peanut soup and then we will offer a chicken or Quiche dish for the entree. I found out Quiche was around way back then. Go figure! Finally a bourbon pecan pie will be offered for dessert. After the Red Fox they can shop in downtown Middleburg for awhile which offers a very quaint shops to do some shopping. Pretty cool!

Anyway, that's it from here.

Ciao and Chow
Andrea

Virginia Wine Tour Weekend Package

What are you doing Saturday and Sunday Dec 6? Take a look at the package that the Embassy Suites and Homewood Suites Hotel Dulles North and Good Taste! Tours developed. The hotels are both great properties, close to restaurants, shopping etc. Plus they give you a hot breakfast in the morning and a manager's reception in the evening.

Anyway, we have partnered to offer a Virginia Winery Tour weekend package on December 6 -7. You come in early on Saturday the 6th and then your Food and Wine tour departs the hotels at 10:30am. You also have the option to extend your stay and come in early on Friday, December 5. I will be the host on the tour and we will visit 3 wineries all with a unique story and great wines and see some beautiful scenic Virginia countryside along the way. Also, a gourmet boxed lunch will be included and at Notaviva winery we will have a wine pairing with dessert! Wait until you taste their dessert wines. They are "not too sweet" dessert wines but can certainly stand up to let's say a decadent chocolate dessert or maybe a nice buttermilk pie!

There will also be a "behind the scenes tour" at one of the wineries to see and learn the process of making wine. After our wine adventure you will be brought back to the hotel where you can relax for the evening, go out to dinner, go to a movie.

Check out the package under public tours on goodtastetours.com http://www.goodtastetours.com/tours.html. It will also be up on both hotels websites soon too!

Chow!
Andrea