LINGANORE WINECELLARS 14th ANNUAL ‘MEDIEVAL MEAD, IRISH SAINTS & ENTWINED WITH THE VINES'
March 1-31, 2008

This March, let Linganore Winecellars help you celebrate the luck of the Irish at their 14th annual ‘Medieval Mead, Irish Saints & Entwined with the Vines’ tasting. Throughout the month, visitors will enjoy pairing more than 20 Linganore wines with distinctive Irish cheeses from Euro-USA in Sterling, Virginia and enticing desserts by local pastry chef, Linda Gourley, owner of Just Desserts in Sykesville, Maryland. Guests will also have an opportunity to use vines from the vineyard to create beautiful wreaths and cheerful decorations.

Saint Patrick’s Day—technically celebrated on March 17—has become a holiday made illustrious worldwide by the Irish people, and by many of non-Irish descent. Celebrations are generally themed around all things green and Irish, including the well-known Guinness. But, Linganore invites you to stray from this popular Irish imbibe and partake in fine wines, including the world’s oldest fermented beverage—Mead. Served at the annual Maryland Renaissance Festival, Linganore’s Medieval Mead is a honey wine, that when paired with Gourley’s savory Irish bread or Ginger Spice Mead Cookies, will take you back to a time of ancient Kings.“ Guests will have the opportunity to taste a product, made from only honey,” says Linganore winemaker, Anthony Aellen. “Mead has been made this way for over 6,000 years. In fact, it is where the honeymoon tradition comes from.” Other satiating desserts include a Spiced Apple Crisp simmered with Berrywine Spiced Apple wine and an Almond-Pear Tart, a buttery short dough crust cradling an almond filling topped with juicy ripe pears. Both are paired with various white and fruit wines, including Linganore’s Peach wine—semi-sweet and full of the flavors and aromas from the freshly picked fruit. In addition to tempting sweets, Linganore will treat you to a wonderful assortment of Irish cheeses—each incorporating a fantastic array of tastes. Begin with the Dubliner, a mature Irish cheese with elements of cheddar and sweet nutty tones like that of a swiss and piquant bite of aged parmesan. From Southwest Ireland, this cheese is aged a minimum of 12 months and pairs brilliantly with a variety of Linganore’s wines, including the limited Maryland Nouveau—a young and fruity low tannin red. Next, the Vintage Irish Cheddar—also from Southwest Ireland—offers a rich, rounded flavor with a distinctive creamy taste and firm smooth body and pairs well with Linganore Merlot—a full bodied red with a soft oak background, rich in black cherry, and plum overtones and the Estate Bottled Chambourcin—a rich, full-bodied red, with raspberry and oak overtones. Finally, the Irish Swiss. Aged over 90 days and produced from part-skim Irish milk, this smooth and mild cheese with its sweet nutty taste, pairs nicely with several wines, including Terrapin White—an off-dry dinner Riesling with a soft fruit background and Black Raven—a Pinot Noir style red , oak-aged with a crisp clean finish.

Whether you’re Irish or simply feeling the luck of the Emerald Isle, a visit to Linganore Winecellars this March is sure to uncover the wee bit of Irish in each of us.

Are you looking to host a special event, planning a wedding or simply looking for a new venue for your next business meeting? If you answered yes, then you must join Linganore Winecellars on Saturday, March 15 for their spring venue open house.
Tour Linganore’s versatile spaces and experience the peace and tranquility of the Aellen family’s picturesque 230-acre farm and 60-acre vineyard. The rolling hills and lush grounds offer an elegant setting for any event and the recent upgrades to the already magnificent Abisso Banquet Hall—a remodeled 19th century peg barn—and Bacioni Room, are sure to please even the most selective tastes.

“We are thrilled to showcase the beautiful changes that we have made to our winery,” says vintner/president, Anthony Aellen.
Events coordinator, Vania Jacobs adds, “Elegant cornices have been installed to the banquet hall windows to enhance the overall elegance of this room. And, the Bacioni Room finished in a Tuscan feel makes guests feel as if they are in a beautiful Villa under the Tuscan sun.”
After touring the many unique spaces, guests will enjoy a complimentary tasting of Linganore’s award-winning wines and food tasting, compliments of Christy King, gourmet consultant for TwoSisters Gourmet, while our professional staff helps you select the perfect wines to compliment your special occasion. While this event is free, reservations are required.

For reservations or a private meeting appointment, please call 301-831-5889 or email events@linganorewines.com.
Private appointments are available every 15 minutes.

RSVP deadline by March 10.