The DC Traveler

Italian sparkling wines at the French Embassy? Is this possible? 
California champagnes being served on French soil?  Sacrilegious??!!
No!! Wine lovers know that great wines come from around the globe, not just one region or one country.  Especially champagnes and sparkling wines.
So sample over 25 French, Italian, Spanish, American, and Austrian sparklers that will be presented at the first Champagne and Other Bubbles Festival at the French Embassy in Washington, DC. 
The selection includes bubbly samples from around the globe including:

Champagnes
Proseccos
Cavas
Spumante
Blanc de noirs
Blanc de blancs
Sparkling rosés
Sparkling reds
Bruts, Drys, Extra Drys and Demi-Secs …read more

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Just 30 years ago, visiting the six wineries operating in Virginia was fairly easy.   Today, with over 130 wineries in the Commonwealth, it could take months to visit them all. 
The great thing about the many local summer and fall wine festivals, is that the wineries come to you.
At the Vintage Virginia Wine Festival, in suburban Centreville, Virginia, you can taste wines from over 35 Virginia wineries. After sampling some of the 250 wines offered, attend one of the hourly seminars at the Seminar Tents, and learn about paring, wine making and its history, and the learn about the many …read more

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Similar to last year’s festival, the Washington Wine & Food Festival will bring together some great wineries, fun food, wine seminars and more.

It’s this one is sure to be well attended. Read about last year’s festival here.
And while you’re at the Reagan Building, check out the piece of the Berlin Wall that’s on display in the lobby. 
And if you are not the wine and cheese fan, you might enjoy this recent anti-wine-tasting party Super Bowl commercial from Bud Light.

Washington Wine & Food FestivalRonald Reagan Building and International Trade Center1300  Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington D.C. 20004  (map it)
Dates and …read more

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The Virginia Wine Showcase is this weekend in suburban Chantilly, Virginia.
Forty wineries will be serving, selling, and bragging about some of the 300 wines available for tasting.
The showcase also offers a series of fee-based wine seminars where you can learn about wine, winemaking, food pairings, and improving your enjoyment of the nectar of the gods.
Some of the more interesting seminars include:

It’s All About The Chocolate – Perfect for planning a Valentine’s Day celebration, how to pair wines with chocolate. 
Virginia Versus The World – Just how do Virginia wines compare to wines from other regions of the …read more

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One of my favorite guilty pleasures is enjoying a chilly glass (or two) of champagne.  I also love to visit many of the champagne producers in the Napa Valley and Sonoma county when I travel to see my family in California.
But there are so many types and styles of sparkling wines and champagnes. While the wine aficionado may turn their nose up at anything that is not “true” Champagne from the Champagne region in France, one should never ignore all the other interesting sparklers – Méthode Champenoise, prosecco, spumante, sparkling shiraz from Australia, or even a lightly sparkling vinho verde from …read more

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While Virginia boasts 119 wineries, the East Coast is filled with several hundred more wine producers, from Long Island to Georgia.
Here’s a great chance to sample 50 East Coast wines, an assortment of artisan cheeses from Virginia, Maryland and Vermont and foods with a local flair prepared by ten DC area chefs at TasteDC’s first East Coast Food and Wine Festival.
Expect some exciting dishes from the chefs using local ingredients to match the local wines including Williamsburg Peanut Soup with Jalapeño Chicken Fritters, Sea Scallops with Truffled Parsnip Puree and Parsley Coulis and Prawn and Tangerine Soup Shooters.
East Coast Food …read more

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