(Wine)ding Roads

Barbour estate ruins

In 1814, the construction of Virginia’s then governor James Barbour’s estate began. Designed by his close friend Thomas Jefferson (one of only three residences TJ designed for friends), the governor and his family lived in the estate until it was burned and left in ruins by a tragic fire on Christmas Day in 1884.

Why am I mentioning this? Because, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit these ruins and learn more about the story that lies behind them on a recent trip to Barboursville Vineyards in Virginia wine country. Always up for another “daycation,” my loyal travel buddy Natalia and I hit the road a few weekends ago and drove through some of the most beautiful countryside I think I have ever seen. With our windows down and blaring soulful French music by French first-lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (more about her to come… I’m absolutely enchanted by her life and love story), we wound our way through the country roads, stopped in general stores, and raved about the bright yellow flowers that lined our route.


Eventually, we ended up at “Winery Road” in Barboursville, Virginia and we knew we had reached our destination. (Actually, I think the rows and rows of luscious grapes gave it away, but nonetheless, we had arrived.) After taking in the gorgeous view, we headed inside to try a few (ahem… 16) different types of wine that had been produced from grapes grown on the very land we were standing on, and to give our own critiques of what Virginia had to offer.

Winery Road... We've arrived!

Taking it all in

Dripping from the vine

Natalia sneaks a taste...

We tried everything from sparkling whites to delicious dessert wines like the Phileo (one of my favorites). Going through the procession of wines, learning about each as we went down the line, and taking tedious notes, we came home with a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Blanc, a 2007 Chardonnay (fermented in stainless steel for a fresher, cleaner taste), and a delicious Rosé.

The delicious Cabernet Sauvignon that we couldn't resist bringing home

After that overwhelming, yet delightfully educational experience, we were ready for some fresh air and food. Before taking a picnic down to the Barbour estate ruins, were took a short walking tour around the winery. Not only did we enjoy learning about the time-consuming and very precise process of winemaking, but we were fascinated to discover that it was one of Thomas Jefferson’s lifelong dreams to see Virginia produce a quality wine. Barboursville Vineyard is happy to (even many years later) help make his dream come true.

Barboursville Vineyard in its full glory

(Pricey) barrels used to age wines like the Chardonnay Reserve 2008

Where the stainless steel fermentation goes down... this is one process that you can smell happening!

Our energetic tour guide dropped us back by the winery, and we finally had a chance to make our way to the ruins. Passing lots of friendly cows along the way, making me very happy (they have been my favorite animal since day one), we reached our destination in just a few short minutes. As we walked up to the ruins we could see a wedding planner getting chairs set up for an evening wedding in front of the ruins! It was absolutely beautiful.

Cow LOVE

The picnic we brought of fresh fruit and cheese, and some homemade fig jam we picked up at the General Store on our way, satisfied our growling stomachs and the location couldn’t have been more picturesque. If we had planned a little more we might have thought to book a room at The 1804 Inn on the grounds. Unfortunately we didn’t, and back to the real world we went. But Barboursville Vineyards take note – we will be back before you know it (or at least by the time this wine runs out)!

Need a Lift?

This weekend I was invited by my friend Nisha to go bra shopping. “Invited” might actually be an understatement… she more or less forced me and two other friends to go get fitted for a bra at a fine lingerie store. “It will change your life,” she said. And with that extra push, I went. If it had made that much of a difference for her, I had to go see what the fuss was about.

I wasn’t planning on getting fitted at first since I had just been fitted this summer. However, passing up the fitting wasn’t an option either, so back I went, into the dressing room with one of the helpful sales associates. She asked what size I usually wore – I told her – she brought back a bra – I tried it on – it fit – “See,” I said, “I didn’t need to be fitted again.” She smirked and said “Actually that’s a size larger than what you have been wearing.” My mouth dropped. She was right and I was shocked. But more than anything, I felt more supported and comfortable in a bra than I have in a long time.

These ladies knew their stuff and by changing a few things in the fit of an everyday garment, they were changing lives. Nisha was right, and now it’s my hope to “invite” you all to go get fitted. Not at Victoria’s Secret, but at a fine lingerie store, where they know what they’re doing, sell quality bras that fit, and really will change your life!

Rainy Day

On a rainy day like today, I'm dreaming of super chic, fashionable rain boots to wear. I love the heel and bow detail on these by Kate Spade:

Kate Spade Randi Boots $129

These Michael Kors boots are better for days with a little rock-and-roll attitude:

Michael Kors Stormy Boots $129 

But... if these are a little out of your price range (as they are for me), check out the sophisticated silhouette of these rain boots from Target:

Merona Zada Tall Rain Boot $25

But more than anything on this rainy day, I am wishing for some of my grandmother's famous fudge. Making fudge on a rainy day is a family tradition that I will never give up!

Yum... freshly made fudge!

(Photo from Simond's photostream) 

Waiting...

Yesterday I sat waiting for a friend in a charming, bustling coffee shop. I must have looked like I was waiting for someone, because just then, a young man walked in, surveyed the room, and then focused in on me. He looked over, smiled and then asked… “Are you Emily?” I looked up and gave him a knowing grin. “No,” I said, “but I’m waiting for someone too.”

I don’t know if he ever found Emily, but this short and sweet interaction reminded me of what it was like before Facebook or cell phones - a time when there was still some suspense and mystery in everyday interactions, and you actually had to plan ahead a little bit. I know cell phones are a necessity – for me at least, but what would happen if we left them at home for the day? Made plans to meet someone at a certain time, and actually did without calling them to tell them something came up, or we are running a few minutes late? I think my next daycation might be a daycation from technology – Facebook, cell phone, computer, TV, everything. How would a break from these things change my perspective on life? What would I do instead? I might go to the park or the gym, read a book, bake delicious goodies, and spend time with the people I love. All I know is that when I have grandchildren, I want to tell them how their grandfather and I met in a bustling coffee shop on cool rainy September morning, and not on … match.com.

(Photo from always ordinary's photostream)

The Valet

I'm not a huge movie person, but for some reason this morning I remembered this great French film I had seen a few years ago. "The Valet," is a humorous, somewhat tongue-in-cheek story of how a cover-up gets terribly out of hand. I highly recommend it!

Picnicking Made... Even Easier

There is one thing I love almost more than any other activity – picnics. No really, I take picnicking to the extreme. In high school, my two best friends and I would try to get as creative as possible when it came to picnics and we had some that were pretty out there. We had breakfast picnics in the park, complete with waffles, nutella, coffee, and fresh strawberries. We had rooftop picnics overlooking DC on the top of my friend’s apartment building, and even night picnics by candlelight with pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, and dessert! One of my favorite picnics we’ve had recently was a French-themed picnic that included duck pâté, baguette, champagne, and truffles. I was once gifted a picnic basket that I loved to take everywhere. My ex-boyfriend claimed it was the size of a suitcase, but the sweet plates and utensils wrapped up inside - just begging to be used, made it well worth the extra load.

Fall is the perfect time for picnics, and after recently reading an article in the New York Times by Mark Bitman, author of How to Cook Everything, that gives 101 recipes for picnics, my love for this back-to-basic dining style grew even deeper. Bitman’s philosophy of simple, throw-measuring-to-the-wind cooking appeals to me. I believe that that’s how cooking was intended to be… a little of this a little of that, until it just tastes right. Each one of his 101 picnic recipes is super short. I love this one… “Take cold pizza and lemon. Squeeze lemon over pizza. Really.” You don’t have to have champagne and truffles for every picnic. Sometimes it can be as simple as cold pizza and a lemon wedge, but when you are outside on a crisp fall day with people you love, does it really matter?

(Photo taken from Bordon's Flickr Stream)

Carrot (Cup)cakes

Semi-Homeade Carrot (Cup)cakes

For a co-worker's last day tomorow, I decided to make carrot cupcakes. I truly love to bake, especially from scratch, but with everything that has been going on , there was no doubt about it - she was getting a boxed cake... Sadly though, I opened the package of dried carrots and rasins that I was supposed to soak in water before mixing into the cake batter and SPILLED them all over the floor. I took a minute to breathe deeply, then I tried to do as my grandfather Bill used to always say and, "Look at it, think about it, and figure it out." I realized that we actually had fresh carrots and raisins so I substituted them for the dried version from the box. Crisis averted.


I absolutely hate the show "Sandra Lee's Semi-Homeade Cooking" on the Food Network in which she uses half fresh and half store bought ingredients (it might just be her personality), but this actually worked. So next time you are short on time and want to make a yummy treat, try carrot (cup)cakes using fresh carrots and raisins. They are the perfect dessert for a crisp fall day and I promise you will be happy with the results. I was!

"Daycation" in Charm City

Sorry this is a bit long… just think of it as a travel guide!

 

Beautiful Baltimore Boats

Since starting a full time job, I haven’t had as much flexibility as I was used to when I was in school. And although I am working forty hours a week, my wanderlust hasn’t just faded away. I have always loved to travel, and being a little more tied down hasn’t stopped me from being on the go as much as possible. This is one of the reasons I have started taking “daycations.” I’m sure I’m not the first person to use that word, but I just love the thought of taking a day to visit a city close by, or to pamper yourself, or to just hit the road and see how far you can get before you have to come back for that Monday morning meeting…

This past weekend I had the idea to hit 95-N, music blasting, friends laughing, and not stopping ‘til we hit Baltimore for yet another “daycation.” I have “been” to Baltimore twice before but once was only to visit the aquarium (amazing within itself but doesn’t show much of the true Baltimore culture), and the other time was a few weekends ago as I drove through the city on another “daycation” to the beach. Needless to say, I was itching to visit the real Baltimore – the charming neighborhoods, amiable locals, and taste some of their famous seafood.

First stop on the trip was to Mama’s on the Half Shell, in the Canton neighborhood that was a perfect place to try fish that tasted so fresh it seemed as if they had jumped straight from the Chesapeake Bay and onto my plate. Eating outside on such a beautiful day only added to the ambiance. The fact that we stayed there well over two hours laughing, eating, and drinking might be all the invitation you need to go try it out. I highly recommend the bacon wrapped scallops!

Delicious mussels at Mama's on the Half Shell

After a very satisfying lunch, and with some shopping recommendations from some locals at the next table, we headed off to Fashion Attic, a consignment at the edge of the Fell’s Point neighborhood. We found a few steals, and then went to truly explore Fell’s Point. The neighborhood, established on the harbor in the 1700s by local shipbuilder William Fell, was buzzing with tourists and locals alike. Although we drove, it’s possible to take a water taxi to this area, and is something I will definitely be trying on my next trip to Charm City.

We stopped off for gelato that rivaled that found in Italy at Pitango Gelato, just by the waterfront. (If you live in the DC area, check out the Pitango in Logan Circle, or their other location in Reston.) My white grapefruit gelato tasted crisp and fresh, but my favorite was the lick of pistachio I stole from my friend’s cone!

Pitango Gelato in Fell's Point

The line was well worth the wait for delicious gelato!

Tiffany's Espresso and Chocolate Noir gelato proved to be a smart combo

Just as we were about to leave, my friend Tiffany heard the sound of sweet music coming from a rooftop bar, and of course we had to have a look. We ventured up the stairs to Woody’s Rum Bar and Island Grill, where the beach and island décor and the sun setting over the harbor put us on “island time.” With a mango mojito in hand, I listened to the acoustic sounds of Pressing Strings (a band from Annapolis), and knew I was ending my “daycation” on the right foot. Baltimore was a huge success! Now the only question is… where will I go next?

Mango mojito at sunset... is there anything better?

View from Woody's

Bye Baltimore. See you next time!