St. Croix Food And Wine Experience Wraps Up

Attendees of the St. Croix Food and Experience's final event traveled to a warehouse on the island to enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvres along with wine and other spirits. Wine in the Warehouse was true to its name as participants sampled bites and wines amongst massive stacks of storage-sized crates of various beverages (just like your average Costco). A live band at the entrance of the warehouse kept the tempo light. But the small bites passed around were anything but.

Food highlights included rabbit pâté from Café de Christine. The thick and hearty paste spread well on crackers and helped balance out the light wine. The escargot from Christine's was another true star. The snails were coated in a pesto sauce that really brought out their tenderness. My favorite table at the event was a cheese smorgasbord. After all, what pairs better with vino than cheese? The standout offering at this popular table was the No Woman cheese. Hailing from Beecher's Handmade Cheese in Washington state, the creamy offering had just a tiny hint of Jamaican jerk spice that made it perfect for the event's location. My absolute favorite dessert of the night was a chocolate mousse topped with a slice of chocolate-covered bacon from Blue Water Terrace. The sweet and salty bacon paired perfectly well with the rich and sweet, but not at all cloying mousse. It was so tasty I downed three of them.

True to the event's name, a variety of wineries were in town pouring their various products. Vintage Point's Layer Cake malbec proved to be my vino. This dynamic wine was packed with a variety of flavors that would please any red wine fan. Palm Bay International's Ferrari Brut proved to be a light and bubbly beverage and a great way to kick off the night. Saint Michelle Wine Estate's Columbia Crest H3 merlot had great fruity notes. I ended my night with a cosmopolitan made by the folks at Grey Goose. This light and fruity classic cocktail was the perfect way to end a great week.

All in all, the Wine in the Warehouse event proved to be a tasty and celebratory way to cap off a week of fantastic meals, fun events, and friendly company. 

Teresa Tobat is a writer and editor based out of the Washington, D.C. area. See her website at teresaktobat.com. Follow her tweets @ttobat88