Escape to Virginia Wine Country

The cherry blossom festival wasn’t the only reason why we headed South for the weekend.

A road trip out for about an hour outside of Washington DC to the upscale town of Middleburg, Virginia, was in the works. As we drove into the gorgeous countryside of Virginia Wine Country, we spotted an adorable red fox trotting down the road with absolutely no care in the world!

We set off for two wineries, a cidery and a distillery, before having a divine dinner and exploring Michelle Obama’s retreat, the luxurious Salamander Resort & Spa. I would love to go back there and indulge for a weekend.

Boxwood Winery

Reds only. Not only does the tasting room have a beautiful modern design, but the surrounding landscape is something wonderful. Serving as the perfect city escape, Boxwood is sophisticated with very knowledgeable staff. To go with our flight of red wines, we opted for a cheese and charcuterie board. The weather was gorgeous to top it off. So, we bought a bottle of the 2011 and soaked up the landscape and sun.

Living for weekender moments like this!

Barrel Oak Winery

This place was a party! A huge contrast to Boxwood, Barrel Oak is dog and kid friendly. Before coming here, I had no idea the winery is also canine themed, with wines called Goldie and Chocolate Lab (our favorite). There were families of dogs, picnics and even brick oven pizza being served up. We had a ton of fun here. I think this place makes for a good entry winery for a wine newbie. Everyone has fun.

Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery

Our last tasting location. Mt. Defiance is fairly new (just opened last summer). At the time, they only served dry cider (I like sweeter ones), but I really did love the Blush. This place may be small, but they are very welcoming. After our cider tasting, we went for the strong stuff. We moseyed on over to the distillery side of the building and tried both flights of rum cocktails. The mixology were great!

The French Hound

I had the most fabulous meal here. It was the perfect end to the most leisurely day with friends both new and old. Andy and I shared the super flavorful escargot before indulging into our entrees — lobster risotto and steak frites. Oh, and my drink was just so pretty…. a hibiscus champagne with the candied flower floating inside. Absolutely, divine. Don’t forget to make a rez! It’s popular.

I couldn’t imagine a better day spent — lovely weather, fine wine and great company. Later that night we took the metro out to Dupont Circle and just enjoyed a little bit of DC’s nightlife. A photo diary from DC up next!

xx

Tineey