The Inn

The big 5-0 has come and gone. Thus far, I don’t notice anything different. I’ve heard all the usual senior citizen jokes from: have you started looking for nursing homes, to did you get a cane to help you get around and did you buy the bulk package of Depends. Of course the cards were the most entertaining and even my parents took shots at me getting older.

There was one part of this celebration that I have to say was over the top and absolutely amazing…dinner at The Inn at Little Washington.

The idea of dining at the Inn, I had feelings of excitement as well as intimidation. I enjoy fine dining, but the closest I’ve come to this level would have been our meal at Volt in Frederick, Md.

Could a good ole country boy like myself feel comfortable at a 5-star restaurant? I was about to find out.

I took half a day off from work. I did stay until the we were out of the weeds and left at noon for home. Mother Nature didn’t play well with our plans as she gave us a little coating of sleet. With the warm temps, this melted away and I arrived home without an issue. A French Cab. Sauv. was decanted and a glass was waiting for me when I arrived.

A short time to relax from work and then it was time to put on big boy pants and meet our friends for dinner.

Sandy was late! By just a minute, but I let her know she was late. We went round and round about the time and Tish & Mike just shook their heads.

The ride took 30 minutes and we arrived at the small community of Washington, Va.

As we walked in the doors, we were met with a smiling face, our coats were taken and then we were escorted to the “living room”. Of course when I think of living room I’m thinking, old T-shirt, sweat pants and Sport Center. This was a very plush room with cushy seats and small pub tables.

One of our many waiters on this night came and took our drink order. Sandy got a dark ‘n’ stormy, Mike got a bourbon on the rocks and Tish and I enjoyed a glass of the house Cab Franc made at Barboursville Vineyards especially for the Inn.

Since Sandy worked there, the staff would come over and make small talk and EVERYONE on staff wished me a Happy Birthday. We were curious about the one bottle on display. An oval shaped bottle sat in the center of the bar area with a spot light showcasing its design and content. The crystal bottle contained Rémy Martin Louis XIII and at $300 and ounce, I wasn’t going to sample it.
Then it was time for dinner. Again, we were lead to our table over looking the garden area. As we were handed our menus, Sandy told me to take notice when I opened the cover. “Happy Birthday Kevin” graced the top of the menu. inside were two meat options and on the back was a vegetarian option.

As we looked over the menus, a box of popcorn is brought for each of us. cooked in truffle oil and topped off with shaved black truffles from France. What wonderful flavors.
As the waiter went around the table to get our dinner option, a small hors d’oeuvres is placed in front of us. This was a bite of venison tartare, a horseradish foam with a small slice of cucumber topped with roe. The crisp looked like a mini canoli with pimento cheese inside. I could have
eaten a dozen or more.

We needed to select a wine, I had studied the list earlier in the day and decided on the ’10 John Duval Plexus GSM. a well rounded wine that had currants, a touch of earthiness and soft tannins on the palette.

The first plate is delivered a shot of Apple Rutabaga Soup with a Cheese puff was a wonderful start. A well balanced flavored soup with a melt in your mouth cheese puff. WOW!

Bread is brought to all and fresh butter is placed on the table.

The second course is delivered and it looks elegant: Napoleon of Chilled Lobster with Pomme Anna. A creamy lobster between a layer of thinly sliced potatoes with a touch of roe on top. Sinfully good.
The third course arrives, a Carpaccio of Herb-Crusted Baby Lamb Loin with Caesar Salad Ice Cream.
The “Ice Cream” is what I was looking forward too.
The lamb seasoned perfectly and served rare, the caesar with just the right amount of garlic. Loved this

Age Gouda Macaroni & Cheese with Virginia Country Ham with Shaved Black Truffles, what more needs to be said about the fourth course. If this dish was on a menu anywhere else, I would have picked the plate up
and licked it clean. Didn’t want to look too much like a redneck on this night.

The fifth course was one of those dishes you’re not too sure about: Red Currant Marinated Squab Breast with a Crispy Potato Galette. The breast was pink inside and I was shocked at how well this bird tasted. It looked like skirt steak and the marinade was succulent. The bonus during this course was Sandy wasn’t a fan so Mike & I got to share her plate. I wasn’t complaining.

And the sixth and final course of the evening: Veal Shenandoah: Local Prosciutto Wrapped Loin of Veal with Raviolis of Country Ham and Fontina Cheese. Oh. My. Damn! After finishing my plate, I was hoping Sandy didn’t want hers!
The last of the wine was poured and then it was time for dessert. Coffee was ordered by all as everyone pondered what to get.

In the meantime, a small dessert bite is brought out. It looked like a dreamsicle, frozen cranberry on the top with a vanilla ice cream on the finish. Yum!

I selected, The Southern Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwich with Bittersweet Chocolate and Hot Carmel Sauce. Just sheer goodness. The plate is placed in front of me and the Hot Carmel is then poured over the ice cream sandwich. This was amazing!
As we finished our desserts and coffee, I was given a package by the waiter. Inside was Patrick’s cookbook signed to me wishing me a “happy 50th birthday”.

You would think that would be the ending to a great night, but now we get to take a tour of the kitchen. That kitchen is my dream kitchen! So much room!  I can only wish for that much space in my house. Then we get to tour a few of the rooms and neighboring house that are available for overnight stays.

This night was a complete success. The staff at The Inn pampered me and I can say; I’ve never encountered impeccable details and kindness. Thank you everyone at The Inn for taking care of this country boy! To my sister and her better half…Thanks, you guys rule! And to my little woman for arranging this…I Love Ya Baby!

I have to say, THIS is how you celebrate a milestone Y’all!

In closing…check out this good looking bunch of country folks! We clean up pretty well!

2015 is off to a good start!

After my post regarding turning 50 (The Big Five Oh Crap!), I set the goal for the number of vineyards to visit…100.

This is do-able and with Loudoun Counties 30+ I can have this goal reached early. Tish and I started on January 2. I had a game plan of where we should visit, but due to the holiday as well as the winter season, some wineries have limited hours or are closed until spring.

We got things started at Rappahannock Cellars. We tasted some interesting whites and few young reds before ending with their Port-Style which I really enjoyed. From there, we headed over to Linden Vineyards and after sampling their 4 on their tasting list (Chardonnay, Red, Petit Verdot & Reisling Vidal) we decided a bottle of Petit Verdot would be perfect for the deck. Since we made reservations for dinner at Tula’s Off Main in Washington, Va., I told Tish that we could visit one more. The closest vineyard was Fox Meadow Vineyards. So from one mountain top to another, we arrived in time to do a tasting and enjoy a glass. A gentleman walks up to the counter and interrupts our tasting. Tish jokingly gives him a hard time. He apologizes and asks the lady behind the tasting bar about a place to stay in Strasburg. I piped up and suggested to stay at The Hotel Strasburg.

The ’11 Reserve Cab Franc was tasting really good so Tish decided we needed a bottle. So we go out to grab a seat and the couple seeking a place to stay thanked us for the recommendation of the Hotel. They joined us and we discussed sports, food, bars in the DC area while sipping on wine. As we parted ways, they suggested we meet them at The Depot Lounge for some wine later in the evening. We agreed and exchanged numbers. My priority at this time was to make it to our diner reservation.

I had about 25 minutes to get to Little Washington from Linden. Traffic wasn’t bad and I pulled in and found parking at exactly 6:30. Back in the summer I had the opportunity to have lunch at Tula’s with my sister. Lunch was amazing and I could only hope dinner would be the same. They didn’t disappoint. Both our meals were delicious and we are making plans to visit again this year.

Arriving in Strasburg, we stopped to meet up with our new friends. One bottle turned into two and before we knew it, we were closing the bar down.

Fun times were had by all! Maybe a little too much fun!

The second week started with bone chilling temperatures and a little bit of snow. I made adjustments to my work schedule which had me working on Friday which isn’t a bad thing. Some of Loudoun Counties vineyards are open on Friday early. Since I worked two marathon days on Wed. & Thurs., I would leave at 11:30 to head home. Even though I had an early start to the weekend, I stayed in the County and tasted wine from a few vineyards.

Dry Mill Vineyards is closest to my work and since it was on my way home I stopped and gave it a try. This will be my third visit and with a new wine maker, they have improved. Tish is a fan of Cambourcin, so I got a bottle of their Cambourcin Rose. My next stop was an accident. I had planned on heading back to the valley and visit one closer to my house but due to the brake lights I saw on Rt. 7, I opted for the Hamilton exit to avoid gridlock. Once I was on 704, I knew The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards was a few minutes away.

There were quite a few cars in the parking lot and the tasting bar was filled to the max. There was only one person working the tasting bar and she had 8 patrons. I found a lone spot at the end and began my tasting. The Stainless Chardonnay was first, soft flavors and a nice nose. There were 5 other wines on the list with the Merlot being the lone red I preferred. There was a group of 4 ladies next to me…2 Cougars & 2 Turkey Vultures. They began debating what wines and food parings to get for their afternoon of debauchery. I heard one talk about her spouse:

“My first dead husband…”

This really perked my interest and got me wondering…how many dead husbands did this woman have and how did she kill them!

At any rate, I began thinking I should visit one more and choose one from my ’12 tour…8 Chains North.

This vineyard was new in ’12 and it was pouring some really good wines.

As you walk in, there is a great view of the vines and with snow on the ground, it was amazing.

Just like The Barns, the Chardonnay was good but, they had a host wine from Spain that I had to have a bottle. A ’12 Grenache was rich in color, with light acidity and soft tannins.

After this weeks visits, I believe that Loudoun’s wines are improving.

Once again, Mother Nature made a mess of the roads and had me working a little later than normal. After a cold day and a skiff of snow, the temperatures rose and this had me seeking my first new vineyard of 2015. A ten mile ride to Lovettesville, Va. had me pulling into the parking lot of Creek’s Edge Winery. The barn & silo were amazing! Built a few years ago by the Amish, the facility was a sight. Dan greets me as I’m the only bird dog tasting wine today.

Pinot Gris was the first of the whites, then the Chardonnay…both quaff-able. The reds were good – even the ’11’s were good enough to call home about. Then came the one that shocked me…’09 Cab Franc! HOLY CRAP! This wine has everything I want in a wine, The nose had a rich aroma with just a touch of currants. The first taste was smooth and the finish had  wonderful tannins. I informed Dan, I would like to take a bottle with me and to my surprise, I was treated to a glass on the house.

Since I had a 4 day weekend, I knew getting my domestic chores done early would allow me to enjoy an afternoon of sunshine and wine. I had to run a few errands, then lunch – as soon as I got my belly full it was…Wine Time!

A warm sunny day pretty much made my decision on which one to visit, Glen Manor Vineyards. Although the temps were in the mid to upper 40s, once I got out of my car at the vineyard it wasn’t as warm as expected at this altitude.

Kelly did my tasting and it consisted of the Morales Rose, T. Ruth, Petit Manseng, & Raphius. All 4 were wonderful wines. I was really enjoying the Petit Manseng but opted for the Merlot dominate T. Ruth. I savored the half bottle of T. Ruth most of the afternoon. A lone couple from Md. stopped in to taste and we struck up a conversation about baseball, food and of course…wine.

After finishing my wine, I purchased a Rose to enjoy over the weekend. This weeks tasting were the best thus far.

I had one last stop for January, and you’re wondering why I didn’t taste on the fifth week. I’ll tell ya in a minute.

I first thought about heading over close to Rt. 66 and visit a few. Once again, brake lights had me going west on Rt. 50 to avoid traffic (No.Va. Traffic Sucks!). I have a few vineyards to choose from but I wanted to visit Greenhill Winery because I was thinking about the Champagne-style Chardonnay. They had a nice crowd in their tasting room and made myself comfortable to taste what they had to offer. The Reds were surprisingly good and of course their bubbly was the rock star.

So overall, Loudoun Co. is starting to produce better wines, my local vineyards all are just kick ass and some vineyards seem to find it necessary to raise tasting fees and increase the price of bottles just because they are low in stock. That’s kind of a dick move if you ask me.

The last week of January, I’m only working a partial week. I’m taking extended time off to celebrate my birthday. At noon on Thursday, I made my way back to the hills, and put on my big boy cloths for my pre-birthday dinner at…The Inn at Little Washington.

I’ll tell you about it next time.