Page 84 - The Hunt - Winter 2022

Game meat is a standby at many rural holiday tables—especially rabbit. For those who don’t do fall hunting, it’s available
at some local butchers. “I remember my grandparents in Italy would raise them for meat,” says Carley Razzi, who co-owns Penns Woods Winery with her father, Gino.
Razzi pairs her rabbit with Penns Woods’ pinot noir. “It has a low tannic structure, much like a French-style pinot noir,” says Razzi. “The welcoming acidity and bright red fruit in the pinot perfectly balance the mild, almost sweet flavors in the rabbit.”
Anthony Vietri has been patronizing
local cheesemakers at his Va La Vineyards in Avondale since it opened more than 20 years ago. For the perfect sampling, Vietri chooses three. “The fresh goat chèvre with honey from Shellbark Hollow Farm in Honey Brook is a creamy, soft cheese produced from Nubian goats and marinated with a local honey,” he says.
Next comes Seven Sisters, a cheese made by the Farm at Doe Run. “It’s an award-winning raw cow’s milk cheese—mild, with cave-aged
Every celebration needs to start with a sparkling wine, and a few good ones are produced locally. At 1723 Vineyards in Kemblesville, Ben and Sarah Cody make theirs from cabernet franc and chardonel, a relatively new and interesting hybrid grape.
Gouda-style flavors,” Vietri says.
Finally, there’s the Lanchego, a raw sheep’s
milk cheese by Wakefield’s De Glae Organic Farm. It’s made with a vegetable rennet and washed in organic extra-virgin olive oil.
For a perfect pairing, Vietri suggests his La Prima Donna, a blend of Italian and French white grapes with some extra skin time to enrich its flavors. “We’ve served it in the tasting room with the Shellbark chèvre and honey for almost 20 years,” he says.
Family gatherings in the chill of winter
demand comfort food. For its popular shepherd’s pie, the Whip Tavern uses ground lamb from Atglen’s MacCauley Suffolks sheep farm. Lele Galer’s vegetarian version incorporates local portobello mushrooms, vegetable broth and Indian spices. “I’d pair it with our Galer Grüner Veltliner or Red Lion Chardonnay,” says the owner of Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery in Kennett Square.
With a little practice, Brandywine Valley wine and food pairings may well become standard holiday fare. TH
82 THE HUNT MAGAZINE winter 2022-23