by Ashley Eames
Capital Cooking Contributor
Friday night the Washington Wine Academy hosted a special wine event at the Athenaeum in Old Town, Alexandria. It was the perfect opportunity to set the mood for Valentine’s Day and indulge in one of the most perfect combinations: Red wine and chocolate.
The Athenaeum, part of the Virginia Fine Arts Association, provided an exquisite backdrop for the event with their
current exhibition by GA Gardner. The room was light and airy with high-top tables scattered around the room and draped with dark red cloths. An assortment of chocolates were presented to compliment each of the wines.
The evening’s line-up was composed of 14 carefully selected wines, including 12 traditional red wines, a rose and one very special chocolate wine. The wines were sourced from France, Italy, Austria, Argentina, Portugal, Washing State and even two local Virginia wineries. The first wines we tasted were meant to be paired with lighter milk chocolate desserts. My favorite of this set was the Averoldi Gropello, an obscure varietal from Italy’s Lombardy region. The wine was light and earthy with a hint of spice. It seemed to be a favorite with the crowd as well.
Out of the full-bodied wines there were two that stood out among the rest. The first was an Ameritage from
Pearmund Cellars in Broad Run, VA. The spicy, complex wine was a Bordeaux style blend that was composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Merlot.
My all-time favorite was the chocolate red wine from Washington State, Red Decadence. Upon smelling this wine you could tell that it would live up to its name. The rich chocolate taste is the perfect finish to a romantic meal.
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