FARM WINERIES COUNCIL WINE EDUCATION SEMINARS
SATURDAY
February 7
SUNDAY
February 8
SEMINAR
Room 1
12:00 PM
Room 1
12:00 PM
IT IS TIME TO GET DIRTY WITH THE DIRT MAN
Learn all about the new exciting Todd's DIRT Seasonings with the creator of the seasoning Todd "The Dirt Man". This is a seasoning made locally in Maryland. This will be a popular and fun time tasting and laughing with the Dirt man, as he shows the many uses of his seasonings. During this seminar Todd will cook some easy and tasty Dirty dishes for you to try. Bring your glass for a before and after sip that demonstrates the complexity food brings to wine. Todd's DIRT is about three things. Cooking should be Easy, Fun and Taste Great. "Remember, It is always a good time to get DIRTY!!" FREE
Room 1
1:00 PM
Room 1
1:00 PM
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHOCOLATE
Come spend some time with chocolate maker Mary Schellhammer of Spice Rack Chocolates to explore all about chocolate. During this seminar, Mary will answer questions like where does chocolate come from? Why do we love chocolate so much? What are the differences between chocolates? You will also learn Mary's "3 Rules for Pairing Wine with Chocolate". Then everyone will apply their newly learned skills to pair three different wines with some of Mary's chocolate creations. This is sure to be an exciting and popular hour so arrive early to get a good seat and bring your wine glass! FREE
Room 1
2:30 PM
Room 1
2:30 PM
TARARA WINERY CELEBRATES 20 YEARS WITH A VERTICAL LIBRARY TASTING
Tarara Winery, one of the early pioneers in Virginia Wine Country, celebrates the 20th anniversary of it's first vintage with a Vertical Library Tasting. Get in on this rare educational opportunity to taste Tarara's portfolio of wines through the years. Jordan Harris, Tarara's winemaker, will lead an informative session on how the fruit of one vineyard differs from year to year and discuss the difference of aged wines versus young wines in Tarara's Vertical Tasting. FREE
Room 1
3:30 PM
Room 1
3:30 PM
WHAT WINE SHALL WE SERVE WITH DINNER?
Spend an hour here and pairing wine with almost anything. One of Virginia's top Sommeliers will provide insight into the master sommelier approach to wine pairing and provide some very interesting taste sensations. FREE
Room 1
4:30 PM
Room 1
4:30 PM
VIRGINIA VERSUS THE REST OF THE WORLD
Join in the fun of a comparative tasting as we put the award-winning wines of Virginia up against those from the best wine regions in the world. You'll get to taste Virginia and international wines in this fun interactive seminar. FREE
Room 2
12:30 PM
Room 2
12:30 PM
THE ABC'S OF TASTING WINE
This is an excellent course for beginners. Participants will learn wine tasting basics. We will focus on sampling and understanding the differences between popular white and red wines. We will also provide an overview of how toselect wines to compliment foods. During this seminar, participants will learn taste and wine evaluation methods. FREE
Room 2
2:00 PM
Room 2
2:00 PM
SOUTHWEST FRENCH VARIETIES IN VIRGINIA
HORTON VINEYARDS' PETIT MANSENG AND TANNAT
Horton Vineyards presents an informative and delicious introduction to two noble but lesser-known grape varieties - the rich white wine Petit Manseng and the intense red Tannat. Originating in the rugged Basque country in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain, plantings of these varieties later spread to Southwest France. In the 1990s Dennis Horton began planting these unique grapes in Orange County, Virginia, and they now are featured in two award-winning varietal wines - the Horton Vineyards' Petit Manseng (Best of White, 2007 Governor's Cup) and the Horton Vineyards' Tannat (Best of Red, 2006 Governor's Cup). This seminar will discuss climate and geographical considerations, vineyard performance, harvest characteristics, and winemaking styles and techniques. Of course, you'll also taste these intriguing wines - after all, the proof is in the bottle! FREE
Room 2
3:00 PM
Room 2
3:00 PM
INVESTING IN WINE FUTURES
Wine Futures (also known as "En Primeur") refers to buying wine after it is made, but before it is bottled. The wine is generally bottled and shipped around two years later. Wine futures are a specialty of the Bordeaux market but the phenomenon is now increasingly used in other regions with wines being offered as futures. Learn the intricacies of this unique investment. FREE
Room 2
4:30 PM
Room 2
4:30 PM
ON WINE & HEALTH
Over 400 studies worldwide, many of them long-term and in large populations, have concluded that most healthy people who drink wine regularly and moderately live longer. The keys to the beneficial aspects of wine drinking are regularity and moderation. The importance of this pattern of consumption this is almost impossible to over-emphasize. Overindulgence can be considerably more harmful than total abstinence. Learn the real scoop on how wine affects your health in this informative session. FREE
ON THE SHOW FLOOR
ALL DAY
ON THE
SHOW
FLOOR
ALL DAY
JUDGING OF THE VIRGINIA WINE SHOWCASE PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
Enter to Win one of our coveted door prizes by participating as a judge in the Virginia Wine Showcase People's Choice Awards. Experience the differences in winemaker styles as you judge the wines featured in the Virginia Wine Showcase. This exercise will result in eight Virginia wines receiving the presitigous Virginia Wine Showcase People's Choice Award for "Best in Show" as judged by real people - the guests of the Virginia Wine Showcase. Door Prizes for judging include: Restaurant Gift Certificates, Weekend Getaways, Jewelry, Wine Accessories, a 42" LCD TV and more!