The Piedmont Virginian's blog

Virginia Wine in HD

Margaret McCann — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:13:57 +0000

I was sent a link for the new High Definition Wine Film on the Vineyards and WIneries of Virginia and I wanted to share it with you. It is a great overview on the history and the future of Virginia Wine. It is 6 minute documentary of Virginia’s beautiful wineries and vineyards brought to you by the great girls at VirginiaWine.org. Take a look, drink it all in! Virginia Wine Video

Blue Ribbon Summer Fun 4-H Fair Time in the Piedmont

Margaret McCann — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:21:17 +0000

Summer fairs are happening all over the Piedmont this month and they are alot more than funnel cakes and fresh squeezed lemonade. This is the time of year for 4-H fairs, and it’s alot of work for our young folks, but such an important way to keep traditions and agricultural values strong and alive. The kids involved in these many 4-H programs spend months ‘growing’ their animals and getting ready to show them at the many local fairs in our area. It is a lot more than just grooming the animals and walking them in a circle around the ring. Months ago these young farmers purchased their animals; chickens, goats, lambs, cows, and have been busy grooming, training, exercising and selling their ‘critters’. The 4-H program helps to guide these young farmers in the proper feeding and care for these animals, but what is most important is that they understand the final goal, keeping farming alive. Without these valuable programs many of these traditions and much of the knowledge would be lost. At the end of the 4-H fair many of these young farmers sell their animals, they understand this is not a pet, but a way of life. They learn to produce safe, healthy animals and profit from their success. Support these young farmers and look for them to purchase their animals. You can see the farm shows throughout the month. For more information on 4-H programs, and there are alot of them, take a look at their website.

4-H Symbol stands for;

Head-Mental Development. Deeper knowledge and reasoning

Heart-Emotional Development. Developing interest, appreciation, and wholesome attitudes.

Hands-Skills Development. Ability to do, skill in doing, and habit of doing.

Health-Physical Development. Understanding and appreciating a growing and changing body.

Books & Crannies Poetry Slam

Margaret McCann — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:08:32 +0000

“You will not find poetry anywhere unless you bring some of it with you.” — Joseph Joubert, 1754-1824

Come join one of my favorite independent book stores, Books and Crannies on July 10th from 6-8pm for a Poetry Slam. And you say what is a poetry slam? It is the competitive art of performance poetry, oh yes performance poetry! You will need to bring your original poetry to the slam, but you will also be expected to perform these poems in front of the audience and judges. The folks at Books and Crannies believe that everyone has a poet inside him or her, and it is just waiting for the chance to be heard. This is your chance. Poetry slams are very different from poetry readings. In a slam, poets are not just reading their work while the audience listens politely, they are performing that work with the intent of entertaining, involving and sometimes even infuriating the audience, this could be really good!
Participation is open to everyone and there is no fee to participate. The poets are put into categories: ages 8-12, 13-18, 19 and older. All the Poets will have an opportunity to read in the first round, the lineup for later rounds will be determined by the judges’ scores. You should have at least three poems, so that you have material to carry you into later rounds. Participants are encouraged to practice, practice, and practice before coming to the slam the better the performer, the more fun for everyone.
There are some basic rules:
* Each poem must be of the poet’s own construction;

* Each poet gets three minutes (plus a 10-second grace period) to read one poem. If the poet goes over the allotted time, the judges must deduct points from the total score;

* The poet may not use props, costumes or musical instruments;

* Depending on how many judges we have, the high and low scores are dropped and the middle scores are added together, giving the poet a single, total score. The scoring basis is 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score a judge can give. Our judges are volunteers from among our many wonderful and talented local authors.

Call or email to register for the slam genie@booksandcrannies.com, or Laura at 540-687-6677

Support your local independent book stores and join in some of these events, just come to watch, or perform. Our independent bookstores are special and we need to support them in every way possible.

For some tips on Poetry Slams or if you want to see how the best of the best poetry slammers do it, check out some videos on YouTube.com, search for Maya del Valle at the White House Poetry Jam.

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Bastille Day in Virginia–Oui

Judy Liberson — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:05:57 +0000

Officially Bastille Day or French Independence Day is not until next Tuesday, the 14th, but that has not stopped restaurants and wineries from creating their own calendar of celebrations.

If you’ve wanted to experience French cooking in the Piedmont and haven’t tried Restaurant Pomme in Gordonsville yet, then this is the perfect excuse for a delicious outing. As part of a national program in partnership with the French Government Tourist Office, French chefs throughout the country are participating in a two-week celebration, “Two Countries, Two Holidays, Two Weeks of French Culinary Delights.” The program began July 4th and continues until the 18th.

Chef Gerard Gasparini has unique $30 three-course menus for each week. Here’s a little taste for this week: An asparagus, goat cheese and onion tart, with a choice of either salmon with tomato Bearnaise or beef medallions with a blue cheese crust, and chocolate mousse or cheesecake for dessert. He, of course, has several Cotes du Rhone selections for pairing by either the glass or bottle.

The celebrations continue as Kluge Estate Winery has partnered with Alliance Francaise de Charlottesville to host a Bastille Day Celebration on July 18th from Noon-5 PM at the Kluge Pavillion. Charlottesville’s L’etoile Restaurant is providing food and refreshments for purchase and there’ll be Kluge wines for tastings and purchase. Half of all proceeds will be donated to the St. John Baptist of the Woods charity, the Foundation started by Mrs. Kluge. RSVP by July 12 at 434-971-1616.

Salud!

An Important Footnote: Wine Discount

Judy Liberson — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:58:32 +0000

As for the weekend event, the DC Country Food & Wine Festival, here’s a strategy: Enter “Corcoran” when you get ready to purchase, and you’ll save $5.

The good deal just got better!

See you at Whitehall Manor.

OK, Let Me Plan Your Weekend

Judy Liberson — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:17:18 +0000

I know it’s only Monday and we seem to be procrastinating more than usual, but let’s give it a go. Just heard the early weather predictions, and they seem to be agreeing with me: Time to Get Out and Enjoy the Piedmont.

DC’s Wine Country Food & Wine Festival takes over historic Whitehall Manor for 3 evenings (July 10-12) of, you guessed it, food and wine! With 20 Loudoun wineries pouring, a special summer buffet dinner menu and tours of the property, this is an event you won’t want to miss! If you’ve wanted to visit several of these wineries, here’s your one-stop chance to talk with the people who know wine. If you’ve wanted to meet Mary Watson, Virginia’s wine ambassador, and learn the subtleties of wine tasting, this is your weekend. What about beautiful Whitehall Manor? That in itself is worth the price of general admission, which by the way, is a quite reasonable $30!

See, there’s something for everyone. Check out the website for the adults-only weekend schedule. There’s live entertainment, gourmet chocolates to enjoy with wines, and even a glass blowing demonstration. Remember the wine glass is an important part of the overall tasting experience!

If you’d rather just have someone else do the driving so you can truly taste the distinctions of wines and vintages, no problem. One more enticement, there’s even a lodging and transportation package with nearby Lansdowne Resort .

Enjoy.

You’ll thank me next Monday.

Monticello Cup Winners

Judy Liberson — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:06:54 +0000

Thomas Jefferson would continue to be surprised by the progress from his early viticulture attempts! His grape enterprise has become a footnote to history as Virginia wines continue to receive national and international attention in so many award-winning categories.

At this year’s Jeffersonian Wine Grape Growers Society annual Monticello Cup Wine Competition, our region was recognized once again for its fruitful bounty. Barboursville Winery’s Octagon Ninth Edition 2006 earned top honors: The Monticello Cup and a Double Gold in the Meritage category. The Vineyard also earned a Gold for its 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve.

The other Double Gold winners were Flying Fox Vineyard in Afton for its 2006 Petit Verdot and Jefferson Vineyards for its 2007 Meritage. They also earned a gold for their 2007 Reserve Chardonnay.

Other gold medal winners include: King Family Vineyards‘ 2007 Viognier and its 2007 Meritage, Pollak Vineyards‘ 2008 Pinot Gris, Veritas Vineyard & Winery’s 2007 Reserve Cabernet Franc, and Sweely Estate Winery’s 2006 “1867″ Meritage.

Judges included some of the other stars of our region: Sommeliers Richard Hewitt of Keswick Hall and Elaine Futhey of C&O Restaurant in Charlottesville.

So many great wines.

Salud.

Where liberty dwells, there is my country. ~Benjamin Franklin

Margaret McCann — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:27:15 +0000

The Hills are alive with the sounds of Opera! Castleton Festival Opens

Margaret McCann — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:53:31 +0000

The Castleton Festival is yet another reason why the Piedmont is a very special place to live. On July 3, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, nestled on 550 acres of rolling hills and beautiful lakes, the first annual Castleton festival opens. The Castleton Festival will feature the crème de le crème of young artists from around the world, performing in symphonic concerts and four of Benjamin Britten’s famous chamber operas. The Opera’s include The Turn of the Screw, The Beggar’s Opera, Albert Herring and The Rape of Lucretia. As part of the concert series performances will include Mozart Symphony No. 29, Bruch Violin Concerto and Beethoven Symphony No. 7. The second concert includes Verdi: Overture to a La forza del destino; Barber: Adagio for Strings; Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra; Brahms: Varians on a Theme by Haydn; Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra.
This new festival is the cornerstone project of the Chateauville Foundation, founded by Maestro Lorin Maazel and his wife, Dietlinde Turban-Maazel, to train and mentor young musicians. The Castleton Festival is the only festival in the U.S. devoted to chamber operas and is built on the success of the Castleton Residency program. This festival represents a major commitment from Maestro Lorin Maazel, who has stepped down as music director of the New York Philharmonic in June 2009. During the festival there will also be master classes taught by Maestro Maazel, an open house with tours of the Maazels’ property and even a traditional, country dance on Saturday, July 4. Ticket prices range from $50 - $80. For a schedule of the Castleton Festival, please click here: chateauville.org/festival.html

Golden Dreams for a 20 Goal Polo Match

Margaret McCann — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:20:06 +0000

The Virginia International Polo Club will host an exciting high-goal exhibition polo match on Friday, July 3rd at 12:00 noon at historic Llangollen located on Trappe Road, Uppervillle, Virginia. This 20 Goal Match will benefit Golden Dreams Therapeutic Riding Center and will feature some of the most competitive players in the country, including top American players Adam Snow and Owen Rinehart. Each team will have an aggregate handicap of 20-goals which will make this event an exciting spectator event as well as one of the highest levels of polo played in Virginia. For those of you who have never been out to Llangollen, this is a wonderful opportunity. The vistas are breathtaking and the polo field and pavilion are top notch. This event is a great kick-off the Fourth of July weekend with a luncheon & Silent Auction under the fieldside Pavilion with all the proceeds to benefit Golden Dreams Therapeutic Riding Center.
Golden Dreams Therapeutic Riding Center is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults with disabilities in Loudoun and surrounding counties in Virginia. Individuals with almost any cognitive, physical and/or emotional disability can benefit from therapeutic riding through safe, supervised interaction with equines.

Lisa Iantosca, Board President says, “ We are extremely excited about the upcoming polo match hosted by VIPolo Club. More than anyone, the horse community and specifically the polo community, understands how powerful the relationship between a horse and rider can be. We look forward to increasing the awareness of the public benefits Golden Dreams provides and the potential for raising much needed funding for our many program needs.

Please contact Golden Dreams at 540.687.5800 for ticket information or to set a date for a personal tour to see the Riding Center or visit www.goldendreamsriding.com.