History & Wine in Winchester, Virginia

Leaving Maryland in the rear view mirror after our visit to Distillery Lane Ciderworks, we headed toward the Shenandoah Valley. We made a quick stop at Winchester Ciderworks, where the tasting cost $5 and took place outside. The ciders were not to my liking, but my friend picked up a can of the Malice cider, which was also purchased by the case by a local who stopped by, so they do have fans.

As we drove toward Winchester's Old Town, we had to stop at the highly visible Virginia Farm Market - for the pumpkin displays alone. However, the market turned out to be a produce and treat paradise. All of their current apples were available for sampling -- the Cameo was among the sweetest I had tasted, while my friend loved the Nittany, and we bought a few of each for future snacking. Less healthy options such as donuts could also be sample and purchased.

After a picnic lunch in the car, we explored part of Winchester's old town, which contains many historic buildings, most of which have been restored and some of which can be found on the pedestrian mall. It being Sunday, not all the stores were open, but I was glad the cozy bookshop, Winchester Book Gallery, was open for business. I could have browsed for a long time and spent a great deal of money as their selection of books, cards, and gifts was well curated.Yet I managed to limit my purchases to a few cards and one children's book, the absolutely lovely new "Thank You & Good Night" by Patrick McConnell. The shop had fantastic decorations.

The loft area was dedicated to children's books, as well as a cozy reading corner. I could easily spend an hour or two here!

The murals in the children's area were just as wonderful as the murals on the first floor.

Many of Winchester's old buildings were constructed of stone and brick, and looked like they will last another two hundred years.

After strolling around town, we were chilled to the bone and chose to examine a winery recommended by a local. What a perfect suggestion that was! Located a bit south of Winchester, in the small town of Stephens City, Valerie Hill Winery & Vineyard is a true destination winery. The tasting rooms are located in a 200-year old home, which provides a comfortable and rather cozy atmosphere. A couple of rooms had tables that seat four, while the area in which we relaxed had a couch and smaller tables for two.

Although the tasting ($8) was tempting, the moment I saw mulled wine ($5 a glass), the deal was sealed. Many northern European families, mine included, serve mulled wine at Christmas, but it's also the perfect drink on a chilly autumn day. Chili and cornbread were also being offered, and a duo was singing and playing guitar on the heated porch. We arrived close to 4:30pm, which is last call on Sundays, but one could tell that most guests had spent their afternoon enjoying the wine and the atmosphere. The woman at the table next to ours had chosen to do her writing and studying at Valerie Hill instead of a cafe or library. In warmer weather the winery also has outdoor seating on a patio and in the backyard.

Our slightly boozy day of exploring had been fun, but it was time to find a hotel in Winchester and rest up in preparation for the next day of adventures.

Sugarloaf Mountain - Winery & Hike

A sunny Sunday afternoon called for yet another outing, this to Sugarloaf Mountain and the winery that sits at its foot - Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard. Located in the furthest corner of Montgomery County, the winery is a short drive from the DC area and a wonderful destination for an outing, as witnessed by the many people imbibing on this particular day. The tasting room is not large, and can only accommodate groups of four or less at each table. There is much space outdoors, however, and a fire pit was helping keep visitors warm even on a cool day.

Unlike many wineries that only offer tastings, SMV has a larger selection of drink and snack options. The standard option of six wine tastings for $10 seemed to be the one that no one was choosing! I decided to try the sangria, which I saw quite a few other customers drinking, too. In winter months, mulled wine is offered instead of sangria. One can also buy an entire bottle of wine to enjoy, or any of their six wines by the glass. Additionally, they sell locally produced cheese, as well as a variety of chips and crackers. The only problem with the cheese was difficult-to-open plastic packaging and lack of a sharp knife to open it, as only a plastic utensil was provided.

After enjoying our wine, we drove the short distance to Sugarloaf Mountain, which - interestingly - is not owned by any government agency or entity, but rather is owned and operated by a non-profit organization. One can either park at the very foot of the mountain, and climb up, or drive up partway and climb from there. We choose the less strenuous option, although it was still a good workout. Sweeping views of the region abound.

Stairs that we used to climb down; climb up was just via mountain path/rocks.

This icicle did not yet know it's spring.

Many birds and airplanes spotted during the hike.

Looking Back at 2014, Ringing in 2015

My apologies for the longer silence! The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of busy. Without further ado, I present a quick review of 2014.

Best Family Event

• Christmas in Michgan: A total of 17 people, two cats and one dog at its busiest, this extended family Christmas celebration was a wonderful opportunity to get together. A big thanks goes to my sister and brother-in-law for hosting this large and sometimes rowdy gang!

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Almost everyone!

Best Non-Family Event

• Garezers Summer High School 50th anniversary celebration in July was So. Much. Fun.

Best Trips

• The two weeks I spent in Latvia and Lithuania in May were just fantastic: seeing lovely nature, visiting new and already beloved places, meeting family and friends, experiencing culture, and commemorating history. I was particularly happy to visit Riga while it was European Capital of Culture. The time was so full of wonderful experiences that it took me weeks and many posts to write about it.
• A long weekend on the Outer Banks, North Carolina in October was a welcome respite from daily life, and an excellent opportunity to finally visit that state, my 35th.

Biggest Purchase

• In the closing days of 2014, after much researching, hunting, and test driving, I finally bought a new set of wheels! Now I have plenty of room to ferry tall (or short) family and friends, plus I'm ready to start planning some road trips in the new year. Any suggestions?

Best Book Read

Best Restaurant Meals Enjoyed

• High Cotton BBQ on the Outer Banks 
• Terra in Grand Rapids

Best Wine Enjoyed 

• Chardonnay Sur Lie from Zephaniah Farm Vineyard

While 2014 had many ups, it certainly had its share of downs. I'm looking forward to 2015 and what it brings, hoping it will be a more peaceful and happy year for our world. May your new year be filled with health, happiness, and fun adventures!

Springtime in Northern Michigan (Digging Up the Past)

While I'm traipsing through Europe enjoying gorgeous northern nature, strong coffee and ancient Baltic languages and cultures, I figured I could pre-write at least one blog post about older travels so that my five or six loyal readers would have something to peruse during my almost immeasurably long absence. (Ha, who am I kidding?! I live in the United States, meaning I'm incredibly lucky I can manage a two-week vacation for the first time in my life!)

In the spring of 2009, the wedding of my old friend Roberts to Liene (aka Femme au Foyer) and the birth of my newest nephew called for a trip to Michigan. I decided that it was time for me to also explore some new places, as it seemed that every time I traveled to Michigan, a lot of time was spent in just the southwestern corner of the state. Therefore, I borrowed a car and headed north. In just a couple of days I discovered what quickly became one of my favorite corners of the world. Old Mission Peninsula and Traverse City are absolutely gorgeous places to explore, and I wish I had the time and resources to spend a week there every year!

Other than admiring orchards with blooming trees (northern Michigan is best known for its cherries, and apples), I drove the entire length of Old Mission Peninsula, a small and peaceful place - particularly in the off season. The peninsula is 32 square miles large (only 22 miles long - in some spots you can see water on both sides as it is quite narrow), and Mission Point Lighthouse, built in 1870, sits at its very tip.

On my road trip I also drove through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which is yet another beautiful place to include on your bucket list. The 7-mile long Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is worth your time, even if you do nothing else in the park. I did walk out to the dunes at one point to find a fantastic view of Lake Michigan - the different shades of blue were breathtaking.

A view of Glen Lake from the scenic drive

Dunes overlooking Lake Michigan

During my trip, I treated myself by staying at the wonderful Korner Kottage Bed & Breakfast in Suttons Bay. I also savored an amazing meal at the cozy (might feel too cozy at a busy time) but outstanding restaurant, The Cooks' House, in Traverse City. At the time, they were open for lunch, which is when I dined there, but it seems they have altered their schedule to only serve dinner.

The following year, in the spring of 2010, I had scheduled a spring trip to Europe. However, a tiny thing called Eyjafjallajokull - otherwise known as the Icelandic volcano that kept erupting and grossly disrupting international air travel - changed those plans. Suddenly I had vacation time to use up, and needed a place to go. Easy and inexpensive way to solve that problem: visit family in Michigan! Mom was game for a short road trip to northern Michigan, so I was excited to revisit a couple of places I'd seen the year before and discover new spots.

The roadside contrasts of white blossoms, yellow dandelions, green grass and blue skies impressed us as we explored the wineries of Old Mission Peninsula.

Too early for grapes, but dandelions were plentiful!

We visited three wineries that day (I was designated driver, so my wine intake was minimal!): Peninsula Cellars, Bowers Harbor Vineyard, and Chateau Chantal. Our favorite - by far - was Bowers Harbor. In addition to the wine being excellent and to the vineyard's mascot being a big fuzzy friendly Bernese Mountain dog, the gentleman working in the tasting room at the time was very personable and helpful. In chatting with him, we found out that he had lived in the Washington, D.C. area for many years, and had traveled to Riga several times for his government work. A serious benefit to visiting these types of establishments outside of their peak seasons (mom and I were there in the middle of the week in the middle of May) is being able to speak with and interact on a more personal level with owners and employees. We enjoyed the riesling so much that I purchased a bottle for mom as a Mother's Day gift.

Mom and I also ventured further north, stopping in Elk Rapids and Charlevoix before our final stop in Petoskey. I will not try to outdo a professional writer, Ann Patchett, who published an absolutely fantastic piece on Petoskey in the New York Times the following year. I dare you to read that essay and not wish to immediately book your next summer vacation to northern Michigan!! As Patchett writes, "Within 10 minutes I started to wonder how I could spend the rest of my life in Petoskey."(Well, a Michigan winter might cure her of that desire, but we understand what she's getting at.)

Anyhow, I hope none of you are missing me too terribly and that you are having a good week!

Take a Trip: Pizza, Wine and Snow in Leesburg, Virginia

Yes, that word "snow" in the title does not belong! It is quite unusual for the DC area to experience the white stuff as late as March 30, but this year has proved to be highly irregular.

Initially I had hoped to take a daytrip to a town slightly further away, but that outing would have involved a fair amount of time outside. Although the weather forecasts did not really call for snow during the day, it did call for a yucky day - rainy, windy, cold. Thus, a friend and I came up with another plan, which is very easy to do in this area, given the plethora of options.

We drove through the pouring rain to Leesburg, Virginia, first stopping for some bargain shopping at the local outlet mall. While picking out a million things to try on at a certain clothing store, I looked out the window - only to see enormous snowflakes being whipped around by the wind. This made the rest of our shopping trip very quick, as running between stores while being assaulted by snow and wind was less than pleasant.

We headed into historic downtown Leesburg for lunch. Due to my diet (gluten-free), I prefer to do some research before eating out, to ensure that I will have viable options and that the restaurant has at least decent reviews online. The restaurant which had initially caught my attention only serves a $27 brunch buffet on Sundays, and that's a bit more than I prefer to spend on a typical weekend meal. Instead, we dined at Fire Works Pizza. The restaurant is rather small, and it being the busy lunch hour, we choose to sit at the bar instead of waiting for a table. We were very ably served by the friendly bartender, whose intriguing accent made me question him about his heritage (something I rarely do in the DC area). Turns out he was born in Albania, but grew up in Greece. But back to the food! The options for constructing your own pizza were fantastic - six different sauces, eleven different cheeses, and so on. Thus I chose to top my gluten-free crust with basil pesto, local goat cheese, and roasted red peppers. The pizza was wonderful -- I particularly enjoyed the tangy flavor of the goat cheese. The restaurant even offers gluten-free desserts, plus a variety of Virginia wines, and huge assortment of beers. Overall, it was a great meal, and I would certainly return.

After lunch we ventured a bit outside of Leesburg to one of Virginia's over 200 wineries. Zephaniah Farm Vineyard turned out to be a real gem! We drove up to the house, parked, and were quickly greeted by a friendly woman who said, "Please, do go in - it's much warmer in there!" Once inside the door we were immediately met by a gregarious man: "Hi, I'm Bill! Welcome to Zephaniah Farm!" Then he showed us a photo which included his grandfather who began farming on this land. The farm has now been in the Hatch family for over sixty years, although they have been growing grapes for only about a decade.

Stairs behind the house, leading to vineyards. Probably lovelier in the spring or fall!

The tasting room is located in the living room, which was being warmed by a fireplace. Bill introduced us to the two people (one was his wife, Bonnie) sitting beside the fire -- both of them had spent all morning bottling wine outside in the cold and snow! Bill had not participated because he occasionally still works very early Sunday mornings in DC. Naturally, I was curious to find out what type of job caused him to commute at such an early weekend hour. It turns out he spent over thirty years working as an engineer at ABC, and worked on the long-running morning news show, "This Week." The show is now hosted by George Stephanopoulos, but for very many years - including when my father was a loyal viewer - it was known was "This Week with David Brinkley."

With vineyard owner Bill Hatch

The vineyard offers tastings for $7. The tasting included several wines and--it still being March--also a mulled wine. The first wine was a Chardonnay, which is the one I liked most of the regular wines. The mulled wine was absolutely wonderful, and I certainly could have spent a while longer sitting beside that fireplace while drinking it! The tables in the tasting room also offer plates with small pieces of excellent dark chocolate, which was great with the red wines. Additionally, they provide glass milk bottles from which a visitor can pour fresh clear well water.

After appreciating the wines, I walked into the home's library, and was struck by the sight of a large old library card catalog. I opened a drawer to find perfectly organized cards, and immediately had to ask Bill about it. He explained that the entire card catalog had come from the college his children had attended, and that his wife had the genius idea of converting it into a wine library. The top drawers now hold wines (beginning with 2007, when the winery was first licensed to sell their products), while bottom drawers still have thousands of cards.

The wine/card catalog - love it!

However, someone also had a clever idea on how use the old cards themselves. They have stamped the winery's name and logo on the back, and utilize them as calling cards. As someone who used to "play library" with her little sister, and who spent a semester in graduate school thinking she wanted to be a librarian, I absolutely loved this smart use of an old item.

Check out the title of this book!

As an added bonus, in addition to revealing various interesting family stores, Bonnie and Bill told us about their former neighbor - the famous ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev had lived right next door for a number of years! Before relocating to the Leesburg area, he had lived in the same New York City apartment building as John Lennon,  and after Lennon's murder moved out very quickly. Apparently Nureyev had plans to build a ballet studio in his home, but those had not materialized.

After buying a bottle of wine and thanking Bill and Bonnie for their hospitality, we got back on the road to head home to Maryland. Snow had continued to fall, and while in the Leesburg area it melted upon hitting in the ground, it turned out that the accumulation in Maryland was quite noticeable.

Red barn, white snow. How is this almost April in Maryland?

On the way home, we made a quick stop in Tuscarora, Maryland at Rocky Point Creamery. I had visited once for ice cream last summer, but this time I was more interested in buying local free range eggs. However, seeing as we were in an ice cream shop, it was difficult to leave without buying any frozen dairy. We decided to top off our day by splitting a kiddie sized twist (vanilla and chocolate) soft serve with rainbow sprinkles. Although there was nothing spring-like about this day, it was a fun way to "get out of Dodge" and experience some new things.

Important note: All the great photos in the post: credit B. Main.

Final note: Inspired by Bevchen at Confuzzledom, I have decided to participate in the "Take 12 Trips" project. Because this year is already in its third month, I will aim to take ten trips over the next ten months. The trips will vary - some might over the river, others might be over the ocean; some trips might have a Latvian theme to them, others might have different themes. Stay tuned!