I recently took a fabulous trip to Loudoun [pronounce Lough-done] County, Virginia, otherwise known as DC’s Wine Country (teaser was here). Three days of wining and dining made for one very happy traveler! I’ll let the pictures speak for the highlights of the trip.
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Lansdowne Resort – Big, lush resort property with nice rooms, lots of amenities, and tons of golf course land. Health club is open to golf members so is more substantial than most resorts, with scheduled group fitness classes and yoga too.
Patowmack Farm – A working farm, wedding destination, and Wednesday-Sunday dinner restaurant with Chef Christopher Edwards at the helm.
Catoctin Creek Distilling – Organic local whiskey and other spirits.
Middleburg Country Inn – A B&B in Middleburg with lots of charm—and four-poster beds in every room!
Home Farm Store – All-happy, all-local butcher shop started by Sandy Lerner, former owner of Urban Decay cosmetics and Cisco Systems.
National Sporting Museum & Library – Devoted entirely to sporting, a non-lending library and really neat museum.
Red Fox Inn – Historic B&B and restaurant with lots of Civil War history.
Boxwood Winery – No winery tours (by appt) but tasting room in Middleburg.
Chrysalis Vineyards – Focused on Norton grapes, very fun tasting experience.
8 Chains North– Fun winery with live music, brother Ben Renshaw makes all the wines. Tried and liked an Otium Dornfelder 2009, the Dornfelder grape is apparently pretty rare so this was unique.
Mom’s Apple Pie – One of the most famous Virginia companies, whose blackberry pie has been named the best in the nation, owner/baker/sister-of-Ben Avis is really open and friendly. Amazing pumpkin muffins.
On The Potomac – One of Landsdowne’s restaurants, eclectic and innovative drinks and food, led by a team of young managers: the GM & bar master is 25 while Chef Wes Rosati is 31.
Tarara Winery – My fave visit featured amazing wines and even more amazing conversation with winemaker Jordan Harris about the realities of an agriculture-based business and how Tarara is experimenting with their grapes to make unusual wines.
The Wine Kitchen – One of Leesburg’s most popular dining spots, the lovely interior is designed to look like a kitchen—down to the walls in the bathroom, which have a bathtub painted to mimic the feeling of being in someone’s home.
Battle of Ball’s Bluff – Relatively unimportant battle in the Civil War that the Confederates won, however 1,000 reenactors and 2,000 spectators came to watch the 150-year reenactment!
Clyde’s Willow Creek Farm – A giant, local’s favorite restaurant that sources many farm-to-table ingredients. The most creative calamari I’ve ever had, and delicious everything else as well.
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