Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

March 29, 2007 issue


Local Restaurants Preparing Spectacular Meals for Wine Fest’s Winemaker Dinners

Story by David Brewerwine

For the second straight year, winemakers and chefs are conspiring to temp the taste buds of High Country diners as they prepare for the Blue Ridge Wine Festival’s Winemaker Diners. A dozen of the area’s finest restaurants will work in conjunction with a featured winery, serving mouth-watering, multi-course meals that pair a different wine with each delicacy throughout the evening.

All Winemaker Dinners will take place on Saturday, April 7, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling the individual restaurants during business hours. For more info, click to ww.blueridgewinefestival.com.

Ciao Bello at the Meadowbrook Inn

828-295-6832

Featured Winery: Childress

$97 per person all-inclusive

Arrivé

Crab imperial en mini bouchée, Blue Ridge Mountain smoked trout canapés and caramelized pear and brie brochette
Wine: Viognier

First Course
Gulf red snapper encrusted with caramelized potato, served on beurre blanc sauce
Wine: Pinot Gris

Second Course
Velvety smooth bisque featuring shrimp and crabmeat suspended in a roasted pepper cream
Wine: Reserve Chardonnay

Intermezzo
A beautiful duo of raspberry and mango Italian-style ice

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Diversity Celebration

Main Course
Mixed grill with New Zealand lamb chop with sauce aux menthe, beef tenderloin medallion with morel mushroom demi-glace and venison tenderloin medallion with juniper berry red wine sauce
Wine:  Childress Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Salad Course
Braised duck breast and mango salad served on organic greens with dried cherry and blackberry dressing
Wine: Merlot

Dessert
Classic creme brûlée topped with caramelized sugar, chocolate Chantilly cream and fresh raspberries and Colombian dark coffee
Wine: Starboard


Green Park Inn Laurel Room

828-295-3141

Featured Winery: Biltmore Estate

$115 per person

Before Dinner

Methode Champenoise Blanc de Noir
First Course

Low country char-roast corn and blue crab bisque with black bean basil crisp and red pepper relish
Wine: Pinot Grigio

Second Course

Butternut squash cakes with cracked peppercorn cream, spicy praline pecans and spring onion smokehouse bacon relish
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc

Third Course

Salad of fresh field greens with strawberry goat cheese vinaigrette, sweet basil crostini and citrus cumin-roasted walnuts
Wine: Reserve Chardonnay

Fourth Course

Select cheeses with marinated olives, pepperocini and proscuitto rolls with white bean mountain apple salad
Wine: Chateau Reserve Cabernet Franc

Fifth Course

Lemon sorbet with lemon thyme brittle

Sixth Course

Grilled filet of beef with pimento cheese steak butter and muscadine wine sauce
Wine: Chateau Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Dessert

Southern sweet potato cake with a sour mash whiskey glaze
Wine: Methode Champenoise Pas De Deux or Century White

The Manor House at Chetola

828-295-5505

Featured Winery: Hanover Park

$120 per person inclusive

First Course
Chilled rosemary duck breast with haricot verts and brie toast
Wine: Chardonnay

Second Course
Lobster tail picatta with saffron risotto
Wine: Viognier

Third Course
Heart of butter bib lettuce with cauliflower vinaigrette and blue cheese
Wine: Mourvedre

Fourth Course
White peach sorbet in Champagne flute
Wine: Early Twilight

Fifth Course
Beef tournados and mushrooms au poivre verte
Wine: Michael’s Blend

Sixth Course
Poached pear in wine sauce
Wine: Hanover Park Vineyards’ 1897

 

Evergreen Restaurant at Crestwood

828-963-6646

Featured Winery: Lake James Cellars

$114 per person all inclusive

Passed Canapés
Fava bean, roasted tomato bruchetta, smoked duck and goat cheese empanada, fennel and dill-cured gravlax on mascarpone pepper cracker and shrimp ceviche shooters
Wine: Luna Blanc (Liebfraumilch) and Short Off Red (Pinot Noir)

Soup
Spring pea bisque with butter-poached lobster and crème fraiche
Wine: Chardonnay

Salad
Salad of young asparagus and serrano ham with shaved manchego and romesco vinaigrette
Wine: Turkey Tail White (Riesling)

Intermezzo
Keylime ginger granite
Wine: Symphony

Entrée
Roast tenderloin of North American elk with wild mushroom potato rosti
Wine: Chambourcin

Dessert
Chocolate caramel tart with Grand Marnier crème anglaise and coffee
Wine: Turkey Tail Red

 

The Jackson Dining Room at the Broyhill Inn

828-262-2204

Featured Winery: Chatham Hill

$110 plus tax and 17% gratuity per person

First Course

Triple cheese-stuffed tomato poppers with jumbo crab canapé with creamy bacon
Wine: Chardonnay

Second Course

Ginger shrimp skewer, beer-battered banana and carrot salad roll
Wine: Riesling

Sorbet

Third Course

Hazelnut-crusted veal medallions in a caramel cream sauce with mint-infused rice and sliced vegetable strudel
Wine: Viognier

Cheese with a Grape Cluster

Fourth Course

Grilled strawberry trio, canapés of grilled strawberries with parmesan, romano and manchego cheese drizzled with Chatham Hill merlot reduction
Wine: Merlot

Fifth Course

Beef wellington in cabernet demi-glace, sautéed morel mushroom stuffed with chopped veal and duck breast in a Chatham Hill cabernet sauvignon reduction
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon

Sorbet

Sixth Course

Brule´ of pomegranate custard, raspberry panacotta over a shortbread cookie
Wine: Chatham Hill’s Sweet Carolina Pomegranate wine

 

The Gamekeeper Restaurant

828-963-7400

Featured Winery: West Bend Vineyards

$115 per person includes tax and gratuity

First Course

Lightly-blackened corvina steak served in crawfish, shrimp bisque with lemon, basil pistou and wild watercressWine: 2006 Riesling Second Course

Wild mushroom and white asparagus salad with goat lady dairy cheese, micro spinach blend of greens, roasted shallot, lemon vinaigrette and house-made crackers

Wine: 2005 Viognier

Third Course

Creole boar grillades and andouille, ramp grits

Wine: 2006 Chambourcin

Fourth Course

Prosciutto-wrapped quail breast with wilted frizee, cab-franc reduction and honey mashed turnips 

Wine: 2005 Cabernet Franc

Fifth Course

Cabernet-braised Wagyu short ribs with dauphinoise potatoes and baby organic vegetables

Wine: “Les Soeurs” 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Sixth Course

Apple tarte tatin with butter pecan ice cream, caramel and chardonnay and lavender honey anglaise

Wine: 2005 Lilly B (late harvest chardonnay)

 

Crippen’s Country Inn

828-295-3487

Featured Winery: Rag Apple Lassie

TBA

 

Pssghetti’s Restaurant

828-295-9855

Featured Winery: Raffaldini Vineyards

$89.99 per person

Antipasti
Thinly sliced prosciutto di parma served with fresh melon and berries
Wine: Fiori
Zuppa
Zuppa di Cozzo—soup of roasted fennel, mussels, tomatoes and lemon with bruschetta
Wine: Vermentino
Ensalata
Baby spinach, walnuts, dried cherries and gorgonzola tossed in raspberry and golden balsamic vinaigrette
Primi
Polenta e salslocia—spicy grilled Italian sausage served on a bed of creamy parmesan polenta
Wine: Sangiovese Riserva
Sacondi
Pistachio-crusted veal rack, pan seared and served with a grilled vegetable stack and a  cherry balsamic glace

Dolci
Tiramisu cheesecake with amaretto whipped cream
Wine: Chiara

Gideon Ridge Inn

828-295-3644

Featured Winery: Raylen

TBA

 

Blowing Rock Grille

828-295-9474

Featured Winery: Round Peak

$95 per person

First Course
Smoked salmon roll with cucumber lemon dressing
Wine: 2005 Estate Bottled Chardonnay

Second Course
Poached pear salad with a blue cheese vinaigrette
Wine: 2004 Chardonnay

Third Course
Passion fruit geleé with basil cream
Wine: 2004 Sangiovese

Fourth Course
Individual beef wellington with garlic red wine sauce custard potatoes, sautéed green beans with pine nuts
Wine: 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Fifth Course
Chocolate mocha baked Alaska with Kahlua ganache
Wine: 2004 Cabernet Franc

 

Rowland’s at Westglow Spa

828-295-4463

Featured Winery: Thistle Meadow

$100 per person

First Course

Pan-seared diver scallops with cinnamon basil, blueberry beurre blanc
Wine: Verdicchio

Second Course

Cream of asparagus soup
Wine: Pinot Grigio

Third Course

Pistachio-crusted goat cheese, arugula, doubloom shiitake mushrooms and smoked tomato vinaigrette
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc

Fourth Course

Tournedos of elk rossini, sauce perigourdine, porcini mushroom risotto and braised greens
Wine: Italian Stud

Fifth Course

Chambord-scented chocolate obsession with crème anglaise and raspberry coulis
Wine: Horse Stomp Red Zinfandel

 Hound Ears Club

828-963-4321

Featured Winery: Banner Elk Winery

$90 per person

First Course

Gathered greens with bruléed citrus segments, tempura oysters and passion fruit vinaigrette
Wine: American Chardonnay

Second Course

Lightly smoked bob-white quail breasts with roasted shallot salad on Fuji apple carpaccio
Wine: Seyval Blanc

Third Course

Charred foie gras on golden raisin brioche with saffron onion marmalade and strawberry horseradish drizzle
Wine: Banner Elk Red

Intermezzo

Vodka lime granite with blueberries

Entree

Grilled Colorado lamb loin and ahi tuna with braised root vegetables, puy lentils and sweet potato rin
Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon

Dessert

Chocolate terrine with pomegranate soup and toasted almonds
Wine: Rose