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All aboard!
The Orient Express is making its way through Fairplay Saturday, July 28 and for those who enjoy exotic food and good wine, the ride is well worth the price of the ticket.
According to Jim Brown of Sierra Oaks Estates Winery, the event is a must do for the area.
“It is a food and wine pairing event which is very popular and people seem to enjoy those,” Brown said. “We’re all high class end wineries and are all located very close together so it’s a day of fun, food and wine.”
The wine pairing event is held quarterly and draws from 50 to 60 people and this version of the event came about through a cooperative process.
“The six wineries get together and decide upon the date of the next event and decide upon the theme and more or less how it will function,” Brown said. “Because we’ve done a few, it’s kind of routine.”
Once a ticket for the event is purchased, event goers are assigned a starting winery. At 10:45 a.m., the participants meet at the assigned winery with guides who act as conductors. These conductors will take the “riders” to the six participating wineries.
“At the first winery, the travelers will fill out any mailing list forms or anything we might have for them and we explain how the day is going to work,” Brown said.
“Then we do the food and wine pairing with them. They have some time to taste other wines at the winery and purchase those that they want. At about 10 minutes before the hour, the conductor then directs the visitors to their cars and organizes the car caravan to the next winery,” Brown said.
Stops on the Orient Express include Sierra Oaks which is the visit to Japan. The tour there features spicy pork, vegetables, noodles and an exotic Asian sauce.
Mellowood is the stop for China and food includes crispy fried pork, and glass noodles with peanut sauce.
At Bechard Winery, the theme is India and event goers can get a taste of beef vindaloo.
At Chateau Routon, event attendees can enjoy Taiwanese sesame chicken and rice.
Mount Aukum Winery is Thailand and food includes po pia tod, satay chicken, giew tod, hed kra tiem, and steamed rice.
Finally, Golden Leaves is offering a Szechuan theme and food items include Shanghainese style wonton dumpling wrapped over shrimp, pork, cabbage, ginger and green onions.
“At the end of this particular event, everyone will go all together to a final winery stop where we’re going to have a drawing for prizes that we are giving out based on tickets that the travelers have accumulated during the day,” Brown said.
The cost to ride the Orient Express is $49.50 per person.
For more information call 1-800-591-9463 or visit mountaukum.com and look under wines.
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