What makes a winery memorable?

Last night we were talking about our most memorable winery experiences. Here's what it comes down to. First of all, good wine. I guess that's a prerequisite, but it takes more than good wine to make a good winery experience. A knowledgeable server is important. At some wineries, the servers have just memorized a speech. "This one pairs well with Thai food.." Our best times are when we can relax and enjoy a full glass of our top choice and maybe some food (but light on the cheese). Music makes it even better. That's one reason we love running into Chatham Street. On the rare ocassion, I'll even dance.

Good wine . . . good food . . . good friends . . . interesting people . . . laughter . . . these are the things that make a memorable winery experience.

Shouldn't it be easier to mull wine?

Last night we tried to combine several recipes and mull some wine. We had such wonderful mulled wine at Willowcroft, but we just couldn't duplicate it at home. Still, it wasn't too bad, perfect for a cool evening at home.

It doesn't get much better than this . . .

. . . but we're going to keep trying. The PoLo wine club just completed another 2-day tour of some of the wineries in Northern VA. We can check off #64-73. We started off with a private tasting at Zephaniah -- excellent wine, impressive location (antiques galore), and a warm and welcoming hostess. We also visited Casanel, Willowcroft, Bluemont, Twin Oaks (another spectacular private tasting), and Veramar, where we saw our new old friends, Chatham Street. And that was just day one.

Day 2 started off with a bang. We spent more than an hour enjoying the wine, food, and views at Fox Meadow. The day continued on an upward trajectory with visits to Naked Mountain, Aspen Dale, and Three Fox. Knowing that Chatham Street would be performing at Barrel Oak, we adjusted our plans, and went there for the last visit of the weekend. Great wine. Great music. Great people.

We contemplated spending another night up there but then thought better of it. Best to leave on a high note. The Postmans headed south. The Loquastos headed north. We're now in the warmth and safety of our own homes.

There's much more to say about these visits, but I'm tired and my fingers just want to take the rest of me to bed. Our next trip will probably be to hit a few that we've missed closer to home. Stay tuned.