Flavor Magazine Fall 2008 by Flavor Magazine

fall 2008

P i e d m o n t seasonal • local • sustainable • artisanal • unique

Schools Fight the Good Food Fight Cheesemakers, Vodkamakers, Troublemakers

Give bees a chance The Inn at Little Washington Local Before It Was Cool

Heirloom Apples Fall Recipes

Introducing our new wine section

The Founding Fathers of Virginia Wine: Luca Paschina, Jim Law, Gabriele Rausse free

103.5

90.7 FM

WMRA is your source for NPR News and NPR Talk at one place on the dial. Between Morning Edition and All Things Considered, stay informed and engaged with these programs:

9-10 am 10 pm-5 am

10-Noon

Noon-1 pm

Virginia Insight Live call-in from WMRA

1-2 pm

2-4 pm

Mondays 3-4 pm

And relax with classical music weekday evenings.

103.5

90.7

You can listen online, and find a complete schedule, at wmra.org

features

columns

Teach (and Feed) Your Children Well

Farm-to-school programs are bringing fresh, local foods into the cafeteria.

The Art of Roasting

The roasters at Central Coffee and Shenandoah Joe seek out the perfect coffee—delicious beans from conscientious growers—to put in your cup.

Stop to Smell the Flowers . . . and Care for the Bees

The underappreciated honeybee brings so much more than honey to our tables.

Rebel with a Cause Find Your Kitchen

Cooking, not campaigning, will bring about the food revolution we’re hoping for.

trista scheuerlein

lora keady

cristina santiestevan

This issue includes the debut of Terroir, our new wine section, on pages 52–71.

joel salatin

Tales from the Field Giving Thanks for the Harvest

Appreciating the farm warriors who bring us our food.

trista scheuerlein

Common Good, Common Sense Thinking Inside the Box How to green up when you take out. anne t. bedarf

in every issue 32

Seasonal Table

Directory & Events

Calendar of Events

The Long Finish

www.flavormags.com

flavor magazine â&#x20AC;˘ fall 2008

departments 6

Letters from the Publisher & Editor

Local Grazings

Flavor Café

A visit with Chef Patrick O’Connell of the world-famous Inn at Little Washington shows his deep commitment to eating locally.

mollie cox bryan

Groundbreakers

Preserving Virginia’s Best Apples

Modern-day Johnny Appleseeds keep hundreds of apple varieties from going extinct.

theresa curry

Artisans & Entrepreneurs

The Inn at Little Washington

Heavenly Cheese, Happy Cows

Allen Bassler, the Mellon family’s personal cheesemaker, is now sharing the bounty from the dairy at Oak Spring Farm.

heidi baumstark

In the Garden

From Peak Season to Off-Season

Some area farms are working to keep locavores fed year-round.

walker elliott rowe

30 Cover: Photo taken at Windsong Apiaries in Castleton, Virginia, by Julie Koon. www.flavormags.com

Flavor Text_2008summer:Layout 1

7/10/08

10:34 AM

Page 9

from the publisher julie koon

PUBLISHED BY PUBLISHED BY Piedmont Piedmont Media,Media, LLC LLC

gotten accustomed to feeding our school-age children unhealthy food and yet we Terroir WAHR a French word that “soil,” “terrain,” or spoiled “earth.” wonder why our (taircountry has) is obesity rates like noliterally other. Imeans think we have become Thewe earthy of some wines food is often described thefresh phrase gout de terroir. and, in turn, haveflavor spoiled our local systems. Wewith want strawberries in January. We want arugulainwhenever weuse have a recipe that it. in the immediWine producers France also terroir to refer to calls other for factors

thatitaffect flavor a wine—factors such sabotaged as altitude, We want itate all.setting We want now. the We quality want it and cheap. Butofthese demands have exposure, incline, and water drainage as well as climatic factors like temperature our most vital resources—our community’s sustainable farms, food artisans, restauraand wind teurs committed topatterns. seasonal fare, and family-run businesses in general—without our even realizing it. Flavor exists to reintroduce you to those brave souls in the Piedmont We chose the name Terroir because it evokes a sense of place. It is a magazine dediwho are fighting to bring all of us the most delicious, fresh, sustainable goodies. cated specifically to the craft and culture of making wine in Virginia. Within the

Cézanne’spages quote our explore new marching orders: Start the and revolution. back to of embodies Terroir, we will our growing wine market discoverGet every aspect our local roots. Embrace local markets like never before. Know and be known by the of pairing, collecting, tasting, enjoying, critiquing, and touring. people and places feeding us. Reclaim our local food systems. Demand locally proA toast, then, to Virginia This wine—which pairs perfectly with local food!who Cheers and duced food at every opportunity. is the purpose and mission of those create Flavor, and we are ready to join with other like-minded people in the Piedmont. We happy holidays! hope to see you on the front lines!

Melissa J. Harris

from the editor

Melissa J. Harris

from the editor

his issue of Flavor is sure to find you preparing for the holi-

I wear my heart onAs my sleeve. Anyone who has me forshopping more days. you make up your holiday giftknown list, consider

than 15 minutes will learn that I’m an of avid love a at area holiday markets. Many theNPR same listener, locationsthat thatIare home band called Over the Rhine with an adolescent fervor, and that I am to farmers markets in the growing season will host holiday markets passionate local, sustainable, food. inabout late fall. Lucky is the foodieseasonal who finds pottery to showcase local

Maggie Rogers LETTERS & CALENDAR Julie Simpson Send letters to theWiley editor, newsworthy items, Melissa delicacies, homemade jamscause and treats, or handmade boards I was awakened to the beauty and of local, sustainablecutting agriculture and calendar Chad Zakaib events to during themade nearwith decade I lived in Berkeley, California. The local food movement there sustainably harvested wood. editor@flavormags.com thrives off Berkeley’s suspicion of government and corporations and its back-to-nature OPERATIONS

The holidays are also a chance for you to introduce friends and family to products

attitude. During these years I first read the writings of farmer, poet, essayist, and novelist Tom McSherry, Chief Financial Officer SUBSCRIPTIONS & ADVERTISING grownMost and made in their own region. Usethat theILocal to tomato. give gifts that Irene McMahon, Circulation & Subscriptions Wendell Berry. importantly, it was there grewHarvest and atewebsite my first A one-year subscription is $28. are local to the recipient—just search for farms and businesses by state or zip code Jackie Wise, Office & Credit Service In California, eating locally and seasonally not very difficult. thishand-spun out in Virginia Send subscription and advertising at www.localharvest.org. Buy a CSAissubscription for yourLiving parents, yarn Alexander Harris, Publishing Assistantinquiries to has been harder. For instance, while I’ve sworn off buying avocadoes, I do buy Flavor Magazine for your friends, and artisan desserts for your in-laws. You can also use thestill website LETTERS & CALENDAR lemons and limes grown in the U.S. This last year I vowed not to buy any tomatoes or when you travel to identify restaurants and markets in your destination city that 47A Main Send letters to the editor orStreet calendar / squash out of season, which was a genuine sacrifice. So when I went to pick up my Sperryville, VA 22740 support localinagriculture. events to editor@flavormags.com produce subscription June and saw yellow crookneck squash waiting for me, I began voice (540) 987-9299 to cry tears of delight. sincere, my this tendency Another way toI am support your despite community holidaytoward season hyperbole, is to shop atwhen locallyI SUBSCRIPTIONS fax (540) 518-9190 say that I owned felt likestores. a chaste who hadwere been faithfulwetowould an absent Whenlover my children younger, make beloved a wish list(in at this our One year, $28. Send to case, summer squash), and I was overcome with joy at his return. www.flavormags.com 47A Main Street local toy store. We would e-mail this list, along with the phone number of the store, Sperryville, VA 22740 to their grandparents. would call storeand andits place her order over the Berry writes about this fidelity, Grandma this faithfulness to athe place people. He reminds 540-987-9299 phone. The storeneed wrapped the needed gifts for free, nothingan hadinterdependence to be shipped, and the us that our communities and are by farmers, easily Copyright ©2008 by Piedmont Media, LLC. 540-518-9190 All rights reserved. Flavor isFAX published quarterly. Repro-forgotten in Stuff supported Mart’s over-lit aisles. The slow-food also shopping calls attention to money a small business. You can domovement the same when for your www.flavormags.com duction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. the seasons, the boundaries of gifts sustainability, the consequences of our choices. deartoones far away: Buy for niecesand and to nephews at locally owned bookstores

Flavor is notby responsible unsolicited ©2008 Piedmontfor Media, LLC. manuscripts and their towns. GiveFlavor your siblings gift certificates to resturants where As part ofinthis movement, was created to champion the local foodtheir andneighwine photographs. All rights reserved. Flavor is published

quarterly. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. Flavor is not responsible for unsolicited and photographs. 6 manuscripts flavor magazine • fall 2008

borhood eat. culture that thriveslocavores in the Piedmont. It is a magazine of the Piedmont, by people of the Piedmont,Give for people of the Piedmont. generously. Buy locally. And we hope it will foster relationship among those who believe we can live well in this place.

Jennifer Conrad Seidel

cheri bowling CHERI BOWLING

PUBLISHER PUBLISHER Melissa J. Harris Melissa J. Harris EDITORIAL STAFF EDITORIAL STAFF Jennifer Conrad Seidel, Editor editor Jennifer Conrad Seidel Kim Bealle, D&K Design, Art Director director Nora Monroe Matt Soter,art D&K Design, Designer Travis Bjorkland, WebWendy MasterStark graphic design Vanessa Leech, Editorial Assistant webmaster Travis Bjorklund Annette Kaufman-Horner and editorial assistants Theresa Curry, Proofreaders Vanessa Leech & Autumn Reynolds CONTRIBUTING WRITERS proofreader Annette Kaufman-Horner Jason Burrus Theresa Curry BOARD ADVISORY Mary Ann Dancisin Stephanie Anderegg-Maloy Joanne DiMaggio Matt Benson Grace KeriAn Reynolds Dodson JoelStephanie Salatin Giles Trista Scheuerlein Susie Haas EvanSandy Williams Huckstep Mike Kane CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Maggie Rogers Carl Zitzmann Julie Thompson Mary Bias Melissa Wiley Chad Zakaib ADVISORY BOARD Stephanie Anderegg-Maloy OPERATIONS Matt Benson chief financial officer Tom McSherry KeriAn Dodson Stephanie office managerGiles Savannah Masters Susie Haas circulation & subscriptions Irene McMahon Sandy Huckstep office & credit service Jackie Wise Mike Kane

CARL ZITZMANN

from the publisher

ere we are in fall, the most sensory-rich season of the year in Virginia. Our gardens are gently wilting, the leaves are supernaturally changing, and the evenings are beginning to get When I think of Paul Cézanne’s quote the cover, I getit!chills! cool enough foron a sweater. I love WhenEven I think of fall, I can though those words were first spoken over a hundred years ago,the theoccasional waft of almost immediately smell damp leaves and sentiment is still true today. It is actually true more ever. a wood-burning stovenow in the air, than even if it is still 80 degrees out. Falltojust nostalgic for me regardless of evidence to thenews contrary at times. Fall All you have dowaxes is pick up a newspaper or watch the evening to find yourself scared to death about food crisis and135 thevineyards here in also means a robust harvest cyclethe forworld the ever-diversifying state of our local food systems. are surrounded food,introduce infected Virginia. Thanks to theirWe outstanding efforts, by we contaminated proudly and eagerly livestock,our genetically modified foods, and overprocessed artificial foods. We have newest addition to the Flavor magazine family: Terroir.

local grazings

Happenings on the Foodie Front Vanessa Leech & Jennifer Seidel

Founding Farmers

Charlottesville has its very own culinary learning center, thanks to owner-instructor Martha Stafford, a graduate of and former teacher at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School, now known as the Institute of Culinary Education. This fall, the school offers classes on a variety of cooking topics, such as basic knife skills, seasoning, seasonal vegetables, and classic French sauces. Some classes focus on regional dishes, such as those specific to various regions of Italy. The Thai-cooking series with Ashley Clarke is also very popular. Couples can take a “date night” cooking class, families can sign up for parent-child cooking classes, and group classes are available for events like birthday parties. Baking classes will be offered as the holiday season approaches. Other instructors include Erik Speer, Marisa Catalano, and Tom Whitehead. You can find information on class offerings and instructors at www.charlottesvillecookingschool.com.

On your next trip to Washington, D.C., take the opportunity to eat at Founding Farmers, a new restaurant in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) HQ2 building (20th St. and Pennsylvania Ave., three blocks from the White House). According to the restaurant’s website, “The rich history of American cooking tradition is celebrated through the menus at Founding Farmers, with a philosophy to promote sustainable agriculture and the ways of the American family farmer at every turn. Each season, new choices will reflect the best of what’s available from our farm sources.” Some items are sourced locally; others are bought from co-ops instead of national food-service businesses. The 8,500-square-foot restaurant, owned by a collective of family farmers, is notable as D.C.’s first LEED-Gold designed restaurant that also operates as a Certified Green Restaurant, which means the owners worked with the architects to select recycled, reclaimed, and earth-friendly materials and building processes for the space. The owners are also attentive to reducing waste, conserving energy, and incorporating environmentally friendly practices like serving filtered tap water in reusable glass carafes and printing menus on recycled paper with soy-based ink. At www.wearefoundingfarmers.com, you can see menus, get directions, and make reservations.

Retail Relay “Shop. Click. Pickup.” This is the motto of Retail Relay, a new business designed to make your pursuit of local food and locally made products more convenient. Launched in Charlottesville in September, Retail Relay also aims to benefit local businesses by increasing their customer base. Using Retail Relay’s online shopping service, a customer places an order by 11:00 a.m. and picks it up at one of two drive-though drop-spots, near the downtown mall or on Pantops, between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. There is no fee for orders over $25. (See for yourself just how easy it is to place an order at www.retailrelay.com.) Current participating businesses are Feast, Fishersville Farm, Hedge, Hot Cakes, Rebecca’s Natural Foods, Reid’s Supermarket, and Sammy Snacks. Another 15 local business will be added soon.

len depas

saskia santen

Charlottesville Cooking School

Orange County Farmers Market There’s good news for shoppers who dread the closing of summer farmers markets. The Orange County farmers market is not going dormant for the “off-season.” During the winter months, the market will be held indoors in the historic train depot that is now the Orange Visitor’s Center. The market moves to the depot in December and runs through April, running on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Winter visitors will also find special holiday market items during December. Call (540) 672-2540 for more information.

www.flavormags.com

local grazings Forlano’s Market

Red Truck Bakery Red Truck Bakery is the love-child of Smithsonian magazine’s art director, Brian Noyes, an accomplished baker who has studied at New York’s Culinary Institute of America and L’Acedemie de Cuisine in Washington, D.C. Each weekend Noyes offers up a selection of goodies—including scones, muffins, breads, cakes, cookies, and even jams and preserves— made in the humble kitchen of his Orlean farmhouse at the following retail Fauquier County locations: the Village Green in Orlean, the Farm Store in The Plains, and Epicurious Cow in Amissville. Curious locavores and carb addicts can find out more at www.redtruckbakery.com.

flavor magazine • fall 2008

Fauquier County has another jewel in its slow-food crown: Forlano’s, a family-owned Italian-style gourmet market, deli, butcher, and bakery. Open for lunch and dinner, Forlano’s offers a variety of gourmet sandwiches, soups, and salads along with fine wines and beer by the glass. Each day chef Nick Forlano bakes bread—from baguettes, ciabatta, and focaccia to whole wheat and rye loaves. Everything, even the mayonnaise, is made from scratch using highquality locally sourced ingredients, including meat, cheese, and produce. In addition to being owner, head chef, and butcher, Nick Forlano also offers cooking classes and lessons in wine and food pairing. Satisfy your curiosity at www.forlanosmarket.com.

local grazings Revolutionary Soup & Whole Foods The hot-food bar at Whole Foods Market in Charlottesville just got hotter. Fans of Revolutionary Soup will be thrilled to hear that soupsmith Will Richey is supplying the store’s prepared foods department. Recent offerings include Spicy Senegalese Peanut Tofu (vegan) and Potato Rosemary (vegetarian): $3.79 for 8 ounces, $4.99 for 16 ounces, and $7.99 for 32 ounces. The soups, made at Rev Soup’s Second Street location on the downtown mall, reflect both Whole Foods’ preference for organic ingredients and Richey’s dedication for local food. Known for its commitment to area farms and bakeries as well as its strong vegetarian menu, Rev Soup opened a second location on the Corner near the University of Virginia in 2007 and offers catering services. To find out what’s on today’s menu, visit www.revolutionarysoup.com. (Charlottesville’s Whole Foods Market Store Marketing Team Leader, Sandy Huckstep, also told us that their new store at Short Pump has finally opened!)

Vanessa Leech grew up in the Piedmont region and currently lives in Charlottesville, where she is a fitness instructor and cheerful consumer of gourmet vegan food. Jennifer Conrad Seidel is the editor of Flavor.

Culpeper Downtown Holiday Open House Noon until 5 pm Sunday, November 23rd In store specials Children’s store where volunteers will assist young shoppers to choose gifts for family for under $5  Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive in Culpeper – photo opportunity at the Depot  Trolley rides  Carriage rides  Special program at the Museum of Culpeper History  Downtown Merchants Christmas display contest – winners will be announced at Holiday Open House  Holiday Music  Downtown Christmas tree lighting at 5:30 at the Depot  

“A significant part of the pleasure of eating is in one’s accurate consciousness of the lives and the world from which the food comes.” Wendell Berry

Readers and area businesses are invited to submit items for Grazings to grazings@flavormags.com.

Culpeper Renaissance, Inc. __ A Main Street Program Since 1988 P.O. Box 1071  233 East Davis Street  Culpepper, VA 22701 www.culpeperdowntown.com  welcome@culpeperdowntown.com (540) 825-4416  fax (540) 825-7014 www.flavormags.com

rebel with a cause

Find Your Kitchen carl zitzmann

Joel Salatin

The best way to promote local fo od is to put down the picket signs and get back in th e kitchen. “What is the most important thing I can do to encourage local food production, processing, marketing, and distribution?” If I were to ever compile a list of the questions I am asked most frequently when addressing foodie groups, this would be at the top. Most folks asking this expect some sort of policy answer. They expect to hear about a bill the General Assembly could pass. Or they expect to hear about anti-industrial food campaigns that need contributions or volunteers. Often they think the answer will be simply, “We need more farmers.” This last one comes from the perception that locally produced food is in short supply—not abundant enough to go around. As the local lunatic farmer, I have an answer that doesn’t fit any of these expectations. It’s simply this: “Discover your kitchen.”

eat together, the kitchen is the least occupied room in the house. In the 1950s, half a day was spent preparing meals. Today, preparing dinner takes an average of 30 minutes. When home food preparers (I’m resisting the urge to use the term “housewives”) outsource kitchen responsibilities, the food system responds affirmatively with processed, packaged, prepared everything. To complain about the unpronounceable ingredients that agribusiness corporations put in our food—stabilizers, preservatives, artificial flavorings, colorings—without first appreciating our widespread abandonment of the home kitchen is unfair. Rather than blaming the industrial food bully for invading our menus with extruded, amalgamated, reconstituted pseudofood, we eaters bear the responsibility for having outsourced our most primal, familial, traditional, defining domestic joy: culinary kitchen craft.

This, of course, takes most folks aback because it puts the onus back on them rather than somebody else. As a society, we spend more on remodeling the kitchen than any If we really want a closest-to-nature, people in the history of civilization, but we don’t unadulterated, supportive-of-the-local-economy know where it is. In fact, food studies show that food system, we need to reconnect at 4:00 p.m. in Amerwith our kitchens. ica, fewer than half the people know what they’ll be having for supper. And lest anyone rear up and accuse me of not appreciating the Perhaps the famous “Beef, It’s time it takes to prepare meals from unprocessed, local food, let What’s for Dinner” campaign me suggest that those who have accepted outsourced kitchen really tapped a subliminal duties—whether gladly or reluctantly—are paying a high price message into the consciousfor these conveniences. You can purchase first-class baking ness of these unsettled, potatoes locally for 20 to 50 cents a pound. Those same french floundering dinner-seekers. fry–cut, boxed, microwavable spuds will set you back about When you factor in that 25 $1.25 a pound. That’s quite a markup just to have the freedom percent of all food is conto stay up late enough to watch David Letterman. sumed in the car and that I also noticed in the regional chain grocery store the other day families rarely sit down and 10

flavor magazine • fall 2008

that you can now buy precooked bacon in a box. I figured its equivalent cost is about $35 a pound. Now that, folks, is pretty expensive bacon. I have a friend who always takes a Snickers bar with him when he sells at farmers markets. Whenever people complain about $20 lamb chops, he pulls out the candy bar and shows them what $25 a pound is. You see, it’s all really about priorities. If we really want a closest-to-nature, unadulterated, supportive-of-the-local-economy food system, we need to reconnect with our kitchens. About three decades ago, when our farm began selling pastured broilers, nobody ever asked us to cut them up. That was a skill everyone knew. Today, many food preparers hardly even know a chicken has bones. It’s all about the skinless chicken breast— even though for the same money, you can buy a whole chicken and have wonderful stock left over. A mere generation ago, the farmer received on average 35 cents of the consumer food dollar. Today, that number averages 9 cents and it’s trending downward. As families vacate their newly remodeled kitchens, the corporate food processors, marketers, and distributors take the money that was once divided between the farmer and the home economist. I would argue that the fastest way to preserve farms is not with conserva-

tion easements and property development rights and all those other political solutions. It’s for millions of eaters to spend their money directly with farmers selling raw products. The “value adding,” then—rather than siphoning off precious flavor and nutrients—can be done right in the kitchen. By returning to our kitchens, we quit patronizing those industrial food processors. We keep our money home. Our local farmers enjoy more income. Our food is bathed in less diesel fuel from distribution travel. We can pronounce all the ingredients. And the flavor . . . oh, the flavor. Indeed, rediscovering our kitchens may sound simple—even menial—but it is the catalyst behind the local food movement. Now go hug your Cuisinart while you suck on some chicken bones. Internationally acclaimed conference speaker and author Joel Salatin and his family operate Polyface Farm in Augusta County near Staunton, Virginia, producing and direct marketing “salad bar” beef, “pigaerator” pork, and pastured poultry. Visit www.polyfacefarms.com for a list of retaurants and stores that feature Polyface products, a calendar of Joel’s speaking engagements, and information on his many books.

www.flavormags.com

flavor café

The Inn at Little Washington Mollie Cox Bryan

At the Inn at Little Washington, Chef Patrick O’Connell ’s locally inspired, elegant cuisine may attract visitors from around the world, but it is firmly rooted by countless Virginia farmers and producers.

A Large Presence in Little Washington

ining at the prestigious Inn at Little Washington is a life event—one to be planned and savored. Yet, for all of its opulence, the guiding principals behind it speak of simplicity and authenticity, of shaping local food into a refined elegance. “The local food movement is not new for us. We’ve been working with local farmers and artisans since we started 30 years ago,” says Patrick O’Connell, the inn’s owner and chef, who is praised internationally for his innovative use of local products combined with sophisticated flair. And an extraordinary flair it is. The inn’s awards include a long list of highly sought after kudos. Just two of these are the Mobil Travel Guide’s Five Stars for both the restaurant and the inn’s accommodations—the first such award in the guide’s history. It’s also the first inn ever to receive AAA’s Five Diamond award for both food and accommodations. Behind these myriad awards is the almost indescribable manner in which customers are transported into another, richer, lush, magical world upon entering the establishment. “Our food is just one element in a large picture we use to transport people into a healing, comforting experience,” says O’Connell.

The Inn at Little Washington is perfectly situated in an almost storybook-like setting, nearly smack in the middle of bucolic Washington, Virginia, with a population just under 200. The town is skirted by the Shenandoah National Park and sits a few miles from the sprawling Northern Virginia town of Warrenton, about an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C. Fighting urban sprawl is not even an issue in “Little Washington,” which was formed in 1749 after being surveyed by a team that included a young George Washington. Because of the inn’s international success, the local economy is robust in the best of all possible ways—the establishment boosts local artists, contractors, and a variety of craftspeople, along with a substantial amount of local farmers, wineries, and cheesemakers. The inn’s recent expansion, spread over three blocks of the small town, includes an herbal cutting garden with apple trees and fountains. A new large room has a veranda with a sweeping, glorious view of Virginia’s mountains. “This room is perfect for wedding receptions or rehearsal parties, any special event,” says Rachel Hayden, marketing manager at the inn for nine years.

“We are bringing people in touch with their food. They want to know where it comes from. I do think that the consciousness of people is changing.” —Chef Patrick O’Connell

julie koon

flavor magazine • fall 2008

flavor café

Apple Rutabaga Soup Makes 2 quarts (6 to 8 servings)

I only recently rediscovered rutabagas and am so happy I did. They were something my mother used to prepare when we were kids–usually as a purée–and even though I thought they tasted a little weird, their gorgeous golden color made you want another mouthful. This soup looks and tastes like liquid autumn. All year long we look forward to serving it again in the fall. It’s incredibly simple to put together and can be made well in advance and frozen. The elusive secret ingredient is a bit of maple syrup, which enhances the natural sweetness of the rutabaga. Water or vegetable stock may be successfully substituted for the chicken stock if you wish to make this soup vegetarian or if you don’t want to bother making chicken stock. —Chef Patrick O’Connell

Because the inn owns so much of it, the town remains a beacon to authenticity, guided by O’Connell’s precise hand— the same elocution one finds in the food, décor, and every inch of the many rooms and houses available for rental throughout its properties.

The World’s Best, Right Here in Virginia All of this began with O’Connell’s vision, conceived while cooking at a woodstove and starting a catering company with a partner more than 30 years ago. The pair was so successful that they were encouraged to open a restaurant. They rented a half of dilapidated garage to house their new venture. Within weeks of opening, critics in Washington, D.C., lauded it as the best restaurant in the region. Thirty years later, many restaurant critics, cookbook authors, and chefs claim it is the finest restaurant in the world. What does its creator think of the inn’s evolution? Does O’Connell ever step back and wonder at it all? “No. I never stop and consider it. I look out the window at the beautiful gardens and see where the outhouse and junkyard used to be. This is just my home. The growth seemed to happen as naturally and slowly as planting a sapling. I never think of this place as overly elegant or stuffy. It’s just my home,” he beams. The truth is that the inn is the very definition of elegant, but the atmosphere somehow transcends any sense of stuffiness. It is imbued with a palpable sense of hospitality. Guests are pampered, of course, but this goes further than that. The spirit of hospitality infuses the attitudes of every server, every chef, every nook and cranny of the gardens, every detail of every space in the restaurant and 18 guest rooms, cottages, and suites.

1 stick (¼ pound) butter 1 cup onion, roughly chopped 1 cup Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped 1 cup rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped 1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped 1 cup carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 1 cup sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped 1 quart good chicken stock 2 cups heavy cream ¼ cup maple syrup Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, apple, rutabaga, squash, carrots, and sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the vegetables are cooked through and tender. Purée the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into the same pot you used to cook the vegetables. Add the cream, maple syrup, salt, and cayenne pepper. Return the pot to the stove, bring the soup to a simmer, and serve.

• Virginia Wine Pairing For this soup, we recommend Pearmund Cellars’ Viognier, Vinecroft Vineyard (2007). Voted Virginia’s Favorite Winery in 2007, Pearmund Cellars is located in the beautiful foothills of eastern Fauquier County. This Viognier explodes with tropical fruit flavors: pineapple and peach with hints of grapefruit. If you are looking for something cleaner, we recommend Linden Vineyards’ Avenius Sauvignon Blanc (2006). —Tyler Packwood, sommelier at Inn at Little Washington

www.flavormags.com

julie koon

Local Flavor, International Reputation The restaurant’s triumph begins, perhaps, with O’Connell’s sheer respect for a locally grown asparagus, his cherishing of a perfect, crisp leaf of lettuce, his appreciation of locally raised rabbit or duck, and it flows to everyone involved—from the farmer growing the crops to the chefs carefully preparing the food and the diners enjoying every bit. “Farmers and chefs live similar, monastic lives. To me, the raw product is as beautiful as the finished one,” reflects O’Connell. “So we are sharing our lifestyle. We are bringing people in touch with their food. They want to know where it comes from. I do think that the consciousness of people is changing.” If ever there was a man wedded to a place and a time in the universe, it is O’Connell, who knew from the moment he

flavor magazine • fall 2008

moved into his “shack” in Jenkins Hollow that this spot on the planet would hold him. That he did not go to New York or Paris to make his name speaks of his love of the region and his passion for rural life. But his passion is nowhere more evident than in his kitchen. Walking into it, a sense of the sacred hangs in the air. Gregorian chants play softly over the stereo, huge windows open to the Virginia sky, and his staff—about 116 people altogether, including 32 kitchen staff—work around a massive 16-foot brass and bottle green Vulcan range, huge chef’s tables, and state-of-the art ovens. Observing them is like watching a symphony or a highly sophisticated ritual. “The five phases of dining”—a tongue-in-cheek paraphrase of Elizabeth Kubler Ross’ classic The Five Stages of Death and Dying—are inscribed on the wall: anticipation, trepidation, inspection, fulfillment, evaluation. O’Connell’s kitchen operates 24 hours a day. The menu changes every day to reflect the local produce and the season. Some recent menu items include ribbons of Virginia country ham and grilled black mission figs, crispy seared black sea bass on braised baby bok choy, and pecan-crusted barbequed short ribs paired with a miniature filet mignon wrapped in Swiss chard. In this cathedral-ceilinged kitchen one will also find exquisite deserts, such as warm roasted local plum cake with sweet corn ice cream and the restaurant’s specialty, a dessert sampler known as the Seven Deadly Sins. The inn also offers a complete vegetarian menu, including such selections as wild mushroom napoleon, avocado and grapefruit salad with pistachio vinaigrette, and a fricassee of potato gnocchi with fall vegetables—unusual for a restaurant of its caliber. The Inn at Little Washington’s seasonal, sublime menu is complemented by its 15,000-bottle wine cellar, hosting more than 1,200 different selections from France, California, Italy, and Virginia. “What we have here is a beautiful synthesis of local food and sophistication,” says O’Connell. “I call it ‘Refined American Cuisine,’ but it retains the soulfulness of the local country.” Mollie Cox Bryan is the author of Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant Cookbook: A Lifetime of Recipes from the Shenandoah Valley (Ten Speed Press, 2006) and the forthcoming Mrs. Rowe’s Little Book of Southern Pie (Ten Speed Press, 2009).

The Inn at Little Washington (540) 675-3800 www.theinnatlittlewashington.com

The inn’s seven-course prix fixe dinner is $148 per person on Monday through Thursday, $148 on Friday and Sunday, and $168 on Saturday. A 10-course tasting menu, with or without paired wines, and a vegetarian tasting menu are also available. Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly on the weekends.

tales from the field

Giving Thanks for the Harvest

Trista Scheuerlein

Plants on the Offensive

summer garden is one thing. You can amble about happily from one manageable patch to another—cucumbers to celeriac, tomatoes to turnips—and never once feel assaulted by the plants whose fruit you will later ingest. When you work with them on a commercial scale, however, plants will show you their true nature. They aren’t the passive life-form you might think. Many plants have small sharp hairs called trichomes all over them. A morning of harvesting squash in short sleeves would leave my arms covered in red welts until a fellow intern who was studying fashion design in college came to the farm. She cleverly designed gauntlets that slipped over our hands and protected our arms up to our elbows. The alternative, of course, is to wear long sleeves, which is the last thing I want to wear in the heat of summer. You may not have noticed that cucumbers also have their defenses. The small points on the fruit pierce your skin and embed themselves in your hands. These areas can become easily infected because those little prickers are impossible to remove with tweezers. When staking tomatoes on a commercial scale, we do not use individual cages. Tomato cages work great, but it becomes problematic to store 5,000 cages when they are not in use. Instead, we use stakes and weave the plants between twine that holds them in place. After a

morning of tying up tomato plants, my arms would be black from the plant pollen and itch like I’d hosed myself down and proceeded to roll around in grass for four hours. Before interning on a farm, I had no idea that plants had such powerful defenses and that it would not be a walk in the park to just go out and pick some squash. Despite the assaults I am describing to you here, I am not a wimp. But I am telling you that in addition to enduring the

Blood, sweat, and tears go into growing this beautiful, nutritious, and flavorful food. backbreaking work of harvesting green beans and grapes, in addition to navigating poison ivy and hot summer days and long hours of labor, farmworkers deal with many plants that have teeth and will bite. Sometimes we take the perfect, calm displays at farmers markets and grocery stores for granted. We appreciate the flavors, the aromas, and the beauty that we encounter on our Saturday morning strolls through farm stands. These keep us coming back week after week—we diehard fresh-vegetable junkies who will brave even the harshest of weather to make sure we get our basil and tomatoes for the Caprese salad we have planned for this week’s dinner party.

But it is no exaggeration to say that blood, sweat, and tears go into growing this beautiful, nutritious, and flavorful food. I once had the opportunity to participate in a Japanese tea ceremony. Seven of my friends and I crawled into the intricately designed tea house and sat on tatami mats in front of a beautiful presentation of delicate foods, teas, and flowers that had been arranged just for us. Before we drank our first drop of tea, our host taught us the tradition of giving thanks. The Japanese phrase we used means “I thank all who came before me to bring this tea to my cup.” If you give this some thought, you’ll find that the list of those to thank can go on infinitely: the farmers, the harvesters, the packers, the shippers, the teacup artisans, the tea plants themselves, the sunshine, the water, the people who work in water-treatment plants . . . You get the idea. I hope that we can all be thankful each time we eat the foods that we are so privileged to have access to. Next time you go to the farmers market, please consider thanking the farmers for their hard work and for enduring the attacks of those vicious vegetable plants. Your gratitude for the fruits of our labor makes all those rashes, scrapes, splinters, and backaches worth it. Trista Scheuerlein also wrote the feature on school food, found on page 16.

www.flavormags.com

Teach (and Feed) Your Children Well Trista Scheuerlein

Making connections between local farmers and school cafeterias.

Local foods and public schools don’t have to be strangers. In the Rappahannock County Public Schools, where I direct the Farm-to-Table Program, students are exposed to four seasonal and local food tastings per year. Mothers, interns from local farms, and other volunteers hand out small samples to all the 944 students in the two-school district. The offerings—which have included arugula and potato soup, Swiss chard quiche, roasted butternut squash soup, roasted root vegetables, and asparagus crepes—are met with enthusiasm by the students with daring taste buds and with trepidation from those comforted by the chicken nugget and the corn dog.

Educating Taste Buds As they sample local and seasonal foods in their cafeteria, students and teachers alike grab recipe cards and information about local farms where they can buy the produce they’ve sampled. The arugula potato soup was prepared at a local restaurant, the Epicurious Cow in Amissville. But the other dishes were prepared in the schools’ other certified kitchen: the culinary arts classroom, where chef Mary Arthur teaches knife skills, table service, and commercial-style cooking to approximately 80 students in a given year. According to Arthur, using local foods “exposes them to different ingredients. Like last year, when we had the rainbow chard from the horticulture class—we were utilizing it not just for the tastings. We were also using it a lot in our other classroom cooking. Using local foods gets uncommon vegetables into students’ hands and mouths. Any time you can expose them to something new, that’s really fabulous.” For the Taste of Rappahannock, a local fundraiser for Headwaters—the foundation that started the Farm-to-Table Program and other innovative programs for the local schools— Arthur’s students prepared lamb from Touchstone Farm. When Arthur told her students where the lamb was from, one student in particular was excited to find out that he was cooking his neighbor’s product. “Using local foods gives my students a better sense of community and a better sense of what’s out there locally,” says Arthur. “And when we have students that end up in horticulture classes, it’s nice for them to have that tie-in.” 16

flavor magazine • fall 2008

Students in the horticulture classes, which are funded in part by the Farm-to-Table Program, grow food that is used in the school cafeterias, in the culinary arts classes, and for local fundraisers. The rest of the produce goes to the Rappahannock County Senior Nutrition Center, where low-income senior citizens have access to nutritious lunches and foods to take home. Last year over 500 pounds of student-grown produce was donated to the senior center. Feeling confident that we are working toward the integration of local and seasonal foods in Rappahannock County schools and in our community, I wanted to investigate what others are doing in the Piedmont and surrounding areas to connect schools with local food. I was happy to learn that Harrisonburg City Schools and Prince William County Schools are already working to provide their students with locally sourced products and that other schools have local food ideas stewing.

Lunchtime Learning Although public schools entered into the growing movement toward supporting local economies and offering fresher food in their cafeterias only recently, many university dining halls nationwide have been serving local food for some time. Washington and Lee University in Abingdon is an inspiring example. This year Washington and Lee’s dining services aims to have 8 percent of their total food purchases sourced locally. Next year’s goal is 25 percent. Over the mountains from Rappahannock, Andrea Early serves as Harrisonburg City Schools’ school nutrition program director. As part of the Healthy Communities Coalition in Harrisonburg, she has a personal interest in the local food movement, and she was part of a committee that established the Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign for the Shenandoah Valley. Early held a local food event last year at all seven of the city’s elementary and middle schools, serving local free-range organic chicken and gravy, wheat rolls, mashed potatoes, and a salad with lettuce and tomatoes that were purchased from nearby farms. “We wanted to see what we could do within our budget constraints,” Early explains. As a result of the connections she made for that event, Early now has a steady supply of local hydroponic lettuce.

emily hart

“Using local foods gets uncommon vegetables into students’ hands and mouths.”

— chef Mary Arthur

The free-range organic Virginia chicken and gravy was purchased from a local Mennonite group. Early drove to her local farmers market and purchased wheat to make homemade rolls. She served mashed potatoes with the skins on because peeling the locally grown potatoes would increase labor costs. “The potatoes themselves were only a couple of cents more” than what they would usually spend on dehydrated mashed potatoes in a box, “but there was a lot of added labor,” Early explains. Because budget constraints limit food preparation hours, many school cafeterias opt for heat-and-serve foods. Early admits her costs were too high to make this meal possible every day. “Food costs for a main entrée in a school lunch should be around 50 to 60 cents. This was more like $1.95— about three or four times more expensive. Can we do it?” she asks. “If not as the whole lunch, we can at least do it in pieces.” For instance, that experiment led her to work with Dayton farmer Marlan Showalter. Harrisonburg schools are now regular customers for his lettuce. Showalter was able to increase his production to accommodate the schools’ demand for 25 cases of lettuce per week. His prices are comparable to prices for nonlocal lettuce, and because his product is grown hydroponically, he produces year-round, even through the winter when schools have a more difficult time finding local products.

From the Farm to the Cafeteria “We’re riding the wave,” Showalter says of the demand for local food. “I’m willing to work overtime to get my system in place so we can sell to the schools. After all, local is the new organic. It’s

important for kids to make those connections with the farmers and to realize that chicken doesn’t come in a nugget.” To make this work for everyone, Showalter and Early have arranged to have Showalter deliver his lettuce to just one school. Then the school maintenance crew delivers the produce to other schools on its regular rounds. Early stresses the importance of meeting her district’s purchasing guidelines. Harrisonburg City Schools have what is called a “sole source award” with Charlottesville’s Standard Produce. “I explained to Standard that I was looking for local products. I had to get the OK in writing from them before directly buying from these local producers,” Early explains. “If you ask a produce distributor for local food, they will try to bring it in for you. We’re in it together.” Chris Shipman of Standard Produce says that buying and distributing local foods is nothing new for his company. “We’ve been doing this for 50 years,” he laughs. Standard purchases local apples, peaches, nectarines, tomatoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, and cabbage. That list narrows to local apples only in the winter due to the low supply of other produce. Shipman estimates that Standard distributes to 10 to 12 schools, and that number is increasing. He explains that as a distributor, Standard does not necessarily ask the farmer to meet the lowest bid price just because the customer is a school. “We try to sell it to schools for as much as we can get for the farmers. Sometimes it’s a little more than the average product. Sometimes it’s a little less. But then the farmers don’t have to outsource to others. We can ship the foods more cheaply locally and pass the savings on to the schools. It’s a win-win.” www.flavormags.com

Hurdles to Overcome Prince William County Public School District, however, is required to buy from the producer with the lowest bid price when ordering for school cafeterias. This means that if the district is purchasing, say, whole apples, it may be forced to purchase apples from China instead of apples grown in the next county if the price is right. This is not a ploy to keep local foods out of schools and institutions. It’s a simple matter of economics: school budgets are tight, especially in the food services department. Prince William County—with approximately 47,000 students in 86 schools—must provide lunches for an average of $1.00 a day per student. The Rappahannock County School District is also required to accept the lowest bid price. “We can’t overextend what we can do,” says Katrine Rose, Prince William County’s administrative coordinator for nutrition. Rose understands why local food in school cafeterias is important. “It’s the whole carbon footprint. It’s better for the environment. It’s better for the community. It just makes sense.” Despite the large size of her district, Rose is able to use tortilla chips from Manassas Park and pre-sliced apples from Winchester. The “Grab Apples” from Fruit Hill Slices in Winchester come individually packaged. Studies show that children are more inclined to eat apples if they are sliced rather than whole.

for instance, that cafeteria staff often are not trained to prepare foods from scratch. Dicing vegetables, shredding chicken, and mashing potatoes takes time—and money. However, some locavores claim that more students will be inclined to purchase school lunches, thus generating more income, if meals incorporate fresh ingredients. The increased cost of buying food from local producers instead of from agribusiness corporations could actually result in better profits for school cafeterias in the long run, especially if those efforts are accompanied by an in-school marketing campaign and nutritional education.

Don’t Fear the Hairnet The most difficult part of setting up Rappahannock’s Farm-toTable Program was learning all the Department of Health and Department of Agriculture standards with which we needed to comply in order to stock our school salad bars with studentgrown vegetables and to have volunteers pass out samples during school lunch periods. Food safety is very important, especially for high-risk populations such as small children and elderly people. I voluntarily took a food-safety course from ServSafe and learned guidelines for practices such as maintaining and monitoring safe holding temperatures for hot and cold foods. I make sure all our volunteers are wearing either hats or hairnets. And we must be sure the weight, the description, and the school’s address is on the produce grown for the salad bars by horticulture students on-site and at the one-acre off-site garden. All food entering a school cafeteria must bear an address of origin, even if the school garden and the school cafeteria are under the same roof. These small details, though they may seem insignificant or petty, are in place to ensure that food is traceable and safe for students’ consumption. Legislation in Support of Local Foods Tegan Hagy, the mid-Atlantic regional coordinator for the National Farm-to-School Network, was kind enough to decipher how legislation can either make it easier or more difficult to source local food.

Rose is optimistic that she will be able to use more local products in the future and says her distributor is willing to bid for local products on behalf of the school systems. “If we find a local place that makes tomato sauce, we can ask our distributor to bid on that product. If it is the lowest bid price, we can buy it,” she explains. Granted, getting local food in Rappahannock’s two schools is less complicated than pulling that off in an 86-school district. Yet all the programs I came across had this in common: they acknowledged the need to start small and work toward gradually integrating more seasonal and local foods. Consider,

flavor magazine • fall 2008

julie koon

Students participating in Rappahannock High School’s Farm-to-Table Program learn about growing and preparing food—from seeds to salad bars.

“We wanted to see what we could do within our budget constraints.” — Andrea Early, Harrisonburg City Schools’ nutrition program director

Since 2002, the federal farm bill has encouraged schools to buy local while not being clear about how they should do so. There was confusion over the semantics and legalities of a school’s being able to say that it preferred to use local foods. As a result, some districts believed that they were allowed to purchase locally, while others thought that it was clearly forbidden. The new farm bill passed in 2008 cleared up this confusion. It stated in its so-called geographic preference amendment that the “Secretary [of Agriculture] shall allow schools to use a geographic preference for the procurement of unprocessed agricultural products, both locally grown and locally raised.” The bill also says that schools are encouraged to purchase unprocessed agricultural products “to the maximum extent practicable and appropriate.” Hagy explains this further, saying, “As the farm bill is an agricultural bill, it encourages unprocessed agricultural products. And by encouraging local foods in schools, it will support the creation of a whole new marketplace for local farmers and allow schools access to a greater variety of fresh, healthy foods.” The 2008 bill also included other language supportive of farm-to-school programs, such as the renewal of grant funding for community food projects. Many farm-to-school initiatives across the nation were developed with this funding. Hagy mentions that in other states in the past, this funding has been used to purchase more fresh and local products, to pay for a statesponsored farm-to-school coordinator, and to develop recipes that increase nutritional value while keeping lunch prices low. Virginia has no such funding program at present. Lawmakers here in the commonwealth recently passed a resolution to declare that they support schools’ purchasing Virginia products. “Basically, the resolution recognizes that farm-to-school is a positive program for Virginia’s children and farmers and that policymakers want to see it happen here,” Hagy says. To that end, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services developed a website that brings together the Department of Agriculture with the Department of Education. Both the schools interested in purchasing local foods and the local farms and processors that want to sell to schools can register and list themselves on this site. All food service directors in the commonwealth have received messages about the site. Other states have gone further by allocating funds for farmto-school development, product, and organization. For example, in California, a bill passed in 2005 gives schools 10 cents per child toward the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables and encourages schools to use this to buy produce grown in-state. “The key with developing a program is everyone finding a way to work together and to change a little bit,” says Hagy.

emily hart

What You Can Do Here is my advice for those who want to advocate for more local foods in their local public schools: ✔ Don’t attack your lunch lady. Remember that the food service personnel are doing the best they can with a shoestring budget and minimal training. ✔ Gather together a cadre of like-minded parents, teachers, and students with whom you can approach your school administrators and your director of food services. Be prepared to provide them with examples of successful programs and a list of resources. ✔ Start small. Offer a local foods sampling or a local foods day in one school. When administrators see that it can be done on a small scale, they will be more willing to support it on a larger scale. ✔ Research Department of Health and Department of Agriculture regulations and be sure you will be able to comply with them. Don’t fear the hairnet or the rubber gloves. ✔ Consider becoming ServSafe certified. The lesson on bacteria and viruses is absolutely fascinating and will scare you into using sanitary practices. ✔ Tailor your program to your region’s available products. ✔ If your school system has a home economics or culinary arts program, try working with the department’s staff. Those students need knife skills, and you need diced vegetables! ✔ Develop a positive relationship with your school district’s food distributors. They are often willing to work with local producers when both supply and demand exist.

www.flavormags.com

Resources and Inspiration The Center for Ecoliteracy’s Rethinking School Lunch Guide www.ecoliteracy.org/programs/rsl-guide.html Food Is Elementary: A Hands-On Curriculum for Young Students www.foodstudies.org/curriculum/lessonsummaries.htm Edible Schoolyard www.edibleschoolyard.org

marlan showalter

The Headwaters/Rappahannock County Public School’s Farm-to-Table Program www.headwatersfdn.org/farm2table/index.html

www.farmtoschool.org

James Madison University student Leigh Osborn interns at Marlan Showalter’s farm, Portwood Gardens, which grows lettuce hydroponically for Harrisonburg City Schools.

The Renegade Lunch Lady

“That means the farmers, the cafeteria, the parents, the administration, and the children all have to be involved for the success of the program.” The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service is also involved in developing a more vibrant local food system. In addition to helping sponsor the Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign in the northern Piedmont, Cooperative Extension agents are hosting food system meetings in various regions in Virginia. Matt Benson, community viability specialist for the Virginia Cooperative Extension in Warrenton, is currently working on a series of meetings that are open to anyone who is interested in bringing more local foods to school cafeterias and institutions.

Virginia Cooperative Extension Service

Serving Up One Small Success at a Time Research shows that children have established their eating habits by age 12. So the sooner they discover that school food can be both delicious and good for you, the better. Sitting in the hallway at meet-the-teacher night last year, a parent came up to my Farm-to-Table display and asked, “Are you the one who sends home those recipe cards of seasonal and local foods?” I was afraid to acknowledge that I was, in case this made me guilty of something horrible. “Yes,” I replied. “Why? Was there a problem?” “Well, my daughter came home with a recipe card for roasted root vegetables, and the next time we went to the grocery store she made me buy beets and parsnips! My child has never eaten a beet or a parsnip in her whole life!” the mother exclaimed. I smiled and thanked her for letting me know that what we tell our students actually does make a difference. Trista Scheuerlein writes Flavor’s Tales from the Field column (page 15). She can be reached at farm2table@hotmail.com.

The National Farm to School Network

flavor magazine • fall 2008

www.chefann.com/blog

www.ext.vt.edu Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Farm-to-School: www.vdacs.virginia.gov/marketing/farm.shtml Two Angry Moms www.angrymoms.org

groundbreakers

P reservi n g

Virginia’s Best Apples Theresa Curry

On Rural Ridge Farm, a Virginia family grows more than 200 apple varieties, most of which nearly vanished more than a century ago—including the award-winning Albemarle Pippin.

hose colorful ornaments in the kitchen fruit bowl once had a role as important as that of bread or salt. Even before the rugged Virginia settler cleared a piece of land for his home, he planted a couple of apple trees.

He wasn’t just dreaming of pie for dessert or even a warming cup of hard cider. The

apples that fell from his trees each autumn made an enormous difference in the health and the very survival of his extended family. They were pressed for cider, which, when fresh, was considered a nourishing drink for children. Applesauce, cider, and cut-up raw apples were the tonic of choice for the difficult stomachs of the young and the elderly: in fact, apple pectin is still included in medicines formulated to aid digestion. The cider that ran from the presses was distilled into brandy, the sole pain reliever and anesthetic available on the frontier. Part of the cider was set out in open containers to catch an airborne starter that would turn it into vinegar, which had disinfectant properties to clean wounds, acted as a grime cutter to shine windows, and provided acid to serve as the agent for turning vegetables into pickles. The pectin from apples was added to the juice and pulp of other fruits to provide the “jell” for the jellies and jams that embellished endless pans of cornbread. Sweet apples were baked into pies, dumplings, and cakes.

Today’s Johnny Appleseeds As Virginia matured, so did its apple trees. Farmers came to use their orchards as a reliable cash crop, sending tons of apples sailing below decks to Europe in huge wooden barrels. At that time there were hundreds of varieties of apples grown: some for cider, some for pies, and some for sauce. But none were as much in demand as

jack looney

the Albemarle Pippin, the fruit of choice for kings and generals. “It ages well. In fact, it gets sweeter as it ages,” says Charlotte Shelton, who grows Albemarle Pippins on a 130-acre farm orchard in Albemarle County’s rural North Garden region. A growing demand for uniformity led to the near demise of the Pippin and hundreds of other Virginia apples that didn’t fit the dark-red, smooth-skinned,

www.flavormags.com

groundbreakers

sweet, bland, and crisp profile of the Red Delicious. Consumers got used to choosing among a few perfect, waxy specimens—originating mostly from Washington State— for their fruit bowls and pies. But centuries later, fans of the old apples remain. Every year, a handful of apple lovers gathers at Monticello for an event the third president would have loved: an apple tasting designed to acquaint the public with the wide range of apple varieties and tastes available in Jefferson’s day. There were literally thousands of kinds of apples for the founding fathers to enjoy, says Tom Burford, who conducts the tasting. Burford, nicknamed “Professor Apple” for his longtime interest in preserving and promoting valuable apple varieties, picks from an assortment of 20 or so Jeffersonian and more modern apples for the Monticello tasting. As the tasters chomp on apple slices and clear their palates between samples with unsalted crackers, the Lynchburg horticulturist and orchard consultant presents a bit of each apple’s history. There’s no one all-purpose apple, Burford explains. Colonists would plant some for cider, some

jack looney

for saving, some for eating whole, and some for pies and cobblers.

flavor magazine • fall 2008

Monticello’s event, now in its 20th year, is the country’s oldest formal tasting, as far as Burford can tell, and each year the tasters vote for the apple they like best. As votes are cast on the chilly mountain, the Newton (Albemarle) Pippin is always in the running, according to Peter Hatch, Monticello’s horticulturist. The Pippin— reputed to be George Washington’s favorite—consistently places near the top of the list. In 2007 it was a clear taste winner, just as it has been four out of the five last tastings. Other wonderfully named varieties vie for the No. 2 spot, such as Pomme Gris, Esopus Spitzenburg (Jefferson’s favorite, Shelton says), and Ashmead’s Kernel.

A Taste of History Never tasted any of these apple varieties? That’s exactly the problem Burford and Shelton are trying to address. You can remedy your ignorance with a drive out to Shelton’s farm, about eight miles south of Charlottesville. Shelton has many varieties of noncommercial apples, and she supplies Burford with the fruit for his annual Monticello tasting.

The Albemarle Pippin— reputed to be George Washington’s favorite— consistently places near the top of the list.

The orchard at Rural Ridge Farm is a family affair. The Shelton family left its Amherst County holdings, a subsistence farm with cattle, grain, vegetables, and fruit, in the mid-1950s so Shelton’s father could work in Charlottesville. It was well-understood that everyone would return to farming some day, and the family bought the North Garden farm for the senior Sheltons’ retirement home. Now, Shelton and her three brothers—Charles, Bill, and Todd—are there with varying frequency as their current jobs allow. Shelton, whose full-time job is as a Charlottesville stockbroker, joined her brothers in trying to figure out what they could do to make the rugged land pay at least part of the mortgage. “I knew Tom Burford, of course. He was like a member of the family,” Charlotte says. Burford is also originally from Amherst County. “I think my uncle married his cousin,” she recalls. She knew about his work with apple history and preservation, attended one of his apple tastings, and planted a few dozen trees, with peaches, plums, and cherries among the apples. In no time, it was a runaway hobby. She ordered 40 more trees, joined the North American Fruit Explorers, and somehow ended up with 250 old apple varieties. The farm markets the apples under the name Vintage Virginia. The Sheltons bypass the typical commercial spray program to care for the trees as needed. As their orchard grew, the Sheltons also became very interested in making cider and are presently building a cidery. “Our cider is nothing like what you find in the apple juice section of the supermarket,” Shelton explains. For last year’s cider on the farm, the Sheltons

Rural Ridge Farm, run by the Shelton family, serves the community not just with its heirloom-preserving orchard and nursery, but also with its classes and events.

used 30 or so different varieties, achieving a complexity normally associated with wine. The cider operation, once complete, will be governed by the same regulations as Virginia’s farm wineries. Rural Ridge Farm also has a nursery, so those interested in growing old varieties have a source for seedlings. Shelton has encouraged the two remaining commercial Albemarle County orchards, Chiles and Henley’s, to grow the old-style fruit. “We’ll need to buy more apples as our cider-making operation grows,” she said. The farm has also become a center in the community, offering classes in cider-making and holding an

www.flavormags.com

flavor magazine â&#x20AC;˘ fall 2008

groundbreakers old-fashioned harvest festival in November. This year, Rural Ridge also helped

Virginia Cheeses, Virginia Apples

sponsor a heritage seed event at Monticello. “Whatever we do, we try to look at how it fits in with our overall goals,” Shelton says. “We want to encourage the promotion of local products and rural businesses.” Theresa Curry is a Virginia-based freelance feature writer. She writes for a number of publications, including Charlottesville’s Daily Progress and the Augusta Free Press.

Virginia Apple Tart When apples are full of flavor, go easy on the sugar, spice, and other flavoring. This tart, which comes from Shelton’s heritage apple recipe collection, showcases complex, richly flavored apples such as the Albemarle Pippin, Roxbury Russet, Stayman, and Winesap. Shelton encourages mixing varieties. For more recipes, see the Vintage Virginia website at www.vintagevirginiaapples.com/usingapples.

At the annual Harvest Festival, Tom Burford and Kate Collier (of Feast) team up to introduce some natural companions to a hungry crowd at Rural Ridge. When possible, they pair Virginia cheeses with the heritage apple varieties sold at the North Garden farm. The Virginia cheeses are available from the cheesemakers and from Feast. The following are some picks from previous festivals.

Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Makes 1 tart.

1 cup flour ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon sugar ½ cup cold, unsalted butter 2–3 tablespoons ice water Several large Virginia heritage apples, mixed varieties ¼–1/3 cup sugar 1–2 tablespoons melted butter

Mild and buttery cheeses like Monastery Gouda or commercial Brie styles pair well with crisp, mild to slightly tart apples like Honeycrisp, Stayman, or Ashmead’s Kernel. Stronger, aged Swiss–type cheeses like Virginia’s Meadow Creek Mountaineer or Middlebrook Swiss pair well with firm, textured, and flavorfully aromatic apples like Black Twig, Arkansas Black, or King David.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Blend flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in cold butter. Add ice water to make a soft dough that just holds together. Chill. Roll out and line a 9-inch tart pan. Place in freezer until frozen or almost so. Line with foil and weight with dried beans or rice. Bake at 400°F until set. Remove foil and weights and bake another minute or two, but do not allow to brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Cheddars of any age go with mild to sweet apples like fresh Golden Delicious or Albemarle pippin. Blue-veined types like Maytag, Stilton, or Gorgonzola match almost any complex, crisp, sweet apples like Lady or Virginia Gold. jay paul kawatski

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Peel several medium to large apples. Core and slice approximately 1/8-inch thick. Overlap the slices, arranging in concentric circles over the baked crust, starting at the edge of the tart. Sprinkle with sugar, depending on tartness of apples. Drizzle with melted butter and bake until apples are tender in a 350°F oven. Serve with ice cream, caramel sauce, crème anglaise, or a hard sauce if desired.

Hard parmesan types like three-year Gouda or Piave are delicious with sweet, tender-skinned, coarse-grained fruits like Russets or McIntosh apples or Burford pears.

Washed-rind, flavored, or stinky cheeses like Meadow Creek Grayson, Middlebrook Pepper Jack, or Marshall Farms’ flavored cheeses match up with crisp, tart-and-sweet balanced apples like Ralls or Fuji.

www.flavormags.com

Coffee is one of the largest traded commodities in the world, and with the increasing consumer demand for products that carry buzzword certifications (fair-trade, sustainable, shade-grown, rainforest alliance), Virginia coffee roasters like Central Coffee Roasters in Sperryville and Shenandoah Joe Coffee Roasters in Charlottesville are striving to meet these demands without compromising quality.

flavor magazine â&#x20AC;˘ fall 2008

The Art of Roasting

Lora Keady

Area roasters Central Coffee and Shenandoah discuss the palette of roasting: from green bean to your cup.

or Kenny and Margaret Rogers, the possibility of roasting arose in 1997. Their oldest son, Tucker, worked in a roastery/coffeeshop while attending college in Williamsburg, and they were impressed by the art of roasting—so much so that they began considering how to start roasting in Rappahannock County. In 1999, the family developed a philosophy—create a small, handson, community-based product—and started a business, Central Coffee Roasters, in Sperryville. When Dave and Kristi Fafara moved to Charlottesville from California in 1989—when Dave took a job as UVa’s diving coach— they continued buying coffee from Peet’s Coffee in California, considered by many to be the originator of specialty coffee. And then, in 2000, they discovered Shenandoah Joe. “Dave’s always been a coffee freak,” Kristi says. “And he’s also an avid reader of classifieds. One day, he saw in the classifieds that a coffee roasting business was for sale.” Shenandoah Joe had been in business for six years when the Fafaras purchased it. The Fafaras kept the previous roaster on staff for a year, and Dave spent that time watching and practicing roasting himself. He also spent time researching and talking to other master roasters around the country, gleaning information from them as he strived to cultivate and perfect the roasting process.

Joe

coffee, and he found us a UNESCO-certified coffee grown on one of the Galápagos Islands. We know our broker as a valuable partner.” Sourcing has shifted dramatically in the last five years. Originally, coffee was designated solely by country. Roasters would know little about the beans apart from the country of origin—Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama. Now beans are identified by individual farms and estates. Coffee can come from Hacienda La Esmeralda or Pequeña Suecia, two unique farms in Panama. “When we first started, we didn’t know where the coffee was coming from,” says Dave, who has traveled to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, and Colombia to look at farms. “[But now] I’ve met with the people who produce the coffee, the people who run the farms. They know me. They know I’m buying their coffee.” Dave calls this “relationship coffee.”

“Just because [the coffee]

“It’s called ‘going to origin,’” Kristi says. “You build those relationships and taste the coffee.”

doesn’t have a certification

Why Certified? Coffee production is often cited in discusdoesn’t mean it’s not sions of the global marketplace. The coffee industry has promoted certifications as a way socially responsible.” to remind consumers that their purchasing decisions directly affect communities and eco—Paul Koch, Shenandoah Joe systems. However, this emphasis does have drawbacks. Each certification has stipulations Sourcing the Green Bean and qualifications, and these are often not understood fully by The most intricate part of roasting is sourcing the green coffee consumers. beans—finding the best-quality bean. Beans differ based on the regions and even subregions where they’re grown. Factors like soil, climate, and distance from the equator also change the taste of the coffee. For instance, beans grown at a high elevation will taste different from those cultivated at a lower elevation. As with other agricultural businesses, brokers buy from a producer, farmer, or co-operative (a group of farmers) and then sell to roasters. Both large- and small-batch roasters use a broker.

eric kelly

“We’ve gone through four brokers. They were all nice,” Margaret says, “but they couldn’t always fill our small-roaster needs.” Fortunately, the Rogerses found a broker who shares their values and their taste. “We buy our coffee from a broker at a worldwide company who deals independently with small people,” Margaret says, referring to Volcafe Specialty Coffee, which buys from sustainable farms and co-ops. “I asked our broker to find an Ecuadorian

For example, the fair-trade certification is only applicable to co-ops where individual family units join together with their one or two bags of coffee. The farms must be small and cannot have any employees. The best example of this is the Buf Café in Rwanda. After the genocide, the Buf Café brought together widowed women who own their own land to sell their coffee in one co-op. However, single estates with employees are not eligible for fair-trade certification. When identifying coffee from estates whose practices are ethical, “we use the term ‘fairly traded,’” Kristi says, even if the estates are not fair-trade certified. Some roasters will only buy coffee that carries organic certification, which is granted to farms that use neither pesticides nor fertilizers. Unfortunately, this certification does not discern other variables, such as the coffee’s origin or a particular farm’s needs. www.flavormags.com

“The agriculture is everything,” Margaret says. “[Consumers] need to know more about the people involved—the social part of what impacts communities, how we’re really so connected.” —Margaret Rogers, Central Coffee

Consider, for example, Hacienda La Esmeralda, located on the side of Mount Barú in western Panama. Esmeralda grows its coffee in volcanic soil and—spanning an elevation of 3,500 to 5,000 feet— receives 160 inches of rain a year. Given this environment, the soil needs to be replenished if it is to be farmed. But because there are few farms on the mountain, manure is not easily found. Esmeralda defends its use of fertilizers as part of the farm’s responsibility to the community, which is in turn sustained by coffee production. “To not apply adequate mineral fertilizers, I consider a criminal failure of land stewardship,” writes the owner on Esmeralda’s website. “After repeated crops of tobacco were farmed in the southeastern U.S., the land became mineral depleted, abandoned, ruined, and farming ‘unsustainable.’ This sort of error cannot be allowed to repeat itself in the name of ‘organic’ farming.” The folks at Central Coffee concur. “The agriculture is everything,” Margaret says. “[Consumers] need to know more about the people involved—the social part of what impacts communities, how we’re really so connected.” At one time, Central Coffee was certified organic, but you won’t find the USDA organic label anywhere on their bags now. Why?

certification doesn’t mean it’s not socially responsible.”

Roasting & Blending Once the beans are sourced and delivered, the roasting process begins. The roaster is preheated to approximately 450 degrees. The beans are poured into the hopper, or waiting chamber, and then released into the hot roaster. The roaster rotates, tumbling the beans, for 14 to 15 minutes, depending on the bean and the desired level of roast. There are two cracks in the roasting cycle, when the beans literally pop and crackle. The first crack happens at about 14 minutes. If the beans are released then from the roasting machine to be cooled, it results in a lighter or medium roast. If the beans are released at or slightly before the second crack, they yield a dark roast. The beans go from a light green to a putrid yellow before turning brown. The longer the roast, the darker the bean and the more oil is notable on the bean’s surface. According to Jesse, “The beans speak to you. They will tell you when they’re done roasting, and each has its own time that works best.” After roasting comes blending, both pre-blending and post-blending. Pre-blending happens before the coffee is roasted. For example, Shenandoah Joe’s French Roast is a pre-blend of Central and South American coffees. Central Coffee creates blends for different restaurants around the area, but it does not create any blends for retail. Instead, the Rogers family recommends purchasing several different types of roasted bean and sampling them together to create a personal blend. “Blending, in itself, is an art,” notes Kristi at Shenandoah Joe.

“[Getting certified is] a lot of paperwork and marketing, and that bothered us because you’re not educating the consumer at all when consumers just come in blindly looking for the organic logo,” says Jesse, another of Kenny and Margaret’s sons. “All of our coffees come in bags stamped with ‘organic,’ but we can’t use the word [on our bags] because we’re not a certified handler.” The word organic is not trademarked by the USDA, Margaret points out.

Shenandoah Joe seeks the best coffee. “When you look at our coffee, quality is the common denominator,” Paul Koch, a roaster at Shenandoah Joe, says. “Just because [the coffee] doesn’t have a 28

flavor magazine • fall 2008

At Sperryville’s Central Coffee (top) and Charlottesville’s Shenandoah Joe (bottom), customers are encouraged to look beyond the labels.

eric kelly

Consumer awareness of fair-trade, organic, and sustainable products has been increasing, but awareness and knowledge are not the same thing. “Some people are more than aware and really follow, study, and learn about [certifications].” Dave says, “But a lot of people just look for the words. It’s the trendy thing to do, maybe.”

This art is what separates large chains and small-batch roasters. Large-batch roasters can roast about 150 to 300 pounds of coffee at a time. This process is done by machines that are preprogrammed for each roast: the “roaster” pushes a button and walks away. Small-batch roasters, however, roast only 7 to 25 pounds per batch and analyze each batch by hand because no two batches are identical. If one batch received a lot of rain, the roasting time will be different than specified. “We never leave the roaster when the coffee is being roasted,” Dave says. Describing the difference between large and small roasters, Dave remarks, “Art is not [created by] an automated machine. It’s like Budweiser versus Star Hill.”

Into the Cup When so much care is taken with growing, selecting, and roasting the beans, it would be a mistake to then store them poorly. Both roasters agree that coffee is best when it is purchased as whole beans in small amounts. “Buy enough for a week,” Dave suggests. Don’t grind the beans until just before brewing, and grind only what you will use immediately. “You don’t crack your eggs a week before you use them,” Margaret says. “Oxygen is the worst thing for beans,” Jesse explains, discussing home storage. He advises that you keep coffee sealed in an airtight

container on the counter—not in the freezer or the refrigerator. The condensation created by going in and out of the cold is not good for the beans. From sourcing the green beans—which requires understanding the particularities of each farm, including its geographical and social elements—to roasting the beans for consumption, both Shenandoah Joe and Central Coffee have perfected and established their craft as local roasters. Lora Keady is the co-owner and marketing and public relations coordinator for Para Coffee in Charlottesville, which tied for first in the C’ville Weekly’s Coffee Blind Invitational Taste Test.

Visit these websites for descriptions of regional beans and signature blends, ordering information, and a list of retail and restaurant locations. Central Coffee Roasters www.centralcoffeeroasters.com Shenandoah Joe www.shenandoahjoe.com USDA Organic Fair Trade www.ams.usda.gov/nop www.transfairusa.org Shade Grown Rainforest Alliance www.shadecoffee.org www.rain-forest-alliance.org Bird Friendly nationalzoo.si.edu/conservationandscience/migratorybirds

Windsong Apiaries Coast to Coast Pollination Service

Honey Beeswax Candles - Ornaments Packages Bees, Nucs, Queens

Ph. (540) 937-7775 mobile. (540) 229-5359 email. beeswax7@wildblue.net

www.flavormags.com

Heavenly Cheese

Happy Cows

Heidi Baumstark

Oak Spring Dairy’s Allen Bassler creates creamy wheels of cheese with dreamy local flavors.

top one of the farmhouses in Upperville rests a metal weathervane shaped into the figure of a cow. This hints at what may be churning within the building’s walls.

shall, at various Virginia wineries, and specialty stores such as Home Farm Store and Market Salamander, both in Middleburg,” he said.

For local cheesemaker Allen Bassler of Oak Spring Dairy, fashioning large orbs of cheese is not only an art, but also a passion that he has developed over decades.

His boutique-style operation has only 8 to 10 cows, primarily Brown Swiss and a couple of Jersey cows. Bassler pointed out that milk from the Brown Swiss breed is great for cheese because of its excellent fat-to-protein ratios. And if premier cheese is the goal, then what goes into the cow requires a watchful eye too. Bassler said his cows have access to pasture grazing 270 days out of the year, but he supplements this with barley, soybeans, oats, and corn to round out a balanced diet. A variety of hay such as timothy, alfalfa, and orchard grass also provides a host of nutrients.

Farm Life Bassler, who grew up on a dairy farm in Frederick County, Maryland, has an inherent knowledge of how to care for dairy cows and is passing this expertise on to his son, Allen Jr., a high school sophomore. Bassler also works alongside his wife, Tammy, who manages deliveries, and Jessica King, the dairy’s assistant cheesemaker. His experience growing up on a farm gives him an advantage: he has a solid understanding of what it takes to produce quality dairy products. “Being raised with a good work ethic has also helped me throughout the years,” Bassler added. In 1984, Bassler was hired by the Paul Mellon family to work at Oak Spring Dairy at Rokeby Farm in Fauquier County. The Mellon family owns several farms that carry the name of Rokeby, and Oak Spring is just one of those farms. Bassler started producing milk, butter, cream, cottage cheese, sour cream, and a variety of cream cheeses privately for the Mellons, their guests, and the 200-plus employees on the farm.

From Raw to Ready The cheesemaking process starts with cows hooked up to milking machines. Raw milk is pumped into a vat, heated, and mixed with healthy bacteria, known as a culture. This mixture undergoes several measures of strict testing; the quality of their milk “far exceeds the state requirements after being tested at this stage,” according to Bassler. Under Bassler’s expert handling, a mixture of humble milk mixed with cultures is transformed over time into a noble wheel of creamy, decadent cheese. The mixture is stirred by

A few years later in 1987, Bassler branched out and began transforming the milk into wheels of cheese—still exclusively for the Mellons, their guests, and farm employees. To increase the capacity of cheese production and to maintain the historic theme of other buildings on the farm, Rachel Mellon, the wife of the late Paul Mellon, had a cheese-processing structure built to resemble an old structure partially made of stone, painted white. Eventually, Bassler began producing cheese for the public. “We’re now in our fifth year selling our cheese commercially to farmers markets in Charlottesville, Purcellville, Berryville, and Leesburg. It also can be found in the IGA store in Mar-

flavor magazine • fall 2008

heidi baumstark

The Secret Is Out

Allen Bassler, cheesemaker at Oak Spring Dairy in Upperville, stands by his award-winning prized Brown Swiss cow, Snickerdoodle.

artisans & entrepreneurs Bacon, Egg, and Derby Scones This recipe, submitted by Oak Spring’s Jessica King, is adapted from Paula Lambert’s The Cheese Lover’s Cookbook and Guide. Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 10–12 minutes Makes 6 scones.

Bassler holds a wheel of his Brown Cow Gouda cheese aged in chocolate—one of the many specialty cheeses he makes at Oak Spring Dairy.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold 3 large eggs ¾ cup heavy cream ½ cup shredded Oak Spring Dairy Derby cheese 2 large eggs, lightly scrambled and broken up into small pieces 3 strips bacon, partially cooked and cut into ½-inch wide strips

Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly butter a baking sheet.

hand while it cooks for a little over an hour. To create flavored cheeses, Bassler and King add ingredients such as garlic, sundried tomatoes, red peppers, and jalapeño peppers or herbs like caraway. Only wines from local vineyards are added to create wine cheeses, another example of how Bassler incorporates local products. “Chateau O’Brien at Northpoint in Markham is waiting for cheese I recently made using its wine,” Bassler noted. The finished product is poured into cheese molds lined with cheesecloth. Cheeses age with the cheesecloth intact; it is removed when the cheese is ready to be sliced. Cheddars age for 18 to 24 months to remain creamy and moist; Derbys, which are similar to Cheddars, age about 12 to 18 months. Oak Spring produces about 260 pounds—22 wheels—of cheese a week. Oak Spring’s varieties include White Cheddar, Yellow Cheddar, Derby, Emmenthaler, Gouda, Little Baby Swiss, Colby, Parmesan, and Brown Swiss Camembert. A real treat, the Brown Cow Gouda, is aged in rich chocolate.

In the Neighborhood Bassler, who has worked at Oak Spring for almost 25 years, also spoke of the beauty of his cheeses being produced and sold locally. “This connects customers with the farm and opens a new avenue for people who want to see [local] farms sustained. When people buy fresh and local products, they are helping support the entire industry. Overseeing the product from start to finish allows me to provide my customers with a unique, excellent cheese,” he said. Erika Tribett, sales manager at Tarara Winery in Lucketts, orders Oak Spring’s White Cheddar almost weekly, saying it stands up nicely to Tarara’s bolder Reserve red wines. She also recommends another pairing: “The Emmenthaler’s fresh

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Place in a medium bowl and cut in butter with a pastry blender until completely incorporated. Beat 2 of the raw eggs together with the heavy cream and add to dry ingredients; do not overmix. Fold cheese, scrambled eggs, and bacon into the mixture. Stir and knead the dough as little as possible to evenly distribute the cheese, eggs, and bacon. Transfer dough to a well-floured work surface. Pat dough into a 12 x 4 rectangle about ¾-inch high. Cut dough into three 4-inch squares. Cut squares on a diagonal to make triangles. Place scones at least one inch apart on baking sheet. Beat the remaining egg with 2 tablespoons water and use this as a wash to brush on top of scones. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

tang compliments our Pinot Gris and fruit-forward younger reds like our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. Our customers love Oak Spring’s consistently delicious cheese. The artisanal quality shines when you are lucky enough to crunch into a hidden calcium crystal!” Filmmaker Luis Buñuel once said, “Age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese.” But it is not only the time spent aging cheese that matters at Oak Spring. Many local cheese lovers will attest that Bassler’s cheese is better because of his years of experience on a dairy farm, too. Heidi Baumstark is a reporter for a bimonthly newspaper covering western Prince William County and parts of Fauquier County, where she specializes in writing history-related articles for the region.

Oak Spring Dairy (540) 592-3559 oakspringdairy@aol.com

www.flavormags.com

seasonal table Seasonal Produce in the Piedmont October–January

Butternut Lasagna

apples broccoli cucumbers grapes green beans green peppers greens pumpkins raspberries squash spinach tomatoes

Total cooking time: 2½ hours Serves 8.

Butternut Squash Bread

Waterpenny Farm, Sperryville Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Makes 2 large (or 4 small) loaves.

6 eggs 1 cup canola oil 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 cups whole wheat flour 3 cups unbleached white flour 1½ teaspoons baking soda 1½ teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon cloves 1 teaspoon allspice 3½ cups cooked (either peeled and steamed or baked) butternut squash, mashed Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two loaf pans. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla. In another large bowl, combine remaining ingredients except squash. Add 1/3 of dry ingredients to wet mixture and combine well. Add 1/3 of squash to this mixture and combine well. Repeat, stirring with each addition. Fill each loaf pan about half full with batter. Bake at 350°F for about an hour. (Test with a fork to tell if it’s done.) Cool for 5 minutes in pan and then flip out onto a cooling rack. 32

flavor magazine • fall 2008

Toliver House, Gordonsville

6 pounds of butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded Olive oil 1 medium red onion, diced 2 pounds of mushrooms, thinly sliced ¼ cup fresh sage, chopped 2 teaspoons salt 1⁄3 teaspoon pepper 3 cups ricotta cheese 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese No-cook lasagna noodles to cover a 9-inch square pan twice Preheat oven to 400°F. Place butternut squash cut side up in baking dish. Sprinkle with olive oil and some salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake until tender, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove and cool. Meanwhile, sauté diced onion in olive until translucent. Add sliced mushrooms, sage, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Scoop squash out of skin into mixing bowl. Add ricotta cheese and mix completely. In a 9-inch baking dish, spread a layer of 1⁄3 squash mix. Follow with a layer of 1⁄3 mushroom mix on top. Sprinkle with 1⁄3 Parmesan cheese and cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. Repeat process three times, ending with a layer of cheese on top of mushroom mix. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes.

seasonal table

Sautéed Breast of Duck with Butternut Squash Spaetzle, Bacon & Elderberry Sauce

Tuscarora Mill, Leesburg Active time: 40 minutes Total time: 2–2½ hours Serves 4.

For the spaetzle Preheat over to 400°F.

1 large butternut squash, about 2 pounds 2 eggs ¼ cup instant mashed potatoes ¾ cup flour ½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1 tablespoon salt and pepper

Ice water Olive oil 5 strips bacon, julienned The Mill uses bacon from Baker Farm, Mt. Jackson 1 medium onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

kristen taylor

Cut butternut squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the two halves, cut side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven and let cool. Scoop out pulp and purée in food processor or a food mill. Bring 1 gallon of salted water to a boil. Mix squash pulp, eggs, instant mashed potatoes, flour, ginger, cheese, and salt and pepper in mixing bowl until well incorporated. It should be a sticky, goopy mass. Test the mixture by plopping a half teaspoon of the mix into the boiling water. Cook 1 minute. Skim the spaetzle out and plunge into cold water. Feel the spaetzle and add more flour if mix is too wet. Place a colander with holes at least ¼ inch in diameter on the rim of the pot. Working in 3 batches, press spaetzle mixture with your hands through the colander and into the boiling water. When spaetzle comes up to the surface, simmer 1 minute. Skim the spaetzle out of the water and into ice water. When entire batch is done, remove spaetzle from ice water, lightly coat with olive oil, and store in a single layer on a sheet pan until ready to use. In a 10-inch skillet, cook bacon, onions, and garlic together until tender. Drain excess fat. Add vinegar and cooked spaetzle and gently toss together. Season with a twist of fresh black pepper. Keep warm.

For the sauce

½ cup red wine 2 tablespoons chopped shallots Pinch fresh rosemary

4 tablespoons elderberry syrup The Mill uses Virginia Elderberry Syrup from Village Winery, Waterford ½ cup demi glace

In a 1-quart sauce pot, reduce red wine with shallots and rosemary until nearly dry. Add demi glace and elderberry syrup. Simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

For the duck Four 8-ounce duck breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper Heat a 12-inch skillet until very hot. Place seasoned duck breasts into skillet skin-side down. Cook 10 minutes, occasionally removing excess grease from pan. Flip breasts over and cook skin-side up until desired doneness is achieved. Remove from skillet. Let rest on a plate for 10 minutes.

Assembling and serving Slice and fan duck breasts and place on serving plates. Finish plates with butternut squash spaetzle tossed with bacon and onions, and nape elderberry sauce over duck. Pair this dish with merlot or syrah.

www.flavormags.com

seasonal table

Quick Garlic & Spinach Soup

Adapted with permission from The Farmer’s Market Cookbook by Nina Planck Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes Serves 2.

Thai Pumpkin Soup

Horse & Buggy Produce, Charlottesville Cooking time: 15 minutes Makes 6 cups.

1 quart chicken broth One 12-ounce can mango or apricot nectar (apple cider works well, too) 2 cups cooked pie pumpkin ¼ cup chunky peanut butter 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or sake 1½ tablespoons minced green onion 1 teaspoon grated, peeled ginger ½ teaspoon grated orange rind ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper Fresh cilantro, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound spinach, stemmed and washed 1 teaspoon tahini 2½ to 3 ounces milk or cream

Sauté the garlic in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until soft. Add wet spinach. Cover and cook until leaves are wilted but still bright green. Purée the spinach with the remaining olive oil and the tahini. Stir in milk until soup reaches desired consistency. Adjust seasoning.

Combine broth and nectar in a large Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pumpkin and peanut butter to pan and process with a hand blender until smooth. Stir in vinegar, green onion, ginger, orange rind, and red pepper. Cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with cilantro.

Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Bisque

The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, Lovettsville Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Serves 4.

5 large red bell peppers, seeded and chopped 1 large onion, julienned Olive oil 4 cups heavy cream 8 ounces Chevre cheese Chicken stock or vegetable stock 1 pound bacon, julienned and baked until crisp 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

In medium saucepan, cook peppers and onion in small amount of oil until onions are translucent. Add cream and cook on very low heat until peppers are very tender. Stir in cheese. Remove from heat and cool slightly. kristen taylor

Put mixture in blender and purée until smooth. Strain through fine mesh strainer. Return to pot and reheat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust to desired consistency with stock. Portion into bowls and garnish soup with crispy bacon and fresh sage.

flavor magazine • fall 2008

seasonal table

Dublin Cheddar & Cauliflower Soup with Guinness Stout

Blackthorne Inn and Restaurant, Upperville Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Serves 6 to 8.

Curried Winter Squash Soup

Waterpenny Farm, Sperryville Total cooking time: 30 minutes Serves 4.

1 chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ pound mushrooms ¼ teaspoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon coriander ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger Dash of cayenne Olive oil or butter 4–6 cups cooked butternut squash 1 cup orange juice 1½ cup water or soup stock

2 shallots, finely chopped Butter 1 clove garlic, minced 3 heads cauliflower, chopped into quarters or eighths 2 cups Guinness Stout 4 cups chicken stock 2 cups heavy cream 4 cups grated aged Irish cheddar cheese Fresh thyme, chopped Fresh tarragon, chopped Fresh parsley, chopped Pinch of tumeric Sea salt and white pepper

In a medium saucepan or Dutch oven, sweat shallots and garlic with a little butter until soft. Add cauliflower, Guinness, and chicken stock to saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 25 minutes or until cauliflower is very soft. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and process in blender until smooth. Return to pan and add cream and cheese. Place on low heat and stir slowly until cheese melts. Remove from heat and add chopped thyme, tarragon, parsley, and tumeric. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of fresh cream if desired.

In large sauce pan, sauté onion, garlic, mushrooms, and spices in oil. Add squash, juice, and water or stock. Simmer for 15 minutes, and adjust seasonings.

www.flavormags.com

seasonal table Sweet Potato “Scales” Crusted Striped Bass with Chestnut Purée & Smoked Garlic Cream Sauce

The Inn at Meander Plantation, Locust Dale Total cooking time: 2 hours Serves 4.

For the fish 2 cups olive oil 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into ¼-inch round batons and sliced with a mandoline into 350–400 paper-thin scales Four 6-ounce skinless striped bass filets ½ cup Viognier 1 sweet onion, sliced 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper Preheat oven to 375˚F. Heat olive oil and add sweet potato scales. Simmer until translucent, about 5–6 minutes. Remove from heat, and place scales on baking sheet. Arrange sweet potato scales on filets in a fish-scale pattern. Line sheet tray with onion slices, olive oil, and Viognier, and place filets on top. Roast at 375˚F for 6–8 minutes until fish is cooked through (when white oil comes out the sides of the fish).

For the purée 1 sweet onion, finely diced 1 pound blanched chestnuts (found at most Asian markets) ¼ pound butter 6 ounces Chardonnay Sea salt and black pepper 4 ounces cream In skillet, sweat onion and chestnuts in butter. Add Chardonnay and simmer for 1½ hours. Season. Finish in cream. Purée. Pass through fine mesh strainer. Return to pan and heat up with a little milk to keep from separating.

For the sauce 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 7 cloves of elephant garlic, smoked Wine ½ bunch fresh marjoram ½ bunch fresh thyme 3 cups cream ½ cup cherrystone clam juice from sautéed clams (if unavailable, use fish stock or bottled clam juice) Salt and white pepper Sweat garlic in extra virgin olive oil. Deglaze with wine and reduce by half. Add rest of ingredients and reduce over low heat until sauce consistency. Strain through fine mesh strainer, return to pan, and adjust seasoning. Assembling and serving If desired, lightly brown the “scales” on the fish with a kitchen blow torch. Place a spoonful (about ¼ cup) of the purée on a plate and pull the spoon through it to create a smear across the plate. Gently place one filet in the center of the purée. Nap as desired with the sauce. 36

flavor magazine • fall 2008

kristen taylor

seasonal table

Apple Crisp

Claire’s at the Depot, Warrenton Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 20–30 minutes Serves 10–12.

For the topping ¾ cup brown sugar ¾ cup flour ½ cup sugar ½ cup old-fashioned oats 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg ½ cup chopped walnuts ½ cup butter, melted In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Pour melted butter into mixture and toss well to combine.

For the filling 1½ cups orange juice ¼ cup rum, spiced or dark 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups water ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 10 Gala apples 3 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon Preheat oven to 350°. In bowl or measuring cup with spout, combine juice, rum, and vanilla extract. Set aside. In large bowl, combine water and ½ cup lemon juice. Peel and core apples. Cut apples into ¼-inch slices, placing slices in lemon water as you go to prevent them from turning brown. Drain apples, toss with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. In sauté pan, cook apples over medium heat (perhaps in two batches) until soft but firm, approximately 4–5 minutes. In 9-by-13 baking pan, toss cooked apples with ½ to 1 cup oatmeal topping. Place remaining oatmeal mixture on top of apples. Drizzle with juice-rum mixture. Use your judgment as to quantity. Place baking pan on cookie tray and bake for 20–30 minutes.

Fig Pistachio Biscotti

Hopkins Ordinary, Sperryville Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Makes 24 biscotti.

½ cup sugar ¼ cup butter, softened 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon lemon oil 1 cup salted, shelled pistachios 1 cup dried figs, quartered 1½ cups unbleached flour ¾ teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon oil and stir well. Add figs and pistachios. In a second bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, combining well. Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Divide into thirds and shape into three logs measuring about 4 x 12 inches. Place logs on a lightly sprayed baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 15–20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for about 5 minutes. Cut cooled logs into diagonal slices about ¾-inch wide. Place slices on baking sheet and bake again about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.

www.flavormags.com

julie koon

flavor magazine â&#x20AC;˘ fall 2008

Stop to Smell the Flowers . . . and Care for the Bees Cristina Santiestevan

While colonies are disappearing around the world, Virginia’s honeybees remain largely untouched. The answer may lie in our farms, backyards, and wild places.

“I just adore bees,” says Faith Andrews Bedford, a professional-turned-hobbyist beekeeper who once tended the hives at Monticello. She describes her bees as mysterious and wonderful. Asked to imagine a world where she could not keep honeybees, Andrews Bedford cries, “That would break my heart!” Such passion might surprise some, but honeybees offer much more than just a cheerful buzzing soundtrack among garden flowers. Most people, when asked about the benefits of bees, picture squeezable plastic bears filled with amber liquid. “Of course, [honeybees] are doing honey production,” agrees Keith Tignor, apiarist with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “But their main contribution is pollination.” As honeybees seek out sweet nectar, they become covered with pollen, transferring it from flower to flower. A full one-third of our fruits, vegetables, and nuts owe their existence to honeybees and other pollinators. Without honeybees and their pollinating brethren, we’d be eating a diet of wind-pollinated grains, such as wheat and corn. Before you laugh off the idea of eating corn for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, consider that populations of honeybees and wild pollinators have crashed around the world in the past few years. In addition to facing increasing problems with mites, viruses, and pesticides, beekeepers are now battling something new. “Experienced beekeepers would go out [to their hives] and find that the bees had just disappeared,” explains veteran beekeeper Jim Mello of Oak Shade Farm in Rixeyville, the result of a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). While CCD’s causes are not known, its effects certainly are: the colony’s population collapses when its working bees literally disappear. CCD has been reported around the world. Parts of England have lost 80 percent of their hives, and isolated areas within the United States have seen losses as high as 90 percent.

From Pollen to Produce The dilemma we face is not just about learning to survive without honey. This is about food. This is about apples and oranges, blueberry pies, peach cobblers, and Häagen Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond ice cream—none of which we would have without hardworking honeybees. Imagine, for a moment, a summer without strawberry shortcakes and watermelon seed spitting

contests. No lime in your gin and tonic. No cherry on top of your ice cream. No pumpkins at Halloween. Honeybees are not the only pollinators, but they are certainly the most efficient. “On any given flight, which could last anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, an individual honeybee will see literally hundreds of flowers,” explains Tignor. “Multiply that by 45,000 bees out doing pollination—that’s a good number of plants and flowers.” The math is staggering: a single hive with an average population of 45,000 foraging bees could easily visit and pollinate 10 million flowers in a single day. Without honeybees’ essential pollen-transferring services, millions of flowers would go unfertilized. Here, in Virginia’s Piedmont, this would mean an end to springtime raspberries, juicy summer peaches, and crisp fall apples. Even lettuce, spinach, chard, and other leafy greens rely on honeybees to pollinate their flowers, producing the seeds that will grow next year’s harvest. In total, approximately 80 of Virginia’s most popular crops—valued at roughly $80 million—rely on bees and other pollinators. That number approaches $20 billion when the entire United States is considered. “We have had evidence of CCD occurring in the state,” warns Tignor, although so far Virginia’s beekeepers have escaped the worst of it. Tignor believes we may eventually find CCD is caused by a number of things that, when combined, stress honeybees beyond what they can withstand. Others agree, comparing overly stressed bees to a person who has worked too many late nights or taken a red-eye flight across the country. Such stress weakens the immune system. “The commercial beekeepers, the ones who do a lot of pollination services—I think they’re having a bigger problem than the small hobbyists,” suggests Andrews Bedford. Her theory is supported by others, who agree that constantly relocating hives can severely stress honeybees. “If you talk to the beekeepers to see where CCD occurs, it’s primarily in the commercial operations,” explains Tignor. These beekeepers are constantly “moving their hives around a lot for pollination purposes, going from farm to farm, orchard to orchard, all across the United States. That puts a lot of stress on the bees.”

www.flavormags.com

Cristina Santiestevan writes about science, nature, and sustainable living from her home in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

flavor magazine • fall 2008

V Despite the challenges, beekeeping remains a fun and rewarding hobby, well within the reaches of any adult and many children. “I encourage everyone to have a hive or two in their backyard,” says Andrews Bedford. “For every hive that we have, that’s just a little bit more pollination.” She explains that keeping a backyard hive is “not hard at all.” She even encourages suburban and urban dwellers to try. Before settling in Rixeyville, Mello tended three hives on his suburban lot in the midst of the densely populated city of Fairfax. V If you aren’t interested in your own hive, there are plenty of other ways to help. For example, plant bee-friendly gardens. Bees especially like blue, purple, and white blossoms. Also try to include plants that bloom at different times throughout the spring and summer. Most seed mixes created to attract butterflies or hummingbirds work fine.

V This is about food. This is about apples and oranges, blueberry pies, peach cobblers, and Häagen Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond ice cream.

V Asked what advice she would give those among the general population, Andrews Bedford is quick to say, “Well, certainly, don’t use pesticides.”

V Tignor asks that people accept pollinators without fearing them. “Honeybees are out foraging for food. That’s what they’re out there for. They could care less about people. . . . We leave them alone and they will leave us alone.” Of course, the easiest and most enjoyable way to help local honeybees is to support local beekeepers and eat local honey. V Tignor eats his honey “right off the

spoon,” but there are many other ways to enjoy this natural, healthy sweetener. “Cheese and honey is the best,” claims Ramsey, who describes a mouthwatering salad of thinly sliced apples, crumbled Stilton blue cheese, and toasted pine nuts, all drizzled with fresh, local honey.

V Andrews Bedford loves to give her honey away. “There’s really nothing quite like walking into a friend’s house for dinner not with a bottle of wine, but with a bottle of fresh honey.” Honey can be stirred into hot teas or diluted with boiling water and stored in the refrigerator as a handy liquid sweetener for cold drinks.

V But, no matter how you use it, as Tignor says, “All honey is good.”

Interested in Starting a Hive?

At Windsong Apiaries in Castelton, beekeeper Bob Wellemeyer tends 450 hives, each home to 60,000 to 80,000 bees in summer. Although Windsong sells honey and other bee-related products, Wellemeyer raises bees mainly for use in crop pollination in the mid-Atlantic region.

State and regional beekeeping organizations such as the Virginia State Beekeepers’ Association (www.virginiabeekeepers.org) frequently host open meetings and offer a variety of courses, demonstrations, and beekeeping mentorship programs. Talk with beekeepers at your farmers market for additional tips and suggestions.

Backyard Beekeeping and Other Ways to Help

julie koon

The Secret Is Small And this may be why we have not seen a devastating outbreak of CCD in Virginia: we do not have the massive orchards or fields found in Florida or California and thus rely less on largescale traveling beekeepers for pollination services. This also suggests that the best way to maintain a healthy population of pollinators is to encourage a healthy diversity of small farms, gardens, hedgerows, and wild spaces. “You go to some of the farms in the region, and they are all neat and tidy. That’s not very good for bees,” says Phillip Ramsey, beekeeper for Stoneleigh Farm in Fauquier County. “What you want is [a place where] hedges are all grown up and you’ve got wild blackberries and blueberries and strawberries growing up along the fences and down the lanes. . . . The bees work those.” Even without outbreaks of CCD, beekeepers in the commonwealth have plenty to keep them busy. Mites, viruses, and pesticides present constant challenges. And this summer, Andrews Bedford is seeing something new. “Very strange behavior, not typical at all. . . . [The bees] are flying like mad but they aren’t bringing any honey.” Last year she harvested 90 pounds of “fantastic honey” from her single hive. This year she will take none. “Nectar is a water-based substance,” says Tignor, who believes Andrews Bedford’s honey shortage problem may be linked to our ongoing drought. “If the plants aren’t absorbing water from the soil, from rainfall, then they’re not going to be able to put out as much nectar.” So while our patchy network of varied agriculture, orchards, and wild spaces may be the best thing for honeybees, it cannot protect them from every threat. Meanwhile, Piedmont beekeepers keep a wary eye on national and regional trends, hoping CCD will pass the commonwealth by once again. And if not? “A lot of the beekeepers that I know are very determined,” says Andrews Bedford. “They are not going to give up.”

common good, common sense

Thinking Inside the Box Anne T. Bedarf

A look at your choices when it comes to packing your own or eating out. Do you cringe when the detritus of takeout—Styrofoam cups, individually wrapped utensils, Mylar-sheathed condiments, and nonrecyclable plastic containers—litters the kitchen counter in your otherwise eco-friendly home? Do you bemoan having to use plastic bags to pack organic fruits and seasonal veggies in your child’s lunchbox? You are not alone.

Nissan Leak-Proof Travel Mug, a great hot-liquid mug. It features a twist top and a quick-release carabiner clip. It keeps my tea warm for hours! There is another incentive to bring your own mug: many coffee shops provide a discount on drinks when a customer provides a reusable container.

Home Cooking When attempting to eat away from home responsibly, the standard rules apply: reduce, reuse, and recycle. And as in all situations, the first step is to find a reusable item to replace a disposable one. Reusable items can be used to pack food made at home. Consider whether something you already own, such as camping gear, might be used as a lunch container. For instance, I have an everyday Rubbermaid square container that protects my sandwiches perfectly and is easier to wash and reuse than a sandwich bag. You may even choose to reuse the sturdiest to-go containers that you bring home from your favorite restaurant, but never put such containers in the dishwasher. The neatest alternatives to plastic utensils I’ve seen are made by To-Go Ware. The bamboo set (fork, spoon, knife, and chopsticks) comes in a unique wrap made from recycled plastic bags by a women’s cooperative on the border of Thailand and Burma. There’s also a sandwich bag alternative called the Wrap-n-Mat that doubles as a placemat. While the manufacturer says the PVC liner is lead-free, PVC has other issues including chlorine use in its manufacture, so I recommend the version with the LDPE liner. For years, I have been using Thermos’s

Takeout There will certainly be those busy days when ordering a quick lunch to bring back to work or takeout for dinner is inevitable. The most embattled takeout material has been Styrofoam, a particular type of number 6 styrene-based polymer, or polystyrene. It has many advantages— it is economical, sturdy, and lightweight (being mostly air)—and it has a high degree of insulation, making it a popular choice for hot drinks and meals. Less fuel is consumed and less pollution created in its transport as well. Contrary to popular belief, Styrofoam is recyclable. In fact, the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers would like to increase the infrastructure to make such recycling happen. However, food-service products are usually not accepted because of food contamination, making widespread recycling of food-service styrene not likely. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) considers Styrofoam’s base product, styrene, toxic to aquatic organisms, and EPA studies suggest that there may be an association between styrene exposure and an increased risk of leukemia

and lymphoma. Additional negatives are that the material is petroleum-based and that it does not biodegrade. This means that polystyrene contributes to the litter problem, hurting wildlife particularly in river and ocean environments, which has ramifications all the way up the food chain. Styrofoam products are also bulky, which is a disadvantage for waste management and effective recycling. Foam easily escapes from the wastecollection infrastructure. Alternatives to disposable foam containers have been developed in response to growing consumer pressure for materials based on local, renewable resources. I have become more familiar with these products in my recent work “greening” festivals, including Farm Aid, in which I assist organizers with product choices for catering and concessions as well as with recovery options for refuse generated by attendees. Organizers’ questions are probably the same ones you are asking: Are these biodegradable products really better for the environment? Can I compost them in my home compost pile? Are they economical? As is often the case, the green answer is rarely black-and-white. The answers vary with the material used. Paper and cardboard. Ideally, these should be recycled. When contaminated by coming into contact with food, they generally cannot be recycled. They can, however, be composted. The waxy coating on many food-service paper and cardboard products is compostable (though not compatible with most recycling processes). If you are composting these, do not compost high-gloss paper in large quantities because inks used in printing may contain heavy metals. Polylactic acid (PLA) cups and clamshells. PLA is a derivative of field-type www.flavormags.com

corn grown in the United States. Products made with PLA— which are marked with the number 7, the “other” plastic category—can’t be used for hot liquids, are only compostable under industrial conditions (not at home), and when placed with other plastics contaminate the established plastic-recycling streams. Although genetically modified corn is among the corn used, the material is locally sourced and renewable. According to the manufacturer NatureWorks, the use of PLA results in a “reduction in the total fossil energy used by 50–70% (accounting for the fuel needed to plant and harvest the corn).” Bagasse. This fiber—recovered mainly from the waste products of sugarcane—is processed into heat-resistant cups, plates, trays, bowls, and clamshell containers. These containers are increasingly being used in the U.S., and they compost nicely at home, working best if ripped into pieces. Currently, these are made in Asia. Starch. Created from potatoes, corn, and soy, this material can be used to make heat-resistant utensils. Starch-based utensils are becoming more common in the U.S.; Spudware is a primary manufacturer. They are labeled by brand name or with the phrase “made from plants.”

Cleaning Your Plate About 100 cities across the country have ordinances banning the use of polystyrene disposable foodware, which has resulted in the increased use of products created with the materials described above. Many of these same cities have curbside programs to collect so-called green waste for composting, which allow these bio-based containers to be included. Remember the closed-loop cycle: it doesn’t make sense to switch to another disposable container if it isn’t being recycled or composted, because practically nothing breaks down in a landfill. And those rare things that do break down produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, in the process. Encourage your local government to separate and process the compostables waste stream in the municipal waste collection. Issues surrounding biomaterials, biofuels, and food production are indeed complex. But it is perfectly clear that the main reason for increasing food prices—as well as the rising costs of many other products—is the increasing cost of oil. The upward trend in petroleum prices is likely to continue, and investment in alternatives to plastic will pay off as infrastructure and innovation grow. Add to that the ability to source and manufacture bio-based products locally, and the system can become even more sustainable. Anne T. Bedarf of Charlottesville is involved with efforts to develop sustainable community food systems and protect biodiversity.

flavor magazine • fall 2008

in the garden

From Peak Season to Off-Season Walker Elliott Rowe

Local farms look to extend their growing season to meet consumers’ growing appetite for local food.

s summer turns to fall, the leaves in the vineyard have

Over the Grass Farm

stopped growing, the last tomatoes have fallen from the

At Over the Grass Farm near The Plains in genteel Fauquier—

vine, the watermelons are gone, and all the peppers and yellow

where even rural fence lines are meticulously clipped and

squash have been picked. Children have gone back to school,

mown and pastures are seemingly given over to the ubiquitous

and farmers markets are winding up their final months of out-

horse—every inch of rolling land is given over to agriculture

door sales.

of some sort. Laying hens mill about the polywire enclosure

For those involved in the buy local food movement, a key issue

next to the henhouse where eggs are collected and sorted for

is what to eat after summer vegetable production has stopped.

customers. Apple trees flank pumpkin and tomato patches.

Must restaurants and grocers who want to buy from local farm-

Honeybees buzz about flowers, collecting pollen for the honey

ers revert to using large-scale food distributors, with their veg-

that will be sold to customers. Fig trees fairly cloak one of

etables trucked or flown in from Florida, Mexico, California,

the stables, which has had its southern exposure turned into a

or Chile? A couple of farmers in Fauquier County have tackled

greenhouse. Traffic stops briefly for two men who herd sheep

that problem head on by moving their production indoors or

across the winding country lane. The wool from these animals

continuing to grow outdoors those crops that can weather the

is woven into socks used by the farmhands in the cold weather

weather.

and sold to farm customers. Milk and cream from the farm’s www.flavormags.com

Jersey cows are stored in the cooler, each bottle marked with

holes that have been picked by leaf hoppers. “Lettuce,” he

the name of someone who owns a share of the cow—the only

says, “is best in fall and spring.” Cooler weather brings better-

legal way Virginians can buy raw milk.

tasting lettuce, and most insects disappear. From now right on

As summer winds down, farm manager Margaret Rhodes is

through the winter, he will plant lettuce every two weeks to

thinking about fall and winter vegetable production. Standing

have a continuous crop.

in one of the farm’s five 22-by-45 hoop houses, she says, “We’ll be able to continue production right on into winter. We close

Cooler weather brings better-tasting

these up and grow in here all year long.”

lettuce, and most insects disappear.

Looking across well-tended, weed-free plots of beets, onions, carrots, and chives, Miguel Flores—who with one other worker tends the vegetables here—looks forward to cooler weather. The summer-grown lettuce at his feet is bitter and full of small

Traditionally, the first frost in this part of Virginia comes around October 15. Flores regards that as “not a heavy frost,” so he keeps the hoop houses open until the end of October or early November. He opens the doors on sunny days to keep the humidity down. These hoop houses are double-layered so that the space between the layers can be pumped full of air, forming a blanket that keeps in heat during the day while protecting the crops from cold weather at night. There is no supplemental heating system. Rhodes explains that the cow and horse manure piled around inside the hoop house releases heat as it decomposes. For the coldest of nights a kind of spun fabric called Reemay is draped across the tender leaves to keep them warm. All of this is part of this farm’s system, which Rhodes characterizes as natural: “We do all natural. Organic [certification] lets you use stuff that we don’t.” Flores grows traditional fall vegetables like broccoli and cabbage outdoors, with the knowledge that frost does not bother these crops, although a hard freeze does. He plants a multicolored-stemmed Swiss chard named Bright Lights whose leaves can be continually picked into the coldest weather. He also grows vegetables in cold frames whose slanted roofs harness the sunshine. During the coldest of weather, Over the Grass grows heads of lettuce in “pods” that look like something right out of a science fiction movie. Rhodes explains that they sometimes have to brush off the snow to open the lids of these double-fiberglassinsulated growing containers, which are buried two feet deep into the soil.

Margaret Rhodes and Miguel Flores of Over the Grass Farm in The Plains are finding ways to keep production going year-round. Some of their approaches include fiberglass “pods” (above) and hoop houses (opposite).

flavor magazine • fall 2008

The situation in middle-class Warrenton could not be more different. Here agriculture bumps into cul-de-sac neighborhoods.

julie koon

Virginia Green Grocer

Farmers and suburban dwellers debate land-use issues like wells, outdoor lighting, and the sights and sounds of a noisy farm. Given their troubles with their neighbors, some winery and farm owners feel the county’s slogan—“Preserving agriculture in a business-friendly climate”—is less than sincere. Even as he faces legal land-use and zoning problems, Pete Barthelson farms the organic Virginia Green Grocer CSA here along with his wife, Elaheh, and a handful of workers. They make cheese and raise dairy cattle, but the bulk of their operation is focused on herbs and vegetables, including beans, which they sell fresh, frozen, and even dried to CSA customers. The farm also has two greenhouses, which brings in income even in what had been the off-season.

isn’t enough light.” He planted tomatoes last year, and although

“One of them is a production greenhouse. Another we use

the plants yielded several thousand pounds of fruit, “they took

primarily use for starts,” Barthelson says. One of these, the

forever to produce.” This year, Green Grocer plans to offer cab-

6,500-square-foot production facility, is heated mainly with

bage, zucchini, salad greens, and beets—and hopes to again

two wood-burning boilers, which pump hot water into hoses

provide tomatoes—for its winter CSA subscribers.

that hang from the ceiling. Fans circulate the hot air throughout

Heading into Winter

the greenhouse. Workers stoke the broilers every 8 hours with wood. The new system is an improvement over the old one, which burned down.

Consumers who buy fresh and local at peak season can, then, still expect to find local produce in grocery stores that feature local products, like the IGA in Marshall, and at restaurants. But just as farms adjust their production to shorter days and colder

But even with this greenhouse capacity, not everything is grown indoors in the winter.

temperatures, cooks need to swap out summer recipes for those that incorporate fall and winter vegetables. And as customers seek out more locally produced meats, vegetables, and dairy products in the fall and winter, more restaurants and stores will in turn encourage farmers to extend their growing season.

But even with this greenhouse capacity, not everything is grown indoors in the winter. “We have plenty of stuff growing outside

Walker Elliott Rowe farms wine grapes and meat goats in Rappahannock County, has written two books on wine, and blogs about agriculture at rosewoodhillfarm.com.

in the winter: carrots, onions, garlic,” says Barthelson. “Some of it overwinters,” meaning it goes dormant and then matures in the early spring. In late summer, standing amid a corn variety imported from Guatemala—that at 15 feet tall is an odd sight indeed—Barthelson explains that the farm is still learning about winter vegetable production, experimenting with what will ripen and what

Virginia Green Grocer www.virginiagreengrocer.com Over the Grass Farm www.overthegrassfarm.com

will not in the cool days and shortened sunlight of winter. “Tomatoes are tough to grow over the winter because there www.flavormags.com

directory This information has been provided by the Piedmont Environmental Council’s Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign. Learn more at www.pecva.org.

Farmers Markets

Meat & Poultry

FAUQUIER Warrenton Saturday Farmers Market 5th & Lee Streets October–November 29 Saturdays, 7 a.m.–12 p.m. (540) 347-6267

ALBEMARLE Bessette Family Farm Esmont (434) 831-2084

LOUDOUN Leesburg Farmers Market Virginia Village Shopping Center November 3–April 26 Saturdays, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. (703) 777-0426

Gryffon’s Aerie Crozet (434) 531-0994, (434) 531-0451 www.gryffonsaerie.com

ORANGE Orange Farmers Market Orange County Train Station November–April Saturdays, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. (540) 672-2540

CSAs albemarle Horse & Buggy Produce Charlottesville (434) 284-1084 www.horseandbuggyproduce .com Majesty Farm North Garden (434) 760-5514 www.majestyfarm.com Roundabout Farm Keswick (434) 296-7414 www.roundaboutfarm.net Rappahannock The Local Flavor Farm Buyers Club Amissville (540) 937-7977 www.farmbuyersclub.com

flavor magazine • fall 2008

Currituck Farm Earlysville (434) 978-1150

Iona Farm Scottsville (434) 286-4761 Majesty Farm North Garden (434) 760-5514 www.majestyfarm.com Quarter’s Farm Charlottesville (434) 293-6982 Reynolds Grassland Natural Schuyler (434) 831-2688 Sweet Seasons Farm Batesville (540) 456-7145 Tall Cotton Farm Afton (540) 456-8489 Whistlin’ Hollow Farm Afton (540) 456-8212 CULPEPER Cibola Farms Culpeper (540) 727-8590 www.cibolafarms.com Croftburn Farm Meats Culpeper (540) 825-9044 www.croftburnfarm.com

Muddy Run Farm Culpeper (540) 937-3504

Midtrees Farm Warrenton (540) 439-4812

Mulford Farm Stevensburg (540) 423-9607

Mount Airy Farm Marshall (540) 349-4496

Old Gjerpen Farm Culpeper (540) 829-5683 www.oldgjerpenfarm.com

Over the Grass Farm The Plains (540) 253-5228

Pannill’s Gate Farm Culpeper (540) 423-1168 www.pannillsgate.com Rohan Farm Rixeyville (540) 937-4999 www.rohanborzoi.com Simply Sage Culpeper (540) 829-0905, (540) 522-8283 Summer Creek Farm Culpeper (540) 727-8207 FAUQUIER Ayrshire Farm Upperville (540) 592-9504 www.ayrshirefarm.com

Piney Meadow Farm Midland (540) 788-1476 Sumerduck Emu Ranch Sumerduck (540) 439-0682 Vanderwoude Hill Farm Catlett (540) 788-9672 Virginia Green Grocer CSA Warrenton (540) 722-5086 www.virginiagreengrocer.com Western View Farm Catlett (540) 788-9663 LOUDOUN Black Sheep Farm Leesburg (703) 777-7640

Blue Ridge Beef Upperville (540) 592-3469

Catoctin Heritage Farm Lovettsville (540) 882-4437

Crestone Farms Warrenton (540) 347-4237

Chicama Run Purcellville (540) 668-9828

Flatrock Farm Marshall (540) 364-6491

Creek Crossing Farm Lincoln (540) 338-7550 www.creekcrossingfarm.com

Heron’s Court Farm Middleburg (540) 687-5424 Hollin Farms Delaplane (540) 592-3701 www.hollinfarms.com

Fields of Athenry Farm Purcellville (540) 687-3936 www.fieldsofathenryfarm.com

directory directory Milcreek Farm Lovettsville (540) 822-4181 www.milcrk.com

Wolf Creek Farm Madison (540) 948-5574 www.wolfcreek-farm.com

Mill Road Farm Leesburg (703) 777-1356 New Ashbury Farm Leesburg (703) 542-6226

ORANGE Higginbotham Beef and Bottle Shop Orange (540) 672-9395 www.higginbothambeef.com

Oakland Green Lincoln (540) 338-7628 www.oaklandgreen.com

Papa Weaver’s Pork Orange (540) 672-1552 www.papaweaver.com

Onyx Hill Farm Purcellville (540) 338-1729 www.onyxhillfarm.com

Retreat Farm Rapidan (540) 672-5871

Sheepy Hollow Farm Waterford (540) 882-3860

Skyline Premium Meats Unionville (540) 854-6155 www.skylinepremiummeats.com

Silcott Springs Farm Purcellville (540) 338-1881

Valentine’s Country Meats Orange (540) 672-1296

Willow Hawk Farm Lovettsville (540) 882-9143 www.willowhawkfarm.com

RAPPAHANNOCK Belle Meade Sperryville (540) 987-9748 www.bellemeade.net

Woodtrail Graziers Round Hill (540) 554-8665 MADISON Backfield Farm Beef Etlan (540) 923-4036

Williams Orchard Flint Hill (540) 675-3765

Orchards ALBEMARLE Carter Mountain Orchard Charlottesville (434) 977-1833 www.cartermountainorchard.com Chiles Peach Orchard Crozet (434) 823-1583 www.chilespeachorchard.com Henley’s Orchard Crozet (434) 823-4037

Vintage Virginia Apples North Garden (434) 297-2326 www.vintagevirginiaapples.com Wayland Orchard Crozet (434) 823-7323 LOUDOUN Brossman’s Orchard Leesburg (703) 777-1127 Crooked Run Orchard Purcellville (540) 338-6642 Montoux Orchard Purcellville www.moutouxorchard.com Madison Graves Mountain Farm Syria (540) 923-4638 www.gravesmountain.com

Harmany Highlands Flint Hill (703) 395-7613 Meadowgreen Farm Sperryville (540) 987-8445

Excalibur Farms Madison (540) 948-4223 www.excaliburfarms.biz

Mount Vernon Farm Sperryville (540) 987-9559 www.mountvernonfarm.net

Kite’s Country Ham Wolftown (540) 948-4742 www.kitesham.com

Muskrat Haven Farm Amissville (540) 937-5892, (540) 937-5191

Springhaven Farm Madison (540) 948-6698 www.springhavenfarm.net

W. R. Welch & Sons Flint Hill (540) 636-9965

New Hope Natural Beef Castleton (540) 987-9507 Touchstone Farm Amissville (540) 937-6124 www.touchsonefarm.org

www.flavormags.com

directory Ward’s Vineyard & Fruit Farm Rochelle (540) 948-4171

Grocers

Yowell Farm Enterprises Etlan (540) 923-4414

ALBEMARLE All Good Grocery Earlysville (434) 973-5570 www.allgoodgrocery.com

Rappahannock The Farm at Sunnyville Washington (540) 675-9946

Fabulous Foods Crozet (434) 823-1100 www.fabfoodsmarket.com

High Places Orchards Flint Hill (540) 635-5537

From Scratch Bakery Charlottesville (434) 970-2253 www.fromscratchbakeryco.com

Jenkins’ Orchard Woodville (540) 987-8192 Lee’s Orchard Washington (540) 675-3178, (540) 675-3201

Greenwood Gourmet Crozet (540) 456-6431 www.greenwoodgourmet.com

Moore’s Orchard Flint Hill (540) 675-3553

CHARLOTTESVILLE C’ville Market (434) 984-0545 www.cvillemarket.com

Mount Vernon Farm Sperryville (540) 987-9559

Feast (434) 244-7800 www.feastvirginia.com

Sunset Hills Farm Washington (540) 987-8804 www.sunsethillsfarm.com

Foods of All Nations (434) 296-6131 www.foodsofallnations.com

Williams Orchard Flint Hill (540) 675-3765

Integral Yoga Natural Foods (434) 293-4111 www.iyfoods.com Rebecca’s Natural Food (434) 977-1965 www.rebeccasnaturalfood.com

The Organic Butcher (434) 244-7400 www.theorganicbutcher.com CULPEPER Food For Thought Griffinsburg (540) 547-4433 www.foodforthoughtva.com Retreat Farm Village Depot Rapidan (540) 672-5871 FAUQUIER Fauquier’s Finest Country Butcher Shop Bealeton (540) 439-7227 www.fauquiersfinest.com Farmer’s Wife Market Remington (540) 439-4700 www.thefarmerswifemarket.com Marshall IGA Marshall (540) 364-9588 The Natural Marketplace Warrenton (540) 349-4111 www.thenaturalmarketplace.com Northern Lights Seafood Marshall (540) 364-7444 www.nlseafood.com MADISON Yoders Country Market Pratts (540) 948-3000 www.yoderscountrymarket.net

ORANGE Beggars Banquet Orange (540) 661-0121 www.beggarsbanquet.net Higginbotham Beef and Bottle Shop Orange (540) 672-9395 www.higginbothambeef.com Marshall Farms Corner Unionville (540) 854-6800 www.marshallscheese.com Miller Farms Market (540) 972-2680 www.millerfarmsmarket.com LOUDOUN For Goodness Sake Market Station Leesburg (703) 771-7146 Healthy by Nature Leesburg (703) 443-6632 Heritage Farm Museum Sterling (571) 258-3800 www.heritagefarmmuseum.org Hill High Country Store Round Hill (540) 338-7173 Home Farm Store Middleburg (540) 687-8882

RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY CONSERVATION ALLIANCE

Ensuring Rappahannock County remains a scenic, rural community

Preserving Rappahannock Through Sustainable Agriculture

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Timothy LaSalle of the Rodale Institute

RCCA Annual Meeting Sunday, November 9, 3:00 - 5:00 PM THE LINK, 12018 Lee Highway, Sperryville, VA

www.rccava.org

flavor magazine • fall 2008

(540) 987-9118

directory Market Salamander Middleburg (540) 687-8011 www.market-salamander.com

La Bella Terra Farmhouse Dining Reva (540) 547-2317

FAUQUIER Fern Hill Apiary Marshall (540) 364-1680

MADISON Haywood Honey Madison (540) 923-5075

Mom’s Apple Pie Leesburg (703) 771-8590 www.momsapplepieco.com

FAUQUIER Claire’s Catering Warrenton (540) 351-1616 www.clairesrestaurant.com

Mike Wilson Marshall (540) 341-0217

RAPPAHANNOCK Windsong Apiaries Castleton (540) 937-2175, (540) 229-5359

Natural Mercantile of Hamilton Hamilton (540) 338-7080 www.naturalmercantile.com Paeonian Grocery & Gourmet Paeonian Springs (703) 777-6406 www.mightymidgetkitchen.com Wegman’s Sterling (703) 421-2400 www.wegmans.com

Farmer’s Wife Market Remington (540) 439-4700 www.thefarmerswifemarket.com LOUDOUN The Kitchen Caterers Leesburg (703) 771-0150 Seasoned to Taste Leesburg (703) 669-9400

RAPPAHANNOCK Beech Spring Gift Shop Sperryville (540) 987-8704

J.R.’s Stockyards Inn Leesburg (703) 821-0545 www.jrsbeef.com

Epicurious Cow Amissville (540) 675-2269 www.epicuriouscow.com

ORANGE Beggars Banquet Orange (540) 661-0121 www.beggarsbanquet.net

Caterers CHARLOTTESVILLE A Pimento Catering (434) 971-7720 www.apimentocatering.com Dinner at Home (434) 296-4514 www.ashleysdinnerathome.com Harvest Moon Catering (434) 296-9091 www.hmcatering.com WahooRidge Catering (434) 977-3663 www.wahooridge.com CULPEPER Food for Thought Griffinsburg (540) 547-4433 www.foodforthoughtva.com

Over the Grass Farm The Plains (540) 253-5228 www.overthegrassfarm.com Stoneleigh Farms Warrenton (540) 341-7790 www.stoneleighfarms.com Vanderwoude Hill Farm Catlett (540) 788-9672 LOUDOUN Blackwood Honey Purcellville (540) 338-2486 www.poorhousefarm.com

Honey Makers Charlottesville Howard’s Blue Ribbon Honey (434) 971-6812 CULPEPER Oak Shade Farm Rixeyville (540) 937-5062 Retreat Farm Village Depot Rapidan (540) 672-5871 Simply Sage Culpeper (540) 829-0905, (540) 522-8283

www.flavormags.com

events Contact information for vineyards can be found on pages 70–71.

Oct. 31 Friday Night Fright Flix Barrel Oak Winery, Hume

Nov. 1 Vintage Virginia Apple Harvest Festival Rural Ridge Farm, North Garden (434) 297-2326 www.vintagevirginiaapples.com Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Gala Release Party Gray Ghost Vineyards, Amissville Costume Dance Party Barrel Oak Winery, Hume

Nov. 1–2 4th Annual Oyster Roast Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery, Afton

Nov. 1–2, 8–9, 15–16, 22–23, 29–30 Fall Color Weekends Veramar Vineyard, Berryville

Fall Barrel Tasting Horton Vineyards, Gordonsville

nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 28, 29 An Afternoon of Local Music Notaviva Vineyards, Purcellville

Nov. 1–2, 8–9, 15–16, 22–23 Pumpkin Chunkin’ Weekend Great Country Farms, Bluemont (540) 554-2073 www.greatcountryfarms.com Cajun Gumbo Weekends Breaux Vineyards, Purcellville

Nov. 2

Irish Stew Day Chateau O’Brien, Markham

Interactive Cooking Class First Colony Winery, Charlottesville

Cooking Class & Winery Tour Notaviva Vineyards, Purcellville

Halloween & Election Fright Fest Barrel Oak Winery, Hume

Nov. 8–10

Military Appreciation Day Gadino Cellars, Washington

Nov. 5

Veterans Day Sale Veramar Vineyard, Berryville

Stone Brewery Dinner Tuscarora Mill, Leesburg (703) 771-9300 www.tuskies.com

Reds & Steaming Soups Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, Leesburg

Exploring the Small Farm Dream Airlie Center, Warrenton (540) 347-1300 www.airlie.org

Nov. 7 Raise a Voice Charity Art Auction: Orphans Expressing Themselves Through Art Lightfoot Restaurant, Leesburg www.myspace.com/raiseavoice

flavor magazine • fall 2008

Let’s Fete the Vets Barrel Oak Winery, Hume

VOPCA Farm & Food Expo Virginia Brewing Company Zeropak Warehouse, Winchester (540) 675-3947 www.vopca.org

Nov. 6

Nov. 8 Post-Harvest Roast & Toast Three Fox Vineyards, Delaplane

Nov. 9

2nd Annual Wine & Chocolate Stone Mountain Vineyards, Dyke

Nov. 12 Annual Game Dinner Tuscarora Mill, Leesburg (703) 771-9300 www.tuskies.com

events

Nov. 15

Nov. 29–30

Dec. 13–14

Jan. 9

Truffle Dinner Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville

Holiday Open House Veramar Vineyard, Berryville

Winter Open House Afton Mountain Vineyards, Afton

Annual Local Food Conference Airlie Center, Warrenton (540) 347-1300 www.airlie.org

Civil War Authors Day Gray Ghost Vineyards, Amissville

Bells Brewery Dinner Tuscarora Mill, Leesburg (703) 771-9300 www.tuskies.com

Winemakers Dinner Naked Mountain Vineyard, Markham Annual Beast Feast Pearmund Cellars, Broad Run

nov. 15–16 Chili Days Fox Meadow Winery, Linden

Nov. 19 Green Drinks Warrenton Piedmont Environmental Council Office, Warrenton (540) 347-2334 www.pecva.org

Nov. 22–23, 29–30

jan. 11 Fireside Lunch Cinema Sweely Estate Winery, Madison

Dec. 6–7

dec. 15–16

Winter Open House Afton Mountain Vineyards, Afton

Souper Days Fox Meadow Winery, Linden

Annual Holiday/Christmas Open House Burnley Vineyards, Barboursville

Dec. 31

DEC. 6, 13

Holiday Kick-Off Gray Ghost Vineyards, Amissville

An Afternoon of Local Music Notaviva Vineyards, Purcellville

Nov. 28–29

Wreath-Making Workshop Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville

Black Friday Recovery Ward Weekend Barrel Oak Winery, Hume Annual Thanksgiving Open House Burnley Vineyards, Barboursville Get in the Spirit Holiday Open House Wintergreen Winery, Nellysford

New Year’s Eve Dinner Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville 3rd Annual Masked BallVeritas Vineyards & Winery, Afton

Holiday Open House Oakencroft Vineyard & Winery, Charlottesville

Nov. 28

Nov. 28–30

Cabernet Vertical Tasting Breaux Vineyards, Purcellville

Cabernet Cabaret Three Fox Vineyards, Delaplane

Shenandoah Wine Trail Deck the Halls Weekends Veramar Vineyard, Berryville

Thanksgiving Open House Horton Vineyards, Gordonsville

jan. 10

Dec. 14

Shenandoah Wine Trail Deck the Halls Weekends Veramar Vineyard, Berryville

Holiday Open House Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery, Nellysford

Santa Claus Visits Gray Ghost Vineyards, Amissville

Annual Holiday Open House Gray Ghost Vineyards, Amissville

Nov. 22–23

Dec. 13–14, 20-21

Dec. 6

Holiday Open House Fabbioli Cellars, Leesburg

Holiday Celebration Hartwood Winery, Fredericksburg

Holiday Open House Barboursville Vineyards, Barboursville

dec. 1

Dec. 12

Holiday Open House Blenheim Vineyards, Charlottesville

Dec. 13 Champagne & Hors d’oeuvres Holiday Mixer Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, Leesburg Holiday Vintners’ Dinner Chateau O’Brien, Markham Christmas Wine Dinner Pearmund Cellars, Broad Run www.flavormags.com

â&#x20AC;˘ Harvest 2008

Features

• Harvest 2008

58 It All Began in Barboursville P i e d m o n t

Tour Barboursville Vineyards—founded when Virginia was known for tobacco, not wine— with winemaker Luca Paschina. Grace Reynolds

presents

65 The Challenges of Sustainability

What does a sustainable vineyard in Virginia’s foothills look like?

Departments Jim Law

56 imbibe Virginia-Infused Vodka

virginia

Richmond’s Cirrus Vodka creates a stir in the world of spirits. Joanne DiMaggio

64 blind tasting Cabernet Franc

Our panel of judges chooses the three best regional Cab Francs. Evan Williams

68 winemaker’s notes Gabriele Rausse

One of Virginia’s premier winemakers discusses the past and the future of his craft in the Piedmont.

Columns

With Melissa Harris & Vanessa Leech

62 in the cellar Just a Blending Grape?

Our columnist defends the reputation of Cabernet Franc, which is coming into its own in Virginia. Jason Burrus

63 pairings Holiday Entertaining

The Inn at Little Washington’s wine director suggests wines for your holiday menu.

In every issue Tyler Packwood

54 70

flights

vineyard directory

linden vineyards

£ jen consalvo www.flavormags.com

Flights

Vanessa Leech & Autumn Reynolds

Virginia Wineworks

Foggy Ridge Cider

Looking for a Virginia wine that fits your budget? Look no fur-

Virginia is becoming known as

ther than Virginia Wineworks’ blended wines. A partnership of

a wine region, and some hope it

Michael Shaps, a consultant with Pollak Vineyards, and Philip

will gain a reputation as an arti-

Stafford, original owner of C&O Restaurant and Market Street

sanal cider region as well. Foggy

Wine Shop, Virginia Wineworks offers wines at no more than

Ridge Cider has emerged as a

$15 a bottle. In addition to

leader in the Virginia cider indus-

making Wineworks Rosé

try, winning a silver medal in the

and Wineworks Norton,

fruit wine category at the Virginia

Shaps and Stafford have

Governor’s Cup wine competi-

created Wineworks White,

tion. In 2007, Foggy Ridge pro-

a blend of Viognier and

duced three vintage ciders: First Fruit, the Serious Cider, and

Vidal Blanc, and Wine

Sweet Stayman Cider. Vintages vary, for apples produce dif-

works Red, which brings

ferent ciders each year, depending on the harvest. Much like

together Cabernet Sau-

wine and beer, cider is also paired well with different foods

vignon, Cabernet Franc,

and can be used in recipes. For pairings, recipes, and a com-

and

plete list of the apples grown at Foggy Ridge’s three orchards

Norton.

Virginia

Wineworks also provides “custom crush” service: customer-

in Carroll County, visit www.foggyridgecider.com.

directed winemaking. Customers can be involved intimately or occasionally with the development of their own brand, from choosing the grapes to aging and bottling the wine. More infor-

Fauquier Wine Trail

mation can be found at michaelshapswines.com.

Fauquier County, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Moun-

The Virginia Wine of the Month Club

and wineries, ranging from small, family-run businesses

The Virginia Wine of the Month

to larger, more established

Club is celebrating its 20th birth-

operations producing over

day—a great milestone for both the

7,000 cases of wine a year. At www.visitfauquier.com,

club and the Virginia wine indus-

wine lovers can download a Fauquier Wine Trail map and

try as a whole. Founded in 1988

find information on year-round events held at area wineries.

by Berkley Mitchell, the club has

There’s plenty going on, even in December, when Three Fox

shipped over 500,000 bottles to

Vineyards in Delaplane presents Cabernet Cabaret (Dec. 6),

hundreds of members. Registration

Chateau O’Brien in Markham hosts a holiday vintners’ dinner

and membership are free. Members

(Dec. 13), Pearmund Cellars in Broad Run offers a Christmas

only pay for their “wine of the month” selections: $14.95 for

Around-the-World wine dinner (Dec. 13), and Fox Meadow

one bottle a month, $24.95 for two. Keep in mind that member-

Winery in Linden is the site of Souper Days (Dec. 15–16).

ships can be given as gifts and in some cases may be shipped out of state. Learn more at www.vawineclub.com.

tains, is home to 16 vineyards

• Harvest 2008

DuCard Vineyards & Gearharts Fine Chocolates

Pollak Vineyards Nestled between Crozet and Afton is the newest addition to the

This holiday season, DuCard Vineyards

Monticello Wine Trail. Pollak Vineyards (www.pollakvineyards

in Madison County and Gearharts Fine

.com) opened to the public in May and now offers tastings from

Chocolates in Charlottesville are collabo-

25 acres of vines, planted in 2003. The winery offers Meritage

rating to offer a unique and delicious gift

(2005); Cabernet Franc and Merlot (2006); Pinot Gris, Viog-

package: two bottles of DuCard’s Popham

nier, and Rosé (2007); and two

Run Red, a Bordeaux-blend wine, and a

kinds of Chardonnay, Estate and

16-piece assortment of Gearharts hand-

Virginia (2007). Two 2006 wines,

made gourmet chocolates. This pairing of

Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit

locally made, small-batch, gourmet products ($65) guarantees

Verdot, are sold out until spring.

a celebration. Order at www.ducardvineyards.com. sarah cramer

David Pollak, who gained his winemaking experience in California, opened the vineyard with his wife, Margot. They are joined

The Virginia Wine Expo Over just three days, more than 10,000

by winemaker Jake Busching, viticulturalist Chris Hill, and

people will gather for the Virginia Wine

winemaking consultant Michael Shaps.

Expo at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. About 50 wineries will participate in the expo, which runs from Friday, February 27, to Sunday, March 1, 2009.

Blue Mountain Brewery

On the schedule are two grand tastings, two wine seminars, one

Blue Mountain Brewery, a short drive west from Charlottesville,

technical tasting, the Governor’s Cup preview party on Friday

produces small-batch ales and lagers, some of which are created

evening, and live chef demonstrations. Attendees will also find

with Cascade-variety hops grown on brewery property. Visitors

a local marketplace—with booths hosting high-end restaurants

to Blue Mountain—which was started by brewer Taylor Smack,

and specialty food purveyors—and a champagne brunch on

formerly of South Street

Sunday. Tickets will be on sale at www.virginiawineexpo.com;

Brewery—will also find

prices vary.

a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, a wonderful menu fea-

Vanessa Leech also contributed to Grazings (page 7). Born and raised in Rappahannock County but now residing in Linden, Autumn Reynolds has spent many years in the food and wine industry.

turing a variety of local and

seasonal

foods,

and, obviously, regular and seasonal beer. This summer the brewery offered a Strawberry Wheat beer that contained strawberries from nearby farms. Learn about Blue Mountain’s other offerings, like Dark Hollow, a stout aged in bourbon barrels, at www .bluemountainbrewery.com.

www.flavormags.com

imbibe

Virginia-Infused Vodka Joanne DiMaggio

Cirrus Vodka in Richmond is creating a premium American vodka with local flavor.

Spirits from Spuds Paul McCann, owner of Parched Group, the Richmond-based distillery that produces Cirrus Vodka, began developing the creamy, slightly sweet, ultra-smooth spirit in 2004. Before it even was on the market, Cirrus began shaking up the industry by winning silver and gold medals at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the Beverage Testing Institute’s competition in Chicago. Cirrus Vodka has many distinct qualities, the most obvious being that it is made from potatoes. This is a rare choice when you consider 99 percent of the world’s vodka is made from grains. McCann chose to use potatoes because he finds they make a “nicer, smoother spirit.” Three to four tons of potatoes are used per batch, with one batch being produced each month. “We use as many Virginia russet potatoes as the growing season allows before turning to suppliers outside of Virginia,” he said, noting that the regional potato harvest usually runs from late June into August or September. “We try to do what we can to help Virginia farmers. We want to use as many local resources as possible.”

Inspiration McCann didn’t start out as a vodka craftsman. With a biology degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Science in environmental health from Old Dominion University, he went to work in environmental engineering and government policy. As fate would have it, while having cocktails with a friend he happened to observe the selection of imported vodkas behind the bar. “I wondered why there were not any premium American vodkas,” he recalled. “There is no reason that this cannot be 56

• Harvest 2008

done in the United States. That was the question that started the whole thing.” Soon after he started testing and developing vodka recipes, he told his wife, Liz, that he was going to build a distillery. When she suggested it might be less expensive to buy a Porsche for his midlife crisis, McCann convinced her of his sincerity and said she has been supportive ever since.

Authentic Artisan Cirrus Vodka is produced entirely in-house—from the mashing, fermenting, and distilling to the bottling. It is a true “artisan vodka,” a term that McCann said is increasingly misused. “Many brands refer to themselves as artisan or crafted,” he explained, “but in fact many come from commercial distillers who brand it and market it as ‘artisan distilled.’ Small distilleries like mine are creating original and unique spirits that are not just your typical cookie-cutter spirit. Cirrus has more flavors. It is made with great care and with a focus on quality.”

“We try . . . to help Virginia farmers. We want to use as many local resources as possible.” —Paul McCann Cirrus contains no additives. It is made with quality potatoes and deep-aquifer soft water that McCann has brought in. The product is triple-distilled using a copper pot still to create a pure, clean, neutral spirit that is bottled at 80 proof. Distilling small batches helps to ensure quality. “The reason we use a pot still, as opposed to the continuous still that most other manufacturers employ, is that it allows us to retain the character of what a traditional potato vodka is all about,” McCann explained.

A Different Kind of Buzz Despite its relative newness in the market, Cirrus has already earned an enviable reputation. According to McCann’s own nonscientific survey, 99 percent of the bartenders and consumers who try Cirrus enjoy the full flavor that it has to offer —a fact reflected in the number of repeat sales. McCann hopes Cirrus will have worldwide distribution someday, but for now his biggest challenge is finding distributors.

parched group

“Shaken, not stirred.” That famous catchphrase, first uttered by Ian Fleming’s fictional spy James Bond to describe how he wished his martini prepared, took vodka out of Eastern Europe’s hands and gave it a firm place in Western popular culture. Today Virginia’s own Cirrus Vodka is writing a new chapter in the spirit’s 600-plus-year history.

“We’re a small-batch brand, and a lot of distributors put less emphasis on taking smaller brands.” Cirrus is a versatile product, as made evident in the numerous drink recipes on the company’s website. Creating new recipes is something the McCanns enjoy doing together. “Liz is a trained chef, and I put myself through school working in restaurants, so we both have culinary backgrounds,” he said. “I think of myself as a ‘vodka chef’ or a ‘chef of spirits’ because I’m creating a product the same way a chef in a restaurant creates a gourmet meal.” McCann’s favorite mixed drink is the Karmatini, developed for Art 180—one of the charitable events Cirrus sponsors. So which is it? Shaken or stirred? “I suppose if I really had to make a choice it would be ‘vigorously’ stirred,” said McCann. “I like to make a vodka martini with Cirrus straight from the freezer, poured into a chilled glass with a misting of vermouth and a jalapeño or gourmet olive.” McCann is proud of creating a spirit that can also be enjoyed straight. In fact, blogger and bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s review of Cirrus is titled, “Hold On to Your Hats, I Found a Vodka I’ll Actually Drink.” “You should be able to drink a vodka just like a scotch, bourbon, or cognac,” said McCann. “I really wanted Cirrus to be enjoyed by itself without having to mix it. A sip of Cirrus chilled or from the freezer satisfies even the most devoted of wine connoisseurs.” Joanne DiMaggio is a Virginia freelance feature writer who writes for several local publications. Her first book, Charlottesville: A Contemporary Portrait, was published in 2002.

Karmatini Martinis for a crowd ¼ cup frozen limeade concentrate ¼ cup frozen white grape juice concentrate ¼ cup frozen cranberry juice concentrate ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 cups freshly brewed mint tea (1 tea bag per cup of water)

Cirrus Vodka

Lemon and mint

Mix juices and tea. Add 2 parts vodka to 1 part mix. Garnish with lemon twist and fresh mint leaves. Serve in a martini glass.

Cirrus is available at ABC stores across Virginia. For other retail and restaurant locations and information on shipping to another state, visit www.cirrusvodka.com. www.flavormags.com

flavor magazine â&#x20AC;˘ fall 2008

Barboursville

It All Began in

Grace Reynolds

Barboursville Vineyards’ winemaker Luca Paschina finds what works in Virginia wine and proves Thomas Jefferson right in the process.

barboursville vineyards

ore than 30 years ago, when Virginia’s local product was overwhelmingly tobacco and winemaking was a lonely career path, an Italian winemaking family sought out land in Virginia’s Piedmont and started growing grapes. The Zonin family—one of the most prominent winemaking families in Italy—bought an Orange County estate of nearly 900 acres, complete with the ruins of a Palladian mansion, designed by Thomas Jefferson for Governor James Barbour in the early 19th century, and an even earlier Georgian manor house. Jefferson and James Madison would traverse this estate on their way to visit each other at Monticello or nearby Montpelier, and the Zonins discovered something there that Jefferson had known many years before: European grape varietals could thrive along the slopes of the mountain ridge running between the two historic estates. Although root disease affected his European stocks and thwarted his attempts to create fine wine, Jefferson remained convinced of their suitability in this area. The Zonin family became the first since Jefferson to use European varietals and techniques. Barboursville Vineyards thrives today as a testament to winemaker Luca Paschina’s conviction that the key to success in Virginia farming is to “learn what works and stick to it.”

Italy’s Techniques, Virginia’s Soil Paschina, a third-generation winemaker from Italy’s Piemonte who came to Barboursville in 1990, has shown that he knows what works. After initially spending time as a consultant, he reported back to the Zonins in Italy with a prediction: adapt your Italian growing and trellising techniques to suit this Virginia terroir, and you will produce wine of the quality Jefferson dreamed of. With the vineyards’ countless top honors, awards, and a solid reputation as a leader in Virginia viticulture, it’s safe to say he was right. On a welcome rainy day after a long drought at the beginning of harvest season, Paschina drives his van slowly through the vineyards, discussing the features of the terrain—average rainfall, soil, rolling hills—that led the Zonins to choose this area over others they visited in California, Washington, and New York. They settled on the Piedmont area in 1976 because they realized Virginia really does have a microclimate with good growing conditions. And, according to Paschina, “I’d rather be the first in Virginia than start last in California.”

Because of the dry season this year, Paschina has had to take more than a million gallons of water from a nearby lake on the estate in order to irrigate some of his 150 acres of vines—something he normally tries to avoid. Vines will reach deeper into the soil for nutrients when conditions are dry, creating a stronger vine, but this year watering was unavoidable. Driving through a vineyard of Nebbiolo grapes, he points to the piles of grapes lying on the ground beneath the vines, another safeguard against the dry weather. About half of the grapes of this varietal were “dropped” intentionally from the vine by Paschina’s crew in part because of the drought and in part because a vine can only produce and ripen a certain amount of grapes to quality standards—“a price to pay for high quality,” he explains.

“Virginia will always be our main market— as it should be.” —Luca Paschina Nearby, the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are still clinging happily to the vines, with no evidence of any strategic dropping. Paschina characterizes these 12-year-old vines as having a very balanced yield, with no need for manipulating the crop. Driving back toward the winery, he identifies the ridge that runs behind us all the way to Monticello. The other side drops gradually to sea level, making it the last ridge between us and Europe.

Adaptation Once we’re in the winery, Paschina points out the stainless steel vats of Pinot Grigio, just pressed the day before. The Pinot Grigio is his earliest ripener, followed by some Chardonnay grapes that were picked early in order to preserve their tartness and acidity for use in Barboursville’s sparkling wine, Barboursville Brut. The Barboursville Brut NV has until now been made up of mostly Pinot Noir with a touch of Chardonnay for acidity, but in the future it will be entirely Chardonnay in the fashion of www.flavormags.com

a classic blanc de blanc. Paschina does not use the traditional Champagne method. Instead, he does primary and secondary fermentation in stainless steel—a more Prosecco vinification style. He is passionate about his reasons for this: Virginia’s short growing season produces grapes that don’t lend themselves well to the méthode champenoise, which requires extensive aging in the bottle. It’s not worthwhile to use this process when his non-vintage Brut is better harvested young and made to drink young—producing a very refreshing taste that put it on the wine lists of many top restaurants, including a firm position as the house sparkler at the Inn at Little Washington, alongside the renowned Barboursville Cabernet Franc Reserve 2006, the inn’s house red. The Chardonnay grapes destined for Chardonnay wine will be picked about two weeks after this initial small harvest, and soon after that the Viognier will be harvested—another Bar boursville wine that has been making a splash recently. Paschina has found that the process he is using to make his Viognier— not picking the grapes too ripe, no malolactic fermentation, no barrel fermentation, and a full year at minimum on the lees— has led to a Viognier that can age well for at least four or five years. “It took us a few years to figure out that was the way to make Viognier,” he laughs. Apparently it’s paying off. The 2006 Viognier has just been placed at the top of the seasonal tasting menu at acclaimed Chicago restaurant Tru.

“People have to be patient and not pretend to be very successful and start making money quickly.” —Luca Paschina Perhaps the ultimate expression of Paschina’s dedication to working with the land instead of against it is Octagon, a red blend that exemplifies his growing region. Octagon reflects the presence of each grape in proportion to the yield possible given the soil and conditions in his vineyards: 70 to 80 percent Merlot and lesser amounts of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. Produced only 10 times in 18 years in order to use only the finest vintages, Octagon doesn’t see the market for two or three years after it’s harvested. It spends a year aging in oak followed by six months in stainless steel and then another year in the bottle before ever seeing the table. The 2005 vintage, which won the gold medal at the 2007 Monticello Winegrowers Competition, shows the fruits of 30 years of experimentation and adaptation to Virginia’s unique terroir. The Cabernet Franc Reserve 2006 received the gold medal at the Critics Challenge International Wine Competition in May of this year. Barboursville grows the largest variety of clones of this grape in the region, and acclaim for this varietal from this vineyard is more consistent than for any other red varietal produced in the eastern United States. 60

• Harvest 2008

The stunning grounds at Barboursville Vineyards boast thriving vines, captivating ruins, and an acclaimed restaurant and inn. Above, Luca Paschina delights in the harvest.

Patience and Perfection Such praise and success is a well-deserved reward for this pioneering vineyard and for Paschina’s dedication to working with what the sun and soil of Virginia have given him. His methods and the wines of Barboursville may be a glimpse into the future of the Virginia wine industry as a whole. Paschina predicts a steady increase in Virginia wine quality because of the now tried-and-true techniques as well as the growing consumer interest in good regional wine.

This holiday season, Palladio, the restaurant at Barboursville, is hosting two special dinners. Menus and pairings are given here. Reservations for the dinners ($155 per person) can be made at (540) 832-7848.

A nnual Truffle Dinner, November 15, 7:00 p.m. Chef Craig Hartman, Keswick Hall & Chef Melissa Close, Palladio Black Truffle and Fois Gras Ravioli Broth of Black Trumpet Mushroom Shaved Tartufo Bianchetto Barboursville Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve 2004 Terrine “Chesapeake” Classic Terrine of Blue Crab, Cockles, Striped Bass, and Shrimp Enhanced with Fresh Black Truffle and Jam of Wild Garlic and Tomato Barboursville Vineyards Viognier Reserve 2005 Grapevine Smoked Loin of Virginia Venison White Truffle and Salsify Vinaigrette Salad of Michael’s Red Mustard Salpicon of Red Grapes Barboursville Vineyards Cabernet Franc Reserve 2006

top, bottom, opposite: barboursville vineyards; center: amy c. evans and southern foodway alliance

Breast of Organic Duckling Stuffed with Fresh Truffles and Leeks Fresh Sage Gnocchi and Roasted Heirloom Squash Virtual Nebbiolo and Raw Truffle Coulis Barboursville Vineyards Nebbiolo Reserve 2004

However, his discussion of the future of Virginia wine includes a note of caution: “People have to be patient and not pretend to be very successful and start making money quickly.” While growth is welcome in the industry, Paschina believes it should come slow and steady, in order to maintain the quality those in the winemaking community have worked long and hard to achieve. “It’s not beneficial for the industry to double in 10 years,” he explains. “We don’t have the grapes.” Barboursville is selling what it produces, and to increase production quickly would mean a drop in quality. This is not consistent with the standards Paschina and others have worked so diligently to set. Barboursville’s tasting room was busy on this rainy weekday, and Palladio, Barboursville’s Italian-inspired restaurant—where chef Melissa Close ingeniously complements the wines by pairing them with produce both seasonal and local—was doing a steady lunch business. The vineyard’s popularity is certainly on the rise, and while more and more interest is coming in from other states and regions, Paschina says assuringly, “Virginia will always be our main market—as it should be.” Grace Reynolds is a Piedmont Virginia native who has worked in the local and international wine industry for a decade as an importer and in marketing and label design. She also teaches English at several Virginia colleges and universities.

Barboursville Vineyards www.barboursvillewine.com (540) 832-3824

Toffee Braised Red Pear and Black Walnut Beignets Sticky Toffee Ice Cream Shaved Black Truffles Barboursville Vineyards Malvaxia Passito 2001

N ew Ye a r’s E v e , D ecember 31, 7:30 p. m . Chef Melissa Close, Palladio Chef’s Selection of Canapés Zonin Prosecco NV Smoked Salmon with Celery Root-Caper Slaw Salmon Roe, Lemon Crème Fraîche, and Baby Celery Greens Barboursville Vineyards Vintage Rosé 2007 Piedmontese Beef Cheek Plin With Red Wine Broth & Fresh Herbs Barboursville Vineyards Barbera Reserve 2006 Seared Tuna Loin with Roasted Potatoes Braised Mushrooms and Balsamic Glaze Barboursville Vineyards Nebbiolo Reserve 2005 Roasted Veal Chop with Truffled Sherry Jus Root Vegetable Ratatouille and Sautéed Rapini Barboursville Vineyards Octagon VIII 2005 Dessert Fantasy Chef’s Selection of Desserts Barboursville Vineyards Philéo NV

www.flavormags.com

in the cellar

Just a Blending Grape? Jason Burrus On more than one occasion, a visitor at the winery asks me, “Isn’t Cabernet Franc just a blending grape?” I cringe every time. Where in the psyche of the connoisseur is the idea born that some wine-grape varieties are relegated to lowly blending status? The fact is, all wine-grape varieties are blending grapes. It is only a recent phenomenon that a wine is labeled to reflect its predominant variety and not its place of origin. As a result, celebrities of the wine world were born: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay. Anything else was just a blending grape. Though rather obscure to the American wine drinker, Cabernet Franc has an illustrious past. The famous French ampelographer Pierre Galet recounts how this ancient Bordeaux variety spread to the Loire Valley, likely in the 17th century. It was planted there by an abbot named Breton, a name that stands today as a local synonym for Cabernet Franc. The pedigree of grapevines is often lost in history, but technology can sometimes fill in the gaps. In 1997, scientists in the department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California at Davis produced DNA evidence to confirm that Cabernet Franc and the white variety Sauvignon Blanc are the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. Before this, it was thought that Cabernet Franc was the progeny of Cabernet Sauvignon. Today Cabernet Franc is most known for its role in the wines of Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. In Bordeaux, it is commonly a 10 to 20 percent component of its red wines. Two well-known exceptions are wines from Chateaux Ausone and Cheval Blanc, the only two wineries to receive the highest Saint-Émilion classification of premier grand cru classé A. Here, Cabernet Franc is present as a 50 percent component (with Merlot). In Loire, it is the most planted red variety and is often the only variety in the wines of the Saumur-Champigny, Bourgueil, St. Nicolas-deBourgueil, and Chinon regions of Loire. While not commanding the superstar prices of today’s Bordeaux, Loire Cabernet Francs are some of the most respected wines of France. Its largest foothold outside of France is likely in Italy, especially in the northeast part of the country in the Veneto and Friuli regions. As in Loire, Italian wines are stand-alone wines where Cabernet Franc is the dominant variety. However, recent examination has revealed that much of what was thought to be Cabernet Franc there is actually Carmenère, another Bordeaux variety with characteristics similar to Cabernet Franc. Small pockets of Cabernet Franc are found in southeastern Europe as well as most other developed winemaking regions of the world. In New World winemaking regions, plantings are usually designated for the purpose blending in Meritage-style wines. Of notable exception is, of course, Cabernet Franc’s presence in Virginia and along the East Coast as far north as Canada.

• Harvest 2008

Cabernet Franc is prospering in Virginia’s climate and gaining fans.

East Coast Cabernet Franc is unique in that, in many cases, it is destined as a stand-alone wine, like those of France’s Loire. Cabernet Franc’s newfound home here was not an accident. The European grape (Vitis vinifera) originated along the Mediterranean and in the Middle East, areas that experience warm winters and dry summers. Most V. vinifera varieties thus are fickle when transplanted out of this climate. Thomas Jefferson experienced this firsthand in his infamously unsuccessful attempt at growing the European grape here in Virginia. With time and experience, though, we are discovering which varieties can withstand the East Coast’s viticultural threats. Cabernet Franc is one such variety suitable for our continental climate. It is especially cold-hardy, surviving frigid winters with constant below-freezing temperatures. It also ripens relatively early for a red Bordeaux variety, easily two weeks earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. In our climate, this can make a world of difference. It is not surprising then that Cabernet Franc has found homes in the Loire Valley and northeast Italy, regions typically too cold for many red wine-grape varieties. In Virginia, the issue is not imminent cold weather during ripening but rather excessive rain and humidity, which can exacerbate the looming threat of rot. Thus a head start in ripening is a clear advantage over other varieties. Why has America not bestowed celebrity status on Cabernet Franc? At its best it makes a wine similar to that of Merlot, robust and brimming with berry flavors. With typically less tannin and more obvious aromatics, it can be enjoyed with less age than Cabernet Sauvignon. America became familiar with fine wine as Bordeaux was ascending the ladder of prominence in the international wine scene, and Cabernet Sauvignon was the dominant player in many of its examples. Loire Valley reds never struck a chord with Americans. In unripe vintages its wines were thin and vegetal. Even in ripe years its wines had a focused acidity that was never appreciated by the American palate. If Cabernet Franc is ever to gain ground with critics and consumers in the United States, it must be able to compete with the red wine celebrities of California, notably Cabernet Sauvignon. Therefore East Coast examples of Cabernet Franc are often made in the ripe, fruit-forward, oaky style of their West Coast counterparts. Whether this is wise direction, or whether measuring up to California reds is at all possible, for Cabernet Franc remains to be seen. And whether Cabernet Franc can highlight Virginia as world-class winemaking region is also a work in progress. It is a question 220 years in the making. Jason Burrus is the winemaker for Rappahannock Cellars in Huntly. His Cabernet Franc won the Best of Category award and a double-gold medal at the 2008 San Francisco International Wine Competition.

pairings

Holiday Entertaining Tyler Packwood

Last month, at a Virginia wine tasting event with Governor Tim Kaine, I was once again reminded of the quality of wines that our state has to offer. It seems that we have come full circle. As in most wine producing areas, Virginia started off with interest, passion and a lot to learn. Since then, Virginia growers and winemakers have taken these attributes and combined them with tireless hard work to become the fifth-largest wine producing state in the country. The industry is attracting prominent wine professionals from the West Coast and Europe, as well as some incredibly talented locals. The wine community is growing at a blazing rate, and wineries are being rewarded with both national and international awards. When we put together our holiday menus at the Inn at Little Washington, we are drawn to pairings with local wines. Virginia is home to unusual varietals that not only flourish here but are celebrated by the wineries that cultivate them. I hope the pairings below inspire you to try something different from our own region. For turkeys, I like to recommend a Viognier like Chester Gap Cellars Viognier Reserve (2006). We like this dry wine, which exhibits aromas of vibrant flowers, peach nuances, and a soft herbal frame. For roast goose, I would serve Barboursville Vineyards Cabernet Franc Reserve (2006). This wine shows a brilliant clarity in the glass. It has intense, effusively luscious flavors of ripe red berries with caramelized notes of fig, cherry, and plums, yet with a remarkably soft palate. A standing rib roast is a Christmas Eve tradition and is at its best with a special varietal that grows in Virginia like nowhere else. We like Veritas Vineyard and Winery Petit Verdot (2006). The wine carries aromas of wild strawberries, new leather, and fresh herbs. It has a wonderful combination of both ripe and dried fruits with a touch of bramble. Desserts during the holidays usually revolve around quintessentially American flavors, like pumpkin. The perfect accompaniment to pumpkin—whether it’s used in a classic American dessert such as pumpkin pie or in other variations like mousses, ice creams, or soufflés—is a late harvest Vidal Blanc like Linden Vineyards Late Harvest Vidal (2005). The palate brings dried apricots, honeysuckle, caramelized sugar, maple sugar, and exotic spices. It is dense, opulent, and warming. Of course you must have bubbles to ring in the New Year. Several local winemakers are making beautiful sparkling wines that turn any occasion into a party. This year I am making my New Year resolutions with a glass of Kluge Estate SP (sparkling)

Blanc de Blancs (2004).

This méthode champenoise sparkling wine is made from Kluge Estate’s best Chardonnay grapes. The vibrant Chardonnay aromas are focused and complex, exhibiting notes of ripe apple and pear with hints of hazelnut and roasted almond. The wine is medium-bodied with a creamy, finely-beaded mouth feel and a clean finish. Have a delicious holiday season. Tyler Packwood is wine director at the Inn at Little Washington, which has received Wine Spectator’s Grand Award for its wine list every year since 1995.

www.flavormags.com

blind tasting

Virginia

Tasting Panel and Procedure For this tasting, Evan Williams and four other tasters— each one of them a wine-industry veteran and wine collector—tasted eight bottles of Cabernet Franc submitted by vineyards in the Piedmont region. All bottles were blind, to avoid label prejudice.

Cabernet Franc Evan Williams

Not familiar with Cabernet Franc? Let our experts make a recommendation.

hen you’re evaluating wine, it is always a struggle to find and maintain objectivity. Anyone choosing wine—from the serious collector to someone buying a bottle in the grocery store to bring to a party that she really doesn’t want to attend— knows that there are no absolutes. Sometimes it really seems as though it’s all just a matter of competing opinions. So how does one find a standard by which to measure a wine?

range of quality. This grape can do, and has done, brilliant things in this region, but such is not always the case. Several of the wines we tasted were frustratingly empty, lacking character, style, and grace. Others were good wines in a difficult vintage. But there were a handful of wines that truly strived to reach the full potential of Virginia Cab Franc.

Well, when it comes to evaluating Cabernet Franc, an incredibly versatile grape, the bar has been set by masters in France’s Loire Valley as well as by industrious and fortunate winemakers in Virginia. At its best, the grape can produce pristine wines that are pure expressions of the place where it’s cultivated.

At its best, the grape can produce pristine wines that are pure expressions of the place where it’s cultivated.

jen consalvo

The 2006 Gabriele Rausse Cabernet Franc surprised us with its completeness. This is very typical Virginia Cab Franc, with the best tannic structure of the lineup and excellent drinkability. There’s mustiness on the finish that reminds me of French examples, with softness on the palate and a great amount of tart red fruit.

Does this really give us an objective benchmark? Of course not! But it does at least reveal the potential of this grape, both here and abroad. And when it comes to the magical marriage of grape, place (terroir), and winemaker, potential is really what it’s all about. What can the grape do? What can the terroir do? What can the winemaker do? Personally, I’ve had magnificent Virginia Cabernet Francs, and I’ve had lackluster ones. This difference is often a result of how fully the potential of the grape, the place, and the winemaker were realized. Great grapes can make terrible wine quite easily, but the hand of the winemaker can also save subpar juice from certain demise. Our blind tasting of Virginia Cabernet Franc confirmed these expectations and presented us with a great 64

• Harvest 2008

The 2006 Pollack Vineyards Cabernet Franc was the least Cabernet Franc-esque of our top three, but it possessed all of the qualities of a well-made wine. Great acidity, pretty floral aromas, and hugely ripe dark fruits at the end gave it more of an Australian Shiraz character than that of a Cabernet Franc. This wine, while not as expressive of this particular grape varietal, is a perfect example of what good winemaking can accomplish. And above all it was extremely drinkable. The 2006 Flying Fox Cabernet Franc was perhaps the best example of what this grape can and should do in our great state. The winemaking seems relatively gentle—which is a good thing! And there’s an excellent structure surrounding the ripe fruit and sweet oak. Its touches of cedar and graphite go a long way in achieving that great Cab Franc style, and the balance of the richness and acidity makes it the best of show by far. Evan Williams, a Virginia native who has worked in various facets of the wine industry, is part-owner of the Wine Guild of Charlottesville.

The Challenges of

Sustainability Jim Law chris stamboulis

Linden Vineyards’ Jim Law—one of the commonwealth’s first winemakers—relates the challenges of producing wines sustainably in the Piedmont.

bout five years ago, sustainability became a hot topic in the vineyard community. I have on many occasions given technical talks, written articles, and sat on committees addressing the issue. But I still can’t define it. A kinder and gentler way of farming is perhaps the easiest description. Practicing sustainability in a vineyard is simply employing the same good farming practices that have been a part of farming for centuries. I’ll write about some of the issues facing my vineyards at Linden in these terms, but I cannot ignore the greater threats to the longevity of my vineyard and the wine industry in Virginia’s Piedmont. Economics, politics, and community ultimately will define whether vineyards succeed or whether they become fertile ground for housing developments.

Casting Shadows French winegrowers have a saying that the best soils are those with the owner’s shadow. This is one of the keys to any sustainable farming operation. Absenteeism is not sustainable. Those who work their own land love their land and would never intentionally do anything to damage it. Yet, like farmers, vineyard owners were drawn in by the promises made by post-WWII agribusinesses of a better life through chemistry. Newly developed fertilizers and pesticides gave greater yields with less effort. But after about one generation’s time, farmers came to realize the side effects—the health and environmental impacts—of such an approach. Farmers are a solitary and independent lot. Most don’t like being told what they can or cannot do. This is why we don’t like labels. I’m not “organic” or “biodynamic,” but I have a deep respect for these farming practices and use many of their philosophies and techniques. Let me highlight some of the relevant challenges and issues I face growing wine on my farm.

caused by fungi activated by long periods of wetness. We use trellising and canopy management techniques to enable the leaves and grapes to dry quickly after a heavy dew or rain. During the summer we are constantly pulling leaves from around the grape clusters to allow for better drying, positioning shoots and tying them to get maximum sun and exposure, and hedging to reduce the density of leaves within the canopy. Spraying fungicides to prevent diseases is practiced in all grapegrowing regions. Organic and biodynamic growers are limited in the spray materials that they can use. The two most effective organic fungicides are copper and sulfur. In this climate, if I depended on these two materials exclusively, I would have to spray more often than I do now. These products break down very slowly in the soil. With continuous use, they will eventually render the soil toxic to plants, as growers in Bordeaux discovered. This organic approach is not sustainable on my farm. I do use conventional fungicides to control diseases. Over the years we have learned that if we are precise with our sprays during the critical vine-development phase from late May through early July, we can stop spraying the grapes in July, reducing any residues by harvest time in September and October. Sustainability, then, is about finding balance. Rain just before harvest can dilute grape flavors, as the vine’s roots will absorb water quickly after a rain and transfer the water to the grapes. We have found that cover crops grown under the vines

Keeping Dry Our biggest challenge is rain. Ours is one of the wettest viticultural areas on earth. Growing grapes in a wet environment is more difficult than in an arid one, but the rewards can be greater. In the down time, winter, I travel to Bordeaux or Burgundy, two other wet viticultural areas. Winemakers in those regions—who work in a climate that many see as a disadvantage—have learned to create the most esteemed wines on the planet. I’ve sought to understand how and why they do this as if such knowledge were the holy grail. Rain during the growing season presents us with two problems: disease and grape (wine) dilution. Many, but not all, diseases are jen consalvo

www.flavormags.com

The Right Vines, the Right Workers Variety selection also plays a role in both disease prevention and long-term sustainability. We are slowly figuring out which varieties of grapes are the most disease-resistant and have the potential to make the best wine in our climate. Those European varieties coming from the wetter Atlantic-influenced regions show better promise than those coming from the more arid Mediterranean regions. The Bordeaux red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot have proven to be very reliable here. Petit Manseng is a white variety from the Pyrenees that is now being planted widely in the Piedmont.

suzanne stout

will compete with the vines for water and also assist in evacuating the water from the soil once the rain stops and the sun shines. These cover crops are usually grasses but can also be clover, wildflowers, or naturally occurring flora. The cover crops also reduce any erosion that might occur on steep hillsides, which are the best vineyard sites.

• Harvest 2008

Skilled labor is by far the largest input in a vineyard operation. Experienced vineyard managers and winemakers are critical to making fine wine. Lack of a skilled work force is a significant obstacle to moving Virginia wine quality to the next level. At Linden, as at many other vineyards, we have an apprenticeship program in place. This traditional “earn and learn” program works extremely well in our industry, as so many techniques and decisions are based on intuition and taste.

Viable Vineyards Farming practices only matter if one is indeed farming—if one can stay economically viable. A vineyard has to be sustainable as a business, not just as a farm. Just 35 years ago, commercial vineyards didn’t exist in the Piedmont. Virginia wineries are in a certain honeymoon phase right now, but one doesn’t have to look too far back to observe the apple industry going through its boom-bust cycle. A hundred years ago my farm was part of a bustling apple orchard region. Most of the apples were shipped to Europe. Then

war, tariffs, and a flood of apples from Washington State brought a rather abrupt end to an industry that was many times larger than today’s Virginia wine industry. Many of these former orchards are now sites of housing developments with cute apple-themed names. Putting my farm in easement may have been the single most important sustainable decision I have made.

Economics, politics, and community ultimately will define whether vineyards succeed or whether they become fertile ground for housing developments. Because of climate, terrain, and scale, Virginia’s Piedmont will never be able to compete in the “affordable” wine category. Our wine style is evolving. The best wines have a European sensibility. Right now Piedmont winegrowers are fairly dependent on local “patriotism,” tourism, and events. Wine is, however, a very global commodity. Just visit your local wine shop or restaurant. Virginia’s wineries have to compete globally in the long run. Unfortunately, the entrepreneurial impatience that seems to be prevalent among today’s instant wineries is not compatible with fine, sustainable winegrowing. To make great wine there needs to be a certain reverence by the grower for the vines. This only comes with time. Time spent with the vines—not at festivals. Our region is feeling many growing pains. Housing developments— which are increasingly visible in winter when I scan the horizon from my back porch—are my greatest nightmare. Wineries offer the hope of keeping the land in farming. Communities see farm wineries as a viable agricultural enterprise, but some wineries have pushed the envelope on the definition of direct marketing. Selling wine grown and bottled at the farm is different than hosting weddings, concerts, and events. Like the Piedmont, Napa Valley went through the same process of finding a balance between profitable winemaking and tourism. Napa’s struggle between preservationists and opportunists has been chronicled by James Conaway (who is, coincidentally, a Rappahannock resident) in two books, The Far Side of Eden and Napa: The Story of an American Eden.

Looking Down the Row We’ve only begun to scratch the surface on achieving sustainability and quality. Our best soils, sites, and perhaps varieties have yet to be planted. Old vines are certainly part of the equation. Most Europeans feel that old vines make the best wines. My original vines are approaching 25 years old. In order to keep them healthy, I have had to rethink many of my farming practices. Soil health, cover crops, and compost now have a much greater emphasis. Balance in the ecosystem—on the farm and in life—is given top priority. Wine quality, good farming, and community defines vineyard sustainability. Winemaker Jim Law is the owner of Linden Vineyards and winegrower of Hardscrabble Vineyards in Fauquier County. In the winter, he writes about winegrowing. The rest of his year is spent working in his vineyards. www.flavormags.com

winemaker’s notes

Gabriele Rausse

with Melissa J. Harris & Vanessa Leech

Gabriele Rausse has had a long love affair with Virginia wine. Having first arrived in Virginia in April 1976, he is regarded as one of the “ founding fathers” of modern winemaking in the Piedmont region. He has witnessed the regional wine community grow from a handful of establishments to 135 vineyards and wineries. These days, Rausse can be found at Monticello or nearby at his own vineyard. As Monticello’s associate director of garden and grounds, he is in charge of plant propagation and garden maintenance at Jefferson’s estate. He also bottles a special label for Monticello, the Monticello Sangiovese, using the same varieties planted by Jefferson himself in 1807. Some seasons the vines yield a thousand bottles, sometimes only 150. The Gabriele Rausse Winery produces a wide variety of wines labeled and bottled by Rausse himself. His best-selling wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon NV, is most likely the only stainless steel–aged Cabernet Sauvignon in Virginia. His other wines spend time in French oak barrels —from the Merlot (4 months) to the Cabernet Franc (2 years). He also produces Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Nebbiolo, and several others for connoisseurs and the general public alike. About 80 percent of Gabriele Rausse wine is sold locally in the Charlottesville area. Rausse is a man who found his true calling in life and—combining his passion and his palate—has made a successful career out of it.

y vineyard and winemaking experience started first at Tenuta Santa Margherita near Venice, Italy, in 1972. From there I went to Australia, where I worked with cattle and sheep. After time in France working in a nursery, I went to Tenuta Ca’ Bolani—owned by the Zonin family, which also owns Barbours ville—near Trieste, a vineyard that still exists today. After learning all I could, I traveled to the United States and began my career in Virginia making wine at Barboursville Vineyards. Barboursville was purchased in April 1976, and soon after, with a little help, a little luck, and lots of dedication, we planted our vines. These first vines, which were purchased from a nursery in Maryland, were pre-grafted, but the grafting was poorly done. We began with hardly five acres of vineyard, and only half of the vines survived the first winter. (Grafting can be used to change the variety of the vine, but it is primarily used to give to a European variety an American root system, which is resistant to phylloxera, an aphid-like insect that feeds on the root of the vine.) The following year, we grafted the vines ourselves at Barboursville, and we succeeded in having the vines endure the winter. There were always strong doubts that the Piedmont region of Virginia could ever produce wine. When talking about what I was planning to do in Virginia, I was often told, “The future of Virginia is in tobacco, not wine. It could never be wine!” and “Virginia is a tobacco state, and wine will never be taken seriously here.” This thought process continued for almost 10 years after my first plantings, but toward the late 1980s, something changed. People began to see the potential in a local wine, and Virginians began to catch on to the idea of a “Virginia wine.” When we started, I was not sure that we were planting in the right region. I am starting to believe it now. In 1981, I moved to Simeon Farm in Albemarle County, where I started a new vineyard and a new nursery—but I continued to be responsible for operations at Barboursville until 1985. Simeon Vineyards is now called Jefferson Vineyards. The region seemed just right and the winters were getting milder. I would like to attribute my success to the high-quality vines 68

• Harvest 2008

we were grafting first at Barboursville and then at Simeon. In the first 20 years of my residence in Virginia, there were at least 10 winters where the temperatures reached a level so low that it was very, very dangerous to the vines. The stage of dormancy that the vines were in at the low temperatures was what allowed them to survive those harsh winters. We chose varieties like Chardonnay and Riesling, which are well-suited to the area because they can handle a cold climate. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon also fare well through the colder winters and have flourished, too. Viognier is supposed to be a grape that is sensitive to the cold, but the Virginia winters have been kind to it. Viognier—the potential “grape of Virginia”—will continue to succeed in my eyes, as long as our winters don’t get any colder. While sustainable, organic winemaking is a wonderful idea and certainly could be possible one day, it is not reasonably possible commercially. There are very few curative pesticides. Instead, there are many preventative pesticides that bring the fruit to full maturity in perfect condition. If you want to produce a highquality wine, it doesn’t make sense to be forced to harvest fruit early because of a poor disease-control plan.

possible. Excellent wine comes only from perfect grapes. Did I ever experiment with growing Vitis vinifera grapes without pesticides? Yes, I did. I grew some Muscat d’Hamburg at Simeon Vineyards from 1984 until 1990 with no spray at all. I was able to obtain some usable but imperfect grapes only three times—in very dry years, which prevented the fungus spores from germinating. I did experiment also while I was at Barboursville with Cabernet Sauvignon. Planting this variety in soil with a very low pH (between 4.8 and 5) gave me a very small crop, but it was free of diseases. I’m not saying that we won’t eventually be able to grow vinifera organically. I am saying that we cannot do so today.

amy c. evans and southern foodway alliance

The gardens at Monticello are recreated using Thomas Jefferson’s gardening diaries. The vineyards (right) are planted with the same varieties Jefferson sought to grow.

I don’t know of a part of the world where people are growing vines that are totally free from disease—where they do not need to control one disease or another. California may not have downy mildew or black rot, for example, but it has powdery mildew, Phomopsis, and sharpshooters, which still require a spray program in spite of the more favorable climate. In that sense, the use of fungicide and insecticide at this point is something that we are not able to avoid. With so many different diseases—downy mildew, powdery mildew, Phomopsis, black rot—and so many insects—like Japanese beetles and berry moths—it is nearly impossible to produce a fruit-bearing vineyard without the use of fungicides and insecticides. Organic winegrowing has been attempted in Virginia, with very poor results: the imperfect fruit results in poor-quality wine that is not economically viable. The use of preventative pesticides is the best way to control all diseases native to America. The pesticides that are the least dangerous to use are those that do not break down. Let me explain “break down” using peroxide as an example. Peroxide, which is harmful to a human being if ingested, is a compound in which two oxygen molecules are linked together. However, once the peroxide meets a catalyst like heat, for example, it breaks down, becoming steam and oxygen— which are obviously not dangerous anymore. The problem with copper sulfate—considered one of the best organic pesticides—is that it does not break down. It remains in the soil in its original form and can reach a certain level where it is toxic to the soil and nothing grows anymore. It is organic, but (unlike peroxide) it doesn’t break down into a product that is not toxic to the soil. So, then, the winemaker has to ask, Is it better to use an organic pesticide that will eventually have a dangerous accumulation in the soil? Or is it better to use a pesticide that will break down more quickly and has no residue in the soil or on the fruit—even though it is more dangerous to the person (wearing protective clothing) who sprays it? I prefer the latter. In my opinion, the idea of producing grapes without pesticides is only a dream right now. We are going in the right direction by trying to find ways to avoid pesticides, but at this point it is not

One of the best approaches I have seen in the direction of organic growing is being taken at Kluge Estates. In different areas of the 200-acre vineyard, weather stations have been installed to monitor changes in temperature and in the amount of moisture. These stations are connected to a computer that issues an alert when the ideal conditions for a certain disease are met. Here’s an example: The minimum temperature required for the development of downy mildew is 50°F. The minimum amount of moisture is 10 millimeters of rain. When these conditions are reached, the fungus will develop in 72 hours, so an alert is issued. You then have a few days after the alert to prevent the disease by spraying the necessary preventative pesticide. This way, you minimize your pesticide use by spraying only during the conditions that are perfect for a certain disease to grow. This might not be organic, but it’s a step toward minimizing pesticide dependence. I do not want these statements to be misunderstood, and I certainly encourage people to seriously look at what is new in the practice of growing organic grapes. However, if you are serious about growing grapes for winemaking, you should look first at how to obtain perfect grapes to make a perfect wine. I know that plenty of wine labels in the world bear the word organic. My last inquiry on the matter was at a European vineyard located in one of the most difficult areas to grow grapes. Surprised that the sign outside the winery said organic, I asked what was organic about the product. The answer was that the manure put in the vineyard as fertilizer was organic! We can produce beautiful grapes in Virginia, and I encourage the Virginia wineries to use Virginia-grown grapes. www.flavormags.com

Vineyard Directory PIEDMONT AREA ALBEMARLE

Blenheim Vineyards Charlottesville (434) 293-5366 www.blenheimvineyards.com

First Colony Winery

Charlottesville (434) 979-7105 www.firstcolonywinery.com

Gabriele Rausse Winery Not open to the public Charlottesville (434) 296-5328

Jefferson Vineyards

Charlottesville (434) 977-3042 www.jeffersonvineyards.com

Keswick Vineyards

Keswick (434) 244-3341 www.keswickvineyards.com

King Family Vineyards

Crozet (434) 823-7800 www.kingfamilyvineyards.com

Kluge Estate Winery & Vineyard Charlottesville (434) 984-3895 www.klugeestateonline.com

Oakencroft Vineyard & Winery Charlottesville (434) 296-4188 www.oakencroft.com

Pollak Vineyards

Greenwood (540) 456-8844 www.pollakvineyards.com

Sugarleaf Vineyards

North Garden (434) 984-4272 www.sugarleafvineyards.com

White Hall Vineyards

White Hall (434) 823-8615 www.whitehallvineyards.com CLARKE

Veramar Vineyard Berryville (540) 955-5510 www.veramar.com CULPEPER

Old House Vineyards

Culpeper (540) 423-1032 www.oldhousevineyards.com

• Harvest 2008

Unicorn Winery

Piedmont Vineyards & Winery

Loudoun Valley Vineyards

GREENE

Philip Carter Winery of Virginia

North Gate Vineyard

Rogers Ford Farm Winery

Notaviva Vineyards

Three Fox Vineyards

Quattro Goomba’s Winery

LOUDOUN

Sunset Hills Vineyard & Winery

Amissville (540) 349-5885 www.unicornwinery.com

Autumn Hill Vineyards & Blue Ridge Winery Stanardsville (434) 985-6100 www.autumnhillwine.com

Stone Mountain Vineyards

Dyke (434) 990-9463 www.stonemountainvineyards.com FAUQUIER

Barrel Oak Winery

Hume (540) 364-1203 www.barreloakwinery.com

Boxwood Winery

Middleburg (540) 687-9770 www.boxwoodwinery.com

Chateau O’Brien at Northpoint Markham (540) 364-6441 www.chateauobrien.com

Fox Meadow Winery

Linden (540) 636-6777 www.foxmeadowwinery.com

Linden Vineyards

Linden (540) 364-1997 www.lindenvineyards.com

Marterella Winery

Warrenton (540) 347-1119 www.marterellawines.com

Mediterranean Cellars

Warrenton (540) 428-1984 www.mediterraneancellars.com

Miracle Valley Vineyard

Delaplane (540) 364-0228 www.miraclevalleyvineyard.com

Naked Mountain Vineyard Markham (540) 364-1609 www.nakedmtnwinery.com

Oasis Winery

Hume (540) 635-7627 www.oasiswine.com

Pearmund Cellars

Broad Run (540) 347-3475 www.pearmundcellars.com

The Plains (540) 687-5528 www.piedmontwines.com Hume (540) 364-1203 www.pcwinery.com

Sumerduck (540) 439-3707 www.rogersfordwine.com

Delaplane (540) 364-6073 www.threefoxvineyards.com

Bluemont Vineyard

Bluemont (540) 554-8439 www.bluemontvineyard.com

Breaux Vineyards

Purcellville (540) 668-6299 www.breauxvineyards.com

Chrysalis Vineyards

Middleburg (540) 687-8222 www.chrysaliswine.com

Corcoran Vineyard

Formerly Waterford Vineyards Waterford (540) 882-9073 www.corcoranvineyards.com

Doukenie Winery

Formerly Windham Winery Hillsboro (540) 668-6464 www.doukeniewinery.com

Fabbioli Cellars

Leesburg (703) 771-1197 www.fabbioliwines.com

Hidden Brook Winery

Leesburg (703) 737-3935 www.hiddenbrookwinery.com

Hiddencroft Vineyards

Lovettsville (540) 535-5367 www.hiddencroftvineyards.com

Hillsborough Vineyards

Purcellville (540) 668-6216 www.hillsboroughwine.com

Lost Creek Winery

Leesburg (703) 443-9836 www.lostcreekwinery.com

Waterford (540) 882-3375 www.loudounvalleyvineyards.com Purcellville (540) 668-6248 www.northgatevineyard.com Purcellville (540) 668-6756 www.notavivavineyards.com Aldie (703) 327-6052 www.goombawine.com

Purcellville (703) 725-3546 www.sunsethillsvineyard.com

Swedenburg Estate Vineyard Middleburg (540) 687-5219 www.swedenburgwines.com

Tarara Vineyard & Winery Leesburg (703) 771-7100 www.tarara.com

Village Winery

Waterford (540) 882-3780 www.villagewineryandvineyards.com

Willowcroft Farm Vineyards Leesburg (703) 777-8161 www.willowcroftwine.com

Zephaniah Farm Vineyard Leesburg 804-739-2774 MADISON

Acorn Hill Winery

Madison (540) 948-3321 www.acornhillwinery.com

Christensen Ridge

Madison (540) 923-4800 www.christensenridge.com

Prince Michel & Rapidan River Vineyards Leon (540) 547-3707 www.princemichel.com

Rose River Vineyards & Trout Farm Syria (540) 923-4050 www.roseriverfarm.com

Vineyard Directory Sharp Rock Vineyards

Sperryville (540) 987-9700 www.sharprockvineyards.com

Sweely Estate Winery

Madison (540) 948-9005 www.sweelyestatewinery.com

Gadino Cellars

Washington (540) 987-9292 www.gadinocellars.com

Gray Ghost Vineyards

Amissville (540) 937-4869 www.greyghostvineyards.com

Rappahannock Cellars

ORANGE

Barboursville Vineyards

Barboursville (540) 832-3824 www.barboursvillewine.com

Burnley Vineyards & Daniel Cellars Barboursville (540) 832-2828 www.burnleywines.com

Horton Cellars Winery

Huntly (540) 635-9398 www.rappahannockcellars.com

Smokehouse Winery

Sperryville (540) 987-3194 www.smokehousewinery.com

Afton (540) 456-8667 www.aftonmountainvineyards.com

PRINCE WILLIAM

DelFosse Vineyards & Winery

STAFFORD

Faber (434) 263-6100 www.delfossewine.com

Flying Fox Vineyard

Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery

Chester Gap (540) 636-0886 www.chestergapcellars.com

Nellysford (434) 361-2519 www.wintergreenwinery.com

Winery at La Grange

Afton (540) 456-8400 www.cardinalpointwinery.com

LOUISA

Chester Gap Cellars

Wintergreen Winery

Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery

Nearby Vineyards

Louisa (540) 894-5253 www.coopervineyards.com

RAPPAHANNOCK

Afton Mountain Vineyards

Afton (434) 361-1692 www.flyingfoxvineyard.com

Cooper Vineyards

Gordonsville (540) 832-7440 www.hvwine.com

NELSON

Nellysford (434) 361-1266 www.hilltopberrywine.com

Veritas Winery

Afton (540) 456-8000 www.veritaswines.com

Haymarket (703) 753-9360 www.wineryatlagrange.com

Hartwood Winery

Fredericksburg (540) 752-4893 www.hartwoodwinery.com

Potomac Point Vineyard & Winery Stafford (540) 446-2266 www.potomacpointwinery.com WARREN

Glen Manor Vineyards

Front Royal (540) 635-6324 www.glenmanorvineyards.com

WATCH NEW culinary videos at

DCWineCountry.com!

www.flavormags.com

the long finish

The Jenkins Fruit Stand, Sperryville (Rappahannock County) Kevin Borland, August 2008 72

â&#x20AC;˘ Harvest 2008

Helping people look at

wine a little

The #1 applewood malt in the world.

differently.

e vailabl a g in Shipp ift wine g y a id l for ho s! ackage p r e e and b

begIN your WINe jourNey WIth uS

Virginia grown,

UPTOWN 29 North Shopper’S World Near Whole FoodS 434-964-WINe

DOWNTOWN 4th St. & e. Market St. Next to SecoNd yard 434-979-WINe

MarketStreetWine.com

Wasmund’s

Single Malt Whisky Available at Virginia ABC Stores and better bars and restaurants. Visit us at copperfox.biz to find a store and to learn about our passionate approach to making Wasmund’s — the most unique whisky in America.