Author Archive
Labels—both human and vinous—can drive success
Names make a difference. Science says so.
Take human names. UCLA psychology professor, Albert Mehrabian, tested a slew of names to see how attractive people found them. Some equated to success; others to popularity or kindness.
Traditional names such as Rachel or Robert got a jump start in the “it’s a jungle out there” world.
But modern alternative names did not score nearly as well. Breeze for example rated 16 on a 100 point sale.
“A name is part of an impression package. If you want to give your child a name that connotes low status, then you need to be aware of the consequences,” Mehrabian cautioned.
Might the same be true for wine? Maybe.
But maybe not.
Critter wines
All of us need to be a tad skeptical when it comes pop psychology assessments. But back in the early 2000s, a phenomenon erupted in the wine world called Critter Wines. Now that moniker could not possibly sell wine, right? Think again.
The winery known worldwide for largely establishing the branding phenomenon was Yellow Tail. The company’s cute, colorful marsupial helped launch an ocean of inexpensive wine.
Of course, Yellow Tail also perfected an easy drinking libation to match its label. They produced a wine with less tannin and acidity while simultaneously bumping up the residual sugar a tad.
The masses loved it. How much? Today, Yellow Tail has sold more than a billion bottles worldwide. That’s a lot of hopping kangaroos. It also spawned an avalanche of other critter wines.
As you negotiate the wine aisle in the local grocery store today you’ll see: Goats Do Roam, Dancing Bull, Rex Goliath, The Little Penguin, Four Emus, Three Blind Moose, Cardinal Point, Porcupine Ridge, Badger Mountain, Butterfly Creek; the list goes on but you get the idea.
All of this labeling is designed to demystify wine and make it more fun. One major target audience for such labeling is millennials; a cohort between the ages of 20 to the mid-30s and one of the fastest growing segments of wine drinkers.
It’s important for the wine industry to capture these folks today because “he who rocks the cradle rules the world.” In 20 years, ageing millennials will have a wallet full of cash to spend on wine.
So while fun wine labels can move the sales needle it might also telegraph a less prestigious wine in a buyer’s mind. But if the wine is tasty and the cash register keeps ringing, who cares?
Published in the Spring 2015 edition of inFauquier magazine.
Note: From time to time I am asked to pen a piece far afield from my typical areas of interest. The following is a discussion of a little known program seeking wider acceptance.
Employee leave sharing: sound idea waiting to blossom
Within the Federal Government, employees regularly donate vacation or sick leave to fellow workers who are experiencing medical emergencies and are in need of time off. The program embodies the Golden Rule.
And yet, for nearly three decades this unique employee benefit has been implemented largely by state and local governments, educational and health institutions and non-profits.
The private sector has seemingly ignored its adoption; one designed to build employee morale and commitment.
In an era when workers are asking for more balance between work and lifestyle the question presents: Why not the expansion of a good thing?
It’s a serious question for human resource professionals. Today, a large segment of the work force is known as millennials, born between 1980 and 1992. This cohort is focused on career income and benefits.
Nearly 60 percent of millennials have already switch careers at least once and most say they are unlikely to stay with their current employer. As a result, companies increasingly offer fringe benefits crafted to make its work environment more attractive to talented employees.
Perhaps Silicon Valley’s hi-tech firms personify the degree to which businesses lavish such perks on it employees.
Benefits like bike repair shops, comfy chairs called Nap Pods, exercise and yoga classes, barber shops, car rentals to run errands, gaming arcades, concierge services and even helicopter rides are just a few of the goodies bestowed on employees in the land of hi-tech.
So it begs the question of why more firms are not offering a benefit as simple and straightforward as leave sharing.
In the beginning
The concept of leave sharing became Federal law when President Ronald Reagan signed the Federal Employees Leave Sharing Act of 1988, directing agencies to establish the program.
In 1989, the program was expanded to include the creation of a Sick Leave Bank whereby Federal employees could donate leave to an agency bank and request leave from it after exhausting personal accrued leave.
The concept caught traction within state governments and today 19 states offer some form of a “sick leave pool”.
In 1993, the original law was reauthorized and the Government Accountability Office testified before Congress that the program had operated successfully since its inception and employees favored its continuance.
Moreover, GAO found the administrative costs were low and that an employee attitude survey found 20 percent of employees had donated leave and one percent had received donations. Not a profound impact but certainly beneficial to those employees in need.
In response to a recent inquiry to the Office of Personnel Management, the agency stated: “According to feedback from Federal agencies, the programs have been successful and they are often used by employees who have short-term personal or family medical emergencies.”
OPM does not maintain a total count of employees who use the programs. Those numbers are tracked by individual agency. Federal employment totals 1.8 million, excluding the United States Postal Service which is not an executive agency; its employment count is 486,822.
Notwithstanding the sanguine view of the Federal program, a recent informal survey of private sector businesses in the Piedmont region confirms that leave sharing is embedded in few human resources policies. Where it has been offered, its success is evident.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act public employers are able to provide compensatory time off instead of monetary overtime compensation, providing there is an agreement between the employer and employee.
It appears private companies have elected to adopt a similar “in-house” solution to leave sharing.
Fauquier Health
Fauquier Health is one of the largest firms in the Piedmont region, employing approximately 1,200 people.
Its services run wide and deep and include a 97 bed hospital, long-term care and rehabilitation nursing facilities, a 72 person assisted living operation, home health and wellness centers and a physicians practice.
Its Human Resources Department is headed up by Vice President Katy Reeves. The organization has a “Paid Time Off Donation” program. There are no separate vacation or sick leave plans.
Rather, the earned leave program “combines a vacation bank, a sick leave bank and a holiday bank. You put all of those days in one bank. Then an employee picks and chooses how they use their combined leave,” said Reeves.
The leave policy is structured so it doesn’t penalize employees who never use sick leave from being able to use it as paid time off for vacation. Moreover, additional flexibility permits each worker to donate leave to a fellow employee under certain conditions.
“For example, Betty can’t draw on John’s leave bank unless John wants to donate his hours to her. And it has to be for some type of hardship; a cancer treatment, car accident, a child or spouse undergoing some type of medical treatment,” explains Reeves.
A receiving employee cannot use donated leave to go on vacation and Human Resources must approve all leave donation requests.
“It has been extremely successful. It’s limited to medical emergencies and it’s used as frequently as needed. We always seem to have somebody in need of leave. I am continuously amazed at our employees and the number of people who step up to the plate and donate leave,” Reeves said.
The program in execution reflects the best of its intent. But it comes with a price tag.
“It’s absolutory a cost to Fauquier Health. If you look at why other companies don’t offer this kind of program, I would say the biggest barriers are financial,” Reeves said.
As an example, she elaborates that one cost factor involves hours donated by a staff employee being used by a department director. “The leave has been donated at a lower rate of pay but paid out at a higher rate.
“You budget for what you are going to spend. So suddenly, if you planned costs of $100 for a certain employee but they make a donation to another employee earning more money, the company liability might be $200. That’s a potential risk for companies with a paid time off donation program,” Reeves said.
One work around to the issue is for a firm to take the value of the donated hours and convert them to dollars. “But administratively that’s a huge undertaking.”
Similar financial issues present themselves in administering the program. For example, determining who is eligible to give and receive hours and tracking the leave exchanges, either manually or in the payroll system. “For us it’s a cost of doing business.”
“Our donation program is another example of the fact we are in the health care business; caring and compassion and taking care of people. If we don’t take care of our employees, they won’t be able to provide for the care of our patients. It’s the complete cycle of making sure we are treating our folks right,” Reeves said.
Former CEO
Gary Newell is the former owner and CEO of Buccaneer Computer Systems and Services in Vint Hill. He embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that drives successful companies.
In March 2000, he created his small firm and 10 years later had grown it to 700 employees scattered across six states. In September 2010, he sold the company for $65 million. The man knows how to wield a sharp pencil.
Newell explains that he had an employee suggestion program at Buccaneer. One worthy submission was to create a shared leave program. He looked at two concepts in evaluating the proposal. One was for people to donate to a leave pool; the second was for a direct employee-to-employee donation.
“Either way we looked at it, it was an accounting nightmare,” said Newell. “Especially when you are doing government contracting business. You can be audited anytime by the government.
“If I had an employee making $200,000 a year who was very sick and another employee making $50,000 a year who wanted to donate leave to the person, the donated leave is a different dollar value.
“But you can’t take a portion equal to giver’s salary and donate to the higher paid employee. You would be giving away salary information and that is very confidential.
“The employee could donate four hours of leave but the sick guy could only use one of those hours. It gets very, very messy accounting-wise.
“If you do a direct one-on-one donation, it turns into a popularity contest. When I only had three or four employees, it wouldn’t have been a problem. But when you get to 700 employees you can’t do individual things for individual people. It leaks out and everybody expects it can be done for them,” Newell explains.
Newell goes on to underscore another issue he sees as problematic. There are a certain percentage of employees who as soon as they earn any vacation or sick leave use it. More mature employees build up their leave in case emergencies arise.
“So what you are doing with a shared leave program is benefiting those people who use their leave the moment they earn it. They know there is a pool of leave waiting for them. Those types of people don’t mind spending other peoples’ leave.
“And by the way, who makes the decision who gets to tap into the leave? Where do you draw the line on how sick you have to be? And what if the pool is empty?
“It took about a 30 minute meeting with my human resources and finance managers to decide the juice just ain’t worth the squeeze,” said Newell.
Excelsior Pay Group, LLC
Tianna Wells is director of client services at Excelsior Pay Group in Manassas. The firm “helps eliminate administrative burdens of workforce management, accounting and training.”
“I do see leave sharing being able to help employees in the near future. The program is gaining in the private sector,” Wells said.
She goes on to describe a personal experience with the concept. Her husband was injured in a motorcycle accident and “I had exhausted all my leave. So the option was worked out for me because a co-worker extended her leave to me during my time of need.”
At the time, the company she worked for did not have a formal leave sharing policy in place but afterwards adopted one based largely on her experience. The firm was a subcontractor servicing Federal contracts.
“I’m not sure why it isn’t being offered as a fringe benefit in the private sector. I assume companies don’t want to put pressure on their employees to share the leave they’ve worked hard for.”
Wells could not cite any examples of companies she knew who currently offered the benefit but still sees the likelihood it will expand. “In this day and age a lot of employers are trying to gain significant employees and may feel a need to do as much as they can to entice people to work for them.”
However, she thought the option was one that almost always would be executed on an exception basis.
“While I do see the program growing, I don’t see it being part of a company’s policy but rather being exercised at the discretion of management,” Wells said.
Pangea Global, LLC
Pangea Global is a human resources consultant firm located in Haymarket. Its principal is Jeff Brown. Brown echoes the experience of other private sector executives; to wit, leave sharing is a benefit enlightened employers handle on their own without a formal policy being established.
And it is normally exercised as an exception instead of a blanket policy. He believes the Federal policy has been established to create a level playing field where individual managers don’t have the autonomy to offer it at their own discretion.
“But in businesses they grant mangers the flexibility to provide for additional sick leave up to a certain point. As a practical matter, six months is the outside range. Beyond that long term disability comes into play.
“I’ve never heard of a leave sharing policy within the private sector; never encountered anything like that.
“In fact, the only time I’ve heard of it anywhere was in the Federal government. A friend of mind who passed away from cancer worked at the State Department. She had the benefit. It’s a completely different way to approach the problem than in the private sector,” Brown said.
Fauquier County Government
There are approximately 600 employees in the Fauquier County government; two forms are leave sharing are available for their use.
First, there is a leave bank. An employee can gain access to the bank by simply donating 7.5 hours of leave into it. This “deposit” then permits the employee to withdraw up to 60 days of leave a year for medical emergencies or work related injuries. To be eligible they must have exhausted their own personal leave.
Employees cannot normally donate leave to one another unless of serious medical necessity. But if they have exhausted leave from the bank, they can make a special request for the county to seek donations from all employees on their behalf. The county administrator must approve the exception requests.
The flexibility and generosity of the program is impressive.
Deputy County Administrator, Katie Heritage, said,” The program has been offered for the 20 years I’ve been here and I’m sure longer than that.
“It’s a great program because you give one day of leave and have this wonderful access to a pool of leave. Nobody wants to think they will have to use it. But you never know.
“The exception program shows that county employees are, in my experience, extremely generous with their donations; even if it’s not to somebody in the same department. I think it shows a great thing about the county government,” Heritage said.
One employee who echoes Heritage’s views is Miles Friedman, director, Fauquier County Department of Economic Development. He holds the position after serving for 27 years as head of a nonprofit association in Washington, D.C. His opinion as to why leave sharing is limited in scope is insightful.
“I think one reason why you see it more in governments and nonprofits is they can’t pay the way the private sector does. Nonprofits try very hard to make up in employee benefits what they can’t do in salaries,” Friedman said.
When Friedman led his nonprofit he was always looking for ways to do “nice little things” for his employees such as covering childcare costs, helping out with emergencies or giving them access to counseling if they had issues.
Leave sharing was one of the perks included in the benefits package. “We tried to make it like a family.
“It’s a different culture in the private sector. You are paid handsomely and receive nice benefits like vacations, nice offices, travel expenses and so forth,” Friedman underscores.
He doesn’t believe private companies are “being crass” but just feels their employees are already being taken care of. “It’s how they do it.”
Asked if based on his extensive experience he could recall any private companies offering leaving sharing, he responded with a simple, “I can’t.”
Summing up
Even considering the differences between government and government-like organizations and private businesses, it seems facile to simply dismiss leave sharing as something that won’t work in the private sector.
At its core, leave sharing is charity in action; a character trait that, perhaps more than ever, should be fostered within government and commercial firms alike. But the realities of a free enterprise economy dictate business decisions are rarely driven by altruistic motives.
Yet, the search by young workers for employers who balance work and lifestyle issues presents the private sector with an opportunity to simultaneously serve their employees and the commonweal through leave sharing.
It’s a modest proposal seeking wider adoption. A continuing dialogue seems in the best interests of all.
Published in the Summer 2015 edition of the Business Journal.
Casanova artist driven by passion not marketplace
Dana Lee Thompson picked up a paint brush at the age of 12. She hasn’t put it down since. Not that the urge to create was always smooth.
“My mother gave me watercolor classes with I was 12. But I got kicked out of class. I was always playing with the brushes and slinging water on my friends,” Thompson said laughing.
Hmmm…one wonders how many of her former classmates are professional artists today? Maybe a little slinging goes a long way.
Her creative urged prevailed before and after her unfortunate first art classes. She drew and painted as a child driven simply by her imagination. “I use to copy cartoons and draw the same pointer dog over and over.”
Her love of animals never left her and today she is a highly respected artist and a signature member of The Society of Animal Artists, a renowned organization comprised of members who produce the best animal art in the world.
“”I’m very, very proud of my acceptance into the Society. When I first started painting, I would look at their catalogs and just dream that maybe I too could be in those catalogs,” Thompson recalls.
It is well-founded pride because Thompson is largely self-taught. When viewing her art, it’s hard to comprehend she was not classically trained.
Her talent and perseverance has scored numerous awards over the years and her work is highly sought after.
Dual career
As a young woman Thompson attended college and pursued a career as a dental technologist. Art was her passion but life demanded that bills be paid. A steady income trumps fervor.
Nonetheless, her choice of careers underscored her creative urge. Dental technologists work from prescriptions to construct custom-made restorative and dental appliances. One doesn’t typically associate prosthesis and dentures with art but artistic talent lies at heart of both professions.
While her career was advancing she continued to paint. She also fell in love with all things fox hunting and rode with the Casanova Hunt for several years. Hounds and horses began to dominate her art.
After two decades of dental work, Thompson decided to pursue a full-time art career. “I worked in Reston and couldn’t take the commute anymore. I decided to quit and go full-time,” Thompson said.
But after five years, the economy began to sputter, bills began to mount and she returned to the dental lab. Today she paints after work and on the weekends.
It’s frustrating for her because the required creativity of her dental work can sap the creative energy necessary for her art. Today, such conflict has diminished given her experience, but she still renders only two to four paintings a month.
She also is moving away from predominately horse and hound art to painting feathered friends. “I love birds. They challenge me. I’d Like to get more confident in painting birds so I’ve been painting a lot them lately.”
She has travelled to Africa three times with one of her sisters because the bird life there is so abundant. She will return again next year. She also visits another sister in Florida to capture its unique bird life including egrets, herons, pelicans and more.
Not surprisingly, she is also a professional photographer and creates digitally exotic birds that will often blossom in oil upon return to her studio.
The future
As her career as dental technologist winds down, Thompson is looking forward to painting full-time in a few years.
She will continue to pursue art based on what attracts her not necessarily what the market requests. “Marketing is tough in the art world. Some are better at it than others. I tend to paint what interests me and if it happens to sell, that’s a plus,” Thompson said.
At any give time Thompson has seven or eight paintings for sale. When asked if she ever keeps certain pieces for herself, she responds with sound industry advice, “They say it’s not a good idea to keep your work. If you can sell it, it helps build an artist’s reputation.”
The cost of her art ranges from $400 for miniatures to $3,000 for full-size paintings.
The artist’s palette
Technique drives performance
Dana Lee Thompson works strictly in oils. She does not paint thickly but employs a technique called alla prima, or wet-on-wet, using multiple thin layers.
The method is predominately used with oil in which layers of wet paint are applied to previous wet paint. It requires working fast because second layers must be applied before the first ones dry. It is also referred to as direct painting.
Her art does not find a home on canvas but rather an artist’s wooden board made of birch, oak, chestnut or cherry woods. The surface of the wood is much harder than canvas and enables her to rendered scenes more graphically.
“I don’t get the bounce I would get on canvas with its little holes,” Thompson said. “I am more confident painting on board than on canvas.”
She first sketches out her subject on the wood and then quickly begins painting. Many artists paint in layers over time. Thompson paints everything at once.
A large painting typically requires two eight-hour days to complete. “Some artists just keep picking at their work and it ends up getting overworked. I work on it for a couple of days and then ask advice from other artist friends,” Thompson said.
Another feedback technique is to hold the finished painting in front of a mirror and see what flaws jump out. “If something is really bothersome you can see it in reverse. I use those techniques as well but most of the time when I’m finished painting, it’s done.”
Since much of her art is rendered from photographs she has taken of the subject, comparing the final art to the original photo will also highlight what might be bothering the artist.
Her advice for struggling artists? “If you are interested in painting, the biggest thing to do is paint a lot. I don’t think you can’t get a lot accomplished if you just paint here and there,” said Thompson
Ahh, so practice does make perfect.
Thompson’s work is available for sale at the Berkley Gallery in Warrenton and her oeuvre is displayed on her website http://www.danaleethompson.com/.
Published in the Summer 2015 edition of inFauquier magazine.
Fauquier County home to growing coyote population
They are everywhere but nowhere. They range the entire state of Virginia surviving and thriving on all matter of food from grass to house pets; if it’s edible its fair game. And yet to spot one is a rare privilege bestowed upon the precious few.
Consider: There are 8.2 million Virginians and at least 50,000 coyotes in the Commonwealth. But try to find someone who has seen one. Wile E. Coyote has a well-earned reputation for elusiveness.
It is believed the first coyotes in Virginia were Midwestern pups brought in by man during the 1950s, raised and then released. But by the late 1970s, a decades-long natural migration from the southern states was in full bloom. Soon after, the animal dropped down from the northeast joining his southern brothers and creating a pincer movement into the Old Dominion.
Today, there is a minimum of 2,000 coyotes in Fauquier County. They are here to stay. The animal has a legendary track record for being impossible to eradicate. One could even say it’s a lost cause; something old-line Virginians have historical knowledge of.
“We do not recommend counties establish bounties. They don’t work,” said Mike Fies, wildlife research biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. “There’s a 150-old-year record of total failure. You can’t kill enough coyotes with a bounty system to make a difference in the population.”
Nonetheless, 17 out of 95 counties in Virginia offer bounties ranging from $25 to $75 a pelt. Fauquier County is not included. A typical male weighs 45 pounds and a female about 10 pounds less.
With or without bounties, the number of coyotes in Virginia continues to grow; slower west of the Blue Ridge where they are well-established and faster in the Piedmont and counties surrounding the nation’s capital.
One enduring rumor is the Shenandoah National Park brought coyotes in to maintain its deer herds. “I’ve heard that rumor for 30 years,” said Fies. “It’s hogwash.” Once they breeched the Mississippi River their movement east was slow but inexorable.
But man rarely interacts with them, and livestock and pet depredation are not a major problem—yet—so is their presence cause for real concern?
The Trapper
Finding someone who has interacted with a coyote is like finding trout in an overfished stream. Good luck. But one line of work provides amble opportunity to come face-to-face with all manner of wildlife: The trapper.
Trapping conjures up visions of mid-1800s mountain men opening up the west. Yet the profession still exists in the 21st century. Often, today’s trapper is employed to eliminate a “problem child” of the forest and fields.
Burt Herbert, owner of Animal Removal for Keeps based in Manassas, traps throughout Northern Virginia. He has trapped coyotes in Fauquier County but the majority of calls for help come from Lorton and Great Falls. Great Falls? “Oh yes, we even have them around Sports Authority in Manassas,” said Herbert. Who knew?
“The eastern coyote is much more wily, cunning and bigger than the western coyote,” said Herbert. This is likely due to its hybridization with wolves in Canada and the northern states before descending down the east coast.
“Most of my phone calls are due to coyote sightings around houses where they are killing people’s pets. If they kill the dog, they will usually leave the dog. But if they kill the cats, they usually take them away,” said Herbert.
As a professional trapper, Herbert has 30 years experience and has an endless number of tales to share; some quite extraordinary. “I’ve seen a coyote scale a six-foot-high privacy fence with a cat in its mouth. I didn’t believe it could have gotten up it but it sure did,” he recalls.
To provide an even clearer picture of the scope of the Fauquier County population Herbert said, “There have been packs of over 20 in the county. I know somebody who shot 23 of them in one evening coming down to kill his sheep.”
He elaborates that the animal’s diet ranges from grass, mice, rabbits, fawns and cats up to sheep and calves. They are opportunistic hunters.
Notwithstanding his first-hand experience, his coyote trapping is limited to about a dozen kills last year; certainly not reflecting an epidemic of depredation.
Coyotes are legally defined as a nuisance species and can be hunted year round. But given its limited intrusion into the lives of humans a case might be made for a live and let live attitude.
Whatever one’s take on coyotes, it is without a doubt one of the most intelligent and fascinating creatures in the wild kingdom.
Living with coyotes
Follow the rules and pets will remain safe
No animal has greater respect for you than Mr. Wily Coyote. Its respect and fear of Homo sapiens has been purchased at great cost.
The animal has been relentlessly hunted for over 200 years and paid the price with much loss of life.
Of course, it’s learned a lot along the way too.
So while it has nothing to do with you personally—hey, a guy has to eat—pets are almost irresistible dining if given the opportunity to strike. Hunger trumps respect.
Here are the keys to keeping the clever ones at bay:
*Remove all unnatural food sources from around your home. Pet food left on the porch or overflowing garbage cans are fast food restaurants to the dining out coyote. If they find these treasures with any regularity at the same location, a real problem emerges; they can become emboldened. That’s not good.
*Do not tolerate coyotes around your residence. It’s seemingly a feather in your cap for a coyote to find your homestead inviting (is it the landscaping or the color of my home?) but habituation to man is the leading cause of attacks on four-legged family members. More seriously, it may even evolve into aggressive behavior toward you.
*When walking small dogs or playing with children in known coyote habits, keep pets on a leash and children close at hand. Attacks on humans are extremely rare but take no chances.
*If you spot one in the yard, make sure it knows it’s unwelcome. Yell or throw non-edible objects in its direction. It can’t read “No Trespassing” signs but humans who are aggressive will send them packing.
Finally, if you do see one at a safe distance consider taking a video. You’ll be assured of multiple likes on Facebook or even a viral run on YouTube. Yep, that’s how rare filmed encounters are.
Published in the Summer 2015 edition of inFauquier magazine.
Winery expands with opening of distillery
If you are looking for a unique gift for dad on Father’s Day, consider taking him out to Old House Vineyards for the launch of its new distillery. But first, stop by the winery and sample the wines then wrap up your visit with a brick oven pizza on the patio while listening to live music.
Of course lake fishing could also be on the agenda. They’ll even supply the worms.
Old House Vineyards and its new libation factory is synonymous with fun. On Sunday, June 21, after three years of hard work and an investment of over a quarter million dollars, the Kearney family will open its distillery for tastings and sales.
Pat and Allyson Kearney are the power couple behind the social lubricant adventure land. They also apparently never sleep given what they’ve created at Old House since opening in 2002. Wine production increased to 3,000 cases this year and some fifty weddings and numerous other events are held on the estate annually.
Fortunately, the heavy workload at the vineyard will now be shared by Ryan Kearney, the couple’s 24-year-old son and newly minted crafted distiller. The University of Virginia graduate spent a year working for an IT firm in Washington, D.C. before being lured home by dad with an offer he couldn’t resist; creating distilled spirits.
“I can’t really complain much about what I do. I have a pretty awesome job. It definitely beats working in D.C.” said Ryan Kearney.
Indeed. An awesome job that makes not only the young man happy but the soon-to-be fans of Old House spirits as well.
Using the template that created their previous successes, the Kearneys will launch the distillery with two different bottlings and expand over time. A vodka produced from the winery’s Vidal Blanc grapes and a silver rum distilled from sugar cane and molasses will be available for tasting and sale on opening day.
In the near future, a specialty product made from Blue Agave nectar will grace the tasting notes. The libation is similar to a Tequila.
Distillery
Starting a distillery from scratch requires money, education and patience; jumping in without due diligence courts a quick stumble. All of the products at Old House have to be tested on small ten gallon stills before moving to full production.
The equipment itself is pricey. The distillery has one 150 gallon copper Olympic pot still from South Africa costing $60,000. Three additional column stills cost $15,000 each. Quality spirits are not made on the cheap.
Additional equipment will be purchased as production increases. Future liquors will include grain- based whiskey and gin using rye, barley and wheat grown by Culpeper farmers.
To prepare for the new venture Pat and Ryan Kearney took a distilling course in Seattle. Then Ryan Kearney hit the books hard to perfect his skills. He also sought help from current Virginia distillers.
When Old House secured its permit to distill, it became the 21st distillery in the state. “All of the state’s distilleries are very open to sharing information. It’s one of the great things about craft distilling in Virginia,” Ryan Kearney said.
Licensing by the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control added a another dimension to the endeavor; strict laws govern the production of distilled beverages.
Museum
An added attraction to the new stand-alone distillery is a World War II museum. Pat Kearney’s primary job is president of Kearney and Associates, a firm specializing in the design and construction of museum exhibits for government and private organizations.
“Dad has 30 years experience in museum design and World War II speaks to him a lot. Our neighbors are also veterans of the war,” Ryan Kearney said.
The museum provides a unique backdrop to the tasting room and reinforces the contributions the “Greatest Generation” made to the Nation.
“There’s nothing better than working with your family,” Ryan Kearney said. “It’s a neat experience. Hopefully, the distillery will bring more people to Old House and to Culpeper. We are excited about the next couple of years.”
The Kearney’s have two other children; Brittany, 26, is a registered nurse and Liam, 19, attends college and works at the winery during the summer months. “I could see him coming back after school,” said Ryan Kearney.
Old House Vineyards is located at 18351 Corkys Lane, Culpeper. It is opened six days a week year round; closed on Tuesdays. For additional information on hours and special events visit: http://www.oldhousevineyards.com/
Published in the June 18, 2015 edition of the Culpeper Times.
Recipes and pub location being finalized now
In 1979 there were just a handful of craft breweries in the United States. It was also the year President Jimmy Carter signed legislation allowing homebrewing. What started out as a few snow flakes of homebrewers turned into an avalanche of commercial artisan brewmasters.
An avalanche? Indeed. From a scattering of craft breweries in the early 1980s, the industry has burgeoned to nearly 3,600 today. It’s a classic example of free enterprise and entrepreneurial spirit being unleashed by market opportunity.
Moreover, it has catapulted the U.S. into the world’s leading craft beer producer. Today, some of the finest beer in the world is being produced in America.
Craft beer has joined forces with artisanal wine and distilled spirits as a growth industry. Across the spectrum of “social lubricants” quality is trumping quantity.
The phenomenon is evident in communities across the country and Culpeper is no exception. With the opening of Wicked Barn Brewery in September the town will be home to three craft breweries.
Homegrown
The latest brewer to enter the local craft beer scene is a native of Culpeper. William Jones, 43, was born at Culpeper Regional Hospital and grew up on a nearby dairy farm. His family raised Holstein cattle and farmed hay, alfalfa and other grain crops.
Much of the farm was sold in 1985 but the 300 foot long dairy barn remained in the family. It will be repurposed from milk production to beer. “It’s in rough shape. It’s been sitting for 30 years but it still has some good bones to it,” Jones said.
Jones plans to make the barn his brewing location and eventually a brew pub. In the interim, he will establish retail presence in downtown Culpeper in September while his full business plan unfolds over the next three years.
Currently Jones is not selling beer. The basement of his home is his “pilot beer house” where he is perfecting his lineup of brews. Lovers of the hop will be rewarded for their patience when his beers start flowing from the taps.
The diversity of his selections is impressive and includes black Irish stout, Ruby-Brown ale, West Coast India Pale Ale, German wheat beer, American Brown ale and a German pilsner, among others. A total of eight beers will grace his menu when he opens.
In addition to brewing, the former farm boy will return to his roots by growing hops on the barn property. Hops are a key ingredient in beer providing flavoring and stability and imparting a bitter, tangy flavor to balance the malt flavor of the barley grain.
There are only a few hop farmers in the Old Dominion today. The plants are called bines and grow 25 feet in height on a network of poles and trellising. “I believe they will do well in Virginia. The plants take a lot of water.
“I will grow Columbus, Cascade, Centennial and other varieties. I will initially plant an acre but ultimately grow five acres,” Jones said. In addition to locally gown hops he will use barley also grown in Virginia.
“I want to use local products as much as I can. I want to engage local companies to help leverage their businesses. I want to give back to the community,” Jones said.
As his business grows, Jones will bring other employees on board. He will hire an assistant brewer and someone to run the pub plus employees to work there. “I will manage and operate it but there will be other employees that will help. I will continue to work my regular job.” said Jones.
That day job by the way is vice president of engineering and production at Euro-Composites at the Culpeper Airport Industrial Park.
The firm, headquartered in Luxembourg, invested $11 million in its Culpeper plant in 2011 and today employees 82 people. The company manufactures honeycomb composite material used in aerospace and other industry sectors.
Clearly this brewmaster has earned his business bona fides and will bring a wealth of expertise to his hobby turned second career.
Name that brewery
So how did Wicked Barn earn its moniker? Jones laughs and says, “It’s long story.”
It seems one of his favorite songs as a young man was called Wicked Ways by the heavy metal band Leatherwolf. At the time, he had rebuilt a 1994 Chevy pickup, dropped a racing motor in it and dubbed the truck Wicked Ways.
Subsequently, he took up motorcycle racing and called the bike Wicked II. “So the wicked thing has been in my family a long time.” It made sense to continue the theme with his brewery. Not to mention that the beer will likely taste “wicked good”.
In summing up his emerging role as a brewmaster, Jones said, “I am really looking forward to opening. I’m excited. I incorporated the business on April 4 and the closer I get to opening the more anxious I’m to get going.”
What a coincidence. Beer lovers throughout Virginia will also be eager to have Wicked Barn join the state’s brewery scene.
To track the progress of Wicked Barn’s opening visit its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/wickedbarnbrewery/info?tab=overview
Culpeper Brew Scene
When Wicked Barn Brewery opens in September, it will join two other current breweries in town. If you haven’t had a chance to check them out, grab your beer mug and head out to:
Beer Hound Brewery
Opened in 2014, Beer Hound Brewery is a nanobrewery and strives to keep beer local by brewing and serving beer direct to customers. All of the beers at Beer Hound are named after famous hounds in movies and history. Stop by and howl with the best of them.
201 Waters Place #2
Culpeper, VA 22701
http://www.beerhoundbrewery.com/
(540) 317.5327
Far Gohn Brewing Company
A “Tavern Brewery” that celebrates the German immigrant contributions to the America beer tradition and embraces a variety of beer worldwide. A fresh lineup of beers is rotated on the menu including British ales, Belgian styles, and American craft brews. Every weekend a cask of ale is tapped and served as it was centuries ago.
301 South East Street
Culpeper, VA 22701
(540) 555.1234
Louizos Papadopoulos began designing custom jewelry in Greece when he was 12 years old. By age 17, he joined a large design firm in Athens and continues to “work on the bench” today.
He also handcrafts wine at his Opal winery. Creating beauty from jewels and grapes is his passion. But it doesn’t stop there. Visitors to Molon Lave Vineyards also experience the landscaped beauty of his winery. Papadopoulos is an artist and the world his palette.
If his life’s work appears to come naturally, there’s good reason. His father, Louis Papadopoulos, owner of Mediterranean Cellars in Warrenton, is a fourth generation jeweler and has been making wine since 1961.
Jewelry design and winemaking are part of his son’s DNA. “Winemaking is kind of inherited to us. In Greece everyone would make wine for the house,” Louizos Papadopoulos explains.
Father and son moved permanently to the United States in 1984 and built a successful jewelry design business in Northern Virginia. In 1989, the family purchased the property in Warrenton and planted their first vines.
But jewelry design and winemaking are time consuming and his father decided to retire in 2000 to devote full-time to building and operating Mediterranean Cellars. The winery opened in 2004.
A year prior to its launch, the Molon Lave property was purchased for the purpose of providing additional grape supply for his father’s winery. The original hobby had become a serious business and the decision was made to open a second winery.
Molon Lave opened its tasting room in 2009 and has replicated the family’s jewelry success in Virginia wine production. The 50 acre winery currently produces 4,000 cases a year with a production goal of 8,000 cases.
Currently there are 12 acres under vine with an additional six acres to be added this year. More than 10 varietals are planted including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
“Our motto and philosophy is to combine European style winemaking with grapes grown in Virginia. We are doing it in a way you can taste the fruit itself without having to guess real hard what you are drinking. We don’t standardize the wines the way they do on the West Coast.
“We try to enhance the existing fruit using Old World winemaking,” said Papadopoulos.
For some Old Dominion wineries building a business that will eventually be run by the owners’ children is a primary goal. Molon Lave embraces the strategy.
Papadopoulos’ three daughters play active roles in the business. Katherine is the tasting room manager, Evy the office manager and Leah studies at George Mason University while assisting at both wineries.
“They are the third generation of our active winemaking family,” Papadopoulos said.
His wife, Alex, focuses on entertaining jewelry business customers who visit the winery; a considerable clientele since the firm has been in operation for 31 years.
The enjoyment of wine is enhanced by a graceful setting and Molon Lave delivers on the concept. The winery’s tasting room is framed by a 2,500 square foot patio and walkway that leads to an 8,300 square foot pavilion located on a knoll overlooking the winery, vineyards and a two and a half acre pond.
To sip wine and gaze upon the peaceful Virginia countryside defines relaxation; a goal most guests have in mind when arriving on the property.
The name of the winery reflects both the owners’ culture and life philosophy. Molon Lave is an ancient Greek phrase meaning “Come and get them”.
It was the response uttered by King Leonidas to a demand from an overwhelming large Persian army for his small Greek force to lay down their arms during the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.
The defiant military response embodies the dignity and pride of the Papadopoulos family.
It also sounds like a gracious offer to their guests to taste the wines and then “come and get them”. An offer responded to daily.
Molon Lave is opened seven days a week from 11 to 6 p.m. Visit them at http://www.molonlavevineyards.com/ for additional information on their wines and special events.
John’ Pick of the month 
Molon Lave Vineyards
2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
$32
This award winning 100 percent cabernet sauvignon was aged for 14 months in French and American oak. The wine displays the depth of a well-crafted cab showcasing red and black fruit a silky mouth feel and a smooth dry finish.
The wine is also Kosher for Passover meaning it was kept free from contact with grain, bread and dough during production and aging.
Published May 14, 2015 in the Culpeper Times.
When hunger strikes Pepper’s Grill is there to serve; breakfast, lunch or dinner. But dinner time is prime appetite country and the restaurant has a new dining room chef with a lengthy resume written in the kitchen.
In December, Mike Tylar figuratively placed his chef’s toque on and began redesigning the dinner menu at the respected local eatery. Since then the number of diners has increased each month.
“Business has increased 15 to 20 percent in the last few months,” Tylar said. “My goal is to get it up to at least 50 percent” over last year.
That’s the kind of goal setting the dining-out public loves. The reason any business succeeds is paying customers. And in the restaurant industry tasty food is the catalyst for ringing cash registers.
A profitable menu is a diner’s delight, producing the sought after win-win situation.
The reason for the winning formula lies in the lengthy resume Tylar brings to the kitchen. He has been cooking throughout the Piedmont region for years, including 25 years at The Bavarian Chef in Madison; a restaurant that enjoys a four-star Yelp rating.
“I have been cooking all my life starting at age 15,” said Tylar, 51. Most of his career was centered in Orange and Madison counties but when the opportunity to work at Pepper’s came up he pulled his German apron off and headed north to Culpeper.
“I had been cooking German food for a long time and wanted to try something different,” said Tylar. Germanic food tends to be heavy with large portions. “It’s rich but good.”
Pepper’s offered the opportunity to create a much wider array of dinner menus. Tylar has not disappointed himself or his customers. New menu items have included red pepper soup, cordon bleu, and a Chesapeake seafood dish of shrimp, scallops and crab wrapped in a puff pastry.
One dessert favorite is his fresh cheese cakes. “They really seem to like the cheese cake,” Tylar said smiling.
Other attractive options luring the local dinner crowd are daily specials; shrimp and scallop Italiano, and chicken alfredo are among the new entrees.
In addition to his chefs’ duties, Tylar will be assuming control over staffing and eventually food and supply ordering.
Pepper’s Grill has a large dining room capable of sitting over 200 diners. It hosts weddings, receptions, business meetings and a host of other special events. It also has a vibrant catering service for business and private events; either for pickup or delivery.
On major holidays special menus are designed to serve both local and out-of-town guests. The upcoming Mothers’ Day celebration is a “prime” example.
“Our specials that day will include prime rib with fried oysters, swordfish with dill cream sauce, roast pork with a chive cream sauce and chicken with wild mushrooms.” Mom is smiling already.
Tylar underscores he’s had great staff support since coming on board. Everyone has worked hard to increase the caliber of the dining room. “David and Adan Olmos, an uncle-nephew team, has provided a lot of good help. They’ve been great,” said Tylar.
Of course the menu offers a selection of wines and domestic and craft brews, including some Old Dominion favorites.
The restaurant adjoins the Best Western hotel making it an ideal home away from home for family and friends visiting the Piedmont region.
Peppers’ Grill is located at 791 Madison Rd in Culpeper. It is opened daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Visit http://peppersgrillculpeper.com/ for serving times and menus. Call 540.825.1037 for reservations.
Published in the April 30, 2015 edition of the Culpeper Times.
Fusion’s Restaurant & Lounge spices up local eatery scene
Lisa Walters’ husband, Ivor, hails from Jamaica. Early in their marriage she realized food from his native country was essential to their dining table. And for 25 years she has kept a smile on his face as she mastered the cuisine of the Caribbean islands.
Today, that smile is spreading across the faces of an increasing number of Culpeper citizens. “Be happy, Mon!” might be the expression heard from customers as they rise from her dining tables. After all, authentic Caribbean food is as inviting as white sand beaches and blue ocean waters.
In April, Culpeper’s dining scene gained even more traction with the opening of Fusion’s Restaurant & Lounge located at 201 S East St. The restaurant is the culmination of Walters’ extensive kitchen experience.
“I’ve been catering for over 10 years. I did private parties and other functions,” Walters said. Her brother-in-law had a restaurant where she also helped out, developing her management skills to run her own place.
“Everybody told me that I should open a restaurant so my food could get out to more people. So that’s what I decided to do.”
The restaurant seats 88 and is appointed with colorful orange walls and dark brown chairs and tables creating a festive atmosphere in which to enjoy her creative dishes.
The menu is a blend of Caribbean and New American cuisine, a term used to describe the flavors of American cooking blended with a variety of foreign dining components. It embraces the innovative use of seasonings and sauces.
Fusion aptly describes the food and thus the name of the restaurant.
When asked how she would describe her food, Walters responds with one word “Spicy”. But dishes can be prepared from mild to well-seasoned, depending on a diner’s preference.
“Most people love my jerked chicken. That’s my specialty. It’s served with peppers and herbs,” Walters said.
The chicken is marinated overnight in jerk seasonings then soaked the next morning in another marinade to make it juicy before being char-grilled. It’s typically served with rice, peas and sautéed cabbage. “But you can substitute cole slaw.”
A unique feature of the restaurant is their tasting menu. See something you are tempted to order but not sure how it tastes? Simply ask for a bite before placing the order.
It’s an inviting offer given the diversity of food on the menu. As one peruses the choices available “taste before you order” is an attractive option reducing the stress of ordering a dish you may not be unfamiliar with.
So how diverse is the menu? Very. A quick scan reveals a variety of dishes, including jerked chicken, curry chicken, curry shrimp, brown stewed chicken, oxtail, curry goat, shallow-fried stewed fish, jam down shrimp, shrimp tacos, fried plantains, grilled jerked sardines, and more.
Old standbys with a Caribbean touch are also offered such as Fusion’s jerked hamburger.
The lunch menu averages $10 and dinners $12 to $17. The restaurant currently does not serve breakfast but plans to do so in the future.
And if your work schedule curtails sitting down and dining, consider that 50 percent of the business is carry out. “We encourage calling ahead so we can have it ready but they can stop in anytime for carry out.”
Walters underscores that while Caribbean food predominates, American entrees are also available. “We have a chicken tenders basket, a shrimp basket, shrimp and grits, salads and, of course, hamburgers. We are not limited to just Caribbean.”
The eatery is also a family affair. Her son Victor works along side his mother and “does a bit of everything.” Mom has done a good job raising her right-hand man.
A good selection of beer, wines and cocktails are available at both lunch and dinner and the lounge segment of the business invites weekend partiers to stop by for a libation after a movie or show. “We are open to 2 a.m. on weekends.”
So how does the owner-chef feel about her growing business? “It’s a good experience. It’s wonderful having someone tell you they enjoyed your food. That’s what I do it for.
“I invite people to come out and help make our business a success. I want them to just try it. We already have regulars coming in,” said Walters.
Fusion’s is opened Tuesday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday, Saturday, Sunday 11:30 to 2 a.m. (540) 825-0700.
Published in the May 7, 2015 edition of the Culpeper Times.
Seeking your inner chef in Tuscany
Linda and George Meyers
George and Linda Meyers love making friends; more than 150 a year. And their new found companions enjoy earning a graduate degree in Tuscan cooking while living la buona vita.
OK, an actual sheepskin might not convey after a week-long immersion in all things Tuscan. But their guests do take home a sheaf of Italian recipes and lots of memories.
Vacation doesn’t properly define these six days in paradise; ultimate experience does. Eight week-long cooking classes are held in the spring and eight in the fall.
The Haymarket based company Cooking in Tuscany was founded by the Meyers in 2007 and established itself as the rare vacation business that is both owned and operated by the proprietors. They are your hosts from the moment you check into your 13th century villa until you check out.
“We are there to meet them in the morning for breakfast and there to put them to bed at night. We have a translator and create a comfort level. The tour is very comforting to a lot of people. We take care of everything. These are our friends visiting us for a week.
“And it’s all inclusive. It’s not a fancy chef’s school. It’s a five-star luxury trip for people who don’t want to be tourists but want to be locals,” said Meyers.
As a retired Air Force pilot, George Meyers lived all over the United States and in Italy. When not tending to his cooking classes, Meyers heads up a business development firm headquartered in Washington, DC.
“Wherever we lived and had guests visit, we often became the tour guides,” said Meyers. This was particularly true in Tuscany where the couple has an apartment.
After a few years Meyers thought, “We could do this as a business. That’s where it started and that’s where it’s at now,” said Meyers.
Guests hail from around the world but 70 percent are from the United States or Canada; women predominate but couples are frequent participants. “At the end of the week the group has blended together.
“People are from all over, South Africa, India, England, Australia, everywhere; and after a week they haven’t just come to a cooking school. They’ve seen all of Tuscany,” said Meyers.
A day in the life
Cooking vacations in Tuscany are not hard to find. The legendary culture and stunning scenery attracts many who want to learn first-hand the secrets of Italian cuisine. Virtually all such plans have professional chefs that teach week-long classes. The focus is on the kitchen.
The Meyers have developed a unique alternative to such one-dimensional vacations. Total immersion in the Tuscan culture is the goal and the kitchen is integrated into the lifestyle of the region.
“We don’t have chefs teaching at our school. We know the local women. It’s like my Italian grandmother teaching you how to cook. We call them cooking events or cooking occasions,” said Meyers.
Guests arrive on a Sunday and check in to an historic villa in the hilltop village of Montefollonico. The next morning the group—ranging in size from eight to 16 people—drifts down the street to a little kitchen managed by an older Italian woman. The “chef” has decades of home cooking experience under her apron. Her tools may even include a pizza peel that’s been in use for decades.
For over two hours the group is introduced to the art of making pasta, sauces and more. There’s not an electric appliance in sight. This is down-home cooking at its best.
“The same recipes my grandmother used are used by these women. It’s amazing,” said Meyers. Guests do not have to participate in the classes if they simply want to sip wine and observe. “But everybody wants to learn Tuscan cooking.”
The morning’s efforts culminate in a lunch prepared by the students. There is no clock watching here. For more than two hours, wine and conversation freely flow as newly learned skills that just produced authentic Old World dishes are enjoyed in a leisurely fashion. The mind frame here is “When in Tuscany do as the Tuscans do.”
After lunch, the group retires back to the villa, freshens up and returns street-side to a waiting 16 passenger bus. It’s time to visit another nearby hilltop village.
Afternoons are the heart of becoming Tuscan. Each day a different village is on the agenda. One famous town is Cortona, home to author Frances Mayes who wrote “Under the Tuscan Sun”. The Meyers know Mayes.
The personally guided tours seek to take guests off the beaten path and enlarge their understanding of local life. Visits are conducted to ruins of Roman baths, winery tours and tastings, cheese making shops and more.
“We personally show them all of the things in Tuscany. It’s just like we’d do with a visiting friend or relative,” said Meyers.
One popular event is truffle hunting. A professional truffle guide takes the group out to the countryside and shows them how they hunt for truffles. After the tour, the chef wannabes learn how to cook with the tasty delicacy.
It would be a challenge to eat truffles again without recalling the unique experience.
Eventide
As evening falls, thoughts of dinner begin to crowd in on the now newly installed citizens of Tuscanland. Around 7:30 p.m., the Meyers’ take them to a local restaurant seldom scene by the tourist crowd. “They would never find these places on their own,” said Meyers.
The dinners extend the guests understanding of local cooking. Moreover, diners at nearby tables reinforce the truism “eat where the locals eat.”
The day comes to a close with a return trip to the villa and visions of yet more experiences awaiting them in the morning.
So what’s the price tag for all this tender loving care; an even $3,650 per person, not including airfare. It’s not cheap but the adventure is considered priceless among many of its graduates.
The cost is all inclusive. From the moment one arrives at the villa to departure to the airport, all classes, tours, wine and food are covered. Credit cards come out only when the souvenir shopping begins.
Kudos
So what’s the future of Cooking in Tuscany? The Meyers have no plans to expand their current offering. “We are not a huge school and we’re not going to get to that point. It’s all about small classes, at most 16 people,” said Meyers.
“In February 2015, USA Today listed us in its bucket list of the top 20 cooking classes in the world. That was a pretty big deal for us. We are accepting bookings for 2017 classes now,” said Meyers.
What Meyers can envision is starting a similar business of cooking schools in France. He has proven “the concept works and it’s fun”.
Indeed it has, for George, Linda and all their new found friends.
For more information on Cooking in Tuscany and schedules for future classes visit: http://www.cookintuscany.com/program
Published in the Spring 2015 edition of The Business Journal.
Fauquier County verus Napa Valley
With Fauquier’s surge in wineries, does it have a shot at trumping the motherland of U.S. quality wine production? In a word: no.
Let’s not be negative here. There’s a multitude of reasons why our county’s wine industry will continue to flourish. But to contemplate beating Napa at its own game is a stretch.
Yes, Fauquier makes wine and Napa makes auto parts. But slick slogans won’t raise the quantity of grapes needed to become the Nation’s center of award-winning wines. Why?
Climate
At first glance, it seems Fauquier has a crack at a dramatic expansion of wineries. After all, Napa is home to some 400 wineries situated on 788 square miles.
Fauquier, on the other hand, has only 23 wineries resting on almost the same land mass; 651 square miles. In terms of potential growing area, Fauquier is clearly in the running.
But today, an acre of Virginia vineyard costs $20,000 to install, not including the cost of the land. And then the heartache of growing the delicate Vitis vinifera grape comes into play.
In our Continental climate of cold winters, humid summers, fungi and small and large game depredation, the challenge of successful grape growing is fierce. Yes, it really is a jungle out there.
In Napa, the climate is considered Mediterranean; mild winters with sufficient rains to carry its vines through a relatively dry and warm growing season. The only serious issue facing Napa today is a record-breaking drought. Stay tuned on the impact of that phenomenon if it doesn’t break in 2015.
Moreover, a vineyard in Napa might be sprayed three times a season to protect against fungi and insects. During a rainy, humid summer in Fauquier, vineyards might be sprayed 15 times or more.
Partly because of these problems, Virginia is currently experiencing a grape shortage. Experts counsel that 200 newly planted acres need to be installed each year for the next five years just to keep pace with the current wine demand.
So let’s forget pole vaulting over Napa and take pride in what Virginia has achieved today; the fifth largest wine producing state in the United States.
Published in the Spring 2015 edition of inFauquier magazine.
Cooper Wright graduated from West Point in 1966. The youthful looking 70-year-old sports a trim beard and belies his age by a decade. He still hikes, skis, backpacks and works out at a local gym several times a week.
He is also preternaturally friendly and talkative. Within moments of meeting him the typical reaction is, “I like this guy”.
During his years as a cadet, mentoring in the conventional sense was not something Wright experienced.
Rather, his instructors—most often military officers—shared combat stories with their students. “That was really the first mentoring I had,” Wright said.
Other support included the ability to pick up the phone and talk with an instructor to get extra classroom assistance.
One such instructor was Norman Schwarzkopf, who later served as Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command. He led all coalition forces during the Persian Gulf War.
Nonetheless, mentoring in the military in the 1960s was not the counseling of today. But the Academy was to adopt it by the time Wright returned to teach at West Point less than a decade later.
During his student days it was “perhaps a sign of weakness” to reach out and help somebody. There was a sponsor program in place where an officer invited a cadet to dinner in his home. But it was more duty than mentoring.
“I didn’t feel any close attachment with my sponsor and couldn’t really share what was going on in my head. It was just something he did,” recalls Wright.
Upon gradation, Wright attended Airborne and Ranger schools and was sent to Vietnam as a young Captain in the Army Rangers.
In the theater of war there was little time to sit down and talk with the men under his command. Action simply moved too fast. “There wasn’t time for it. You were just trying to do your job. You didn’t have the luxury to sit back and talk with someone,” said Wright.
He served two nine month tours before returning to teach mathematics at the Academy.
In the classroom
Back at West Point, Wright became involved in a lot of cadet activities. “I had the time and cadets would come over to my house; but not because I was a sponsor. They came because knew they could talk to me,” said Wright.
He had the gift of being able to communicate. “But mostly I listened. The best way to be a mentor is listening. They shared what was going on in their lives and what their problems were. The worst thing is to offer a solution. It was up to them to find a solution,” Wright underscored.
His mentoring technique included bouncing ideas off the soon-to-be warriors. He posed questions such as “Have your thought about this? Or have you thought about that?”
Results from his Academy mentoring did not always bear immediate or obvious fruit.
To point, years later Wright was in New Orleans attending a military conference. It was during Mardi Gras and one evening while strolling the French Quarter a young officer approached him and said, “Major Wright you were my best math instructor.” Wright had no clue.
A similar incidence occurred at a West Point conference. While enjoying a drink during cocktail hour, another young officer came up to him and said, “Aren’t you Major Wright who taught math?
Wright confirmed that he was. “Well, you’re not buying that drink. You took care of me and I’m buying.” Wright hadn’t realized he had assisted the young man at a pivotal time in his career.
Wright recalls another cadet who would come over to his house to simply talk. The young man knew there wasn’t going to be any judgments made. He knew someone was there to simply listen and offer advice. If advice was asked for.
Second career
Wright retired as a lieutenant colonel and pursued a second career in business. During this period he became in involved in Venturing, a youth development program of the Boy Scouts of America. It’s designed for young men and women between the ages of 14 and 20.
Today, he is amazed that the young scouts he worked with years ago not only stay in touch but invite him to the baptisms of their kids and other events.
One story involves an older scout. ”I told all the kids, ‘Look, I don’t want you out drinking. You are under age. But if some night you are in a situation where you know you can’t drive, call me. I will come and pick you up and take you home. And I won’t ask any questions.’
“Well, one kid did exactly that. Today, he is a captain in the Marine Corps and the father of three children,” Wright said.
Wright reinforces that mentoring is the business of really being a trusted friend; being someone the person can talk to.
“It’s not easy for a young person to develop a trusting relationship with an adult because they are exposing themselves. They’re opening themselves up. And they are telling you something they may or may not be able to tell their parents,” Wright said.
Getting involved
Mentoring is not a one-way line of communication. Wright believes it is a great opportunity for both the mentor and mentee. “So many kids out there are looking for an opportunity to communicate with adults.” It is rewarding for both parties.
Wright’s wife Linda was also a mentor with a Rappahannock County group called Starfish. One girl she worked with was eight-years-old. Today, the woman is 20 and still stays in contact with her.
Wright is committed to mentoring whenever an opportunity presents itself. He advises those interested in pursuing such work to look for opportunities in the right places.
“Anyone who has an inclination to do this should find an organization like the scouts, Starfish, or church groups because that’s where the kids are.” He also advises that established youth groups will require background checks for adults working with youth.
Wright is now fully retired and pursues a host of activities, including serving as board chairman of the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra. The PSO has launched a Music Mentors residency program that Wright supports.
He also maintains closes ties with West Point, especially its Professional Military Ethics program. The program involves former graduates meeting quarterly with cadets and discussing ethical problems.
“The cadets are given an ethical problem with no right or wrong answer. They hash it out and at the end of the discussion the old grads are asked ‘Did something like this happen in your career? And if so, what did you do? And what was the impact of your decision? Was it good or bad?’
“I am really pleased to see that West Point has developed training programs where the focus in on leadership,” Wright said. Mentoring is part of the turnaround from his days as a cadet.
When asked what advice he’d share with someone who wanted to pursue mentoring, his response is immediate. “Be a mentor. Be a friend. It’s wonderful for the mentee. And it’s wonderful for you. You become part of that person’s life. A trusted part of that person’s life.”
Sound advice coming from an officer and a gentleman.
Published in the Spring 2015 edition of The Business Journal.
Joe Morais, owner of Morais Vineyards and Winery in Bealeton, loves to ask the question “What’s the smallest room in the house?” Hmmm…let’s think.
“It’s the dining room,” he quickly replies. The dining room? Yep. And why? Because it’s not used that often. Morais (more ice) thinks that’s a shame. “The master bedroom is the largest room” but it’s used for sleeping.
He goes on to share his life philosophy driving the simple question. Family is everything. He has three daughters, six grandchildren and a large extended family.
“The dining room is where we talk with the family,” said Morais. So many families eat out today and often “you’ll see the kids playing with their iPhones or other devices. Are they talking with their parents? No. My dining room seats 40 people and provides space for our family to share their lives.”
Most of us could not afford a 40-person dining room but it’s emblematic of his belief the family is the center of life. His home is in Lake Manassas and was built with family in mind. His winery fosters the same atmosphere.
Morais and his five brothers are successful businessmen. He arrived in the United States 47 years ago and today his construction and concrete companies employ 400 people. Hard working and focused defines the man.
But work was also stressful so he opened his winery in 2011 to help slow down and enjoy life more. Nonetheless, even the grand opening was an earth shattering event—literally. It was August 23, 2011; the day the famous 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck Virginia.
“It was the first meeting of a local business association at the winery. They were meeting in our hall,” said Morais. While it was a “jolt” for the attendees all went well and the winery did not sustain damage. It’s been peaceful sailing ever since.
Dream winery
As one drives up the curving lane to the winery and crests a small rise a dramatic building appears. It is the tasting room and event hall embodied in a replica castle from Portugal where his middle daughter was married. They commissioned an architect to eliminate the middle floor from the original castle; otherwise, it looks like a piece of history direct from the Old Country.
Morais owned the 178 acre site for 30 years before building the winery. During that period his children rarely visited the property. Today, the family frequently enjoys what he calls the “farm”.
“People will call me and I tell them I am with the other family”, he said. Taken aback, they say they didn’t realize he had two families. “Yes, I have a family at the farm too. When they see my car coming, they run up to the fence so I can feed them. I have goats, sheep, chickens, dogs and more and they have free run” in the woods and pastures of the fenced property.
Just as he enjoys the farm winery with both of his “families”, he encourages visitors to do the same. He wants families to come out, enjoy the Virginia countryside, bring picnic baskets, sip his wines and spend a day on the farm.
“They can bring all the food they want. I will even help them eat it too!” said Morais laughing.
The winery also hosts some 30 weddings a year. ”I call this my dream place. But people come here to satisfy their dreams too.”
The wines
The winery has 14 acres under vine. The vineyard includes Albarino, Muscatel, Vidal Blanc, Touriga Nacional, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a few additional plantings. Annual production is 2,700 cases, or 32,000 bottles.
All of the wines are grown, produced and bottled on the estate. Morais is not seeking to increase production but to focus on quality not quantity.
To that end, he brought a young winemaker from Portugal, Vitor Guimarãis, to man his cellar. Guimarãis is a fourth generation winemaker and holds a Masters Degree in Viticulture and Enology from Lisbon’s Superior Institute of Agronomy, one of Europe’s leading colleges in the field. Many of his wines are award winners.
Joe Morais has an enduring message he shares with everyone. “Get away from the phones; get out to the Virginia countryside—not just to Morais Vineyards. America is beautiful; enjoy the views.
“Our lives pass on. We all should leave something behind before we go. Leave behind the good deeds not just the good times. That’s our point of view,” said Morais.
Sound advice. And no better place to start than by spending an afternoon at Morais Vineyards and Winery.
The winery is opened Saturdays and Sundays 12 noon to 6 p.m. year round. For more information on its wines and events visit http://www.moraisvineyards.com/
John’ Pick of the Month
Morais Vineyards and Winery
Red Select
$25
A multiple medal winner blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Aged for two years in French oak barrels, the wine is fruit forward displaying cherry and raspberry notes on the palate and framed by a smooth mouthfeel. Pair with any beef entrée.
Published in the April 9, 2015 edition of the Culpeper Times.
Midland winery reflects owner-driven work ethic
Jay Fenske is everywhere present; at least on his 35-acre spread. From dawn to dusk, the lean, talented and youthful-looking retired Federal employee performs an endless array of tasks.
Farmer, horseman, general contractor, vineyard manager, winemaker, hospitality host and businessman are some of the jobs he tackles daily, logging up to 90 work hours a week. The man is on the move, literally.
Does it wear him out? “I love being in the wine business. It’s a great job. Everybody who comes here is on a mini-vacation and predisposed to having a good time. They are wonderful people,” Fenske said.
A can-do attitude and propensity for hard work are a given in the Virginia wine industry. From the challenge of growing grapes in a demanding climate, to trying to cover expenses and achieve profitability, it’s hard work plain and simple.
Time and again one is struck that being an over-achiever is the defining characteristic of a state winery owner. Fenske is no exception.
Lifestyle driven
Fenske and his wife Kathy grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. His father owned a machine shop and he learned metal and woodworking as a boy. He built or acted as general contractor on three of his homes over the years.
The couple also loved the outdoor life. His government career took him on assignments around the country, including Virginia, where they enjoyed hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, and kayaking throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
Upon retirement, they were drawn back to the commonwealth. “We wanted to live out towards the Shenandoah Mountains,” Fenske said. They discovered the Midland property with a new home on it. Thirty-five acres was more land than they were looking for “but it was too good a deal to pass up.”
Embracing the country life, the couple cast about with what to do with their newly purchased spread. “My wife wanted horses but I knew nothing about them. I had only been on two trail rides in my life,” Fenske said.
Emblematic of his focused life view, he delayed buying stock before learning all he could about the animals. They took lessons and became accomplished riders. Their young daughter, Laura, accompanied them and began riding herself at the age of three.
They slowing began building a herd of seven horses; three of them greys. His daughter’s first horse was a Welsh Arabian named Grey Tara. “She was a sweetheart. We all loved her.” They obviously took well care of the mount since she lived to be 42 years old, a rare age for a horse.
Two more grey horses were added to the herd that subsequently led to the name of the winery.
With horses now the focus of the farm, Fenske began clearing the heavily forested property for hay production. That led to the purchase of a modest goat herd to help keep the land cleared. Goats multiply and by the time they sold the herd it had grown to 160 animals.
Next, a young male pig took up residence under the family chicken coop. They were unsuccessful in trying to find its owner and decided to raise pigs. That effort grew exponentially and 120 pigs later he exited that business too. “I decided I didn’t want to be a pig farmer” when the original boar—now 900 pounds—attacked his tractor tire one day; better sausage than personal injury reasoned Fenske.
Enter grapes
During this period of their “Green Acres” lifestyle, they regularly visited Virginia wineries and fell in love with the state’s wines. As a home winemaker for 25 years, his thoughts of going commercial began to stir.
One day while visiting Molon Lave Vineyards in Warrenton, Fenske made the simple inquiry “Where do you buy your grapevines?” The answer resulted in a deep friendship forming with the owner, Louizos Papadopoulos. The successful vintner became his wine mentor.
The two men still maintain close contact. “I would not exist anywhere close to my current form if not for him. He continues to provide me advice to this day,” Fenske said.
Once committed to opening a winery himself, his winemaking education commenced in earnest. He enrolled in college courses, engaged the services of the cooperative extension office at Virginia Tech and joined the state’s winery and vineyard associations.
He contracted to have the foundation and shell of a two-story 17,400 square foot production facility and tasting room built then completed the interior work himself, including the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, flooring, tasting bar and painting.
The winery opened in October 2014. The venture has grown faster than his business plan called for and includes a successful wine club; always a good indicator the wines are tasty.
Today, the winery has five and a half acres of grapes under vine with a total of 16 acres planned. Current varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay. His current production is 1,000 cases annually with anticipated goal of 4,000.
The entrepreneur is also employing a farsighted strategy to assure future grape production. He has 11 rows of 25 vines each of several varieties. They are planted to determine which grapes will grow best on his land. Likely additional plantings from these test beds will be Petit Verdot, Chambourcin, Petit Manseng, Traminette, and Vidal Blanc.
When asked what he views as his best success, he quickly responds, “The staff I have chosen. We are in the hospitality business and my staff makes each visit a great experience. I’ve chosen well in my hiring decisions.”
Grey Horse Vineyards is located at 12285 Elk Run Church Road, Midland. It is opened daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For information on its wines, special events and more visit http://www.greyhorsevineyards.com/
Culpeper’s fine dining scene continues to blossom
Savvy investors coupled with an experienced chef have created the latest dining option for locals and visitors alike. The new eatery has the potential for five-star dining if early customer reviews are a leading indicator.
The restaurant’s sleek glass and dark wood interior sets the stage for cuisine often seen in Manhattan rather than the Piedmont. The establishment, planned and executed for over a year, reflects the commitment of the owners and the talented chef they have employed to gift the town a big city-like restaurant.
Be sure to note the date you first ate there because regional food critics will likely be discovering the place soon creating an “I told you so” moment for early adopters.
John Yarnall, owner of It’s About Thyme, joined forces with local businessmen Sandy Hall and David Young and out-of-town investor John Healy to conceive and create Flavor on Main Bar and Grill. Yarnell’s gastronomic experience dates to the Nixon White House where he was assistant to the chef.
The impressive looking exterior and interior design was the work of Paula Hall, wife of investor Sandy Hall. Rob Kearney with Taft Construction built the tastefully modern décor.
The food served at the restaurant is modern American cuisine. It is a style of cooking that reflects a panoply of cooking styles. In its strictest sense it’s the fusion of traditional European and Asian classic cooking techniques with the emphasis on fresh, locally produced, in-season and healthful foods.
The chef
The heart of any highly rated restaurant is the maestro orchestrating the kitchen. In this case it’s a young, talented and surprisingly experienced chef named Garth Hansen.
Hansen, 29, spent his formative years on a horse farm near Leesburg. He graduated from college in New Hampshire, and after a stint of washing dishes and making salads at a local restaurant while attending school, switched majors and devoted himself to becoming a chef.
Upon graduation, he landed a job at the highly rated Marea Ristorante in Manhattan in 2007. The restaurant scores a TripAdvisor 4.5 rating based on 886 reviews and set the stage for Hansen’s upward career arc.
Intrigued with working at the famous Le Cirque restaurant, also in Manhattan, Hansen applied for and was hired as a sous chef. International food experts rank the eatery among the best restaurants in the world.
“I learned more French cooking there and modern molecular gastronomy,” said Hansen. The technique employs chemistry and biology to suss out and enhance the aromas and flavors of food.
After six years away from home accumulating a growing expertise in the kitchen, Hansen was homesick for Virginia. “I hadn’t spent any holidays with my family because they all are busy times at restaurants,” recalls Hansen.
In keeping with his penchant for working at high-end establishments, the young chef landed a job at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond. The beautiful five star, five diamond hotel is recognized as one of the finest in the country.
“At Jefferson I learned more from Executive Chef James Schroeder than anyone I had previously worked for, including budgeting and food ordering. I listened, asked questions and did everything to get myself into a position where I could confidently take on an executive chef’s position,” Hansen said.
The hard work paid off when he was approached to assume command of two establishments in Fredericksburg; Grapevine Café and Café New Orleans. With his growing reputation, Yarnall lured the young talent to Culpeper. Since his arrival last year, he has directed the firm’s catering and event center business while the restaurant was being built out.
“I want to make Flavor on Main a destination spot for Virginia. We are in a food revolution. People want and expect really good food with all natural products made in-house, not pre-packaged.
“Taste buds have changed and people have a way of picking up the phonies and knowing when people are legitimate,” emphasizes Hansen.
Today, Hansen and his wife and two-year-old daughter still live in the Fredericksburg area but plan on moving to Culpeper County. “I think Culpeper is the place where I want to live with my family; it’s the town I want to have my daughter grow up in.”
Reviews
Flavor on Main has been opened only a few weeks and critical acclaim still awaits. In the interim, the restaurant’s Facebook page is replete with comments from happy diners. A few of the observations include.
“Food so good we literally had to kiss the chef.”
“I love this place! Amazing food—hope you are ready for it. Atmosphere is so mellow and ritzy. Cocktails are out of this world phenomenal!!
“The food was fantastic. I had the flank steak and it was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The price points were also very reasonable.”
“Our waiter was extremely attentive to our table so between the great food and outstanding service, I have to give it an easy 5 star rating.”
Indeed, its Facebook page has already scored 648 likes with a 5.0 star review from 24 diners.
Hansen’s motto has been the same no matter where he has worked: “Stay fresh and stay local.” With that philosophy in play, the restaurant should have diners coming back often.
Flavor on Main is located at 137 S Main St and opened Tuesday through Friday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Its website will be up and running in the near future. For reservations call (540) 321-4510.
Published in the April 2, 2015 edition of the Culpeper Times
