When my friend sent out an email with the subject line, “Wine and Cheese Pairing,” she got my immediate attention, to say the least! Wine and cheese on a Saturday afternoon with my friends? Yes, please! Last Saturday, we ventured to Chadds Ford, Pa., for a wine and cheese pairing with a twist. Pennsylvania’s Delaware County has a number of wineries, with Chaddsford Winery, our host for the afternoon, one of the biggest with a number of wine-themed events, tastings and festivals throughout the year. The Wine & Cheese Pairing with a Twist runs Jan. 10 through Feb. 1, Saturdays 12 to 6 p.m. and Sundays 12 to 5 p.m., on the hour. I was immediately on board once I caught a glimpse of the food pairings, courtesy of the The Whirly Pig food truck. First up was the Proprietor’s Reserve White, similar in body and flavor to a Sauvignon Blanc, paired with a garlic crostini, Parmesan and a grape. The Barrel Select Chardonnay partnered with pasta with a three-cheese sauce and a pistachio dust. By far, my favorite was the third pairing: Pinot Noir with a devil on piggyback, a date stuffed with fresh goat cheese wrapped in bacon and drizzled with a Vermont maple syrup. The tasting is $20 per person. While I enjoyed all the wines and food, overall the tasting left a bit to be desired. The onsite house where the tasting was held lost heat that day, and it was a frigid January afternoon. One small space heater weakly attempted to warm the room, but it remained colder inside than outside. It would have been nice had they tried to accommodate us elsewhere or offered some small compensation for the inconvenience. All the food came out at once on a small plate, meaning it was cold by the time we got to the second and third pairing. And the entire experience felt a bit rushed, even though they started about 10 minutes behind schedule. Given the winery’s popularity and the number of successful events run yearly, I believe Saturday was an anomaly, not the norm, and the wines and food were certainly tasty enough to make it worthwhile. All the other winery staff encountered were friendly and helpful. Our visit coincided with a winter wine festival; food trucks and vendors filled the winery inside and outside. Ice sculptors were on hand, and people were huddled outside with wine beverages, both hot and cold, around fire pits enjoying live music. — Kim Krol, managing editor