Event Recap: Epicurience Virginia 2015
As a Virginia native, it was wonderful to see more than 2,000 people from around the DC region spending their Labor Day weekends in Loudoun County to experience all that the region has to offer.
At Epicurience Virginia’s Grand Tasting event, 40 of Loudoun’s top wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms and restaurants had samples galore to offer to guests enjoying the beautiful scenery at the historic Morven Park in Leesburg. The event also featured live music, wine, food & art to purchase, educational workshops, and cooking demonstrations by culinary experts.
A highlight from the selection of sample bites and sips was the partnership between Savoir Fare and Bluemont Vineyard, who teamed up to provide a tasting menu of several food and wine pairings.
Four Seasons‘ French Master Butcher, Marc Pauvert stole the show for me with his live demonstration. He expertly sliced and diced a whole woodland-raised pig from Springhouse Farm, while explaining the uses and flavor profiles or each cut of meat. In-house butchery is a rarity in restaurants and hotels, but it was clear from Pauvert’s presentation that this lost art really makes all the difference when it comes to creating quality dishes with great flavor.
To round out the presentation, we enjoyed pork sliders made by Monk’s BBQ using pork shoulders from Springhouse Farm.
Throughout the day, renowned chefs shared their expert advice at the Sterling Restaurant Supply demonstration tent. Top Chef contestant, chef and cookbook author Bryan Voltaggio entertained his audience with jokes and stories from the restaurant business while he whipped up a few recipes from his new cookbook, Home. The big takeaway from his presentation was to be patient in the kitchen. When sautéeing vegetables in a pan, he cautioned against shaking and flipping the contents too much, which will prevent them from crisping and cooking evenly. He also warned, when cooking meat, never trust a cookbook’s time recommendation – always use a thermometer with an in-oven attachment so you can monitor the temperature and cook to a perfect medium-rare.
The entire event delighted foodies and winos alike, so if you missed it this year, definitely look out for tickets next year!
Thank you to Visit Loudoun for the tickets!