I’m thrilled to be co-hosting an oyster roast to remember on Sunday, March 25th with renowned wine importer Thomas Meunier of L’Authentique Vin.  Thomas will be joined by very special guests: French winemakers as Coarlie Goumarre, Joseph Landron, and Lionel Latorse. They are all part of a new generation of winemakers with a strong farming passion and an emphasis on small scale, sustainable and organic viticulture.

I recently sat down with Thomas and asked him a bit about himself, to help introduce him and our event to our guests. Here’s what he said:

1) What got you interested in the wine business? Did you always know that this would be your profession?

"I come from a family of hedonists with a father has an extended cellar with beautiful old vintages of Bordeaux. Every year, with a group of friends, they would buy a barrel and have it delivered to our house.  I will never forget those Saturdays when they would bottle the wine, all this ceremony of cleaning the bottles, gently putting in the cork and the final touch of putting the labels. I remember all the smells, all the smiles, all the conviviality of those times. More...

When conversations arise about the great wine producing nations of the world, Spain is not always the first to jump out.  While Spain has a rich and long history (some of the first vines were planted by the Phoenicians in the 4th century BCE), it still does not carry the same caché of other winemaking nations.  When Spain does come up, it is always the “Big 3” that come up, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Priorato, and then the way too often forgotten and way too under-appreciated, Sherry or Jerez. 

Not to say that these are not world class wine regions, because they are indeed and very exciting ones at that, but there is so much to explore in Spain, so many wines that can bring so much enjoyment, wines that can make you think, wines that can make you laugh, and wines that can bring your senses to another world. Spain is in a class all its own, and it can cover any taste from dry to sweet, sparkling to still, and red, white, and rosé.  Is there a reason for this “Ode to Espagna”? For all of the reasons above I am showcasing the wines of Spain in a number of ways through out Fearrington Village over the holidays, in an effort to promote all the diversity of Spanish wine. More...

In many ways Champagne is the best wine in the world.  It is can be refreshing, lively, celebratory, serious, complex, in your face, or subtle all in a few sniffs and a few sips.  It can pair with more foods than almost any other wine. It is extremely difficult to make, that is in comparison to a large section of other wines. 

However, it seems that so many forget about Champagne, and all sparkling wine for that matter. Some only drink it to celebrate, and some just think it is not “serious” enough to be considered in the same breath as the Burgundies or Bordeaux of the world.  They're missing a whole lot of enjoyment, and missing one of the most exciting regions in France at the moment.  Champagne is no longer just about the image or the brand, it is about the family, the grower, and the terroir.  This is not to say that the larger Champagne houses make inferior wine; they in fact make great bubbly, it is just that they represent a different idea, a different perspective. What everyone loves about Burgundy or the Rhône valley, is that the wines show a sense of place, they are where they are from, and that is why wine lovers go crazy about them.  More...

As you prepare for your holiday parties this season don't forget to stop by the Belted Goat for some celebratory drinks.  We have some treats to enjoy with friends and family, and a plethera of different styles of wine.

To start, we have the Terre Dorees Beaujolais Nouveau, 2010 in Magnum.  This is seriously good juice and a crowd pleaser to boot.  Jean Paul Brun, the owner and winemaker of the winery is perhaps one of the most talented people living between the Cote D'Or and th Northern Rhone, and this wine is made for celebration. So go ahead, pick up a bottle and enjoy.

If your in the mood for some Bubbly we have the Avinyo Cava Brut from Penedes in Spain.  The winery is all family owned, and was started when the family patriarch Joan Esteve decided to plant some Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo wines 50 years ago to one day make wine for him and his family and friends.  Now run by his two sons and his daughter, the winery has expanded but keeps solid roots.  The wine is a blend of all three previously stated grapes, and ages on its lees for 18 to 20 months before being disgorged.  It is refreshing, with lemon zest and green apple aromatics, great acidity, and addictive ripe fruit on the palate.  This wine is perfect to start off any celebration, and is great with triple creme cheeses, and bloomy rind goat's milk cheeses.

This is, of course, just a little sample of what we have for you at the Belted Goat, but please stop by and explore some of the great wines that we have for your celebration - or a just any day you feel like celebrating.

You may recall a blog entry I did this spring about a truly elegant, seasonally themed wedding cake created by Fearrington’s cake decorator Jill Leckey.  Well in preparation for a wedding ceremony this past weekend, Jill created another confectionary masterpiece, showing her versatility.  Here she went in the opposite direction, toward whimsy and informality - by creating a rock climbing cake!

When Jill spoke with the bride and groom during the planning phase, they told her how they had met at a rock climbing gym, and wanted to incorporate this fact into the cake.  But otherwise they gave her free license to be as creative as she wanted.

The result was a cake about 2 feet tall, designed to feed about 100 people. The climbers were made to look like the bride and groom.  All of the items on the cake were made from either fondant or gumpaste which are both edible sugar doughs.

Jill said the challenging part of making this cake was making the climbers: “I made them ahead of time so that they could dry.  But you still have to keep in mind the final shape that they will have and how that will coordinate with the shape of the cake tiers.”

The cake was unveiled at a Garden Terrace event after their garden ceremony, and, no surprise, was the hit of the evening.

We are excited to announce the addition of four wines at The Fearrington House Restaurant from the Raffaldini Winery, located in the Swan Creek area of North Carolina. The wines are with out a doubt the best wines I have tasted from North Carolina.

The Raffaldini winery is located in one of North Carolina's three American Viticultural Areas and is nestled in the rolling hills near the Yadkin River and Blue Ridge Mountains.  There it receives mild breezes that constantly freshen and circulate the air.

The winery is owned by the Raffaldini family, who are first generation Americans from Italy. Their Vermentino, most famous for the white wines of Sardegna, is stunning.  On the nose it shows notes of Lime, Lemon Grass, and Orange Blossom, on the palate the wine has great acidity, dry, and a great match to the Country Ham Agnolloti.  Equally enticing are the Sangiovese Riserva and Montepulciano Riserva, both varietally correct, and full of their own unique character and charm.  The wines are all very well balanced and great partners with Chef Colin’s menu.  We look forward to hearing more from this exciting winery!