GEORGETOWN: November at Via Umbria - Cheese Demos, Cocktails Classes and Wine Dinners

Italian café and market Via Umbria will host various events, including demos, tastings and dinners throughout the month of November. The events all correlate to designated themes for each week, which are Seafood, Alto Adige, Umbria, and Thanksgiving, respectively. 
Please note that most events require reservations, which can be made online or by calling 202-333-3904, as space is limited.

Classes & Demos
On Tuesday, November 1, Via Umbria will host a cocktail class exploring the history of the Italian bar. Guests will have the opportunity to taste five different recipes and then learn to craft the cocktail of their choosing with the market’s cocktail specialist, Michael Rovezzi. The class will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the café, and tickets can be purchased here for $25 per person. Reservations are strongly encouraged.
Two demonstration dinners will be held throughout the month, as well, falling on November 3 and 10. At the dinners, guests will observe, interact, and in some cases, participate, as Head Chef Johanna Hellrigl demonstrates how to make each course, followed by a three-course seated dinner at Via Umbria’s communal table. Following each week’s theme, the first dinner will be focused on the seafood of the Mediterranean, while the second dinner will be a celebration of fall flavors where guests learn to make pumpkin Gnocchi with a twist inspired by Alto Adige. Tickets for both dinners, which begin at 7:00 p.m., are $75 per person and can be purchased here and here, respectively.

CYOB (Choose Your Own Bottle) Dinners
Throughout the month of November, Via Umbria will host five of their signature CYOB (Choose Your Own Bottle) Dinners where guests are invited to arrive early for a brief wine tasting and are then given the opportunity to purchase wine at retail price, with no corkage fee, to accompany their meal. Each dinner’s theme will correspond to that week’s theme of either seafood, Alto Adige, Umbria, and Thanksgiving. The first dinner on November 4 will focus on seafood paired with unique white and sparkling wines. For the second two CYOB Dinners on November 17 and 18, special guest and sommelier Ombretta Ubaldi will be in attendance to help guide guests to the perfect wine pairing. Dinner on the 17th will highlight flavors and traditions of Umbria, while the next night’s dinner will be a “Friendsgiving” special. The final two CYOB dinners of the month will be held on November 29 and 30 and will feature a four-course Italian dinner from guest chef Simone Proietti-Pesci. All dinners will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will include four prix fixed courses for $75 per guest. Tickets for each can be found in the following links, in chronological order:
http://viaumbria.com/november-4-cyob-dinner.html
http://viaumbria.com/november-17-cyob-dinner.html
http://viaumbria.com/november-18-cyob-dinner.html
http://viaumbria.com/november-29-cyob-dinner.html
http://viaumbria.com/november-30-cyob-dinner.html

Cheese of the Month Club Party
Via Umbria’s Cheese of the Month Club Party will be held on Wednesday, November 2, and will highlight the l’Amuse Signature 2 Year Gouda. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., guests will have the opportunity to taste this nutty, creamy and complex cheese alongside the market’s award-winning cheesemonger Alice Bergen Phillips. Cheese of the Month Club members have free admission and will take home a half pound of Gouda at the end of the evening. For non-members, admission is $25 per person, and tickets can be purchased here. If accompanied by a member, admission will be at a discounted $15.

Wine and Dine
Via Umbria will also host three Wine and Dine dinners in November, where guests are invited to enjoy a four-course Italian dinner with wine pairings selected by the market’s experienced staff to complement each course. On Saturday, November 5, keeping with the week’s theme, the dinner will celebrate seafood with an evening of delicate fish, bold briny flavors and succulent savories prepared by Sous Chef Jaclyn Beasly. 
On the 12th, winemakers from Manincor Wine Estate will attend the dinner to help educate guests on their sustainable winemaking practices and the Province of Alto Adige. Finally, on November 19, the Wine and Dine dinner will feature special guest and sommelier Ombretta Ubaldi, who will walk guests through the wine pairings and unique flavors of her favorite Italian wines, which will be paired with all four courses of dinner prepared by Chef Johanna Hellrigl. All Wine and Dine dinners begin at 7:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased for $110 per person at the below links:
http://viaumbria.com/november-5-wine-and-dine.html
http://viaumbria.com/november-12-wine-and-dine.html
http://viaumbria.com/november-19-wine-and-dine.html

Bottomless Bellini Brunch
Every Sunday of the month, Via Umbria will host their weekly Bottomless Bellini Brunch in the Laboratorio demonstration kitchen. Brunch at Via Umbria offers guests classic brunch dishes with an Italian twist accompanied by fresh pastries, delicious sides, and a delectable dessert all paired with bottomless Bellinis, Mimosas or Bloody Marys. On November 27, guests will be joined by Bevagna’s own Chef Simone Proietti-Pesci for a relaxing afternoon of brunch and bubbles. Brunch is priced at $35 per guest and tickets can be found in the below links:
http://viaumbria.com/november-6-bottomless-bellini-brunch.html
http://viaumbria.com/november-13-bottomless-bellini-brunch.html
http://viaumbria.com/november-20-bottomless-bellini-brunch.html  
http://viaumbria.com/november-27-brunch-with-simone.html

Via Umbria is located in upper Georgetown, at 
1525 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

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