Living Picks: To-do this week

Festival       Charlottesville Dogwood Festival carnival opening  Bring the whole family to the first night of the carnival at this 67th annual event. Enjoy games, rides and more in honor of spring. Thursday 4/7. Free, 5:30-10:30pm. McIntire Park. 961-9824. Nonprofit The Day Soiree Celebrate nonprofits in the local community with this event that features food, games, music, […]

Past is present: A unique Virginia wine evokes ancient techniques

Since the dawn of civilization, brewers and winemakers have flavored beverages with herbs, resins, honeys, fruits, meats, barks and spices. In ancient Egypt, figs and honey helped jumpstart fermentations in amphorae, while chamomile and other herbs flavored the various wines. In ancient Greece, resins coated the inside of the clay vessels and acted as both […]

Food and Drink 2015

It’s a mouth-watering time to be a food-lover in Charlottesville. The solid foundation of our dining landscape—built by C&O, Mas, Fleurie and others—has paved the way for a new generation of culinarians. Now, we’re reaping the benefits of past and present as we head into our foodie future with scene-stealing newcomers like the little Neapolitan […]

Virginia Wine: Right Century, Right Season

What the Founding Fathers foundered at, 21st century Virginians are perfecting. Thomas Jefferson tried for 36 years to grow grapes suitable for winemaking. George Washington kept at it for 11. Virginia had the “soil, aspect, and climate of the best wine countries,” Jefferson contended. “We could, in the United States, make as great a variety […]