Wednesday, June 19th, 6:30pm
Hosted by Vittorio di Lenardo, sixth generation of the di Lenardo family
5 courses with wine pairings by di Lenardo, $165 per person, excludes tax and gratuity
Reservations required. Call to reserve, 540-253-5501. A credit card is required with your reservation.
We invite you to join us as Chef Lou and Lydia continue to celebrate 20 years of being at Girasole, and over 30 years of being restauranteurs! Since 1991, with their first restaurant Panino located in Manassas, they have proudly served authentic Italian food as a fully chef-owned and operated business. We began New Year’s Eve with a special fixed priced menu, we continued into 2024 with a series of cooking demonstrations led by Chef Lou, and we continue to celebrate our 20 years by bringing the best of Italy to our small village of The Plains.
On Wednesday, June 19th at 6:30pm, we invite you to help us celebrate the unique wines of di Lenardo accompanied by rustic dishes of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Each of the five courses have been thoughtfully created by Chef Lou to compliment the wines of di Lenardo, and to celebrate over three decades of friendship with the di Lenardo family. Vittorio di Lenardo, sixth generation of di Lenardo, will be presenting his family’s wines at the dinner. Please call to reserve, 540-253-5501. A credit card is required with your reservation.

Antipasto di Benvenuto
Welcome appetizer
Friulano ‘Toh!’ DOC 2022
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Funghi Fritti
Local and foraged mushrooms lightly fried tempura style,
thinly sliced prosciutto di San Daniele ‘Black Label’
Refosco IGT 2021
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Blecs con Ragù d’Anatra
A hand cut, thin buckwheat pasta served with a duck ragù
Merlot ‘Just Me’ IGT 2020
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Capesante Gratinate
Diver scallops baked with herbs and breadcrumbs
Pinot Grigio Ramato ‘Gossip’ DOC 2022
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Presnitz
A rolled pastry filled with nuts, dried fruit, citrus, and spices
Verduzzo ‘Pass the Cookies’ 2022
*Menu and pairings subject to change based on availability
About di Lenardo
Located just outside Udine and not far from the Slovenian border, the di Lenardo family has been cultivating grapes in the village of Ontagnano since the 1800s. But it was not until the mid 1980’s, under Massimo di Lenardo, that the winery’s quality took a great leap forward. Motivated by the desire to create outstanding wines full of character and to place emphasis on the pure fruitiness and acidity of the grape by eliminating the masking effect caused by final maturation in oak barrels, Massimo made drastic changes in the vineyards and in the cellar. Hand harvesting grapes farmed only on the family’s vineyards flanked by the planting of new specially selected varieties helped realize Massimo’s vision for his family’s winery. Combined with the employment of modern technologies and refined methods of vinification used in the cellar, di Lenardo produces wines that are in no way inferior to the beauty of the gorgeous landscape of Grave del Friuli.
Today, di Lenardo produces some of the most consistent and expressive wines of the Friuli DOC area, and di Lenardo is in no way standing still, as Massimo is constantly searching for ways to improve in the vineyards and in the cellar.

“The vineyards are located in the famous area Friuli DOC . However, I love to joke and say we are located on the moon, as our wines are rather exceptional, thanks to their unique tastes and aromas, which are by no means typical of this area, but are essentially our hallmark!”
Massimo di Lenardo
Bio taken from www.dilenardo.it
