You'll find Hunter's Head Tavern in the sleepy village of Upperville, in the heart of the best of Virginia wine country. Step through the door and feel you've slipped into a long time past in an authentic English Pub -- a true tavern in a house built around 1750 -- that's laced top to bottom with rustic sophistication. Old plank floors, fireplaces, exposed beams, farmhouse tables, and wooden chairs of which no two seam to be alike convey a homey sense of somewhere far away.
Read moreBig Hill Ciderworks mixes apples with winemaker passion in an extraordinary bottle lineup
We deeply respect talented winemakers for the passion they infuse in every barrel, every bottle, every glass they bring to life. Less well known, but possessed of equal passion for their craft, are the cider makers whose barrels, bottles, and glasses do with apples what winemakers do with grapes. At Big Hill Ciderworks in Gardners, Pennsylvania, cider makers Ben Kishbaugh and Troy Lehman draw apples' fine wine from 35 varietals and 25 acres.
Read moreNew wines are being poured at Northern Virginia's excellent Delaplane Cellars winery
Earlier this week we included Delaplane Cellars in our list of current Northern Virginia (and surrounding) wine, dine, and travel favorites. It's been six months since we last wrote about Delaplane, and they've got a nearly entirely new lineup of wines and vintages pouring at the winery right now. We thought we'd check in with some tasting notes and encouragement for you to pay them a visit.
Read moreThese are our Northern Virginia (and surrounding) wine, dine, and travel favorites right now
It's Columbus Day in the United States -- you know, that quasi-holiday that might be the federally recognized holiday that your employer is most likely to expect you to work on anyway? It's also an absolutely beautiful time in the Northern Virginia region that we (and a lot of great wineries) call home. These are some of our top regional recommendations right now.
Read moreGlobally renowned water + ton of history make Berkeley Springs (WV) Brewing worth watching
We stopped at the Berkeley Springs Brewing Company on a beautiful mid-September day. We found the brewing operation and companion Bathwater Brew Pub to be particularly well suited to helping drinkers discover and like things they didn't know they liked. At just a year old, we need some more time to see what this brewery is going to turn into, but there are pieces here that play well in its favor.
Read moreBuyer beware: The only thing we learned at DC "Uncorked" Wine Festival is to not go back
Casual winos, whether of the just-getting-into it or aspiring-connoisseur varieties, can learn a lot at wine festivals. Sadly, after attending the Uncorked DC Wine Festival this past weekend, we have to strongly recommend that you avoid festivals sponsored by Uncorked. It was one of the worst wine experiences we've had, and an epic waste of money.
Read moreLot 12 Public House restaurant: Big city quality and small town Berkeley Springs, West Virginia charm
Lot 12 Public House restaurant occupies the stately house ensconced in a garden nestled on the hillside that rises above natural spring and spa town Berkeley Springs, WV just two hours from Washington, DC. It is truly world class dining, a place we take friends from DC and New York so that we can see the look of delighted surprise on their face when they realize such places exist where they'd least expect.
Read moreEscape the city to exquisite dining at Virginia Wine Country's Ashby Inn, an hour from Washington
We stopped at the Ashby Inn in Paris, an unincorporated village straight out of Americans' stereotypical vision of a small English town (or, the Hobbit). The setting is positively idyllic, the type of place at which you stop for lunch between wineries, and then realize hours later that you've sat in the garden until your next destination has closed. Situated about an hour outside of Washington, the Ashby Inn is an absolute no-brainer for city escapees, romantic weekenders, and winery wanderers alike.
Read moreCoastal Massachusetts wine country is a great excursion in a state known for other things
Concentrated along the South Coast of a state whose reasonable summer temperatures and oceanfront destinations, phenomenal universities, and rich history already attract visitors aplenty, Massachusetts wine country -- like its counterparts in higher production states -- offers the good and the interesting alongside a few duds. We have several favorites.
Read moreSER Restaurant is Simple, Easy, Real. Spain in America, an Arlington, Virginia best.
Another warm summer's evening in Arlington, Virginia sets on the patio at SER, the splendid Spanish restaurant. Simple. Easy. Real. This is the vision in which owner Javier Candon, a native of the region around Seville, Spain, has crafted one of the best restaurants in Arlington over the past couple of years. He's created something really special here.
Read moreDistilling exceptional craft Rum and Gin at South Hollow Spirits in North Truro, Cape Cod, MA
Summer sun shines down from a blue sky that looks like the ocean inverted, reflecting brightly on the whitewashed Cape Cod style house and barn. Your chair sits beneath stately tree branches. A cooling breeze wafts through the yard as you put a cocktail to your lips. It's the height of summer, and you've discovered the exceptional rum, gin, and related cocktails at South Hollow Spirits in North Truro, Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Read moreRed Hook Winery showcases New York State viticulture in an urban on-water setting
Red Hook offers a unique perspective on wine making. Owner Mark Snyder started the winery in 2008 to bridge the gap between New York City and the local growing community. Today, the winery has three winemakers who each bring their own perspective to the same grapes. Understanding the style of the winemakers is the key to understanding the wines at Red Hook.
Read moreRoss' Grill in Provincetown, MA at the end of Cape Cod is "The Good Life in Summertime"
Were I to show you one picture that sums up "the good life in summertime", I'd be hard pressed to find something more compelling than the site of a sangria on your table and the harbor view from the Ross' Grill balcony beyond. Today we're going to our favorite place for lunch in our favorite town: Ross' Grill in Provincetown, MA, the last town on the end of Cape Cod.
Read moreWestport Rivers truly sparkles as the premier Massachusetts vineyard and winery
Of all the splendid places you'll find as you travel through New England, Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery in Westport, MA may surprise you most. The winery experience is delightful in itself, marked by a ton of outdoor character and of course Mao the winery cat roaming freely about the grounds and through the tasting room. Sparkling wine is a point of pride here, making them unique even among the already-unique world of Massachusetts wine.
Read moreChimichurri Grill in New York is one of our favorite restaurants anywhere
At the corner of 43rd Street and 9th Avenue in Manhattan, in Hell's Kitchen just west enough of Times Square to make it reasonable, sits an extraordinary restaurant called Chimichurri Grill. Stunning food and wine, warm-from-the-very-first-moment hospitality from our friends Carlos and Wilmer, and charmingly intimate spaces have made Chimichurri Grill one of our favorite places in New York City, and easily one of our top five restaurants anywhere.
Read moreRonald Reagan Washington National Airport, one of America's best, celebrates 75 years of history
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport - better known to locals simply as "National Airport" or "National" - celebrated 75 years this week since its opening on June 16, 1941. We've been thrilled by this not just because National (IATA code "DCA") is quite literally in our back yard (we watch planes land from our dining room), but also because we're proud of the truly outstanding airport we have right here at home in Arlington, VA.
Read moreBrooklyn Oenology: City winemaking with splendid sense of place
Located in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, Brooklyn Oenology (BOE) espouses a profound devotion to the sense of place wrapped up in the wine they produce. Alie and her team have really captured the essence of their unique place through exclusive use of grapes grown throughout the state of New York (you'll be hard pressed to find a vineyard in the city), inclusion of New York spirits in their tasting room, and the incredible local artwork that decorates the label of every bottle.
Read morePlane vs Train decision for the savvy traveler
Unless you’re explicitly seeking the long-haul train experience, Amtrak is most useful in getting from one city to another "near" city, i.e. any combination of cities between Washington and New York, any similar combination of cities between New York and Boston, and other combinations such as St. Louis and Kansas City (a ride that I love!). We recommend you make your decision for individual trips based on a combination of total cost, total travel time, convenience, and the rather intangible "experience" factor.
Read moreBlending Old and New World, Travessia Urban Winery headlines downtown New Bedford, MA
Owner and Winemaker Marco Montez has something really great happening at his Travessia Urban Winery on Purchase Street in charming downtown New Bedford, Massachusetts. Here Marco blends Old World instincts honed in his Portuguese family's Penada vineyard and winery with new world creativity in in the heart of one of America's most under appreciated wine making regions.
Read moreVirginia's Delaplane Cellars is an indisputably world class winery
We are impressed by a number of Virginia's vineyards and wineries. But among the impressive stand out what we'd consider to be world class: the elite few whose wine we'd consider when choosing from the very best in our collection, who have really driven Virginia's emergence as a (under appreciated) wine making region to be reckoned with. Delaplane Cellars is one of them.
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