>> Recipes of Winter 2008

CHEESE CRACKERS

Mild cheddar cheese blends with rich butter and puffed rice to form these addictive crackers.

Pair with 2006 Blenheim Farm Chardonnay, a full-bodied wine with a nose of fresh stone fruit; smooth with a lingering finish.

SPICED NUT MIX

Buttery macadamia and pecans mix with crunchy peanuts before being drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkling of earthy spices like cinnamon, clove, ginger and black pepper.

Pair with 2006 White Hall Vineyards Gewurztraminer, a bright wine with subtle sweetness, citrus and floral notes, and a spicy finish.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Rich chocolate centers coated with sugary cocoa powder sate even the most jaded sweet tooth.

Pair with Cooper Vineyards Noche, an ice wine-style vintage made from the Norton grape with a chocolate essence added.

THREE GO-TO PARTY FOODS

One of the main goals of hosting a party is to enjoy the company of your family and friends, but fretting over a menu for days ahead of time and laboring in the kitchen with complicated recipes requiring too many ingredients and too many steps in their preparation isn’t fun.

Relax. Along with a few fun tasting boxes, put out a couple of perennial favorites. You can never go wrong with some good quality bread—we love our homemade bagel chips for dipping and topping. In the dip department, hummus is always a winner; ours replaces the familiar chickpeas with black-eyed peas for an unusual twist. Do a little research and find other hummus recipes you like, or add your own favorite dip to the menu lineup. One additional element is offering some an item that folks can pop in their mouths; we like our marinated olives and cheese for their savory sophistication, but any one-bite goodie will do.

BAGEL CHIPS

Fresh bagels are sliced, each side brushed with olive oil and dusted with a sprinkling of coarse salt before being placed in a hot oven to toast and crisp on each side. The chips make a perfect platform for dipping in hummus or any creamy concoction.

BLACK-EYED PEA HUMMUS

Pureed black-eyed peas mix with herbs and seasonings and just a hint of peanut butter to create a rich, creamy alternative to traditional hummus. Serve in a large martini glass with a simple garnish of chopped flat leaf parsley.

MARINATED OLIVES & CHEESE

Premium green and black olives are marinated overnight in extra virgin olive oil, herbs and seasonings, plenty of minced garlic and lemon and orange zest. About an hour before service, cubes of sharp cheese are added and stirred in and the mixture is served in a large balloon wine glass.

EFFERVESCENT WISHES

A great way to bring in the new year—or mark any special occasion—is with a keepsake champagne bottle personalized with a special message.

We selected a favorite bottle of bubbly (check out Wine Down for some favorite Virginia sparkling wines) and soaked it in slightly soapy, warm water to remove the label. The wine bottle was then rinsed off, dried, and our message for to “Have a Grape New Year” applied with glass paint we picked up at a craft and hobby store.

After the fizz is, well, fizzed out, rinse out the bottle and keep it as a memento of good times.