After a couple recent visits to Mintwood Place, it has gotten under my skin and left a very memorable impression.

Disclaimer:  getting a reservation is kind of a game that you have to be willing to play and part of it probably isn’t within their control, but I am sure it will be a turn off to some people.  The skinny is look on their website, if it is booked up and you really want to go check back about a couple of hours to an hour before you want to go as there seem to be a lot of cancellations, and they don’t seem to track them well when you call.

As has become typical with most things French for some reason I tend to get good service that is very in line with my personal style.  On a hopping Saturday night I headed out with a girlfriend, on the way we had what I can only describe as the most annoying cab ride I have had in all recent memory.  Luckily we sat down to a courteous wait staff who plied us with good wine and allowed us to take our time and settle in to the menu.  We had the warm olives, which were distinct from most warm olives I had ordered, they were in what I would describe as a roasted red pepper sauce with capers and herbs.  The house bread is perfectly french, crusty and soft rustic style with warm, soft butter.

After a couple of visits here is my review of part of the menu:  The escargot hushpuppies are worth the rave- they encompass what escargot lovers adore the flavor of butter, garlic and snail without the texture that many dislike in the dish, although definitely a dish you want to share as they are filling.  The beet mountain pie is reminiscent of the crustless sandwich pods you used to make in those old grilled cheese makers, except elevated, the pocket of crisp, but tender dough is filled with smooth goat cheese and earthy beets, on top of a salad layered with lettuce and thin slices of beets, the dish is light, but at the same time comforting and filling.

The octopus is crisp, but not at all tough and the flavor is grilled and meaty.  The roasted vegetable sides on the menu are real winners, I love both the broccoli, pea shoots and broccolini and the wax beans, both just taste simple and wonderfully crisp, but tender and perfect.

The roast pork for two is lovely succulent, perfectly cooked pork with a brown sauce that is just lovely and flavorful.  The bolognese is piled high with parmesan and is decadent, but oh so good, enough to feed two though.  Many of the servings are quite big, but leftovers aren’t necessarily a bad thing, neither is sharing.  The desserts are classic, but made in a modern way and just amazing, the key lime pie is tangy, with a perfect crust and very appropriate and classic filling without too much whip cream or other unnecessary items.

On a night out here with my brother and his lovely wife, I felt so bad as I had to leave early due to a headache.  Afterwards my big regret was there was no dessert ordered and packed up for me to eat later, as my other leftovers were so good.  But on that trip not wanting to drink due to my headache I learned their non-alcoholic cocktails and sodas were really good, the lemongrass soda was really refreshing and I loved the ginger fizz.  Another great detail was their hot tea service which has very good teas and I like the pot and cups used.

Sometimes it is a bit hard to manage all the plates on the smaller tables, but what a problem to have to have, juggling  excellent food.  I have found the service to be nothing but professional and very smooth, with my first visit having a waiter that I just adored.  Not a large place, and not an easy place to find street parking, with no close garages or valet, but worth the effort.  The food has creativity paired with simplicity that just is strikingly good here.  It was present in the chef’s cooking at previous establishments and shines here, as well.  It is a French restaurant but I find many of the items rustic dishes familiar to most Americans with classic french technique used, I can definitely get behind that though.

Oh Readers,

It all started while walking through Chartreuse & Co with a friend looking for some furniture.  We happened upon this chair- it was big and comfy and a very economical price.  The downside was that the paint on it was horrendous, and the fabric was dirty and stained.  But, can’t you just see the potential?  Maria happened to need a chair and had the perfect spot for it.

So I did what any girl would do, I called my Mother for advice and texted her pictures.   No problem.  A few weeks later, a couple stops at G Street Fabrics and Calico Corners to find the perfect fabric.  A trip to Michael’s for spray adhesive and batting.  Maria picked out the perfect paint.   Then my Mom and I headed over for some sanding.  We sanded down the chair in preparation for paint, then wiped it clean.  She picked a really pretty green chalk paint.  A few coats, bottles of wine, later and stage one is complete.  While we were gone, she applied a wax finish to smooth and shine the look.

The next stage was the complicated one.  We ripped apart the old cushion covers to make patters for the new ones.  We laid out the fabric to find how to most judiciously cut the patterns while making sure the fabric would run the right way in all the cushions and on the chair.  Maria and Mom cut the patterns and Mom began sewing them together.

We spray adhered some batting to the bottom of the chair where it wasn’t even.  We then pinned the fabric to the bottom portion and began a slow process of cutting the fabric pinning it in place. Note the Momma in the background still diligently sewing (don’t worry she was compensated with homemade boar ragu pasta and wine).

Then stapling it with the fancy new staple gun Hubby got me, available on Amazon or at Home Depot.   The end was punching in any nails that weren’t flush then hot gluing the trim around the bottom.

Last and finally we added cushions and carried it upstairs.  It is an amazing chair, and considering what new upholstered chairs of this size sell for, I think it was a great deal.  Although my whole body was sore the next day from bending, crouching and stapling.

Sometimes hard work can be so much fun, and in this case really rewarding.  I had so much fun with my Mom and Maria seeing it from start to finish.  But it really makes me think I need to learn how to use a sewing machine.  My Mother has years of experience and it’s just a really good experience to have for when you want to do a project.  It’s ok, I at least have our electric sander and staple gun mastered.

I have this spot in my house where I need, not just a piece of art, but the perfect piece of art.  I have been looking at art for months.  I have some artists that I have been keeping an eye on and then I have been perusing OneKingsLane.com like nobody’s business.  The problem is complicated- I want a real piece of art, grown up, not a print art.  Hubby and I also have very different and distinctive taste.  Also right now the room is in a bit of a transition in terms of colors and fabrics.  And it has to fit the budget.  It has to be just right.  I have looked at a piece of art that just isn’t right for over seven years, the new needs to be something that I can stare at for years and be happy with it.  So I just wanted to highlight some cool pieces I have found in the process.

First up Georgia Nassikas: A local Virginia artist who does just beautiful work.  I love the abstract subject and the beautiful colors.  See a sample below.  Check out her website here.

Isn’t her work just stunning?  It has a depth of emotion and color.

Another artist I have been really enjoying the work of recently is Robert Yonke.  He is an artist who has one studio in Pittsburgh and one in my home county of Garrett County.  He has beautiful watercolors that remind me of the very best parts of home.  He can just express the heart and feel of Appalachia through his art.  Website here.  It breaks my heart that this beautiful one, that just takes me right to Swallow Falls State Park is sold, but he has so many more that are just beautiful.

I am also a really big Charley Harper fan.  I already own one of his prints.  I love the combination of modern and clean lines and playful subjects.  It has a whimsical nature to it, that I think pairs well with our personalities.

OneKingsLane.com always has a great selection of really great art, with a range of affordability and styles, many from different galleries across the country, modern to classical, watercolors and oils.  Here is a current painting I think just has a lightness and happiness to it.

So just some art to think upon…. Isn’t are just a wonderful thing.  Color that makes you feel an emotion, a feeling, a memory.  I was so lucky to grow up in a family that really appreciates art, and married into a family  that is even more intertwined in the art world, with a great appreciation of art and what it means.  If you have any favorites, as I said I have an ongoing search for perfection and would love your finds.

My bog?  Oh that.  Yes, the once beautiful site of creativity and zen in my world of work and chaos, now quite dusty.  And of all things for a resurrection… a cookie.

Yes, it’s just a cookie.  I don’t even have a picture of it, why?  Because it was so good I ate it before there was even an after thought that perhaps such a work of pure genius should be documented for the masses who read my blog.  But I have thought about that cookie almost everyday since I have eaten it trying to figure out it’s secret lure, and why it has such a hold on me.  The cookie was made by this guy:

Chef David Guas.  He is the chef and a partner of Bayou Bakery.  A small casual restaurant and bakery, with New Orleans style and soul.  There are a lot of things I love about Bayou Bakery.  I could discuss them- the muff-a-lotta, the veg-head, the gumbo, the beignets.  But they are not the Chocolate Crack Cookie.  Crack cookie is an appropriate name because this cookie is addictive, you think about it long after you have consumed it.  Days go by- you still think about it.  The Chocolate Crack cookie is actually gluten free, but don’t let that fool you, it is actually better than every cookie I have ever had gluten or no gluten.  Yes readers, this blog post is to say, this is my favorite cookie, ever.  (Don’t tell my Amish Nanny.)  That is resurrection, no?

The cookie is a little bit crispy around the edges, but soft and brownie, fudge-like on the inside.  It still holds its shape and character, but it’s not crispy or cakey.  The chocolate taste is sophisticated, but still comforting.  It’s like a grown-up cookie that still grins like a six year old.  I love me some unapologetic chocolate-ness without being overwhelming and this is exactly what this cookie delivers.  I am going to have to check out his cookbook, Damn Good Sweet (available on Amazon or in store) because this guy knows how to bake, no questions about it.  (And really the food at Bayou Bakery is excellent too.)

But that cookie…

The next question was where to go.  Originally we were going to go to Citronelle, but they are still closed for repairs from flooding damage, so with a bevy of options we settled on RIS, and that was such a good decision.

So on a rainy Monday night I made my way into 23rd and L St.  Pulling up at the valet I had a problem that my husband and friends will tell you is quite common- I forgot I had no cash.  Now I have been trying to be better about this than I once was, but Autumn Glory had emptied me of my normal supply.  It was raining and the valet told me not to worry I could pay them on the way out.  So nice and gracious.  I went and grabbed cash at a nearby ATM, and had a glass of Jefferson Chardonnay at the bar while waiting for my friends to arrive in all the traffic, rain and accidents.  The host was so nice and just a real pleasure to be around, so accommodating.

Suz brought our handsome date, who was so good the whole time we were at the restaurant.  The host sat us at the big booth so that he had some room to play and be quietly entertained and we could enjoy our meal.  We ordered a bottle of red wine, a Syrah that the waiter assured me was an easy drinking wine, and it was.  I had the “margarita” to start- scallops, avocado  lime ice, all together in a cocktail glass.  It was a really interesting dish.  I love the tartness and tiny bit of sweetness from the lime ice and thought it was very ceviche like with a bit of creativity.  For an entree I had the swordfish with white beans, tomato and olives.  A really simple dish that was executed really well.  Suz and Julie ordered the meatloaf and I know it was good as the babe was really happy to steal some bites of it.  For dessert we split a cookie plate that was just the right amount of sweet for us without being too much.

We had multiple people come and compliment the babe on his good manners, the hostess even took a turn bouncing him around on her hip.  The gentlemen in the table across from us made some funny faces for him.  It was just so nice to have so many people welcome him so warmly and let us have a really nice dinner together.  The graciousness of all the staff made such a good impression on me that I really can’t wait to go back.  With so many restaurants just lacking a bit of warmth in their service in the DC area, this was just so welcome.

(Photos courtesy of their website)

The Momma and I recently had an amazing trip to Paris.  My Mom is a perfect travel companion for me- she is low key, fun loving and up for anything.  And Paris is my city.  I love the food, the clothes, the public transportation, the museums and the people.  It greatly helps that I still speak pretty good French and that well both my Mom and I look French.  This will be my fourth visit to the City of Lights and it was nice to be able to slow down a bit and get off the beaten path.

We stayed in an apartment, which is something I really like doing.  I like the benefit of a kitchenette and a living room.  For a foodie our apartment was located in the perfect location- Rue Mouffetard.  This street closes to be a pedestrian only market street several days of the week. There are tea shops, coffee roasters, chocolate shops, cheese shops, bakeries, butcher shops, roast meat shops, fishmongers and then there is the produce.  All this during a cold, rainy April, so I can’t imagine what it is like with a little sunshine.  Most every morning started with us ordering freshly roasted coffee, eating a croissant of some variety and then walking it off getting to our daily adventure.

We had already been to the Louvre and many of the other museums.  We did make a second trip to the Musee D’Orsay- the building and the art are just things I can’t get enough of, but I am a big impressionist and art nouveau fan, but one of my favorite parts of the museum is the section on the Palais Garnier.   I have a tendency to get a little glassed over and then cranky when not well fed and hydrated.  My Mom seems to be able to instantly read when I need some refueling.  Which when on your feet all day and looking at amazing piece of art after the next,  we needed a break, the fifth floor has the perfect spot for a break, the tea room.  A very nice selection of tea and snacks.  We had mini desserts and pots of tea looking out the giant clocks over the city.

In other museum new we also visited the Centre Pompidou.  I love the selection of modern art there.  When I was young I didn’t appreciate modern art, and to give my Husband credit he has taken me to some amazing modern art museums and helped me learn to really enjoy it.  What is so magical, is these museums not only have great art, they also have a great view of Paris. Which even on a rainy day is a neat scene of city stretching out vastly.  It’s like as far as the eye can see of Parisian magic- food shops, flower stores, little neighborhoods with their own ebb and flow.

Paris for me is clothes mecca.  I have such a hard shape to fit in american clothes, for some reason French designed clothes fit me.  My husband thinks it is because my body and soul has stubbornly held onto any bit of French genes I have still in me- which accounts for my taste in food, wine, and other bad habits (He is English, go figure.  My Mom blames them all on my Father, who brought the French genes to the table to begin with…)  I am not sure quite the reason, but I hit town with a half empty suitcase, and come home having to unzip my Hartmann to full capacity.   And I love me some Printemps.  I shopped the main galleries as an exchange student when the dollar to franc ratio was unbelievable and scored amazing looks.  I like the Parisian style.  Women don’t necessarily follow all the trends, and tend to have more of a personal sense of style, much less complicated and fussed with overall look.  They have nice pieces with staple classics.  I really like the brand Sinequanone, and had a great salesperson that helped convince me to buy some amazing pieces I have worn all Spring.

Another great shopping day was our trip to Les Puces de Saint-Ouen at Porte de Clignancourt.  A huge flea market with little stalls.  It was such a shame that the weather didn’t really cooperate with outdoor shopping.  I had a great time buying beads for some great jewelry, trying on amazing garments and just searching stall after stall for some must haves.  There were stalls of buttons, stalls of toys, lots of furniture, art, vintage clothes and accessories (some reasonable, some not so much).  It was amazing what a stall would be devoted to, but what delight we had despite the pouring rain and cold.  We sought refuge in Cafe Voltaire, a diner of sorts, rotating plastic dessert stand, lots of character.  Mom had steak frites, I had buttered noodles with rabbit leg and mustard sauce.  It was a wonderful little gem.

I found this taxi company to be very useful while in Paris.  I found it on a blog, that I can no longer find, but wish I could so I could give them credit.  Remember when dialing Paris numbers in Paris you dial the zero, but no thirty-three.  This company has English speakers, they can send a taxi now or schedule on for later.  Their drivers are professional and very nice.

We had crepes from a stall on Rue Descartes, which were crispy and stuffed with great savory fillings in the day, gooey with warm nutella on the way home from the bar.  We had homemade ramen at Chez Ann where I quite enjoyed watching the proper French try to eat Ramen and Spring Rolls with chopsticks, not slurping or using their fingers.  We had an amazing dinner at Les Ombres overlooking the Eiffel Tower, with inventive modern food.  A nice lunch at Le Babylone across from the Bon Marche with typical bistro fare in a bustling setting and very good service.  Seafood tower at Le Bar d’Huites (and fried shrimp that you should avoid- just trust me on this one, not what you are expecting).  Beef carpaccio salads at Printemps under the beautiful stained glass.  Sandwiches from the amazing bakery down the block from our house.  And I had a really nice pork shank with lentils at Brasserie Lipp while Mom had a nice filet of sole.  And a very good lemon tart from La Flottille at the Venetian village at Chateau Versailles.

Speaking of the Chateau Versailles- the second most memorable part of the whole trip was my Mother and I carting around the grounds of Versailles in a golf cart.  After my saintly Mother walking all around Paris for a whole week, then through the whole Chateau Versailles overlooking the huge expanse of gardens I could see defeat in her eyes.  But the real prize to Versailles is the much less visited Grand Trianon and Petite Trianon the getaway castles.  Then it started to rain- again.  Not to fear, there was a short line for rental golf carts and the price, while not cheap, was worth it to be able to see all these other sections without being completely exhausted by a death march of gold leaf and manicured gardens.  And the most fun was watching my Mom, driving along, happy as a clam in our little cart.  It was a great moment of Mother daughter bonding as onlookers looked at us lazy carters, with genuine jealousy.

The third most memorable part of the trip was a show at the Crazy Horse.  I was fascinated with the Christian Louboutin shoes and the great physical shape the girls where in, and how well the dances were choreographed.  None were offensive, and they actually seemed to have a much more realistic ideal body shape then American eroticism.  It was actually fairly refreshing, and certainly really interesting.  It was a great show.  Funny enough the two male tap dancers at the end really stole the show.

But now you want to know the most memorable part of the trip.  And it was special, mind boggling in how just truly spectacular it was, especially for the price.  It was a ballet at the Palais Garnier.  The Palais Garnier is really spectacular, probably the most incredible theater I have visited.  The rooms are beautiful, the Chagall ceiling is stunning, the whole theater inspired the Phantom of the Opera and you can see why your imagination could get away with you in this building.  It’s truly spectacular in terms of decoration.  But the dancers were incredible, with moves and steps I haven’t seen in most ballets, incredible dancing and costumes.

We saw the L’Histore de Manon and it was a great story.  If you can swing tickets to a show there, which for the show we saw were actually very reasonable for our seats.  Cheaper than NYC, very in line with DC, but for a spectacular show and opportunity to view most of the Palais Garnier.  If you can’t squeeze in a show, you should still see it, but a show there was just so memorable.  It embodied Paris itself- overdone at times, but so beautiful, with details in every corner, exemplifying a modern classic stubbornly doing things how they know to do the way they know to do them.

I have a passport to another country.  It’s not any of the ones you are thinking.  It’s a land of fields and grass, oak and maple, cows and sheep.  A place where time doesn’t move slower, life isn’t any easier, in fact it’s a lot tougher, but that makes it just as sweet.  It tastes like buckwheat cakes and sausage with real maple syrup or pepperoni rolls.  Every now and then I yearn for that country of my birth.  The sounds of crickets, birds and coal trains rolling through some small mountain towns, a coyote howl.  The smell of clover and grass, a little manure.  The scent of a forest- it smells clean and dark, damp in a way that is more than refreshing.  My passport?  I grew up on a farm in the country in Western Maryland.  Summer in Western Maryland is heaven.  Between the green lushness of the farms, the animals- domestic and wild, the state parks that smell like years of old growth.  The lakes and rivers that you slide into, cool and refreshing.  Being there this time of year I ache to be back in Garrett County for one heavenly summer like when I was younger on our farm, and out on a boat on Deep Creek Lake.  Jumping in someone’s truck to go to the movies and getting a blizzard at the Custard Stand (RIP Custard Stand).

While growing up I always wanted to be cosmopolitan.  Cool clothes, hip hop music, and I tried as best I could to not have a country accent.  I never appreciated that I could milk cows, ride a horse, swing my leg over a barb wire fence without a scratch.  I used to ride four wheelers with my Dad, Brother In Law and Niece.  We rode over the land, wind our hair, smelling the country air.  There were hazards- mud, or worse, flying up on your jeans, bugs in your eyes or mouth.  But hearing the stories of who owned the land, the families it past through and their triumphs and hardships, it inextricably bound you to it.

I go home to my Sister and Brother In Laws house and I just sit looking over the fields, down to where the barn is, where the tree stand is down on the edge of the swamp where we used to play.  I hear the sounds, my sisters accent, the train, the crickets.  You can actually see the stars.  Not just some stars.  You can see what seems like all the stars.  And I can feel the air the way it is slightly heavier like you are breathing in part of the earth and then exhaling it.  We four wheel and for a brief moment in time I feel like I am ten and still live in the country.  Today, I can still ride a horse, climb a fence, shoot a bow and milk a cow.  But in a way I have lost my country and want so desperately to have any little part of it back.  Driving back down the mountain into the traffic, I merge back into my cosmopolitan life, mostly it’s everything I want- restaurants, events, museums, people.  But a part of me yearns for my home.

To me I live in two separate countries, divided by Mountains.  They are so absolutely different.  The people in the city could never imagine that I ever grew up on a beef farm, wearing cowgirl boots and overalls.  That I know what muddin is and have proudly been to a mud bog, demolition derby and tractor pool.  I was even a member of 4H.  People in the country can’t believe I don’t remember Don’s daughter, the one who babysat me for a summer and then grew up and married John- looking at me knowing I have lost some of the stories, some of the heritage, some of the land I was inextricably bound to, but not being able to fathom how or why that could happen.  Why I let it go.  I didn’t know then that it was special.  And maybe for some people like me, until you leave you never do, and if I stayed I would have kept on running from it, wanting to be a cosmopolitan woman.  It felt like so much more to me to make it in the city.  But there is something about the country that you will never know or understand until you live there.  You might get a small taste and feel, think it’s quaint and cute and beautiful country, but you will never understand it unless you truly live it.  And outsider just can’t understand.  And I do.  Which is why they let me keep my passport.  I can still walk into Dottie’s and I don’t get a menu.  I still know exactly what’s on the menu.

Ok, so the part of condo life where don’t get to grill admittedly makes me crave just about anything grilled.  Any friend having a grill out and I am so there.  But picture having a backyard grill out where your friends are Eric Ziebold, Matthew Peterson and Eddie Moran. Yeah, that is bliss.  There was also an insane deal on bottles of wine that they were culling from their cellars, but it in no way detracted from me remembering the details of this meal.  What I keep thinking about Sou’Wester is that it reminds me of the top restaurants in Charleston, SC the way it presents Southern food.  It is really the place right now for modern, inventive Southern in DC.  That I have to give credit to Eddie Moran for who worked in Charleston before thankfully being woed away, so that a girl could get some real Southern food. Hubby had to bite the bullet for me and order everything I didn’t, but I think we all fared very well.  Starters were potted ham that you would think would be salty and fine, but whatever.  While in fact the flavors were so well balanced that we were scooping every little last bit of potted ham out of the little glass container, in a very polite fashion.  The balance with the pickled vegetables and hard boiled egg was just a phenomenal little snack. I had the grilled Caesar that was just as spectacular with great acidity and complexity of flavor, it was a dressing that popped and made you want to eat all your veggies.  It was garlicly in all the right ways while being creamy and smooth.  The crunch of the crositini just balanced the softness of the dish. For entrees Hubby had the cornish hen with an extremely good lemon marinade and marmalade that made a hen special.  How do these guys keep doing this?  Ordinary items that are just done in a way that you think, “Really I should have ordered the chicken?”  I think it is currently on their menu as chicken under  a brick I believe.  I had a great blackened redfish with grits, shrimp and a spicy shrimp emulsion sauce.  Man this fish kicked my butt in a good way.  It had some great spice.  But the grits brought it back down. For desert there was strawberry shortcake or “smores” both really stellar modern versions of classics, that unlike most modern takes on dessert didn’t leave you going, “But I wanted the real thing and that was nothing like it.”  Here it was a shortcake or smore, but sophisticated.  Matthew Peterson you just make ordinary things amazing, like the graham cracker cake, that tasted just like graham crackers. The whole event left me thinking that the Sou’Wester patio might be one of the best kept secrets in Washington, I mean hushpuppies out on a nice patio in DC, mahvelous.  And that I need to get on the special events list for Sou’Wester and CityZen.  Thanks to Donrockwell.com for putting me in the know on where to be, this was someplace I needed to be.

I have a wedding coming up.  Oh you know who you are.  They are a lovely couple.  They have graciously said on their invitations that they do not want any gifts.  While I really appreciate the fact that they are not asking for gifts, for anyone who doesn’t know, this is just a suggestion.   You can get the couple a gift, it’s just more at your discretion.  They asked in lieu for donations be made to a charity.  In this case I think it’s best to do both.  Now you don’t have to do this, you could make a larger donation to the charity, or do nothing at all.  But I personally think I need to give them something- it’s a Southern girl thing.

For weddings like this though, I highly suggest a gift card to somewhere that the couple could get a variety of things from needed to not needed.  Some place like Macy’s, Bed Bath &Beyond or Crate and Barrel is always nice so the couple could put it towards furniture, cookware, glassware, linens or other things they may need or want.  They can keep it to save up for something needed, or use it over time to get little things they may need.  We did Crate and Barrel as they are a fun, modern couple who I think would appreciate that.  It’s a delicate situation, but one in which you should do what personally feels good to you.  For me, weddings are such a time of celebration, celebration of seeing friends and loved ones and knowing that I am giving a couple a little something they can use in their future to have other good times always makes me happy.

Have I mentioned how much I love that my in-laws live in Charlottesville?  (Now if they would just put in a pool…)  I love it.  I also thoroughly love the fact that they enjoy wine and trying different Virginia wines.  I really enjoyed an afternoon with my Mother In Law, Sister In Law and Hubby at Jefferson Vineyards at a Wine Club Pick Up Party.  My Father In Law is a big TJ fan, and well this is one Jefferson thing I can really get on board with.  They have expanded and now have two different areas, one for general tours and tasting and an events space.  The whole winery is nice with good outside areas too where people were enjoying a bottle of wine.  The scenery wasn’t as nice as some other wineries, but  Jefferson Vineyards continues to put out some very good wine.

I actually really liked their 2010 Pinot Gris, it was crisp, but balanced and not too acidic.  Not normally a wine I go for, but one I really liked.  The 2010 Reserve Chardonnay was also another good pick balanced with a little butter, but not too oaky.  We also really liked the 2010 Cabernet Franc, 1999 Estate Reserve.  Jefferson Vineyards really should be on your map when planning a trip to Virginia Wine Country. It is one of the more consistent places I have visited, and has a nice vibe that’s all about the wine.