From High Cotton ~

Merry Edwards has quite the dream life. She was one of California’s first female winemakers and is now the most celebrated in the Russian River Valley. Edwards is critically acclaimed for her Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, and a finalist in the James Beard Foundation’s annual awards for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional, her fourth nomination in four years.

High Cotton is honored, proud and thrilled to host Merry Edwards for a Wine Dinner on Tuesday, March 20th at 6:30pm. Edwards will be at High Cotton to describe the wines, her journey and much more. Executive Chef Gary Mennie has crafted a delicious five-course menu that will pay tribute to the wines of Merry Edwards.

Edwards began her career in 1973 with her New World philosophy that winemakers should strongly imprint wines with their own personalities. “I always want the vineyard’s character and territory to show first and foremost,” said Edwards. Whether planted to Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc, all of Edwards’ grape sources are characterized by enduring commitment, respect for the land, family ownership and site-specific viticulture. With exceptional Russian River Valley grapes, Merry Edwards is able to produce acclaimed wines using gentle, traditional, labor-intensive winemaking practices.

The dinner is $85 plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 864.335.4200.

From The Market Place ~

Join us at The Market Place Restaurant on Wednesday March 14th as we pair the wonderful wines of Weinhaus Wine Shop with the cuisine of Chef William Dissen.

We’ll set forth on a 5 course tasting menu with dishes like Seared Sea Scallops with sunchoke, horseradish gremolata and an herb salad or Crispy Veal Sweetbreads with roasted oyster mushrooms and braised baby leeks. It will surely be a dinner not to miss! Please call Hunt Mallett at Weinhaus at 828-254-6453 for reservations. $65/person.

From Lee Sokol ~

Guests,

Here are the menus for March 1. For a reservation, call me (254-1921 ext 244) or email me Monday morning at 10:00 a.m. If we have room for your reservation, I will call or email you Monday afternoon.

Lunch:

Lunch will be served in the beautifully renovated Fernihurst House. Seatings are at 12:00 and 12:30. All lunches include soup, breads, dessert and a beverage. Prices for lunch range from $10 to $12 per person plus tax.

Reservations can made for table sizes of 2 to 6 guests. Because of the layout of the Fernihurst dining rooms, most of the tables are for parties of four.

Sandwiches:
h Muffuletta Sandwich with Mixed Bean Salad
h Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap with Wheat Berry Salad
h Vegetable Burger with Lemon Basil Aioli and Soba Noodle Salad

Entrée Salad:
h Greek Salad with Feta Cheese, Whole Wheat Pita and Israeli Couscous with Heirloom Grains (Vegetarian)

Luncheon Plates:
h Braised Short Ribs with Spaghetti Squash, Tomato Confit and Broccoli Amandine
h Skate Fish with Caper Butter, Zucchini with Tomatoes and Oven Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes
h Polenta Pasticciata with Mixed Field Greens, Balsamic Vinaigrette and Grilled Focaccia

Pasta:
h House-Made Spaghettini Puttanesca and Grilled Focaccia

Classical Dinner:

This five-course classical dinner will be served in the Magnolia Building with its beautiful views of Mt. Pisgah. Seatings for dinner are at 6:00, 6:15 and 6:30 and are for tables of exactly four persons. Dinner is $25 per person, plus tax.

Sautéed Foie Gras with Cassis, Country Ham and Polenta
Beet Sorbet
Braised Chicken with Leeks and Porcini (a complimentary glass of wine is served with the entrée)
Baked Goat Cheese with Garden Lettuce, Pears and Almonds
Dark Chocolate Mousse

Thank you for supporting our students’ educational experiences.

Lee Sokol
Administrative Assistant
Department of Culinary Arts and Hospitality
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
340 Victoria Road
Asheville NC 28801
lsokol@abtech.edu
828-254-1921, Ext. 244

ASAP’s CSA Fair is an opportunity for you to meet farmers face-to-face and learn more about their CSA programs and products. CSA subscribers receive a weekly box of fresh, locally grown produce or meats throughout the growing season.

You can sign up to learn more from farmers or bring your checkbook if you might be ready to subscribe!

Groups from workplaces and congregations are also encouraged to come and meet the farmers, as many farms will deliver direct to these locations if numbers allow. Farms participating all have pickup locations in the Asheville area.

This is a FREE event and open to the public.

Tupelo Honey Cafe South will feature trout specials sourced from Sunburst Trout Farms as part of “Trout on Tuesdays.”

Net proceeds benefit the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. Info: http://fromhere.org.

Be ready to serve your own boutique wine as spring warms to summer. Class will be on Thursday, March 22, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Each class will be at Falderal Winery, 131 Third Avenue West, downtown Hendersonville. Cost for each class is $30 per person or $50 per couple, which includes the class/demonstration, one bottle of wine from Falderal Winery, and a tasting of various wines available at Falderal. Participants will learn how to make wine by using a wine-making kit or by using their own grapes or fruits. Students purchasing wine-making kits or supplies receive a 10% discount on the purchase price. Class size is limited, so those interested should contact the winery soon. Phone Falderal Winery at 693-7676 or email info@falderalwinery.com to sign up or for more information.

“You can amaze your friends this spring by producing your own wine,” Paul Kovacich said. Kovacich is winemaster at Falderal Winery and teaches the classes. “Many of our wine-making kits produce 30 bottles of fine wine in only 28 days.”

Falderal Winery sells top-of-the-line kits that contain all the ingredients for making delicious wine at home. The ingredients come from well-known wine-producing regions of the world, such as Germany, Spain, France, Australia, California, and many other regions. Kits containing grape juice and concentrate, skins, and fruits are available for red and white wines that range from sweet to dry.
“Making homebrewed wine or beer from kits is a fairly new concept in Western North Carolina,” Kovacich said, ”However it is a popular hobby in other locations. There is a craft involved when making wine at home, even if you use a kit. This is why I’m happy to offer classes on how to make your very best small-batch wines at home.”

Tastings of Falderal’s small-batch wines, many of which can be made with kit ingredients, are available in the tasting room daily except Sunday and Monday. Tastings on Saturday are free except during pre-arranged special tastings. Falderal’s own bottled and labeled wines are made in the winery from the kits sold in the store and from local grapes. The winery is located in the basement below the retail shop. In addition, beer-making kits and supplies are available for the homebrewer and at-home winemaker in the Falderal Winery retail store.
For more information about wine-making classes or about Falderal Winery’s products and services, phone 693-7676, or visit www.falderalwinery.com. The store is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Any wine sold at the store can be tasted during regular business hours.

Be ready to serve your own boutique wine as spring warms to summer. Saturday, March 10, from 3 to 6 p.m. Class will be at Falderal Winery, 131 Third Avenue West, downtown Hendersonville. Cost for each class is $30 per person or $50 per couple, which includes the class/demonstration, one bottle of wine from Falderal Winery, and a tasting of various wines available at Falderal. Participants will learn how to make wine by using a wine-making kit or by using their own grapes or fruits. Students purchasing wine-making kits or supplies receive a 10% discount on the purchase price. Class size is limited, so those interested should contact the winery soon. Phone Falderal Winery at 693-7676 or email info@falderalwinery.com to sign up or for more information.

“You can amaze your friends this spring by producing your own wine,” Paul Kovacich said. Kovacich is winemaster at Falderal Winery and teaches the classes. “Many of our wine-making kits produce 30 bottles of fine wine in only 28 days.”
Falderal Winery sells top-of-the-line kits that contain all the ingredients for making delicious wine at home. The ingredients come from well-known wine-producing regions of the world, such as Germany, Spain, France, Australia, California, and many other regions. Kits containing grape juice and concentrate, skins, and fruits are available for red and white wines that range from sweet to dry.

“Making homebrewed wine or beer from kits is a fairly new concept in Western North Carolina,” Kovacich said, ”However it is a popular hobby in other locations. There is a craft involved when making wine at home, even if you use a kit. This is why I’m happy to offer classes on how to make your very best small-batch wines at home.”

Tastings of Falderal’s small-batch wines, many of which can be made with kit ingredients, are available in the tasting room daily except Sunday and Monday. Tastings on Saturday are free except during pre-arranged special tastings. Falderal’s own bottled and labeled wines are made in the winery from the kits sold in the store and from local grapes. The winery is located in the basement below the retail shop. In addition, beer-making kits and supplies are available for the homebrewer and at-home winemaker in the Falderal Winery retail store.

For more information about wine-making classes or about Falderal Winery’s products and services, phone 693-7676, or visit www.falderalwinery.com. The store is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Any wine sold at the store can be tasted during regular business hours.

By Bridget Kennedy, ASAP Farm Outreach Coordinator ~

As ASAP’s farm outreach coordinator, there are many reasons for me to visit a farmer at their farm: to conduct a marketing consultation, to assess their business model, to help them connect with new markets, to gather photos for profiles and stories…the list goes on. I will admit, though, I recently traveled to Appalachian Grown™ farm Hominy Valley Farms Land & Cattle in Candler, NC, with a selfish motive. Besides discussing her workshop at our upcoming annual Business of Farming Conference (http://www.asapconnections.org/conference.html), I was determined to better understand the beef industry. With a background primarily in produce before joining ASAP last year, I was in need of a beef education.

In my short time at ASAP, I have realized very quickly that I can learn more from talking to a farmer than just about anyone else in the field of agriculture. They are in the midst of it on a daily basis, and they have learned the hard lessons. So, I was excited to sit down with Hominy Valley owner/operator Jeanette Wilson to hear her thoughts about beef. Her family has a long history of raising cattle. Her grandparents farmed the family land starting in the 1930s. Back then, they raised cattle, along with tobacco and other crops. They sold their cows to the stock yard where they would go off to another farm to be “finished.” And most of their produce went to wholesale markets.

Today, Jeanette, her husband, Frank, and their family run a different type of beef operation. They raise their cows to maturity and sell beef directly to their customers. They represent a small group of cattle producers that direct market their farm-raised beef. That means you can purchase their products from their small farm store in Candler or at Asheville City Market (http://www.asapconnections.org/citymarket.html) where they vend.

After broadening my understanding of their operation and the beef industry in general, we did move into my comfort zone—the world of produce—as they also grow a variety of veggies. We chatted about the ins and outs of selling to restaurants and designing a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture, or a farm share subscription program; learn more about CSAs HERE.)

We ended with a discussion of a new marketing approach that Jeanette began last year. She made lemons out of lemonade after an attempt at developing a small tailgate market for residents of Biltmore Lake proved unsuccessful. Jeanette has an amazing manner about her, which draws people in and establishes trust. This is a benefit for her direct marketing approach. Consumers like you want to know who grows their food. You want to be able to look farmers in the eye and ask questions about how their animals were raised and what they spray on their vegetables. Jeanette made some great connections with customers in Biltmore Lake, and, as a result, she began delivering meats and vegetables to individuals in that community. Now, she is the farmer for a budding network of residents there, and hopefully that base will continue to grow this season.

Jeanette and Frank remind me what it is about the local food movement that’s so special: the farmers. They are able to adapt and persevere through all the ups and downs that growing food brings. It’s emotional and exhausting, but sometimes they come out on top, especially when their quality is unwavering and they are transparent with their customers.

I can’t wait to talk with more farmers and share their stories with you; stay tuned to this column. To learn more about Jeanette and Frank Wilson, visit Hominy Valley Farm’s website (http://www.hominyvalleyfarms.com/), and find them in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide.(http://buyappalachian.org/listing/hominy-valley-farms-land-and-cattle).

Bridget Kennedy is ASAP’s farm outreach coordinator. She can be reached at bridget@asapconnections.org or 828-236-1282 ext. 111. To learn more about ASAP, visit www.asapconnections.org.

From The Purple Onion ~

Our next wine tasting will be Monday, February 27 at 6 pm. We will begin with two white Bordeauxs, follow with four of the single red varietals commonly used in Bordeaux wines, then finish with a selection from both the Right Bank and the Left Bank.
The price for the tasting will be $45 and includes a taste of eight wines and a
buffet of small plates and cheeses chosen to pair well with the wines. Reservations can be made by calling the Purple Onion at 749-1179. We accept visa and mastercard. Please call early as seating is limited.

Selected Wines
Château Recougne Bordeaux Superior 2010
Château du Graville Lacoste, Graves 2010
Château de la Chanteleuserie Cab Franc, Bourgueil 2010
Château de Bellevue ‘Les Griottes’, Lussac-St. Emilion, 2007
Les Traverses de Fontsainte Cabernet VDP 2009
Clos la Coutale, Cahors 2009
Château Trimoulet, St Emilion, 2008
Château Aney, Haut-Medoc, 2009

To decant, use that Vinturi contraption, open it to breathe, or just drink it; that is the question!

From the dawn of wine, the delectable drink was kept in pottery (some sealed with resin), barrels, and even pewter jugs (Yuck). Most of the time wine was transferred from the barrel and brought to the table in some sort of carafe. It reminds me of Italy where today some village bars / market places will have a local self-serve barrel and you can bring and fill your plastic jug, pay, and take back home for dinner.

Courtesy of Todd Phillips, Sommelier, Palmetto Bluff resort

In the 17th century flat edged glass bottles were made so that you could store them until they were ready to drink it. Still, one wouldn’t put a dirty or moldy bottle that has been sitting in m’ lords cellar on the table. They always “technically” decanted the wine by putting it into an appropriate table vessel and in that fashion they actually needed to have been decanted, for wine was stronger in structure back then though less inky! Even the romans had to dilute their wine for their guests and you were judged by how much or how little water you added to the concentrate. White wines and especially champagnes were usually a little sweeter by the way.

Some Master Sommeliers believe that all wine should see more air than it does out of the bottle due to essential flavor developments that occur in oxygen that doesn’t happen in the bottle. Rarely would you ever decant a white wine, only an old Ermitage (without the ‘H’) or a century old Chenin Blanc could use the aeration.

Decanting is for two things: holding back sediment in a wine and / or aerating it to soften it by exposing it to oxygen so that essential flavor and texture development can occur. Decanting is not a sloshy action, but a smooth, steady pour along the vessel, maximizing the wine to air surface area. On the other hand, a Vinturi device does slosh the wine and is detrimental to well made wines. I am asked if the Vinturi is good for a wine all the time; the answer is yes and no. Yes to vinous inexpensive wines with areas in high tannin, high alcohol and residual sugar content. It will reveal flavors that unbalanced wines usually hide with some sacrifice to primary fruit you will certainly get the tertiary components to bouquet. A Vinturi is a No to aged wine, high quality wine, and ‘Parkerized’ wines where extended maceration promulgates extensive fruit ranges, secondary flavors and textures.

Ninety percent of the wine bought today will be drunk today, young or not it’s the trend and winemakers know this and actually manipulate wine to make it as they say “more accessible now”. Even still decanting can add a hypothetical year to the wine for every hour it is in the decanter. Pulling the cork out of a wine and leaving it to breathe as is never works.

Decanting is about presentation. A wine decanted presents all of its aromas and the culmination thereof, the bouquet. It will hold the reigns on strong primary aromas and textures then let the nuances of herbs, spices, wood, and secondary fruits come out. Essential for aged old world wine it gives the wine the chance to breathe and blow off some of the barnyard and forest floor nuances so that fruit and terroir combine harmoniously via flavor and texture on the palette. Be careful to not let an aged wine breathe to long.

Aging wine is living thing and it is readying itself for consumption so that ultimately its flavors and textures will be balanced; decanting hurries that up.