Food Notes

Rogan honored for lifetime achievement

Felicia Warburg Rogan received the Gordon Murchie Lifetime Achievement Award from former Gov. Gerald Baliles on Feb. 27 as part of the Virginia Wine Expo at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, on behalf of the Virginia Wineries Association.

Before the award was given, the Jeffersonian Wine Grape Growers Society presented Rogan with a Bulova brass clock, recognizing her as founder and visionary of the society.

Rogan founded Oakencroft Vineyard and Winery, which closed Dec. 30 after 25 years of producing award-winning wines.

Madison winery opens new hospitality center

Sweely Estate Winery now is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Easter.

Jess and Sharon Sweely opened the winery’s new hospitality center on Feb. 28 at 6109 Wolftown-Hood Road, 1.5 miles west of U.S. 29 in Madison.

The center offers three event venues, including the Vintners Room, which can accommodate up to 200 for a seated dinner; the art gallery, which can welcome 70 for a reception; and the wine library, which can seat 20 for an intimate meal. Public events, including culinary classes, harvest celebrations and jazz concerts, will be scheduled throughout the year.

For details on upcoming events and wines, directions and other information, visit http://www.sweelyestatewinery.com.

‘Extreme Flavor’ will focus on nutrition

Jim Winecoff of Mona Lisa Pasta and Terre Sisson of Charlottesville Wine and Culinary will present more cooking classes.

“Low Fat, High Fiber, Extreme Flavor” is offered at 7 p.m. Thursday for $55.

The demonstration class will cover tandoori shrimp skewers with rice balls, Asian greens with soba, ginger and shiitake and pears poached in red wine with vanilla cream.

For reservations, call 295-2494.

Secret of dessert revealed in Clifton demo

Dean Maupin, executive chef of Clifton, concludes his new cooking demonstration series tonight, presenting “Dessert Secrets with Pastry Goddess Erin Maupin” at 6 this evening before dinner.

The demonstration starts at 6 p.m. and includes a chance to sample the results. Diners are invited, but not required, to stay for dinner.

For details or reservations, call 971-1800. Find out more about Clifton at http://www.cliftoninn.net.

Learn how to cut out fat in latest CCS class act

Charlottesville Cooking School will present “Cut the Fat, Not the Flavor” with Erik Speer at 6 p.m. Monday for $65.

The menu will include roasted red pepper bisque with peppered yogurt, grilled tuna scaloppini with Tuscan tomato and artichoke sauce and fresh fruit cocktail with basil and lime.

To sign up, send e-mail to info@charlottesvillecooking

school.com, visit http://www.charlottesvillecookingschool.com or call 963-COOK.

Vintner Weekend includes King Family wines

King Family Vineyards will present a Vintner Weekend from Friday through Sunday at the Boar’s Head Inn.

There will be a wine reception and dinner with King Family wines on Friday, and Saturday’s events include a wine seminar, cooking class with lunch and a tour and tasting at King Family Vineyards.

For reservations and details, visit http://www.boardsheadinn.com or call (800) 476-1988.

The vineyard also will offer dance lessons in two-step, swing and salsa with professional instructor Derek Tobler at 7:30 p.m. Mondays in March. Arrive at 7 p.m. for a “wine warmup.” The lessons are $80 per couple, $50 per person for all four classes. Reservations are required in advance at kerry@

kingfamilyvineyards.com or 823-7800.

Wintergreen pairs its wines with cheeses

Wintergreen Winery will offer a wine and cheese pairing at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Owners and vintners Jeff and Tamara Stone will present a guided informative tasting of each of the winery’s selected wines, pairing them with domestic and imported artisan cheeses. The event is $15 and includes a keepsake wine glass and tastings of eight handcrafted wines paired with more than a dozen different cheeses.

Space is limited, and reservations are necessary. For reservations and details, visit http://www.WintergreenWinery.com or call 361-2519.

Make reservations for Meals on Wheels event

Meals on Wheels will present a Wine Dinner on March 19 at the Silver Thatch Inn, and tickets are on sale through March 12.

Terri Petrovits at the Silver Thatch Inn has developed a six-course menu paired with wines from King Family and First Colony vineyards.

The event will benefit Meals on Wheels’ home-delivered meals program.

Tickets are $100 per person, and $50 is tax-deductible. To reserve a place, or a table, call 293-4364.

Reserve a space for Peace Frogs’ latest event

Explore the languages, food and wine of Spain and Italy from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. March 12 at Peace Frogs Travel/Outfitters in Barracks Road Shopping Center.

Presented by Peace Frogs Travel/Outfitters, Speak Language Center, Epicurean Ways and Market Street Wine Shop, the event includes a Spanish and Italian wine tasting guided by Robert Harllee of Market Street Wine Shop and a Spanish olive oil tasting session led by Jane Gregg of Epicurean Wayes. Speak Language Center offers courses in Italian, French and Spanish for personal and professional enrichment. Owner Christina Ball also leads two-week Italian language and culture trips to a hill town in Umbria each year.

Ball and Harlee will discuss highlights of the program and details for this year’s trip, which will be from June 20 to July 4.

Epicurean Ways offers food and wine tours throughout Spain. Trips slated for this year will include wine tours in the Rioja wine region, cooking vacations with professional chefs in Catalonia and foodie explorations in Barcelona, Madrid and Sevilla. Participants will explore traditional Spanish cuisine and visit small, artisanal producers of olive oil, goat cheese, Spanish ham and saffron.

The event is free, but reservations are requested. For reservations, send e-mail to or call 977-1415. For details, call 228-0641.

From staff reports