Back at the German Embassy in Washington DC. For the "Spargel Fest 2024", we were back at the German Embassy. The asparagus-centered food was prepared by Chef Mikko from the German Embassy. We served 9 German wines, sparkling and still, white and red, dry and fruity-sweet. With 64 sign-ups we were sold out. We were honored by the presence of Bill Stefan, (National) President of the American Wine Society, which has about 8000 members nationwide.
Invitation by the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter)
It is a pleasure to announce that the German Embassy has invited us once again to hold an event at the German Embassy House! And for this event, our asparagus-themed Spring Festival dinner, we will also have the opportunity to enjoy once again the cuisine of the German Embassy’s new chef, Mikko Kosenen of Mikko Nordic Fine Foods. Chef Mikko also operates a restaurant in Washington, D.C., and was formerly executive chef for the Ambassador of Finland. Please plan to join us to share our love of German wine paired with asparagus dishes, at the German Embassy where the German Wine Society began.
Spring in Washington announces itself with cherry blossoms, migrating songbirds, and tasty ramps at farmers’ markets. In Germany, nothing epitomizes Spring like the revered white stalks of Spargel (asparagus)! The green variety is more popular in North America and tends to be available in supermarkets year-round. Germans, however, prefer the white variety that is harvested from mid-April to near the end of June (St. John’s Day), and often is harder to find in the United States. The Germans have given this harvest season its own name - Spargelzeit - and celebrate it with passion.
Rich in nutrients and very low in calories, asparagus has become a culinary status symbol for many Germans. To produce white asparagus, soil is piled up into knee-high banks, which give the fields their characteristic appearance. White asparagus grows entirely surrounded by earth, which protects the slender stalks from sunlight exposure and keeps them from turning green. This also affects the subtle flavor of it. The popular vegetable is cultivated in almost all federal states as well as in neighboring countries. In fact, Germans consume more white asparagus than their country produces, so it is necessary to import it.
Please join the German Wine Society’s Capital Chapter on the evening of Friday, May 3, 2024, from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm, for a four-course asparagus-themed dinner in the German Embassy House, plus an outdoor reception with served hors d’oeuvres on the Embassy House patio (weather permitting). Our Spring Festival dinner will feature not only the elegant vegetable in both its green and white versions, but also fine German wines, including Silvaner, known for its affinity with asparagus. We will have seven whites including two containing Silvaner grapes, a red, and a sparkling wine, representing five of Germany’s wine regions. It has been a tradition of the German Wine Society to hold Spargelfest dinners at this time of year at various locations, including the German Embassy House, Cafe Mozart (now regrettably closed), and Cafe Berlin last year. We look forward to our return to the Embassy where our Society began 47 years ago, in 1977.
Sekt paired w/ asparagus frittata, curry wurst on toast and asparagus shrimp skewers. Delish & delightful!
Aspargus soup , green salad w/ blanched aspargus, dates and goat cheese, the rare treat of grilled white aspargus topped with extremely rich hollandaise sauce, a duo entrée featuring beef w/ mushroom au jus (and a miso crusted monkfish that MoWino skipped) & ending with/ a decadent dessert trio. It was specatuclar menu prepared by Chef Mikko Catering with a “WOW” wein pairing. Of note, the asparagus soup was an absolute 
course. 
Pre-event Consultation with Chef Mikko
The Wines
Bye-bye
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