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(Julia's notes)
Hello Everyone!
 Tonight is Carytown First, and we're celebrating with a tasting at River City Cellars with Albemarle Ciderworks! Lots of other stores and restaurants are having special events as well, and a lineup of participants can be found here.
And don't forget Spring Richmond Restaurant week is only a couple of weeks away! If you haven't been tempted by Chef Tim's special menu yet, see below.
Cheers!
Restaurant Week April 2011
course one (choose one) smoked duck terrine with spring onions & dried apricots, dressed frisée with hazelnuts & mustard seed
salad of spring vegetables & greens, Caromont Farm fromage blanc, pine nuts & meyer lemon dressing
prosciutto-encrusted arancini stuffed with
sweet pea-marjoram sauce
course two (choose two) lamb shoulder, CityGarden fava beans, pecorino Toscano &
fresh mint
house-made seafood sausage, green apple-ginger buerre blanc,
crisp pea shoots & agretti
asparagus fritter, roasted morel mushrooms with fresh thyme, pickled spring garlic
pasta alla chitarra, sautéed ramps, Olli Salumeria speck,
aleppo pepper
Spanish mackerel tartare with fresh ginger, cilantro,
preserved meyer lemon & nasturtium
sformato with aged gruyere and Japanese spinach, sorrel sauce
course three (choose one)
strawberry & cracked black pepper macaroons
pistachio gelato with lavender-plum cake
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First Thursday CIDER Tasting TONIGHT 5-7pm at RCC
(David's notes)
 This Thursday, April 7th, Rick from Albemarle Cider Works will be here to taste out and discuss the four ciders they produce on their farm at Rural Ridge. The Cider Works is an extension of the Vintage Virginia apple orchid and nursery. They use over twelve different varietals of apples, some common and other from nearly extinct heirloom apple trees. The ciders are, for the most part, fermented dry in a slightly French style.
Jupiter's Legacy is their driest cider. Made up of four distinct cider apples and a few sweeter ones to round it out. The result is a crisp, clean, slightly wine like drink with superb carbonation and acidity. This could stand up to a bone dry sparkling wine with pride.
Old Virginia Winesap is a rather old apple variety from, of all places, Virginia! Dry, crisp with lingering earthy and estery flavors, this is reminiscent of a complex cider from Normandy.
Royal Pippin is a extraordinarily well-structured cider. The effervescence is reminiscent of a fine Champagne and the flavors echo a modern SauvignonBlanc. Perfect for all kinds of foods, namely cheese!
Ragged Mountain is their one slightly sweet cider. Made of five different artisan apples, this is a bright, crisp cider designed to appeal to a large audience.
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Wine Tasting at RCC Friday, April 8th, 5-7pm:
Segue-Schmegue, Bring On Spring!
(Peter's notes)
Bodegas Pinord NV Murrugat Cava Brut: Made from a classic blend of Macabeo, Xarello and Parellada in the Penedes appellation of Spain, this tangy fresh traditional-method sparkling wine has fine carbonation and aromas that recall citrus zest and flowers.
Chateau La Rame 2009 Bordeaux Blanc: This Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux offers a rich and persistent combination of flavors and scents; herbal notes akin to ivy and grass mesh with smoky-funky hints and zesty taut citrus pith.
Domaine Bellevue 2010 Touraine Rose: Fresh aromas of yellow peach and cherry with a hint of ruby grapefruit thrown in come to mind in tasting this tart yet fruity dry rose made from Cabernet Franc in the Loire Valley.
Ca'Bona 2008 Colli Piacentini Gutturnio: Made from Barbera and Bonarda grapes in Emilia-Romagna in north central Italy, this dry yet fruity red wine offers loads of dark ripe fruits with just a hint of earthiness.
Martinez Lacuesta 2008 Rioja: Ripe cherry, cedar and earthy notes come to mind in tasting this spicy dry red wine made from Tempranillo in northern Spain.
Don't forget to bring your own glass, unless you like health-department mandated plastic medicine cups!
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Cheesemail!
(Sara's notes)
Howdy Cheese Peeps,
Guess what?? Just when I thought I couldn't wait another  week, I got the call that there was fresh chevre available from Caromont Farm! That soft, twangy, bright, creaminess is on the way from Esmont as I type this and I, for one, couldn't be happier. I know I'm not alone in this joy, either, for I can name a bunch of you who have been waiting as impatiently as I have. Yipee-yahoo-yay! Spring has finally sprung, the wait is now over, and we can all let out a contented sigh of relief. Ahhhhh...
Though, I have to say how interesting I find the lessons that can be learned from the seasonality of cheese. We all get so used to having what we want, when we want it, that our  expectations often supersede the laws of nature, which we then continue to bend and push to suit our demands. Sigh. Now, I agree that it is hard to be denied that which we have grown to love, but I think it makes us stronger, more appreciative people when this instant and/or constant gratification is stopped in it's tracks from time to time. I'll get down off the pulpit now, but it is something to think about...
In other local news, I have some wonderful new, raw, wildflower honey from Bearer Farms to share with all of you. Bearer Farms is an old-school farm located about 18 miles  west of Richmond, overlooking the South Anna River. They grow Japanese maples and produce, but the best part is that they have oodles of bees (about 75 hives) that are producing some of the tastiest honey I've had in ages. It is floral and complex and simply begging to be drizzled on cheeses and drowned in teas. In fact, I might just have to have some of that Caromont chevre with a drizzle of this honey and some roasted pistachios for dinner!
Cheers!
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River City Cellars HOURS:
Sunday-Monday 12-6
Tuesday-Saturday 10-7
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Secco Wine Bar HOURS:
Noon to Midnight Seven Days a Week!
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(Julia's notes)
News from
SECCO WINE BAR
Spring Has Sprung! Fresh ramps are in and Chef Tim has started rolling out his Spring menu. The newest special? House-made pasta alla chitarra, sauteed ramps, Olli Salumeria speck & aleppo pepper. Delish!
In other news, we recently got a sweet little mention in the Washingtonian.com piece about RVA Day Trips...declaring us "Profoundly Civilized." Mom will be so happy!
Cheers!
Secco Wine Bar
located next door to RCC at 2933 West Cary Street, Carytown
open noon to midnight, seven days a week
804.353.0670. info@seccowinebar.com
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(David's notes)
Beer-o-the-Week
Geary's Imperial IPA 
In 1986, after a couple years of research and organizing, David and Karen Geary opened Geary's brewery, the first micro-brewery in Maine. A good deal of their research was done in England and Scotland and the beers have a distinctly British style to them. Their Imperial IPA is brewed with English malts and, though hopped with American hops, the beer is carefully balanced, leaving plenty of malt flavors to linger on the finish. Extremely quaffable at 8% alcohol, this is a fantastic IPA to wile away the coming spring days with. Come on by, we'll have a bottle open for sampling. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Beers of Note Alvinne Cuvee Freddy
A mixture of ales, aged in barrels with grapes from their Mum's backyard, then
aged for another 12 months!
21st Ammendment Bitter American
Classy American-style English bitter with plenty of Cascade hops.
Bluegrass Brewing Bearded Pat's Barleywine-style ale
Big hops+89 IBU's+big malts+11% alcohol= dang good!
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Wine-o-the-Week
(Peter's notes) DeAngelis 2007 Rosso Piceno Superiore 
Made from 70% Montepulciano and 30% Sangiovese, this medium-bodied red wine from Le Marche region offers aromas of prune, cherry, tar and licorice. After several anxious months, we're glad to have this favorite Italian wine back in stock! At just $12.99 per bottle, you'll probably want to stock up too!
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not getting our emails directly from the source?
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House hunting?
My real estate agent Mike Grim
and I are running a special: buy or sell* a house with him and get a $500 gift certificate to Secco or RCC.
Everyone wins!
Call him for details at 804.334.7915.
*Mike sold my house in a lousy economy in time to fund Secco. He's the bomb!
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