Holiday 2011
10 Gifts Ideas for Food & Wine Lovers
Dear Friends,
The year is fast winding to a close! We want to offer heartfelt thanks and
congratulations to the kitchen and inn staff - and thank our guests and visiting
journalists - this holiday season for awards The Fearrington House received in
2011:
* World's Top 10 Foodie Destination - American Express's Departures Magazine
* #3 Best Small Hotel in the US - Reader's Choice Awards, Conde Nast Traveler
* #3 Best World Hotel Value - Travel & Leisure
* Gold Medalist Top Restaurant - Raleigh News & Observer
* Best Spa - Chapel Hill Magazine
* Five Star Award - Forbes Travel Guide
* Five Diamond Award - American Automobile Association
* Top 50 Best Restaurants in US - OpenTable
Speaking of the holidays, the food and
wine lovers on your list might be the easiest to shop for, especially if they
have great taste (and of course they do!). These 10 gift
ideas are yours for the asking (and ours for the wrapping) just 8 miles
south of Chapel Hill, NC, in the boutique shops at Fearrington Village - or just a
phone call away.
If Santa Claus is reading this, we'd all like one of each!
#1: Fun-Loving Gourmet Gadgets
At McIntyre's Books, Keebe's independent bookseller sense of work, humor and functionality are in
evidence in the array of nifty gadgets: especially with the Flash Cards for
Foodies and fabulous, Byzantine-inspired coasters. For wee ones, a Baking
Set in a pretty old-fashioned tin, and for big people genius kitchen gifts
are scattered throughout the expanded cookbook section. Prices from $10.
#2: Tabletop & Tree Enchantments
Over at Dovecote, our home and style store, there's much for the gourmet cook
and generous hostess:
Glass Votives (beautiful, small candle holders); Ornamental Fruits and
Vegetables (gorgeous artichokes, olives); Placecard Holders (happy pewter pigs,
teeny bud vases, silver dining chairs); Napkins and Placemats (modern and
elegant); Tree Trimmings (an assortment of mushrooms and fortune cookies on red
ribbons)! Prices from $8.
#3: Exceptional Wines
Sommelier Max Kast recommends two bottles of wine, from the shelves
he's well stocked at The Belted Goat. First off: Robert Sinskey, Abraxas,
Scintilla Vineyard, Sonoma, California, 2010. A blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot
Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and Riesling, "this is a favorite California wine in the
sommelier world," says Max. Aromatic, with white floral notes, mixed with white
peach, lemon zest, and stoney minerality, on the palate it is dry, refreshing,
with good acidity, and a long fruit and mineral-driven finish. Price: $33
Also, Rudy Schultz, Syrah, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2007 is a top
pick. Made by the eponymous winemaker of the famous Thelema winery, this is on
the rich side of Syrah, but, notes Max, "with a lot of elegance - rich plum and
blueberry fruit, with white pepper, and gamey notes on the nose. On the palate
it is medium-plus in body, with a good acid back bone to give it complex structure." Price: $36
#4: Beautiful Bar Accessories
Dovecote's glass and decanter vitrine is well stocked for the season: Among the
cargo are Champagne Flutes (with etched glass or hand painted gold bubbles);
Highball Glasses (with enough heft to give a dram ballast); Jiggers (a silver
plated candle-snuffer); Carafes and Pitchers (modern, retro hobnail or
voluptuous); Bottle Openers (a particularly fetching heavy pewter hedgehog).
Prices from $10.
#5: Culinary Books
For Chef Colin Bedford, there's only one new cookbook this season that made him,
uncharacteristically, leave the kitchen on a Thursday night, and head to
McIntyre's Books. The book? Daniel Humm's 11 Madison - a
delicious peek at the famous restaurant where innovative culinary techniques are
married with classical French cuisine.
For the home cook who has every cookbook, Keebe has a bevy of recs. First, she
loves: Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi.
Also, what could be more special than giving a copy of one of these ambitious
cookbooks, individually signed by authors themselves on a McIntyre's visit, to
someone you love: Molly Stevens' All About Roasting; Sheri Castle's
The New Southern Garden Cookbook; Hugh Acheson's A New Turn
in the South; Sarah Foster's Southern Kitchen and Lynne Rosetto Kasper's Splendid Table Cooks
Weekends. (And be sure to hear Lynne at Fearrington to discuss her
latest book on December 10th!
More information here.)
As always, McIntyre's has the bestsellers: the classic Fearrington House
Cookbook: A Celebration of Food, Flowers and Herbs by Jenny Fitch -
published six years after she opened this celebrated Southern restaurant - and
85 Inspirational Chefs - an exquisite profile of the talented
chefs of North American Relais & Chateaux properties (including our own Colin
Bedford!), published last year.
Prices from $30.
#6: Reservations for a Special Event
A gigantic and fantastic 10th Anniversary
Folk
Art Show Collector's Preview, complete with Cake, Sparkling Cider, Wine
and Fearrington House nibbles. The
Folk
Art Show is one of our favorite, craziest events of
the year! Clyde Jones, may again this year, apply watermelon tattoos. The
Preview happens on Friday, February 17th; tickets available
online or
from McIntyre's Books. Price: $25 per person.
Take someone special to witness the
Wine to Water National Book Launch on Thursday, January 5th meet bartender-turned-activist Doc Hendley, celebrate with us the
national launch of his terrific book and learn
about this locally run mission to bring clean water to the world. And don't miss
an opportunity to taste Wine to
Water wines, artisanal breads, Blue Sky Olive Oils, and hear a performance by The Boys from Carolina. Tickets (price includes a signed copy of the book) available
online or from McIntyre's Books. Price: $35 per person.
#7: Expert Food and Wine Classes
Travel to South America in January, Piemonte and Lombardy in February, the
Viennese Forest in April and the Loire Valley in May with Fearrington Wine
Director
Max
Kast. These Thursday early evening Wine and Beer Classes are held in
a beautiful private dining room at The Fearrington Granary and sell out fast!
See
the 2012 classes here. Reserve by calling (919) 542-2121. Price is $45
per person and includes tax and service.
Learn Sous Vide with
Executive Chef Colin Bedford this February! Or select from one of the
other
popular culinary classes in 2012. Culinary Classes are offered in
conjunction with a reception, dinner, overnight and breakfast before the morning
class begins. Reserve by calling (919) 542-2121. Prices from $820 per couple.
#8: A December Dinner at The Fearrington House
Oysters with Vidal Ice Wine & Lime Caviar, Duck Breast with Chestnut Jam, Sweet
Potato Risotto, Hibiscus Venison, Pecan Tenderloin with Mulled Wine Sauce,
Toffee Ale Cake, Hot Chocolate Souffle anyone? Join us at the House for a warm
welcome in our cozy bar, before a crackling fire, Wednesday through Sunday
nights in December.
View the
full menu. Three courses are $79 per person and four are $89. Wine pairings are $45 for
three courses and $55 for four.
Or give the Fearrington House dining experience to others!
A
Dining Certificate includes four courses, amuse bouche,
a nice bottle of wine, a box of hand-made truffles, plus tax and gratuity.
Price is $325 per couple.
#9: Christmas at The Fearrington House
Savor Colin Bedford's festive five courses on
Christmas
Eve, plus amuse bouche: Price is $110 per person. Or enjoy
Christmas
Day Lunch overlooking the exquisite gardens decorated for the holidays;
lunch includes four delicious courses: Reserve by calling (919)
542-2121. Price is $69 per person.
#10: Say "Everything Is Taken Care Of - XOXO"
Our most extravagant offering is this: You say, "I want someone to take care of
everything" and we then do just that: four courses at the House, an overnight at
the Inn and lots of extras (plus tax and gratuity). Click to see a full list of
all the little extras in our
Lodging and Dining Certificate. Reserve by calling (919) 542-2121.
Price: $675 per couple.
Does shopping make you hungry or thirsty? Drop by - or drop off reluctant shoppers
- at The
Fearrington Granary bar and grill to watch the games and then join them for small plates or a relaxing lunch or dinner. In its first season we've
expanded the main floor bar and begun serving dinner. Favorites are hands down
the Beef Tips with Madeira Sauce, Truffled Fries, Shaved Fennel Salad, Soups
of the Day, Mussels, Sliders, Salads, Market Fish and Classic or Indulgent
Burgers.
View menu and full bar lists here. Reservations accepted or just stop
by.
Coffee, Teas, Pastries, Deli Salads and more over are found at The Belted Goat
- for those on the go (and don't forget our fun non-edible stuffed Belties!)
Happy grazing (and gifting),
From all of us at
Fearrington.