Wine Dinner with Loudoun Valley at Vinifera

The first wine dinner we hosted with Fabbioli Cellars at Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro was so successful, Jason asked if we would be interested in doing a second one with Loudoun Valley Vineyards. I have always loved Bree's wines so I jumped at the chance!




Jason and Bree have known each other for a while, in fact, the Vinifera White and Vinifera Red are made specifically for Vinifera (though, they are sold at the winery as well). The two of them made a great team, sharing stories and talking about the wine. Like Doug Fabbioli, Bree is very passionate about her wine and loved sharing her winemaking philosophy with us.

We started off the evening with cheese platters and a glass of Viognier, the Viognier is done Condrieu style -- aged in steel and barrels -- which is different than most Viognier in Virginia.

Next we were served a mixed green salad with prawns and a passion vinaigrette dressing paired with the the 2009 Traminette. The Traminette is a very crisp wine, with lots of citrus on the nose, it is also one that sells out very quickly.

The main course was a seared Bison Filet, served with smoked purple potatoes and Vinifera red wine sauce. This gave Chef Bo the chance to use his new smoker. The main course was paired with the Vinifera Red and the Dynasty Reserve. The Dynasty Reserve is the heavier of the two wines and really went well with the potatoes and the sauce, but the standout pairing was the Vinifera Red with the Bison -- excellent choice.

The final course was an apricot stuffed with Mascarpone and served inside a phyllo, this was topped with a Legacy caramel and paired with the Loudoun Valley Legacy, a port-style wine that is 100% Touriga Nacional.




Chef Bo came up throughout the evening to tell us about his creations and why he chose the pairings he did.

Many, many, many thanks to Bree, Jason and Chef Bo for making the night a great one!!

Being Vinifera, we could not leave without a cork tower...



Look for the next wine dinner in October, I am hoping we can pair Breaux Vineyards with the Cajun Experience.