To have food and dining items happening in Fairfax listed free, mail to 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, or fax to 703-917-0991, or e-mail maweber@connectionnewspapers.com
Barrel Tasting is one of the biggest events of the year at Tarara, as the winery welcomes visitors to sample wines right out of the barrel. Daniel Alcorso, Tarara’s Australian winemaker, will be guiding participants through the tasting of the new varietals from the 2002 vintage against Tarara’s other barrel-aged wines and vertical flights on Nov. 8 and 9, from 7-10 p.m.. Due to the drought conditions of this past growing season, Virginia winegrowers feel as strongly about the 2002 vintage as they did the 2001, which some claim as “the best vintage Virginia has ever seen.”
Tasting from the barrel is something of an art form – and it requires some imagination. Unlike tasting finished wines, guests will taste immature wines that provide only a hint of what the finished product will be like.
Participants will sample newly fermented wines from French, American and Hungarian oak barrels, and they will discover that oak does make a difference. American oak tends to have more of a vanilla flavor and more coarse tannins, while European oak tends to have spicy aromas such as clove, cinnamon, cedar and chocolate.
During this twice-a-year event, the winery, located in a 6,000-square-foot cave, will be transformed with candlelight, white linen, live music, gourmet faire and wines-in-the-making.
A few barrel-tasters even make an evening of it and stay in Tarara’s Bed and Breakfast. There, they can sit with wine of their choosing in front of the large stone fireplace in the Great Room.
For more information, contact: Heather Akers, 703-771-7100, Ext. 250.
The Healthy Eating Program “You are What You Eat”, will be held each Tuesday, through Nov. 12, from 9:45-10:45 a.m. at the Vienna Fresh Fields, 143 Maple Ave. E. The program will include cooking demonstrations and tastings plus tips on dressing your table for the holidays. The cost is $15 for Vienna residents and $18 for out-of-town participants, and advance registration is required. Call 703-255-6360.
The Landsdowne Grille will have a wine dinner scheduled in the private Vintage Room with resort wine sommelier Mary Watson-Delauder one Monday each month. Each dinner is designed to feature the tastes of a specific region for the evening and involves six to eight courses The room has a capacity of 16 people maximum, and the price per person ranges from $75-$100, all-inclusive. The evening begins with a reception starting at 6:30 and continues till about 10:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-729-4073.
The Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City will be holding its annual Teddy Bear Tea, Dec. 1, 8, 14 and 21; at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. A life-size bear will welcome children to the tea party, as Nanny Goat Productions performs a puppet show. Youngsters will enjoy hot chocolate, peanut butter and beary jelly sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches, and pint-sized pastries, including meringue mice, a palmier butterfly, a brownie bear and chocolate caterpillars. Adults will have the traditional afternoon tea with a pot of tea, selection of tea sandwiches and assorted pastries. All children will receive a teddy bear and special gift bag.
The Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City is holding a Gingerbread House Decorating on Dec. 1 and 7 from 10 a.m.-noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m. A member of the Ritz-Carlton pastry shop will assist children 6-11 with decorating gingerbread houses. There will be hot chocolate, juice and lots of cookies for snacks. The cost is $35 per child. To make reservations, call 703-412-2760.
The hotel will hold its annual Brunch with Santa on Dec. 15 from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Guests will be treated to a selection of foods, including cold salads, shrimp, crab cocktail and more. For the children, there will be a pint-sized buffet with many child-friendly foods, including chicken nuggets, curly fries and cookies. The children are also invited to make homemade cards at the arts and crafts station. The cost is $68 for adults and $30 for children. To make reservations, call 703-412-2760.
The 2002 Virginia Wineries Festival and Tour Guide is now available from the Virginia Wine Marketing Office, part of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). The free annual publication includes a listing of the state’s wineries, directions, hours of operation, maps and a listing of nearly 350 wine-related events. To receive a copy, call 800-828-4637 or visit www.virginiawines.org, or write to VDACS, PO Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218.
Every Friday, future chefs from Stratford College’s School of Culinary Arts, 7777 Leesburg Pike, Suite 500, Tysons Corner, invite the public to come and enjoy the fine cuisine that they prepare and serve themselves. A different style of service — buffet, traditional or Russian — is highlighted each week. Lunch ($12) is served promptly at 11 a.m., dinner ($18) at 8 p.m., and a happy hour is available 6-8 p.m. Call 703-821-8570 for reservations or information.