The event will bring wine experts and industry leaders from around the country to discuss, taste, and celebrate Virginia’s wine and food culture. Panels, tastings and discussions will be held throughout this day-long event, featuring remarks by keynote speaker Jon Bonné, one of the leading American voices writing about wine today.
Bonné will be joined by some of the nation’s foremost and influential wine professionals, including:
- Andy Chabot, Sommelier and Director of Food & Beverage, Blackberry Farm (Walland, Tenn.)
- Belinda Chang, Director of Wine & Service, Maple & Ash (Chicago, Ill.)
- Julie Dalton, Sommelier, Wit & Wisdom Tavern (Baltimore, Md.)
- Fred Dexheimer, Master Sommelier (MS), Creator of Rx Wine Lab, POPUP Wine Bar (Durham, N.C.)
- Anthony Giglio, Wine writer and personality (New York, N.Y.)
- Helen Johannesen, Director of Operations and Wine Director, ANIMAL and Son of a Gun! (Los Angeles, Calif.)
- Jennifer Knowles, Sommelier and Wine & Beverage Director, The Jefferson Hotel and Plume Restaurant (Washington, D.C.)
- Richard Leahy, Wine consultant and author (Charlottesville, Va.)
- David Lynch, Contributing Editor, Bon Appetit and Owner & Wine Director, St. Vincent (San Francisco, Calif.)
- Jack Mason, MS, Wine Director, Marta (New York, N.Y.)
- Frank Morgan, Founder, Drink What You Like (Chesapeake, Va.)
- Kathy Morgan, MS, Beverage Consultant (Washington, D.C.)
- Andy Myers, MS, Wine Director, Think Food Group (Washington, D.C.)
- Erik Segelbaum: Advanced Sommelier and Regional Wine Director, STARR Restaurants (Washington, D.C.)
- Chris Tanghe, MS, Wine Portfolio Manager & Educator, Vinum Wine & Spirits Importing & Distributing (Seattle, Wash.)
- Neal Wavra, Founder & Sommelier, FABLE Hospitality and Riverstead (Marshall, Va.)
- Andy Wedge, Sommelier, Husk Nashville (Nashville, Tenn.)
- Jay Youmans, MS, Educational Director, Capital Wine School (Washington, D.C.)
These esteemed wine professionals will join some of the most talented Virginia winemakers to discuss the regional and vintage differentiations that are continuing to raise the profile of the Virginia wine industry. Experts will address an audience filled with restaurateurs, sommeliers, media, wine-shop owners, winemakers and other industry professionals.
The past few years have been an exciting time for Virginia wines, which have recently established a track record for being an outstanding example of the caliber of wines the East Coast can produce. In addition to being the nation’s fifth largest wine producer, Virginia has been recognized regularly as one of the country’s most promising emerging wine regions. The climate and soil of Virginia places its wines stylistically between the West Coast wine region and European neighbors to the east. Virginia wines tend to be fruit forward like West Coast wines, but also embody higher acidity and balance, similar to European wines.
Virginia Wine Summit attendees will enjoy a lunch celebrating the food and wine of Virginia, courtesy of the Salamander Resort & Spa, as well as remarks from keynote speaker Jon Bonné and panel discussions throughout the day.
The Virginia Wine Summit will be held on Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middelburg. Tickets to the day-long event, priced at $225, are open to the public and include entry to the lunch and post-summit reception. To register for the event and for more information on panel topics, please visit www.virginiawinesummit.com.
Alvarez and Carrell have collaborated on a brand new spring/summer house vermouth, a seasonal variation on its year-round vermouth, dispensed from a vintage fire extinguisher. The duo say the new vermouth “is going to be more bright for the warm-weather season, with some fresh herbs, rhubarb, and rosé wine. We’ll even be adding some rose petals for florality and aromatics.” The evening will serve as a sneak peak at the new offering, which will officially launch next month with a barrel-tapping party after aging for several weeks in a 53-gallon barrel.
Alvarez and Carrell have also created nine specialty cocktails for the night, highlighting unique French, Spanish and American-made vermouths such as Miro from Spain, Dolin from France, Cocchi from Italy, Uncouth from Brooklyn, Imbue from Oregon, and of course, The Royal’s own house vermouth.
Alvarez, who made a name for himself as one of DC’s aperitif experts, has created the following drinks:
Carrell highlights the extensive variety of vermouths he stocks at The Royal’s bar, in cocktails such as:
For those feeling bold, Alvarez created the Vermouth en Fuego shot, a blend of Italian, French and American vermouths, 151 rum and spices, literally served on fire. And a limited number of porrons, the communal Spanish drinking vessel, will be available for those who choose to drink their aperitifs with friends or in daring fashion. All vermouths will also be available to enjoy on their own.
This is part of The Royal’s “Royal Knights” event series, where on the second Monday of each month, they focus on a new batch of craft spirits, lesser-known liqueurs, and the creative people who make them, hosting guest-bartenders from around the country and introducing guests to creative new brands in the booze industry. Royal Knights on May 9 will center around Mezcal.
The Royal’s monthly “Royal Knights” industry nights are free and open to the public, running from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on the second Monday of every month. Details for subsequent “Royal Knights” nights will be announced closer to each event. For more information, please visit www.theroyaldc.com or call 202-332-7777.
WHO:The Royal Bar Manager Lee Carrell
501 Florida Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Ardeo+Bardeo would like to invite guests to enjoy a special kosher wine tasting on Wednesday, April 13 beginning at 6:45 p.m., just in time for Passover. In this engaging session, guests will have the pleasure of sampling four kosher wines paired with two kosher hors d’oeuvres. Led by Summer Whitford, the Food and Wine Diva (www.foodandwinediva.com), with representatives from Pearson’s Wine & Spirits, located at 2436 Wisconsin Ave NW, 20007, guests will be both entertained and educated on the ins and outs of what makes a wine kosher, and how to find quality and value. The evening tasting experience is priced at $50 per person (not including tax and gratuity). Space is limited and guests are required to make a non-refundable reservation by contacting Ardeo+Bardeo at (202) 244-6750. As an added bonus, those who attend the tasting will enjoy a discount price on any featured bottles of kosher wine from Pearson’s Wine & Spirits purchased at the event. Purchased wines will be available for pick-up or delivery directly from Pearson’s.
WHEN: Wednesday, April 13th, 2016 at 6:45 p.m – 8 p.m.., limited seating is available and reservations and payment are required in advance.
WHERE: Ardeo+Bardeo is located at 3311 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington DC 20008; phone (202) 244-6750; www.ardeorestaurant.com. The restaurant is one block from Cleveland Park Metro Stop (Red Line) and valet parking is available for $8 a car.
WHY: It used to be a challenge to find great kosher wine for Passover and most people ended up buying the traditional sweet stuff that came in a square bottle. Thankfully, things have changed, a lot, and there is plenty of well-made kosher wine one can proudly serve. Whether one is seeking a California Cabernet, a new modern wine from Israel, or a classic beauty from France, there are nice options, and this tasting can assist with learning how to find quality and value in Kosher wine. Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods we can and cannot eat and how those foods must be prepared and eaten. “Kashrut” comes from the Hebrew root Kaf-Shin-Reish, meaning fit, proper or correct. It is the same root as the more commonly known word “kosher,” which describes food that meets these standards. The word “kosher” can also be used, and often is used, to describe ritual objects that are made in accordance with Jewish law and are fit for ritual use.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade® presented by Events DC will take place Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. One of the Festival’s largest events, the Parade runs along Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, NW. The Parade, hosted by ABC-7/WJLA-TV anchors Alison Starling and Leon Harris, will feature celebrity entertainment, helium balloons, characters, floats, marching bands and other performers. Local ABC affiliate WJLA will air the Parade locally in a delayed telecast from noon to 2 p.m. The Parade will be nationally syndicated to audiences across the country through the support of Events DC.
Celebrity talent and exciting Parade elements include:
- Carrie Ann Inaba, Dancing With the Stars Judge
- Cast members from the award-winning hit musicalJersey Boys
- Pop sensation Tiffany
- Chart topping artist and The Voice contestant Sisaundra Lewis
- R&B Grammy-nominated artist and DC native Raheem DeVaughn
- Latin vocal group Viva Mas, who recently performed for Pope Francis
- Washington Redskins Cheerleaders
- Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell
- Local talent, including winners of the third annual Sing Into Spring Competition and the Washington Performing Arts Men and Women of the Gospel Choir
TICKETS & TRANSPORTATION: Free and open to the public. Limited Prime Grandstand seats are on sale now and can be purchased atnationalcherryblossomfestival.org/parade2016. The Grandstand section offers reserved seating along Constitution Avenue between 15th and 17th Streets, NW. Group tickets for 10 or more are also available. Standing along the Parade route is free between 9th and 15th Streets, NW and open to the public. Radio personality and local favorite Loo Katz from WASH-FM host from a second performance area located near the Parade’s finish.
The event is Metro-accessible via the Archives-Navy Memorial stop on the Yellow/Green lines or Federal Triangle on the Blue/Orange lines. The Parade is presented by Events DC and supported by DowntownDC Business Improvement District, ANA, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, NHK World, DARCARS – the official vehicle provider for the Parade, MGM National Harbor, Microsoft, Washington Post, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, CSI Printing and Graphics, SUBWAY® Restaurants, CitySights DC, NEWSEUM, Dunkin’ Donuts, and media partners ABC7/WJLA-TV, WASH-FM, and The Washington Informer. The Parade is being funded partially through the District of Columbia Executive Office of the Mayor – Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is the nation’s greatest springtime celebration. The 2016 Festival, March 20 – April 17, includes diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. Visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org or call 877.44.BLOOM for more information and find us on Facebook (CherryBlossomFestival), Twitter (@CherryBlossFest), and Instagram (@CherryBlossFest).
A New and enhanced Cherry Blast will transform Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square as a premier 2016 National Cherry Blossom Festival event on April 16. Cherry Blast will bring Japanese-inspired flair with experiences that will dazzle and delight residents and visitors alike – while creating lasting impressions of DC’s treasured springtime tradition. Explore some of the exciting Cherry Blast experiences below.
Sushi & Sake Workshops
Sample delectable sushi and savory sake selections from top sophisticated chefs and baristas entrenched in the Japanese culinary world. Workshops offered every 30 minutes from 6:30pm to 1:00am. Timeslot sign-up provided in purchase confirmation email.
Cherry Blast Dance Party
(For ages 21+) Experience live musical performances and an amazing line up of electrifying DJs and bands.
Cosplay Competition
Come dressed up in your favorite cosplay ensemble. Participants will be entered to win fun prizes.
Tokyo Street Food Experience
Indulge your taste buds at the Tokyo street food landscape. Clusters of street vendors within this Tokyo street replica will give attendees an opportunity to revel in Japanese inspired food in a sensory filed environment.
Manga Vendors
No Japanese inspired event is complete without manga vendors who will surprise and delight revelers with endless displays of comics and cartoons that span a broad range of genres-from action-adventure, comedy and mystery to the heart- pumping romance, science fiction and horror.
Anime Fashion Show
Get ready to immerse yourself in Japanese-inspired fashion with the anime fashion show that will showcase cutting-edge trends and fashion pieces straight off the runway and the streets of Tokyo.
Gaming & Drift Car Competition
In staying true to Japanese culture, cherry blast will include and outdoor gaming experience with today’s favorite video games for compete in, as well as a drift car showcase that highlights neon lights, jaw-dropping art and eye-popping spoilers. The drift car showcase will also include a competition for enthusiasts to participate and wow cherry blast attendees.
Live Painting & Cherry Blossom Inspired Art Show
Experience a cherry blossom inspired art exhibit that features more than 60 local and international artists. Two featured artists will wow revelers as they paint live with their diverse artistic style in large scale unique canvases.
On April 18, the Department of Energy and Environment will team up with National Geographic Society to host an evening of short environmental films that bring global issues into local focus. Artists, scientists, advocates, and everyday people share stories that cross boundaries and give a new voice to our planet and to our wild, wonderful city. Celebrate the earth, the Anacostia River, and the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee! Learn about the BioBlitz coming to DC in May and how to get involved. Join the conversation in a Q&A with representatives from the films:
- A Ghost in the Making: Searching for the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee [DC premiere]
- Nature is Speaking [DC Premiere]
- Rules for the Black Birdwatcher
- The Anacostia River: Making Connections
- Think Like a Scientist: Boundaries [Premiere]
Attendees will receive complimentary reusable bags and pollinator plant seeds. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Please RSVP online at http://birdsandbees.splashthat.com.
WHO: Dr. Catherine Workman, National Geographic Society
Tommy Wells, Department of Energy and Environment
Dr. Will Turner, Conservation International
Dr. Neil Losin, Day’s Edge Productions
Clay Bolt, Natural History Photographer
Rich Hatfield, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Krista Schlyer, Conservation Photographer and Author
WHAT: The Birds & the Bees: Celebrating Nature in Film
WHEN: Monday, April 18 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
(Film program begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by a panel discussion)
WHERE: National Geographic Society, Grosvenor Auditorium
1145 17th Street NW, Washington, DC
*Closest Metro: Farragut North Metro Station*
The National Archives Foundation announced the exclusive film preview of “Elvis & Nixon,” featuring a screening and discussion with director Liza Johnson on Tuesday, April 19th, 7:00 p.m. ET. “Elvis & Nixon” stars Academy Award® nominee Michael Shannon as Elvis Presley and two-time Academy Award® winner Kevin Spacey as Richard Nixon, and tells the untold story behind this revealing, yet humorous moment in the Oval Office forever immortalized in the most requested photograph in the National Archives.
“The meeting between Elvis and President Nixon remains one of the more curious moments in recent American history,” said Executive Director Patrick Madden. “That encounter was captured with a famous photo that is saved in the National Archives for future generations to consider, and we know the same will be said of this new film.”
“To have the Washington premiere of ‘Elvis & Nixon’ at the National Archives is an honor and a thrill,” said filmmaker Liza Johnson. “Our film is an interpretation of an unforgettable, surreal moment in American history. The screenplay makes direct use of three documents from the National Archives – the famous photograph, the letter Elvis wrote to Nixon, and the Haldeman memo. This event could be a wonderful chance to think about the role of the Archives in historical fiction in general and in this story in particular.”
Amazon Studios / Bleecker Street opens “Elvis & Nixon” in theaters across the country on April 22, 2016. To read more about the film, visit: http://www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com/elvisandnixon.
WHAT: Screening of “Elvis & Nixon” and discussion with Director Liza Johnson
WHO: Liza Johnson, “Elvis & Nixon” director
WHEN: Tuesday, April 19th, 7:00 p.m. ET
WHERE: National Archives William G. McGowan Theater, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20408
For the second year in a row, Jack Rose Dining Saloon is partnering with James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock on a delicious and charitable can’t-miss evening on Wednesday, April 20th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bigger than its inaugural year, the 2nd Annual “Night of Southern Hospitality” will be a two-floor feast of collaborative Southern-inspired fare, rare whiskey, cigars, and of course, the company of culinary and whiskey greats, Chef Brock of Husk Charleston and Husk Nashville, McCrady’s and Minero, Willett Distillery’s master distiller Drew Kulsveen, and Jack Rose’s own Chef Russell P. Jones, all to benefit underprivileged children through local charity Jeeps for Joy. Chef Jones and Chef Brock have collaborated on a menu of Southern favorites passed throughout the evening, such as Anson Mills Grits with seasonal mushrooms, Fried Oysters with Pernod sauce and Bibb lettuce, Sashimi of Fluke with sunflower shoots, whiskey barrel-aged vinaigrette & pea shoot puree, Maryland Jumbo Lump Rice Bowl with crab broth, green onions, and crispy garlic, Venison Tartare on rye chips, and Barbecue Pork with cracklings & white bread.
In the first-floor dining saloon, Chef Brock will carve at his Country Ham Bar, featuring four country hams accompanied by all the fixins’: fresh-baked biscuits, pimento cheese, house pickles and deviled eggs.And up on the open-air rooftop terrace, Chef Jones will man the wood-burning grill serving up dishes like Grilled Soft Shell Crabs with Old Bay mayo and Pit Beef with tiger sauce accompanied by fresh-baked parker house rolls, slaw and chow-chow. Rare, vintage whiskeys have been donated for guests to enjoy, such as a 1960s Park & Tilford rye and Willett 25-year rye along with several bourbons distilled at Stitzel-Weller including an Old Weller Original from the 1970s, an Old Fitzgerald 10-year 101-proof from the late 1980s and Old Fitzgerald 1849 8-year from the 1990s. Every guest can enjoy six ½ oz. pours of these rare bottlings, in addition to creative welcome cocktails from each establishment, and an open bar of select spirits, classic cocktails, wine, and draft beer.And for those who prefer a fine cigar with their whiskey, the rooftop Tiki Bar will transform into a Cigar Lounge for the evening, with complimentary cigar offerings from W. Curtis Draper Tobacconist available to guests.And the reason for this evening of fine food, drink and revelry: a portion of proceeds from tickets and an incredible silent auction will be donated to Jeeps For Joy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in need, within the Mid-Atlantic region. They do this through fundraising, charitable events and outreach within the off-roading community. Since its launch in 2001, Jeeps For Joy has donated close to 10,000 toys and items to both the Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children and Children’s Choice Foster Care. More information can be found at www.jeepsforjoy.org.Tickets to the 2nd Annual “Night of Southern Hospitality” featuring Sean Brock at Jack Rose Dining Saloon can be purchased at www.jackrose-seanbrock-2016.eventbrite.com. General Admission tickets are $150 (including tax & gratuity), which includes food, six ½ oz. pours of rare whiskey, open bar of select cocktails, spirits, wine and beer, and cigars from 6-9pm. For more information, please visit www. jackrosediningsaloon.com or call 202-588-7388.
WHO:Jack Rose Dining Saloon and Chef Russell P. Jones
