An Evening at the Inn at Meander Plantation

On Tuesday, April 21, 2009, Jean and I were fortunate to host a wine dinner at one of the finest historic inns in Virginia, the Inn at Meander Plantation.  Proprietors Suzie Blanchard and Suzanne Thomas have created a most unique bed and breakfast in the heart of the Virginia Piedmont.

Colonel Joshua Fry, a member of the House of Burgesses, patented the plantation in 1727, the first in Madison County. Thomas Jefferson was a frequent visitor, as was General Lafayette.  To walk the grounds, with the Blue Ridge Mountains as backdrop, is to be taken back to the early years of the birth of our nation.

Our dinner was the culmination of a two-day Inn cooking school.  Chef Blanchard and Executive Chef, Alexander Morris, hosted twenty-one guest “students” from points up and down the East Coast, sharing with them the secrets of gourmet cuisine, Virginia style. The entire dinner was prepared with an emphasis on locally produced ingredients. The five-course repast was paired with wines from Rappahannock Cellars.

A particular favorite of the guests was the third course, Pan Seared Rockfish, with Red Pepper and Onion in a White Wine & Orange Butter Pan Sauce, served with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Baby Carrots and matched with our 2007 Viognier.

The Inn’s cooking school program is conducted once a month–on Mondays and Tuesdays–year round.  If you are looking for a romantic, and restful excursion back to the early plantation days of Virginia, the Inn at Meander Plantation will not disappoint.  A full description of all the Inn’s services and accommodations is available on their website here.