Let the Games Begin

You can tie food into just about any topic if you try hard enough, but with the Olympics being hosted in the Piedmont region of Italy—known for its wines, cheese and chocolate—the connection is really a no-brainer.

Getting into the sporting spirit is The Curious Grape in Shirlington. The shop is hosting a series of wine and cheese tastings featuring the products of Piedmont. You'll get a chance to award the wines with gold, silver and bronze medals, and the featured wines will be available at a 10 percent discount during the tastings. The wine tasting schedule is as follows:
Saturday, Feb. 11, 1 to 4 p.m. – Dolcetto
Thursday, Feb. 16, 6 to 8 p.m. – Moscato
Saturday, Feb. 18, 1 to 4 p.m. – Barbera
Thursday, Feb. 23, 6 to 8 p.m. – Barbaresco
Saturday, Feb. 25, 1 to 4 p.m. – Barolo

On Feb. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m., stop by for a demonstration of Alpine fondue using Italian cheeses, paired with Italian wines from the region. And, finally, on Feb. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m., the shop's managing director and certified wine educator Suzanne McGrath will present a seminar on regional cheeses paired with the featured Piedmont wines.

Meanwhile, throughout February Ristorante Tosca (pictured) is highlighting four "gold medal" dishes, including roasted veal and prosciutto ravioli; veal cheeks braised in a red wine sauce atop yellow corn soft polenta, sautéed spinach and gremolata; Piedmont style anchovy and butter dip with seasonal vegetables and roasted peppers stuffed with olive oil poached tuna; and a chocolate and hazelnut celebration cake with chocolate glaze, hazelnut crust, chocolate sauce and gianduia ice cream.

And last but not least, as reported in the Post Food section, D.C.'s own Roberta Donna, who is from Turin, will be a regular guest on the "Today" show during the Olympics, showing off his native region's food stuffs to Al Roker. Tune in tomorrow morning for his first appearance.