McLean Uncorked International Wine Festival To Feature Alton Brown 10/15

Food Network host and "Gastrophysicist" Alton Brown will be the featured guest at McLean Community Center's (MCC) newest event, McLean Uncorked Food & Wine Festival. The international wine festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15. Admission to the festival is free; however there are fees for celebrity presentations, seminars, wine tastings and a Wine-and-Dine-Around to be held after the festival. Cosponsored by the Friends of the McLean Community Center, the festival also features Washington, D.C.'s own Chef Bob Kinkead of the critically acclaimed restaurant Kinkead's, An American Brasserie. Celebrity presentations are open to all ages; however, seminars and Wine-and-Dine-Around registrants must be 21 years old or older. Advance registration is required. MCC is located at 1234 Ingleside Avenue.

Celebrity Presentations
Producer and star of several Food Network television shows, including "Good Eats," "Iron Chef America" and "Feasting on Asphalt," Brown is a prolific cookbook author and magazine contributor. He will discuss his career and his latest book, Good Eats 2, at the festival. Brown's presentation is scheduled for 1:30-2:30 p.m. and again at 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Alden Theatre. Chef and owner of Kinkead's, An American Brasserie, Kinkead is a recipient of the prestigious James Beard Award and several other food industry awards. Former owner of the Colvin Run Tavern, this dynamic, affable chef will speak at 11 a.m.-Noon in the Alden Theatre at MCC.

To purchase tickets to the celebrity presentations by Alton Brown and Bob Kinkead, contact OvationTix by phone (1-866-811-4111), or purchase them in person, online (www.aldentheatre.org), or by fax (703-893-9334) through The Alden.

Wine Tastings
Wine and food vendors will offer tastings throughout the building. A Wine Taster's Wristband is $40 per person, $30 for McLean tax district residents, and includes a souvenir wine glass. Patrons must be 21 years of age to purchase wristbands. Tastes of select wines from around the globe, including France's Burgundy and Rhone regions, and hidden corners, the Pacific Northwest, Spain, Italy, Argentina, Chile, Austria and Germany will be available, as well as from various Virginia wineries. Balducci's Food Lovers Market will have bento boxes of hors d'oeuvres for sale as well.

Seminars
McLean Uncorked also will offer seminars on such subjects as wine and cheese pairing, great inexpensive wines, Virginia wines, varieties of port wine, how to choose wine and pairing cognac and chocolate. McLean's own Chain Bridge Cellars will conduct many of the seminars, which are $34 each, $24 for McLean tax district residents. Advance registration is required for the seminars (must be 21 years old or older) and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wine-and-Dine-Around
Following the festival, MCC is offering a three-course, Wine-and-Dine-Around from 5-10 p.m. The cost is $85 per person, $75 for McLean tax district residents. The evening kicks off in the McLean Project for the Arts' Emerson Gallery with fine art, hors d'oeuvres and champagne. Following the reception, a trolley will whisk patrons off to a delectable, progressive dinner at three of the area's finest restaurants.

For more information, or to register for the seminars or the Wine-and-Dine-Around, call the Center at 703-790-0123, TTY: 711 or visit: http://www.mcleancenter.org/special-events/mcleanuncorked.asp.

To post a comment, you must register and login.