WINE CLASS: The Benziger Family Winery
Wed, August 4th 2010 7PM-9PM at

Harry’s, 2094 Post Rd, Fairfield, 203- 259-4692
Leading the charge to a more earth-friendly Sonoma, the Benziger family, along with a handful of other wine producers and farmers, are really making a mark on the land they love so much. Did you know that wine can be organically produced and be delicious at the same time?! Some of the worlds best vineyards are and always have been organic, Biodynamic, and/or sustainable (can someone please make this easy for us to understand??? Yes!). Join us as we blow the roof off of the stigma attached to organic wines. It is sure to be a wonderful evening of education and wine with Erinn Benziger

Erinn Benziger, East Coast Sales Manager
The daughter of Mike and Mary Benziger and the eldest of the third generation of Benzigers to join the winery, Erinn was just a year old when she moved to the family’s Sonoma Mountain estate. By the time she was five, she could work the bottling line, and her education continued from there. Erinn worked in direct-to-consumer sales at her family’s winery for three years before joining the sales team of Kobrand. Today, Erinn is based in New York City and manages the East Coast.

Cost: $35 per person. Please call 203-259-4692 to make your reservation.

FAIRFIELD CHEESE COMPANY TO HOST MARK GILMAN

OF CATO CORNER FARM

MAKER OF CELEBRATED AMERICAN FARMSTEAD AND ARTISANAL CHEESES

Cato Corner Farm's Holligan, an award-winning local cheese

FAIRFIELD, CT-09 April, 2010-Award-winning cheesemaker and farmer, Mark Gilman, of Cato Corner Farm in nearby Colchester, CT will be appearing at Fairfield Cheese Company on Thursday, April 22^nd from 6:30-8pm

Gilman, whose cheese Hooligan has been named by both Saveur Magazine and Wine Spectator Magazine as one of America’s top cheeses, will be the guest speaker at a class held at Fairfield Cheese Company, part of an ongoing educational series offered through their Cheese School.

Meet the Maker: an Evening with Cato Corner Farm will be an evening of discussion and cheese tasting.  Mark will guide the class through his cheeses and speak about his farm and the current happenings in the American artisanal cheese movement. The cheeses will be expertly paired with wines from Harry’s Wine & Liquor.  The cost of this special tasting and pairing is $30.00 per person.  Please call Fairfield Cheese Company at 203.292.8194 to make a reservation as space is limited.

Located at 2090 Post Road (adjacent to Harry’s), Fairfield Cheese Company has quickly become Fairfield’s premier source for artisanal and farmstead cheese, charcuterie and fine foods. The shop offers regular tastings and an ongoing educational series, and also designs custom cheese platters and gift baskets.

For More Information, Contact:

Laura Downey or Chris Palumbo: (203) 292-8194

laura@fairfieldcheese.com

www.fairfieldcheese.com

The 2010 Guide to a Locally Sourced Thanksgiving Feast is now available here.
This morning I had the great pleasure of  appearing on News Channel 8′s Good Morning Connecticut with Chris Velardi. I’m so happy for the opportunity to spread the word about the wonderful food being grown and made by our farmers and help you find it! Please find a list and links to what I talked about with Chris on this morning’s show below. To watch the Ch. 8 video from this morning, click here.

A Local and Sustainable Thanksgiving

• Local and sustainably-raised turkeys
  • Local vs. store bought

The turkeys shown were a USDA Certified Organic Black Spanish (a Heritage breed) turkey from Old Maids Farm in S. Glastonbury, CT and Whole Foods Market private label all natural free-range turkey from Jaindl Farms in PA (the same one that supplies the White House).

o   How to order a CT-raised turkey

• Connecticut Farm Fresh Express (CTFFE), the online retailer of exclusively CT Grown foods, is offering fresh turkeys from Ekonk Hill Farm and frozen turkeys from USDA Certified Organic Old Maid’s Farm for special order and home delivery. Please follow the ordering instructions on this link.

o   A guide to buying all natural, free-range, organic and kosher turkeys in Fairfield County

• Turkey Tasting Event
  • Whole Foods Market Westport Holiday Turkey Tasting and Sustainable Discussion, Friday, November 13 from 4-7 pm
• Connecticut’s Fall Bounty – Seasonal fruits and vegetables and where to buy them
  • Farmers’ Markets still open for the season

• Darien
• Greenwich
• New Canaan
• Westport, both locations
• Stratford
• Branchville
• Fairfield at the FTC beginning Dec. 5

o   CT Farm Fresh Express, the online retailer of exclusively CT Grown foods, delivers to your doorstep.

• Restaurant-made local, organic vegetarian Thanksgiving side dishes
  • Health in a Hurry Organic Vegetarian Cuisine to Go
    • Green Bean Casserole, Roasted Vegetable Platter, Potato Tartlettes, and Stuffed pumpkins
    

    Health in a Hurry's Organic, Vegetarian Thanksgiving Side Dishes

• Select wines from the CT Wine Trail, available at Harry’s Wine & Liquor and other fine wine shops

• Sharpe Hill Vineyard’s Ballet of Angels
• Hopkins Vineyard’s Cabernet Franc
• Westford Hill Distillers’ fruit brandies, available at Harry’s and other fine wine shops
  • Fruit eaux-de-vie (fruit brandies) Poire Prisonierre
  

  From left: Sharpe Hill Vineyard's Ballet of Angels, Hopkins Vineyard's Cabernet Franc, Westford Hill Distillers' Poire Prisionniere and four eaux de vie (fresh fruit brandies). Courtsey of Harry's Wine & Spirits, Southport, CT.

Looking forward to seeing you again in December!