10/26 – A Hot Topic: Wines from Volcanic Terroirs Wine Tasting and Small Plate Experience

Adventure tourism has been trending since Covid, as travelers venture off the beaten track to get away from the crowds, and to find exciting and different experiences worthy of their bucket lists. We might not guide you on a cruise down the Irrawady river (no real wine in Burma!), but we will take you, through taste and imagination, to an extinct volcano rising from the Pannonian plain in Hungary; an island in Greece where they weave the grapevines into baskets to protect the fruit from hot, dry winds and flying shards of volcanic glass; and to the highest, steepest and only volcanic Grand Cru in Alsace.

A relatively small percentage of the world’s vineyards are planted on volcanic soils, and they are scattered around the globe, planted to different grape varieties and grown in different climates. The soils themselves vary as much as different types of cheese. So how much can the wines have in common?

Let’s find out! Please join us on Thursday, October 26th, 2023 at 6pm for a tasting and exploration guided by our head sommelier, Alex Bardsley, as we try wines from France (but of course), Italy, Greece, Hungary and the Canary Islands. We’ll start with hors d’oeuvres and a smoky, saline Juhfark from Somló in Hungary, then continue with a flight of three white wines, followed by three reds. Chef Jacques will create a dish to pair with each flight, and you’ll be encouraged to discuss the wines with your companions and tablemates: which ones do you like, and why? Which pair best with Chef Jacques’ dish? And what, if anything, do the wines have in common? Alex will talk about the things that contribute to each wine’s unique flavor, say a bit about where they come from, and field any questions you might have.

Can you imagine a more original wine and food experience?

Volcanic Wines Tasting Event

Chef Jacques’ Seasonal Hors d’Oeuvres
Somlói Vándor, Juhfark, Nagy-Somlói Hungary 2021

Flight of Whites:
• Island: Anhydrous, Santorini, Greece 2022
• France: Wolfberger, Riesling Grand Cru Rangen, Alsace 2019
• Italy: Suavia, Soave Monte Carbonare, Veneto 2020

Pairing Course
Local Rockfish Poached in an Aromatic Broth with Smoked Trout Caviar, Beurre Blanc Sauce, Gateau of Wild Rice

Flight of Reds:
• Island: Suertes del Marques, La Solana, Valle de la Orotava, Canary Islands 2019
• France: Verdier-Logel, Poycelan, Côtes du Forez, Loire 2020
• Italy: Grifalco, Aglianico del Vulture Daginestra, Basilicata 2017

Pairing Course
Grilled Lamb Chops, Herbes de Provence, Lamb Jus, Roasted Shitake Mushrooms, Garden Herb Potatoes

Dessert Course
Pastry Chef Pascal’s Pumpkin Mousse Gâteau
Julius Meinl Roasted Coffee, Selection of Harney & Sons Fine Teas

Event Price
$160.00 excluding tax and gratuities; for a total of $205.00 per person.

Tickets non-refundable. We are happy to accommodate guests’ dietary concerns, so all may join the festivities.
We are happy to accommodate guests’ dietary concerns, so all may join the festivities. Please email chezlauberge@aol.com or call 703-759-3800 with special requests.

Patrons will have an opportunity to purchase these wines at a very special price this evening.