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Chester County Press

Murder most foul and delicious at Chaddsford Winery

01/15/2025 12:12PM ● By Caroline Roosevelt
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By Caroline Roosevelt
Contributing Writer

You’re either a games and organized fun person, or you’re not. Historically, I am more of a mingler, but I was happy to provide fresh eyes and perspective on Chaddsford Winery’s 10th annual Murder Mystery: An Auction For Murder event as it kicked off last Saturday and will be performed on weekends through the end of January.

In honor of the tenth anniversary, Chaddsford Winery is taking the evening back to the theme of their first iteration of the murder mystery dinner: An Auction for Murder. The event includes a five-course dinner paired with wine from CFW, with each course stationed in a different location in the winery and as guests eat and drink their way through the property, they hopefully find clues to solve the murder.

The story for the evening centered around a murder at an auction for George Washingtons’ wine,  which had been discovered under the winery’s old farmhand cottage. Upon entering the winery, I was greeted by the auctioneer character, J.J. Huckster. I joined all the other attendees in the foyer, as we awaited instructions and the beginning of the event. Once everyone was in their places, J.J. Huckster led us to the barrel room.

As I descended the wooden staircase, the temperature dropped, almost matching the temperature outside. The event details suggest bringing a coat, and while I usually take these recommendations lightly, I’m glad I actually behaved and wore a wool coat. The first course, a charcuterie spread of cheese, cured meats, olives and accompanying veggies was thoughtfully paired with three different wines from the estate. As a seasonally agnostic wine drinker, I chose the blush. Once served, I took my seat with the rest of the group, and enjoyed my pairing as J.J. Huckster started the auction and Ms. Burgundy was subsequently murdered. From this point on, the game was afoot, and the wine poured.

The next course, a grilled cornbread and mushroom ragout paired with the 2023 Presage Epilogue, solidified itself early on as one of my favorite courses. In my humble opinion, you just can’t miss with cornbread and something warm to scoop up with it. The wine played nicely with the creamy mushroom, and while others were searching for clues, I zeroed in on my plate and chatted it up with the other guests, as the wine did its thing.

We made our way back to the wooden staircase for the third course, a rigatoni with tomato cream and peas paired with 2023 Carbonic Cabernet Franc served by the suspicious Monsignor (whom I had convinced myself was the murderer by this point). 

I met a lovely family of sisters and mother who were celebrating a birthday, and had previously attended a murder mystery aboard a train, as well as several couples, all of whom had attended murder mysteries before.

These people knew the formula, where to look for the clues, and who the murderer was before I even got to dessert. While waiting in line at the braised short rib and creamy polenta station, I overhead an attendee whisper to their friend, “It’s never the one you most suspect, and it’s never the one you least suspect. it’s usually the one who you ‘medium suspect.’” I medium suspected a lot of people all the time for various things so this didn’t help me much, but the 2020 Artisan Series Merlot swirled beautifully in my glass, and I did my best to find a clue or two, although usually I was just nodding my head to another guests’ discovery and repeating to everyone throughout the night that “my brain just doesn’t work this way.”

I then joined my fellow sleuthers in the tasting room for chocolate panna cotta and warm holiday spirit. We filled out our cards, providing our final decision on who we each thought murdered Ms. Burgundy, as well as why. Spoiler alert: I was dead wrong. However, I’d still mark the evening a success. The food, the wine, the company shared and the location were all divine and I’d been charmed by an evening of organized fun. Clearly, I’m not alone, as this event has been running for ten years, and this Fridays’ performance is already sold out.

Murder mystery aficionados have until the end of January to join in on the fun at Murder Mystery: An Auction For Murder. Tickets are available now at https://www.chaddsford.com/pages/murder-mystery-an-auction-for-murder. The evening runs from 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Chaddsford Winery on Jan. 17, 18, 24, 25 and 31. Wear a heavy coat.