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WARRENTON, VA (July 7, 2009)– Author Joe David and Chef Howard Foer will host an evening of wine and food tasting at the Philip Carter Winery, 4366 Stillhouse Road, Hume, Virginia, Thursday, August 6, 2009, VA, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Chef Foer of Poplar Springs, the Inn Spa (Casanova, VA), will prepare and serve samples of meats and vegetables with and without sauces paired with a variety of wines chosen from the Philip Carter wine collection. His purpose is to demonstrate why non-traditional wine-food pairing is often recommended when sauces are added to food. “Flavor and chemistry of the food and wine together are important factors to consider when making a wine selection,” Chef Foer said. “Therefore, a sauce often determines which wine should be served with the food.”

To reduce disappointment, when pairing wine and food, Foer will provide recommendations on how to best select a red and white wine that will work well with different entrees. “A rule of thumb,” Chef Foer said, “is that neither the wine nor the food should overpower the other.”

David’s gourmet getaway class, featuring Chef Foer, is designed to provide tips and techniques for eating and drinking smartly, utilizing Virginia’s special talents, the culinary skills of Chef Foer and the remarkable array of Philip Carter wines. Participants in the evening program will be introduced to different food flavors which they will enjoy with suitable wines.

As an extra bonus, the winemaker for the Philip Carter estate will talk and answer any questions about the wines and the wine-making process, and explain what makes the estate’s wines so special, versatile, and appropriate for many different types of food flavors.

Some of the Philip Carter’s top wines will be available to taste from its Cabernet Franc, which resonates with overtones of plum, raspberry & spice, to its Chablis-style Chardonnay, which refreshes with its light and fruity flavors. Together with Chef Foer’s impeccably prepared food samplings, participants will enjoy an evening of unforgettable flavors, served irresistibly with an approachable teaching style.

The same magic that David brought to a sold-out wine dinner at the National Press Club of Washington in April will be offered to guests at Philip Carter winery, tailored to the setting and occasion.  Price is $80 per person, $150 per couple, and it includes recipes, wine and food samplings, and an autographed copy of Joe David’s Gourmet Getaways. 

Principals

Philip Carter Winery (Hume, VA) was only an idea in 1759 when a committee of the Virginia assembly sought economic diversification, an idea made urgent by the depression in the tobacco trade.

As a result, the first American winery was born, when Charles Carter in 1762 began producing wine from both native and, according to some, Europeans grapes. This new economic direction was encouraged by the London Society who liked Carter’s proposals and recommendations for various vines and practices. When he sent the London Society a dozen bottles of his wine, made from the American winter grape, the society was suitably impressed, and it awarded Carter a gold medal as the first person to make a “spirited attempt towards the accomplishment of their views, respecting wine in America.”

In the years that followed, the winery has produced a handsome choice of premium Virginia wines, which all carry the winery’s distinctive label. Today Philip Carter Winery proudly claims, “before Jefferson, there was Carter.” (www.pcwinery.com)

Chef Howard Foer (Casanova, VA) realized his life-long dream when in 2002 he opened a boutique country inn 50 miles south of Washington, DC. As the CEO of the Poplar Springs, the Inn Spa, and The Manor House Restaurant, he and his wife Lauren have created together a luxurious and tranquil getaway, where as inn keeper, chef, and cooking instructor, they have as partners been able to pursue a commitment to excellence.

Chef Foer received his BA from the University of Maryland, school of business. After graduation, he went to work in the food business where he learned the business hands-on, as operational chef for the American Cafe Catering and later under Chef James Papovich at Le Chardon d'Or (Morrison House Hotel, Alexandria). In 1987, he and his wife formed Festive Foods Catering, where he served as Executive Chef, until they began to develop Poplar Springs, The Inn Spa. Today, Howard and his wife oversee all food and beverage operations on the property, including The Manor House Restaurant, and corporate and social events. (www.poplarspringsinn.com and www.festivefoods.com)

Author Joe David (Warrenton, VA) has been traveling the globe since college days in search of the perfect meal. To finance this search, he has taught school; worked in public relations, marketing and magazine advertising; reported radio stories for NPR's The Best of Our Knowledge; and authored countless articles and five books. Although he isn’t a trained chef, he has written about food and international cooking programs and interviewed such prominent chefs as John Ash, Jacques Pépin, and Patrick O’Connell. His latest book, Gourmet Getaways, 50 top spots to cook and learn (Globe Pequot Press, April 2009) features 50 of America’s top cooking school chefs, their programs, cooking styles, and favorite recipes.

David is scheduling other gourmet getaways in Virginia.

Sunday, August 2, 2009: a grilling class with tasty Southern foods and Loudoun Valley Vineyard wines, www.loudounvalleyvineyards.com; Saturday, September 26, 2009: a demonstration class at The Winery at LaGrange, Haymarket, VA (www.wineryatlagrange.com)

For more information, contact:

Joe David

PO Box 202

Warrenton, VA 20188

540-428-3175

jdavid@bfat.com