Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands (November 23, 2009): The BVI Charitable Fund, which is organizing the December series of the 2009 Virgin Islands Winemakers Dinners, announced today that seven local restaurants will be hosting seven different luncheons between December 3rd and 6th featuring various winemakers who are participating in the four Winemakers Dinners during the same period. Tickets to each luncheon, which will all feature a 3-4-course meal with 3 different wines, are available for just $50 per person.

The first two luncheons will be held on Thursday, December 3rd in Virgin Gorda with one luncheon at the Bitter End Yacht Club featuring Antoine and Quentin Paillard from Grand Cru Champagne producer Pierre Paillard in Bouzy, France and the menu includes tropical ahi sandwich, Anegada brioche biscotti with lobster bisque espresso and grilled porcini lamb t-bones with portabella potato “risotto”.  The second luncheon of the day will be held at the Mine Shaft Café featuring Andres Belinsky of Terrazas de los Andes and Cheval des Andes in Argentina with a menu offering West Indian fish tea, patty and coco bread and miner’s bbq pork medallions.

The next two luncheons will be held in Tortola on Friday, December 4th with one luncheon at the Tamarind Club featuring Johannes Haart of Weingut Rienhold Haart in Piesport, Germany and the menu includes Tamarind’s creamy seafood, Caribbean carrot & ginger soup, 
mahi mahi baked in a banana leaf with coconut, tomato and green chile and lemon & herb roasted Cornish hen.  The second luncheon of the day will be held at Long Bay Beach Resort & Villas featuring Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga of Tenuta San Leonardo, Trentino, Italy with a menu offering roulade of beef tenderloin, baked linguine pasta and Long Bay’s signature tiramisu with almond amaretto tulip.

Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga

An additional two luncheons will be held on Saturday, December 5th with one luncheon at the Restaurant at Leverick Bay, Virgin Gorda featuring world famous master sommelier Larry Stone of Francis Ford Coppola’s Rubicon Estate in Rutherford, California and the menu includes blue fin tuna sashimi with wasabi and ginger, grapefruit snapper ceviche, lime conch salad and New Zealand rack of lamb.  The second luncheon of the day will be held at Myett’s Garden and Grille in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola featuring two German winemakers Gerhard Grans from Weingut Grans-Fassian and Johannes Haart of Weingut Rienhold Haart with a menu offering such diverse items as pepper pot soup, conch ceviche, oven roasted mofongo stuffed boneless chicken breast, spicy vegetarian roti and almond rum tart topped with a lemon cream with almonds fresh from Cane Garden Bay almond trees and Myett’s branded rum.

The final luncheon will be held on Sunday, December 6th at the Fat Virgin Café at Biras Creek, Virgin Gorda featuring Gerhard Grans from Weingut Grans-Fassian in Leiwen, Germany. The menu will include honey spiced pumpkin soup, Caribbean goat curry and conch served with savory black-eyed peas and rice.

Ajit Mathew George, Co-Chair of the BVI Charitable Fund said,  “The 2009 Winemakers Dinners are a series of exclusive events during which guests will have the opportunity to meet some of the most gifted winemakers in the world and sample their award-winning wines. These are wines are expertly paired with innovative creations by international master chefs and some of the best BVI chefs. All the wineries are donating the wines poured during this event while each restaurant hosting the luncheon is donating the food and staffing.”

A VIP Reception will kick off the December series of the Winemakers Dinners on December 2nd at Pirates Bight on Norman Island, allegedly the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. In addition to the seven luncheons, there will be four dinners but all four dinners are sold out.

A limited number of tickets to the December luncheon are now available for sale through members of the Rotary Club Sunrise for $50 per ticket. For more information, please contact Monica Ramgeet at 542-2811. Luncheon tickets are also available from the BVI Charitable Fund by emailing [email protected].
    
The Co-Chairs of the BVI Charitable Fund are the Premier of the British Virgin Islands, the Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE and Ajit Mathew George, Managing Director, Nail Bay Resort. The BVI Charitable Fund was established on Easter Monday, March 24, 2008 with a $25,000 challenge grant from Nail Bay Resort to create new and innovative fund-raising events to benefit various charities in the BVI by attracting support from both outside and with the BVI while at the same time promoting this destination to potential new visitors.

The four beneficiaries of the net proceeds of the 2009 Winemakers Dinners are all in the British Virgin Islands including The BVI Red Cross, St. Mary’s School, Virgin Gorda, St. George’s School, Tortola and YEP (Youth Empowerment Project) in the East End, Tortola.

The BVI Tourist Board is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2009 and 2010 Winemakers Dinners. For additional information on winemakers, chefs, lunch and dinner locations, visit www.winemakersdinners.com.

For PG's coverage of the Winter Winemakers Dinners: http://bviguides.com/Domains/bvipropertyguide/editorial/december_winemakers_dinners.html