Image courtesy of Mount Vernon Estate
Mount Vernon Estate
The special relationship between the United States and France dates back to the days of George Washington, when France granted Washington honorary French citizenship for serving the cause of liberty in the Revolutionary War.
That French-American friendship has inspired a group of Alexandria residents to organize a French-Virginia wine dinner Aug. 3 to benefit Mount Vernon.
Tickets to the wine dinner are $250 each. Proceeds from the ticket sales will go toward restoration of the west front of the exterior of the Mount Vernon mansion. Purchase tickets here.
The organizing group, dubbed "Mount Vernon Neighborhood Friends" is made up of residents who live in the area surrounding Mount Vernon, noted Ann Somerset, who serves on the group's steering committee.
Neighborhood Friends, which got its start in 1987, is made up of residents who live on one of Washington's original five farms that surround the estate, in the ZIP codes 22309, 22308 and 22121. They are also members of Mount Vernon (Kara Hershorin at Mount Vernon serves as membership manager and you can find out more about membership here).
The exclusive Virginia and French Wine Dinner organized by Neighborhood Friends, is set for Saturday, Aug. 3, 6:30 p.m., at Mount Vernon Country Club, to benefit the restoration of George Washington's Mount Vernon estate. (The country club, located at 5111 Old Mill Road, is also situated on one of Washington's original farms.)
Organizers of the dinner note that George Washington often toiled over the years attempting to create his own vineyards on the Mount Vernon estate. He would likely be proud of the accomplishments of Virginia's wine industry today, 312 wineries and growing (read more about the state of the Virginia wine industry in this recent article from Forbes).
At the Aug. 3 wine dinner, Jason Tesauro, chief sommelier of Barboursville Vineyards, will compare and contrast four Virginia wines with their French cousins. A local wine expert will also be on hand, as well as a representative from Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon Country Club Executive Chef Bryan LaForge will prepare a four-course dinner, pairing the courses with each wine.
