Rappahannock Cellars and the Flint Hill Public House invite you to a relaxing and educational Wine Dinner.

The four-course Rappahannock Cellars Wine Dinner will introduce a special selection of some of the best wines with a gourmet menu.

Appetizer: 

Seared scallops on a bed of arugula drizzled with basil oil paired with 2011 Viognier.

Salad:

House salad of field greens with beef steak tomatoes, julienne cucumbers and sliced red onions with a balsamic vinaigrette paired with 2011 Rosé

Entrée:

Beef Brisket: Slow-roasted with wild mushrooms and served with mashed potatoes and sautéed Brussels sprouts paired with 2009 Meritage

Dessert:

Crème Brûlée: Traditional vanilla bean custard finished with caramelized sugar paired with 2008 Late Harvest Vidal

OR

Chocolate, Chocolate: Rich chocolate brownies drizzled with homemade chocolate sauce paired with 2008 Port

Details for the dinner are listed below:

When: Thursday, May 17th, 2012

Where: 675 Zachary Taylor Highway Flint Hill, VA 22627

Time 6-8 p.m.

Price: $85.00 per person (includes taxes and gratuity)

Host: Jason Burrus, winekmaker of Rappahannock Cellars

Reservations: 540.675.1700

• Aromas of fresh kiwi and honeydew melon greet the nose in this wine that’s perfect for summer. The palate is treated to nuances of black cherry and white pepper with a finish that’s not too sweet and not too dry. Sealed with a Stelvin closure to preserve its freshness. Serve well chilled. 63% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon.

2011 Noblesse Rouge

• This popular Bordeaux-style blend is made to be fun and easy drinking. Berry fruit aromas on the nose are spiced with nuances of toast and vanilla. The palate is smooth, rich, and not too tannic. The finish is dry but lets you wonder if there is a slight amount of sweetness. Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec.

• Dark and rich with focused purity, this is Virginia Merlot. Up front aromas of cherry, blackberry, and spice are followed by a dry, firm structure on the palate. This wine has the backbone for long term aging. 92% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon.

2011 Viognier – DuCard Vineyard

• This wine is made from grapes grown by DuCard Vineyards in Madison County and made into wine at Rappahannock Cellars. It exhibits characteristic peach flavors of Viognier but also a nuance of white pepper that is typical of the vineyard site. The palate is firm and focused, but softened by a hint of sweetness. 95% Viognier, 5% Vidal Blanc. 0.7% residual sugar. Serve chilled.

·       “Explore” the wine regions of the Mediterranean, California, New York and Virginia as you savor regional wines paired with artisanal foods.

·       Collect your “stamps” from regionally-themed areas showcasing award-winning wines and tapas-style offerings which feature locally-sourced beyond-organic ingredients from Ayreshire Farm, Fields of Athenry, Polyface Farm, farms of the Northern Valley Pastoral Guild and more!

·       Make your bid on wine and locavore-related silent auction items in each wine region.

·       Culminate your evening on the patio under the stars for exquisite Port and Dessert pairings, and our Live Auction of exemplary wines, exhilarating getaways, and epicurean delights.

Join us for an exceptional evening!  Look us up on Facebook: SlowFoodVastWine. Tickets can be purchased at www.slowfoodvastwine.org

Join us to kick off an all new event! As usual, we’re keeping things intimate – so seating is limited. This event is structured, and begins promptly at 11:30am. We expect the event to last between 1-2 hours, but that depends on how things go! Reservations/Tickets are required, so get ‘em HERE.

So what’s the deal? Well, you know the wine you like to drink (Rappahannock of course!) – but which cheeses go with? You could google it, sure – or maybe buy one of those wine wheels (kind of cool, don’t get me wrong)…but even then, you’d just be getting ideas for tired pairings. How about some education? Conversation? Sipping satiation? How about some wine and cheese pairings that suprise and delight? Don’t know about you – but when someone says “Wine and Cheese?” – I say “Yes Please!” (okay, I’ve exhausted the proverbial cheese)…

…Expect 4 incredible cheeses, and 8 incredible wines. We’ll provide a small sample of each cheese, then chat and educate as we go through pairing those cheeses with both traditional – and not so traditional – wine pairings. Take a look at the lineup and grab your tickets here! (please note that the new club room will be closed until 2pm for this event, and the winery will close promptly at 6:00 to prepare for the Slow Food Vast Wine event)

Rappahannock Cellars will close as usual at 6pm on Saturday, April 7th, will remain closed Easter Sunday, and will reopen again as usual on Monday, April 9th, 11:30am.

Cheers!

• Gorgeous dark color and pure Cab Franc character. Subtle toasty spice on the nose. Reminiscent of the best of French Loire Valley Cabernet Franc. A streak of minerality runs through the palate. 14 months age in mostly Eastern European oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation complete. 100% Cabernet Franc.

2011 Low Oak Chardonnay

• Made in the style of Chablis, this wine is clean, crisp, and fresh. Aromas of citrus and stone are followed by a pleasant crisp bite on the palate. A small portion of this wine was fermented and aged in barrel while the majority was stainless steel fermented and aged. Serve well chilled and pair with fish or poultry. 100% Chardonnay.

• This 2008 vintage of Meritage is now a Wine Club-only wine. Aromas of bramble fruit, pomegranate, toast, and butter. The palate is smooth and displays the perfect amount of age for a Bordeaux-blend red wine. A gorgeous union of texture, tannin, fruit, and alc. 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 12% Petit Verdot, 10% Malbec, and 8% Cabernet Franc.

2011 Seyval Blanc

• Aromas of kiwi, pear, lemon peel, and orange peel. The palate displays a dry texture with pleasant bright acidity. Perfect for pairing with seafood. This variety is harvested first, in August, stainless steel fermented, and bottled early in the new year to preserve its fresh fruit character. 100% Seyval Blanc.

Our Production Tastings pair our wines against the best examples from around the world, regardless of  cost, and helps to keep Jason on his toes. The tasting is done blind. We know the producers of the wines, but not the order in which they are tasted. Rappahannock Cellars has always compared well in a blind tasting environment. How will we do this time?

Here’s the lineup:

2008 Chateau Angelus (France/Bordeaux/St. Emilion)
58% Merlot / 42% Cabernet Franc
93 points  – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate
93 points – Wine Spectator

2008 Le Petit Cheval (Chateau Cheval Blanc)  (France/Bordeaux/St. Emilion)
65% Cabernet Franc / 35% Merlot
90 points – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

2008 Le Petit Mouton (Chateau Mouton Rothschild) (France/Bordeaux/Paulliac)
94 % Cabernet Sauvignon / 6% Merlot
89 points – Wine Spectator

2008 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta (Chile / Colchagua Valley)
73% Carmenere, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot
95 points – Wine Enthusiast
92 points – Wine Spectator

2008 Ornellaia (Tenuta dell’Ornellaia) (Italy / Tuscany / Bolgheri)
54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot
97 points – James Sucking
96 points – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate
93 points – Wine Spectator

2008 Dominus Estate (California / Napa Valley)
83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot
99 points – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate
95 points – James Suckling
94 points – Wine Spectator

2007 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (California / Napa Valley / Howell Mtn)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
97 points – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

2009 Rappahannock Cellars Meritage (Virginia)
42% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, and 4% Malbec

Cost: $90.00/person + tax + e-registration fees
Date: Saturday March 10th, 2012. 2:00 pm
1.9 ounces (56 mL) of each wine will be poured
Tasting limited to 12 people

Contact: Jason Burrus, Winemaker

•    An unabashedly New World style red wine. Gobs of jam fruit, spice, and oak on the nose. Though without any residual sugar, the palate has elements of sweetness due to the phenomenal ripeness of the fruit at harvest. Made primarily from our estate Glenway Vineyard Cabernet Franc. 100% Cabernet Franc. 360 cases made.

2011 Viognier

•    A classic Rappahannock Cellars Viognier showing aromas of citrus, orange peel, lemon peel, with subtle notes of peach and apricot. The palate shows a light, juicy, and dry texture. With 12.5% alcohol, this wine is exceptionally drinkable and food friendly. Reminiscent of the popular 2006 vintage Viognier. 100% Viognier. 580 cases made.