Upcoming Events: Wine Dinner at Jaleo and More!

Family Wine Dinner at Jaleo DC:  Join us in celebrating our 20 year anniversary at Jaleo with an exclusive García Family Wine Dinner on 5/16 Eduardo García, the son of famed Mariano García, will preside over the dinner to showcase releases from a variety of Spain’s finest wine regions. Jaleo DC’s Head Chef Paul Yeck will prepare a chef’s tasting menu, prefect for pairing with the handpicked wines. The tasting menu will include items such as liquid olives/cones, carpacio of presa iberica de bellota with pinenuts, grilled soft shell crab with tomato and watermelon, confit of piquillos with iberico fat, cod cheeks with samfaina, smoke squab with truffles, paella of Iberico pork ribs, and pan con chocolate. Tickets are priced at $95 per person (excluding gratuity and tax) and seats are limited. For reservations, please call (202) 628-7949 or email downtown@jaleo.com.

Doukenie Greek Festival on May 18th:  The Greek Festival is an annual event that celebrates the Greek heritage of the winery, bringing a day full of fun, laughter, education, entertainment, and authentic Greek food to this beautiful destination. Enjoy a vineyard hay ride, learn about vineyard management with Leanne Wiberg, the winery’s resident geologist, watch mounted horse games, have your face painted or just listen to great music, taste delicious wines and eat traditional Greek food throughout the afternoon. For those interested in the more technical aspects of wine making, take a tour and learn the art and science of wine making with the experts of Doukénie Winery. This is a rain or shine event and the price is $20 per person until May 15 or $25 per person May 16 through the 18. The event starts at 11 a.m.to 6 p.m.  Tickets can be purchased online or by calling Maria at 540-668-6464 x 202.

On Sunday, May 19th, the Organization of Women of The Americas invites you to the 15th Annual Food Festival of The Americas. The family event is held from 11 AM to 5 PM and shares a bit of Latin American and Caribbean culture through food, crafts, music, and dance. There will be raffles to win fabulous prizes like air travel, gift baskets, and restaurant certificates. Proceeds will go towards a charity organization that supports women and children in Guatemala. For more information, visithttp://www.oas.org/oma/common_eng/food_festival.htm.

Lamb Jam:  On Monday, May 20th at the Eastern Market from 6-9 pm, 19 of DC’s top restaurants and chefs will come together to celebrate American Lamb by creating succulent and savory selections for the lamb loving public. It is a friendly chef/dish competition to garner awards and prizes in categories including “Best in Show,” “People’s Choice” and “Best Leg, Breast, Shank and Shoulder” with voting by a panel of key media representatives and event attendees. Tickets include gourmet lamb tastings, local wines and beers, hands-on American lamb butcher demos, lamb swag, sweets, caricature artist & much more! New this year, a VIP Pre-Party from 5-6 pm, includes specialty cocktails with a variety of American Lamb charcuterie and sheep’s milk cheeses. Beat the lines with the VIP Pass, only a limited supply available! To view participating chefs, sponsors and to purchase tickets visit: http://dc.fansoflamb.com/lamb-jam.dc/.

Celebrate 50 years of James Bond at The Jefferson's third James Bond Dinner on Thursday, May 23, 2013. Each course on Executive Chef Chris Jakubiec's'  five-course prix-fixe menu is inspired by a  famous Bond Girl and will be paired with a wine selected by Wine Director Michael Scaffidi. The dinner will feature oysters, head cheese terrine, and veal Scallopini Milano. Also keep an eye out for a wine from a thousand-year-old vineyard, costumed geishas, and a glow-in-the-dark wine label. The dinner is $285 per person and will begin with a reception in The Jefferson’s Book Room before continuing in the elegant Wine Room. Reservations can me made by calling Plume at The Jefferson, DC: 202.448.2301 

Springtoberfest at Caucus Room Brasserie:  This Memorial Day weekend, celebrate Springtoberfest with craft beer, spring delicacies and house made sausages at the Caucus Room Brasserie in the Westin Georgetown.  On Sunday, May 26, 2013 from 2-6pm, guests will enjoy delicious tastes featuring the bounty of spring such as boudin blanc with pickled ramps, beet mayo & mustard greens, pork belly with quinoa, peas & raisins, and linguica sliders with cornichon relish and smoked onions.  Craft beers will also be on tap from brewers like DC Brau, Flying Dog, and Ommegang.  General admission tickets provide five food tickets and 10 six-ounce beer tickets for $50; VIP tickets feature early access, have unlimited food items, and get 12 six-ounce beer tickets for $75. Tickets can be purchased at springtoberfest2013.eventbright.com.

Doukénie Winery Hosts the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon: Exercise, wine, music, and relaxation in Virginia’s wine country - nothing sounds healthier or well-balanced. Doukénie Winery in Purcellville, Va. will host the 3rd Annual Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon on Saturday, June 1, 2013. Produced by Destination Races and sponsored by Visit Loudoun and presenting sponsor Subaru, the popular event registration is already sold out. However, there is plenty of room for attendees to cheer the runners on and enjoy the vineyard landscapes and Doukénie’s Tasting Room. The 13.1 mile race begins and ends at Doukénie Winery, which also plays host to the post-race Wine & Music Festival. The event will feature 15 regional wineries, a local brewery as well as exhibitors and food vendors. The Short Hill Mountain Boyswill be present to add their bluegrass stylings to the atmosphere. The Tastings portion is $20 (glass included) and open to the public this year. Last year, the Half Marathon and correlating events raised over $2 million for charities, including the Chrohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America through the Team Challenge program and the Loundoun County Special Olympics making this event a sure winner.