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A winning argument could be made that western Fauquier County looks much as it did in the 1800s. Its pastoral landscape still offers a mantel of rolling hills, verdant pastures, and dense forests all backdropped by the distant Blue Ridge Mountains.
Of course, growth has populated the area over the last 200 years, but its rolling, softly curving former wagon roads still showcase inspiring vistas almost identical to those enjoyed by our forefathers. Artists passing through the region today would instinctively reach for their brushes.
One extended stretch of this majestic landscape is Leeds Manor Road, threading the villages of Orlean and Hume like a gold chain and showcasing two perfect pearls. Its name springs from the 18th-century Manor of Leeds, which was part of Lord Fairfax’s Northern Neck Proprietary.
The villages are six miles apart and reached by traveling west from Warrenton on U.S. Route 211 for about five miles and taking a right onto Leeds Manor Road for another five miles before arriving at Orlean.
Orlean is a quintessential small village situated in the heart of Virginia’s Piedmont with mountain views to the west. The town was established in the early 1800s and named in honor of Andrew Jackson’s defeat of the British at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.
It encompasses 51 buildings, including commercial buildings, churches, a post office, a former school, and multiple residences and their ancillary outbuildings that date from the late 18th century to the mid-20th century.
Notable dwellings include the Orlean Farm House, Smith-Hinkley House, the Anderson-Rector House and Store, the Greek Revival Thorpe-Cornwell House, Jeffries Store, Orlean Methodist Church, Providence Baptist Church, and the post office building. The town was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
The town’s focal point is the Orlean Market & Pub. Originally established in 1870, it provided asylum from harsh winter travel between Warrenton and Marshall and also served as the community meeting place, connecting the local population.
Today, the Market serves restaurant and pub food in addition to catering events. Fresh and local ingredient entrees are available Wednesday through Saturday evenings, delighting the palates of both the locals and visitors.
Its small grocery store, boasting a selection of Virginia wine and craft beers, offers social lubricants to round out the food offerings or for carryout for an evening’s repast.
Special events and live music are offered periodically, and perhaps most importantly, they have the only gas station within miles of the village. A short walk from the Market is The Village Green. The shop sells gifts, antiques, furniture, and in-season plants. The building is almost a century old and was originally a general store.
As you leave the village headed north toward Hume, take note of the town’s latest pride and joy on your left, a new $6.9 million volunteer fire and rescue department completed in 2019.
Hume was incorporated in 1848. In the mid-19th century, it was known as Barbee’s Crossroads—after Joseph Barbee—who leased the land from Denny Fairfax in 1787. The village is six miles north of Orlean and situated at the end of what was then known as the Leeds Manor Turnpike. The village center is at the corner of Leeds Manor Road and Hume Road, formerly known as the “Crossroads.”
In the past, the original town had three stores and four blacksmith shops. Large cattle farms in the surrounding area employed many families. During the American Civil War, wounded from the First and Second Battles of Bull Run were taken to Barbee’s Crossroads.
The Episcopal Church of Leed’s Parish was occupied at different times by both Union and Confederate soldiers. As a result of nearby fighting, the church walls were damaged by a shell that exploded inside the church. In 1873, the church burned and was rebuilt.
The Philip Carter Winery is just north of the village and open year-round, offering a delightful tasting room and beautiful grounds for sipping and picnicking. Driving west for four miles on Hume Road, you will reach the Marriott Ranch Bed & Breakfast.
The ranch manor house is called Fairfield; it was built in 1814 by James Markham Marshall, brother of the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall—the “Babe Ruth of the Supreme Court,” having written or co-written over 1,000 decisions.
The Marshall brothers, along with Raleigh Colston, paid $70,000 for 220,000 acres after the Revolutionary War. They divided the property into three separate ownerships, with James taking possession of 80,000 acres.
Virginia residents are blessed with many historical areas to visit, and Fauquier County offers some of the finest. Next time you’re looking for a day getaway, turn the family chariot into the “Orlean-Hume Express” and take an excursion back in time.
Published in February 2020 in Discover Fauquier.
Note: This article was published prior to the lockdown.
March 14 gala celebrates restoration of North American Elk
Over 150 years ago, the last of Cervus elaphus canadensis disappeared in Virginia. As is often the case when man battles wildlife, man won. When the Mayflower landed in 1620, more than 10 million of the magnificent animals roamed the United States. By 1900, less than 100,000 remained in small scattered herds in the lower 48.
But man saw the error of his ways, and today one million elk populate the United States, mostly in the western states.
The resurgence of elk herds in the eastern U.S. has been an even more remarkable story. While paling in numbers to its western brethren, efforts over the last several decades have seen numbers rise from almost zero to herds totaling over 16,000.
Today, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania are reaping the benefits of the elk comeback, with the economic rewards to rural communities among the more notable accomplishments.
How did it unfold?
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
The RMEF was founded in 1984 by four outdoorsmen sitting around a western elk hunting camp. They lamented that unless action was taken, both elk habitat and the species itself would disappear. Its success is measured today by the 500 active chapters and thriving herds around the country.
The organization’s template was taken from the pages of Ducks Unlimited, who worked tirelessly since 1937 to successfully preserve wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people.
The RMEF has brought over seven million acres under conservation easement and provided critical survival habitat for the America Elk. While the emphasis has been on western land preservation, a cadre of other dedicated sportsmen have achieved similar success in the eastern U.S.
One of the drivers of the eastern success story is Danny Smedley. Smedley is a retired senior manager for an electronic funds transfer company. He ignited his passion for elk and elk hunting 30 years ago when he picked up a magazine called Bugle, published by the RMEF and headquartered in Missoula, Montana.
“I was out in Yellowstone on a family vacation after my first child was born. I looked through that magazine and was very impressed and joined the foundation,” Smedley said.
“About six months later, a gentleman who had been a former chair of the national organization invited me to a meeting in D.C. He said they were thinking about starting a Warrenton chapter of RMEF.
“I attended that meeting three decades ago have been involved with both the foundation and organizing the local fundraiser that supports our cause ever since.”
In part through his efforts, today there are now 15,000 elk in Kentucky, 200 in North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 200 near Grundy, Virginia, 1,000 fittingly thriving in Elk County, Pennsylvania, and 100 in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.
By any measure, the success of the establishment of these herds represent diamonds on an elk’s rack. Moreover, the location of some of the herds is on reclaimed strip-mining land in poorer sections of the country.
“Down in Grundy, Virginia they’ve got little cabins, a visitor center and viewing stations throughout the area. Annually over 350 people visit and pay $30 each to see the elk and listen to them bugle,” Smedley said.
Hunting is conversation
This is the slogan of the RMEF and underpins why the hunt is an integral part in saving a threatened species. Smedley says he is often asked about the dichotomy between hunting and recovering threatened wildlife. Actually, the two go hand-in-hand. He cites as an example the tale of two birds: The America Wood Duck and the White-Billed Woodpecker.
The former thrives as both a game duck and a successful survivor because Ducks Unlimited became its “sponsor”, recovering wetlands and building hundreds of thousands of duck boxes. Today it is one of the most numerous ducks in the country for the mutual enjoyment for both birders and hunters.
Conversely, the latter had no sponsor, and today the White-billed Woodpecker is extinct. “A species can lose out if it does not have a purpose and a sponsor,” said Smedley.
Fundraiser
This year the RMEF’s local fundraiser will again be hosted at the Fauquier County Fairgrounds on March 14th, from 3:30 p.m. till 9:30 p.m.
In addition to speakers updating attendees on the success of elk restoration nationwide, there will be games, live and silent auctions with prizes as exotic as a premier elk hunt in Montana, an Indiana Whitetail hunt, dinner at Sibby’s in Warrenton, and high-end firearms by Weatherby, Winchester, Kimber, and others.
Tickets are $85 each, $135 for couples, and support the goal of elk revival throughout the United States. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Danny Smedley at (540) 222-4994. Smedley is also ready to answer questions on the foundation itself or on how to make a donation to the cause. To go the easy route, simply order tickets online at https://events.rmef.org/shop/bullrun1.
With tickets in hand, you’ll join some 200 other sportsmen and wildlife enthusiasts and learn more about the valued work of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
A digital tour of the world of elk recovery can be taken at https://www.rmef.org/Finally, consider visiting any of the East Coast elk recovery areas and be entranced by the stately king of the forest and its haunting bugle call.
Published February 2020 in the Fauquier Times.
Owner of BIZCLEAN squeaky clean after high tech career
Keith Segerson was born in Madrid, Spain, where his father was stationed as an Air Force fighter pilot. From that international start, the entrepreneur roamed the world tending to business. And while he never spent time in a cockpit, along the way, he became a Top Gun in his own right.
At the age of three, his father was transferred to Ohio, and he thought it in his best interest to join him. Good move. Segerson grew up in the Buckeye State and attended Ohio University, majoring in business and marketing.
Upon graduation, he moved to Houston and worked for ten years in the IT industry. “I worked for companies that had a global footprint, so I began my international business career at a relativity young age,” said Segerson.
In 1990, with substantial experience gained in the technology field, he accepted a job at George Mason University as a manager on the IT side of the school. He held the position for eight years before advancing to head IT responsibilities for the entire University. Clearly, the man was on the move.
From there, he shifted to the academic arena at Mason but did not teach. Instead, he worked in public policy and eventually became assistant dean for the School of Public Policy at the University, focusing on economic development and community outreach.
“I handled a lot of international work centered on economic development and was responsible for the nascent enterprise center. The Mason Center focuses the energy, skills, and intellectual capital of the University on creating and expanding businesses. It specializes in small business services, government contracting, international trade, entrepreneurship, technology venture, and telework initiatives.
During his stewardship, it became one of the most extensive business assistance programs in the country, working with some 20,000 firms. “We oversaw the entire small business development center for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Companies he helped launch were known as “incubators” and dotted the Northern Virginia business landscape and well beyond.
Following a pattern, Segerson was then promoted to assistant vice president of economic development and research for the University. A lot of the work was international in scope. “I worked in Russia, Turkey, China, and other nations worldwide,” Segerson explains.
In 2014, he left George Mason after 25 years of leadership positions and founded P3 Innovation Strategies. His expertise led him to help build businesses in information technology, global economic development, entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystems, and public-private partnerships.
Segerson and his team provided client consulting services for companies and governments globally.
In the last few years, however, “…the winds of change shifted and pushed me to consider looking for new business opportunities. I found doing business in Turkey and China very difficult to almost nonexistent. I was growing weary of constantly addressing international bureaucracies. Especially with a small firm like mine that did not have a large staff.”
What to do? While out of sync given his burnished international technology resume, Segerson had always wanted to open a business that was recognizable within a community. “After my father retired, he built a small business, and I saw him work hard to make it a success. I was very proud of what he achieved.”
BIZCLEAN
It’s obvious Segerson wasn’t about to do anything that didn’t involve extensive due diligence. He explored numerous opportunities, including a dog grooming business. Whatever he chose, it had to be viable, provide services within a local community, and, for certain, have clear profit potential. Given his independent streak, franchises were not considered.
After in-depth research and running the numbers on several candidate firms, he elected to focus on office cleaning companies. Thirteen months ago, he assumed ownership of an existing such business and dubbed it BIZCLEAN. It serves Culpeper, Fauquier, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties and is based out of Vint Hill.
Today, it has 11 clients at 25 physical locations predominately serving the medical office building industry. It includes office cleaning and floor maintenance services, such as carpet cleaning and floor buffing.
“At the moment, we have 10 hardworking, dedicated employees, all part-time, and my focus is 100 percent on serving our clients. It can be stressful at times, working six, and sometimes seven days a week. Recently I got home at 12:30 a.m.”
In his limited spare time, he still does some consulting work for his company P3 Innovation Strategies.
Segerson, 62, is married to an elementary school teacher and has four adult children and five grandchildren. He chose Fauquier County in which to shift career gears because “I just felt the area was the right place to be in.
“I’m really proud to be here. My son lives in Warrenton, and in previous jobs, I worked closely with the Fauquier Chamber of Commerce and the Fauquier County Department of Economic Development. I love what I’m doing. I’m going to keep on working and building this new business.”
For a full description of the BIZCLEAM services, visit https://www.bizclean.com/. And remember, their reputation is spotless.
Published March 2020 in the Fauquier Times.
If fate had shifted slightly, Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer might have made his last stand just outside of Amissville on July 24, 1863, instead of 13 years later at the Battle of Little Big Horn.
Custer engaged what he thought was a small force of Confederates from the side of Battle Mountain with 1,200 cavalry troops on that potentially fateful day. For the courageous but impetuous “Boy General,” it looked like easy pickings. Unfortunately, he had no idea he was attacking the entire Army of Northern Virginia, which was returning from its defeat at Gettysburg. After a brief but hot firefight, he beat a hasty retreat back to the Spindle House in Amissville.
The unincorporated community is located 12 miles west of Warrenton on U.S. Route 211 and is a quiet and pastoral village not too dissimilar to 157 years ago during the Civil War. It was first settled by French Huguenots and English.
The land it resides on was originally in Orange County and part of 5.3-million-acre Northern Neck Proprietary owned by Thomas Fairfax in the 1700s. In 1649, King Charles II of England granted the unmapped and unsettled region to seven loyal supporters.
It’s believed that individuals with the surnames Amiss and Bayse received land grants in the area from Lord Fairfax. Both families sought to have the town named in their honor so either an election or horse race was held to settle the question; history is not clear on what civic mechanism was employed. In any event, the Amiss family won, and the community became Amissville and not Bayseville. Joseph Amiss was appointed the first postmaster in 1810.
In 1829 the Bayse family donated land for the Methodist church, which still stands today. In 1833 Amissville became part of Rappahannock County. At the time it consisted of a general store, schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, and the Methodist church.
The heart of today’s Amissville is Hackley’s Store. Situated on the corner of Route 211 and Viewtown Road, it opened in 1902. It burned down in 1934 and reopened across the street at its current location that same year. It’s been a family-owned business for 118 years, and the descendent Mrs. Hackley still lives next door.
“Full service” might describe the quintessential country store. In addition to groceries, it sells pizza, pork barbecue, delicious sandwiches, hand-dipped ice cream, and more. It also rents trucks and is a UPS store accepting shipments and returns. During the summer, bluegrass pickin’ parties are held once a month out front. Residents set up yard sale tables and transact business while the music plays. It’s dubbed “Rock and Shop” by the locals.
Another well-known business just west of the village is Early’s Carpet. For over 50 years, the family-owned shop has served a legion of loyal customers. The store carries an array of flooring options from carpet, hardwood, tile, luxury vinyl, natural stone, cork, area rugs, and more. It also offers carpet and upholstery cleaning services, both in-home and in-store.
And what would a Virginia village be without a nearby winery? In this case, it’s just three miles south on Viewtown Road with the delightful name of Magnolia Vineyards. Owned and operated by Glenn and Tina Marchione, they journeyed to Italy in 2006 and visited Glenn’s relatives, toured a winery, and became smitten with the idea of opening one of their own.
After six years of operating out of the lower level of their home, last year they christened an expansive new wine cellar and tasting room that serves Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier, Sangiovese, and Merlot. Plans are to continue expanding their vineyard acreage and wine production in the years ahead, increasing production to 2,500 cases annually.
Amissville represents the best of Old Dominion villages and towns and is celebrating its 210th anniversary this year. Next time you drive west on Route 211, drop by Hackley’s Store for some barbeque and ice cream, check out the carpeting at Early’s Carpets, and before heading home, stop by for a glass of wine at Magnolia Vineyards. Oh, and don’t forget to come back for those bluegrass jams in the summer.
Published in the February 2020 edition of Discover Fauquier.
Emotions can swirl when seniors consider selling their home
The memories may be decades deep. A litany of holiday and family celebrations, neighborhood friendships, favorite nearby shops and restaurants and a deep connectedness that comes from the bond forged between couples and their home.
But time moves on and often owners are compelled to move with it. Yards that need regular attention, maintenance of living spaces larger than needed, and health issues making navigating stairs, rooms and basements a challenge; all can dictate a move.
For many couples, the decision is delayed as long as possible. Understandably so. The mere idea of tossing away years of accumulated stuff, packing endless boxes of possessions, and relocating to a smaller home or townhouse can force a decision to the backburner.
But there are alternatives.
A growing strategy for maintaining the status quo is aging in place. Some researchers believe that employing relatively modest changes can keep older homeowners nestled next to their hearth for years.
Advanced planning can start with an assessment of major home repairs that are looming. Is the roof over 20 years old? Are the heating and air-conditioning units pass their prime? Are some rooms ready for a new paint job?
The point is to invest in the home with the goal of not having to face large expenditures in the later years. This has the collateral benefit of emotionally reinforcing that the home will continue to be a safe and sound refuge.
Next, consider the balance of selling at the expense of seeking outside help with home maintenance and personal care. It can be difficult shelling out money for yard and landscape work when it’s a task that’s always been the purview of the homeowner.
But eliminating the worry of maintaining an attractive home can be worth the added expense of a seasonal contract for property maintenance.
Employing in-home caregivers and housekeepers may seem like a luxury but if the money is available, it may be worth spending. Commercial maid services cover the gamut of cleaning services ranging from dusting, vacuuming, washing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, and more.
While cleanliness is next to godliness it’s also next to happiness. Employing outside and inside home services strengthen the commitment to age in place.
One example of personal care is Visiting Angels, a private duty network of reasonably priced non-medical home care agencies providing in-home care, respite care, personal care, and companion care. An office of the unique business is located in Culpeper.
Betsy Walker, a northern Culpeper County resident, recently employed Visiting Angels to help her and her husband Fred during her recovery from hip surgery. “My caregiver has been my lifesaver. The moment she enters the house she gets busy working. She has adapted to my routine. It’s a wonderful local service. We are lucky to have such caring people to call upon,” says Walker.
The budget for such expenditures may come from previous expense items. Vacations, auto travel, and dining out tend to lessen as folks age. These monies can shift from the pleasures of the past to the pleasures accrued by having increasingly stronger in-home support systems.
Beyond any additional expenses, there may be opportunities to have family and friends pick up some of the slack. Is there a friend, son or daughter that might swing by occasionally to wash hair, give a permanent, clean gutters, etc.? One should not feel guilty calling on people who they’ve supported in the past.
Finally, online shopping for home-delivered groceries prepared meals and the ubiquitous Amazon one-click world are other strategies making life easier during the golden years.
When it’s time
When declining health increasingly takes a toll on daily living, a move may be inevitable. Work together as a couple to make sure there is agreement on what the next move will be. The goal is to make the shift on your terms and not be forced into a quick or ill-considered decision.
While choices may seem to be limited, there are options:
Moving to a small home, condo or apartment.
Choosing to live in a retirement community.
Selecting a continuing care retirement community.
The third option has the benefit of a move that can accommodate an eventual nursing home environment if the need arises.
Once a decision is made to move, prepping is important. Begin by making a room-by-room assessment of what needs to be moved, what can be sold and what can head to the dump.
There are services that are available to make the process easier. Home junk removers are plentiful and can make the odious task as easy as pointing and saying, “That goes, that goes, and that goes.” Boom. Done.
An effective way to brace for the ultimate day is to start pitching stuff today. Start small. Regularly look for opportunities to toss out what’s not needed. If you have not worn a garment in over year, there’s a good chance you will never don it again. Donate it.
Begin with cleaning out the garage, closets and the basement. These can be difficult areas of the house to tackle since often they contained years of accumulated detritus. Momentum builds when discarding; the more you do, the easier it gets.
Regularly donating clothing items to charitable organizations along with serviceable home furnishings creates a mindset that if it’s not being used, it needs to be moved out. It also makes the ultimate move easier since there are fewer things to deal with.
Life might be like a car transitioning through its gears. As one accelerates through the early years the shifts are fast and furious. But when a couple finally hits the interstate of retirement, they should consider dropping into easy-riding overdrive and ease off the pedal.
Enjoying the hard-earned expansive views is their ultimate reward.
Published in the January,23 2020 edition of the Fauquier Times.
Warrenton restaurant maven celebrates 15th anniversary at the Depot
One of Claire Lamborne’s first culinary achievements occurred at the age of 16. Her father had passed away, and her mother was a career woman. Someone had to handle the kitchen duties and feed the large family of 10.
“The first fancy meal I made was baked Spam. I scored the meat like you would a ham, placed cloves in the cuts and made a mustard and vinegar sauce,” says Lamborne. Given the size of a can of Spam, it must have disappeared in a blink.
Lamborne, the owner of Claire’s at the Depot, moved from that humble beginning to an eventual restaurant career spanning decades, both in years and the legion of restaurants she helped make successful. A rolling chef gathers no moss.
From her modest experience with home cooking, she went onto college, marriage, and the birth of two children. For 14 years, she taught school and gave little thought to cooking professionally. But a unique opportunity arose in her early 30s when she was offered a job to cook at a restaurant in Saint Thomas in the Virgin Islands.
During the stint, she purchased and lived on a sailboat and cooked at a well-known restaurant on the Caribbean island. “That was the beginning of my culinary career. I knew then that’s what I wanted to do for a living,” explains Lamborne. “I later moved back to Fairfax and attended culinary school and began working for several restaurants in the region.”
Not only had her desire for kitchen creativity been ignited, but an emerging entrepreneurial streak blossomed. She soon moved to Charlottesville and purchased a restaurant. “I made all the classic mistakes of someone getting into the restaurant business for the first time.” Lessons she pocketed for future use.
Next, she moved to San Francisco. “It was the food capital of the United States at the time. It’s where food was happening, and I helped open a restaurant there too.” Each year she was learning more each about running commercial eateries.
As her restaurant knowledge grew, she returned to Northern Virginia and began working at various upscale restaurants in Fairfax and Alexandria.
Then, a business acquaintance asked her to return to Charlottesville and bring her skills to bear in establishing The Ivy Inn, once part of a more significant estate known as the “Faulkner House”, named after William Faulkner, a southern aristocrat and distinguished writer in residence at the nearby University of Virginia. Today, the Inn is still a vibrant part of the city’s hospitality scene.
By now, a pattern was established. If a chef positioned offered a challenge and opportunity, Lamborne sprung. The next career catalyst was an ad seeking a chef in Warrenton. “I responded and ended up helping Angela Smith open the Legends restaurant.”
Soon after that, she was off to Marshall working at Marshall Manor, a high-end retirement facility. The owners agreed to let her cater on the side, which eventually led to a new business.
“My first big event was a benefit for the American Cancer Society held at the large estate known at North Wales, west of Warrenton. As a result, my catering career took off. I moved back to Warrenton and built a place with a commercial kitchen called Claire’s Too devoted to catering,” remembers Lamborne.
She labored for 11 years and became known as the region’s quality caterer, including a stint as the exclusive caterer for the Virginia Gold Cup races. Today, there are many similar firms in the area whose growth was driven by her early success.
After over a decade, it became apparent to grow to the next level she needed to significantly ramp up the business and purchase more extensive and pricy catering equipment. “I did not want to go in that direction,” says Lamborne.
Incredibly, about that time, another offer to return to the Virgin Islands surfaced, and the lady and her spatula found herself at a restaurant in Tortola, the largest and most popular island in the Virgin Islands.
After a brief two months near sand and sea, she returned to Warrenton at the age of 62, reflecting, “I think I have another venture left in me.” Gathering some local investors, she purchased the depot train station. She undertook a significant renovation of the aging building selling her catering business to help fund the purchase and its $400,000 update.
Claire’s at The Depot opened on February 3, 2005, and met with success until the recession of 2008 hit. With the restaurant faltering, Lamborne’s “guardian angel” Paul Rice, a successful tech entrepreneur, agreed to purchase the building for $1.2 million and pursue further renovations, if she continued to operate the business.
“After Paul bought the building in 2009 and completed the second renovation, it turned the business around,” says Lamborne. “We put in beautiful wood floors and created the tavern section with a bar while keeping the white tablecloth section in the back. The white table cloth scene is fading today, but we have the best of both worlds with formal and casual dining.”
The restaurant seats 80 with 40 additional seats on the patio for seasonal dining.
Then in March 2018, another financial curveball came hurling toward Lamborne’s home plate. Paul Rice had retired to Florida and wanted to sell the building. Not having the money to purchase the structure, it looked like Claire’s was again on the butcher’s block.
But a second “guardian angel” appeared in the person of Bobbie Crafts who operated a horse rescue sanctuary in Marshall. Knowing the value of the town icon to the community, Crafts purchased the building from Rice and lifted the pressure off Lamborne, who doubled down on continuing to operate the popular restaurant.
Today the restaurant is busier than ever. Drop by any evening without reservations, and you’re taking a risk on seat availability. From the She Crab soup, fried oysters, daily fresh fish, the tenderest of steaks, and more, the menu never fails to satisfy.
What does the future hold for Warrenton’s premier restaurateur? “I’m 77 years old, and I’m certainly not going to be at the restaurant when I’m 80,” says Lamborne smiling.” But I’m going to make sure when I retire that Claire’s will continue as a quality restaurant.”
So, rest easy northern Piedmont. Both casual and elegant dining will continue at 65 South 3rd Street into the foreseeable future. Thank you, Claire.
Published in the January 29, 2020 edition of the Fauquier Times.
Celebrating the legacy of brunch
It’s was a brilliant October day in 1772 in Northumberland England. Mounted riders cantered across a high meadow surrounded by a pack of eager hounds. All at once the master of hounds cried out, “Tally-ho!”. Eighteen riders and 23 foxhounds rose as one and surged toward a nearby forest.
The hunt was underway. Within two hours spent riders, horses and hounds slowly ambled homeward. With or without a fox.
But the assembled upper-class Brits did gather for a decadent late morning repast of meats, eggs, cheeses, and breads. Oh, and adult beverages.
Welcome to the likely earliest vestiges of brunch.
More than a hundred years later, in 1895, a publication called “Hunter’s Weekly” first published the unique word that represented a dining experience positioned between breakfast and lunch. The following year the popular British periodical “Punch” reprinted the article and the tasty concept spread, reaching America by the late 1920s.
Stateside the first brunches weren’t offered in trendy New York or Los Angeles but Chicago. Movie stars who worked on both coasts and traveling by rail would stopover in the Windy City.
Cinema greats such as John Barrymore, Helen Hayes, and Clark Gable dropped by for brunch at the legendary Pump Room in the Ambassador Hotel. Word spread and the mid-morning repast grew in popularity.
The concept was so well-conceived it spread worldwide. Today travelers can experience Ackee & Saltfish in Jamaica, Bubur ayam in Indonesia, Hvevos Divorciados in Mexico, Dim sum in Hong Kong, Pets de Soeurs in Canada, Pongal in India, Tortilla Espanola in Spain and much more.
Many of the strange-sounding dishes are unfamiliar to Americans but are the go-to brunch victuals in their native countries. All thanks to yesteryear’s Brits.
Here in the U.S. brunch has evolved into a somewhat standard repast of scrambled eggs, omelets, hash brown potatoes, bacon, sausage, toast, and Bloody Mary’s.
Perhaps it’s time to scramble things up a bit more. Fortunately, there’s is a unique destination spot that accommodates that goal.
Upper Shirley Vineyards
There are over 300 wineries in the Old Dominion today. An impressive leap in numbers since the first one opened in 1978. Moreover, the quality of the wine has garnered Virginia vinous respect and catapulted it up to the fifth-largest wine-producing state in the Nation.
Yet its quality far exceeds its quantity. National distribution has been held in check because there is simply not enough of the exceptional wines to go around. The rascally Virginians drink most of it.
But as rare as finding a bottle of Virginia Viognier in New York City is, try locating a winery in the Commonwealth that has a restaurant. Much less one offering an exceptional dining experience.
The reason? Wineries and restaurants are two completely different businesses. Creating such a twofer takes smarts, skill and the rare trait of embracing risk. The owners of Upper Shirley Vineyards qualify on all three counts.
Suzy and Tayloe Dameron are the proprietors. They built the winery in 2013 on their 100-acre property that also showcases their historic private home and equestrian operation. It is located on rural Shirley Plantation Road, or Route 5, situated between Richmond and Williamsburg.
Asked if he had always had a dream of owning a winery, Tayloe Dameron’s response is disarmingly frank.
“The romantic answer would be yes, but it’s not true. We brought this historic property 20 years ago to raise our two kids. It was a beautiful, historic home but it wasn’t relevant and self-sustaining.
“So, we decided to plant a vineyard and make the highest premium wine we could,” said Dameron.
And where did the hubris arise to think he could accomplish that goal? Pedigree.
His family dates to the early 1700s in Virginia. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and served in the Army’s 8th Infantry Division in Germany. He went on to obtain a University of Virginia Darden School of Business MBA and subsequently launched a successful 22-year career in finance, mostly in Manhattan.
Early word on the street was to keep an eye on this guy.
Along the way, he purchased and moved into the private home on the winery’s property. Built in 1867 from bricks salvaged from a circa 1660 house that once flanked the manor house at nearby Shirley Plantation, the property came with built-in bona fides.
When you visit the winery, you can also call on one of the most historic homes in Virginia that are located nearby, Shirley Plantation. Its construction began in 1723. Tours are available year-round and if your visit to the winery is a first-time experience be sure to carve out time to see the mansion, or “Great House”.
Shirley Plantation is largely in its original condition and owned, operated and lived in by the direct descendants of Edward Hill I who lived there in the late 1600s.
The restaurant
Focusing on brunch, the winery’s restaurant is opened from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. six days a week with its midday menu in play. From 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. the menu is trimmed to shared plate offerings. Dinners focus on a series of special events, not nightly service.
The food is prepared by two chefs with burnished reputations: Partner & Executive Chef Carlisle Bannister and Chef de Cuisine, Ernie LaBrecque.
“We are all about sourcing food locally, rooted in a Southern-style using fresh ingredients”, said Dameron. “Carlisle has a great twist on our menu items and he’s not going to let anybody go hungry. His burger is the best on the East Coast and his shrimp and grits are to die for.”
A quick perusal of a late winter menu includes truffle frites, crispy fried oysters, warm brie, caramelized mushroom flatbread, San Marzanto tomato bisque, house-cured salmon, eastern shore crab bisque, and a host of salads with or without protein.
Focusing on a bit heavier fare will reveal specialties such as chargrilled chicken wraps, high- end burgers, cast iron quiche, southern fried chicken and more.
Accompanying the food are wines of exceptional quality. The Dameron’s work in collaboration with Michel Shaps who produces all of winery’s 3,800 annual case production.
The 22-acre vineyard is planted in popular varietals such as chardonnay, viognier, merlot, petit verdot, tannat, and others. Shaps is one of the preeminent winemakers in Virginia. This year his wines won one-third of the gold medals awarded in the Governor’s Cup competition.
Shaps has been lauded by numerous publications, including Saveur, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Advocate, Washingtonian, Washington Post and more. He holds a degree in Enology and Viniculture from Lycée Viticole de Beaune, France.
“Upper Shirley is a marathon, not a sprint,” explains Dameron. “We do not serve large tour bus groups, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and other noisy and distracting groups. We are not going to allow ‘disruptors’ to ruin our guests’ visits.”
Sitting on the winery’s covered back deck with an exceptional lunch and glass of wine arrayed before you and gazing at the expansive lawn and James River beyond, one is grateful for a hospitality strategy that is centered on individuals, not crowds.
Embrace the “new brunch” and one of the most unique and wineries and restaurants in Virginia. Guaranteed future visits are triggered by the first one.
For a cornucopia of beautiful photography, delicious menu and wine selections and impressive staff profiles, climb the virtual stairs of Upper Shirley Vineyards and take the full tour at http://www.uppershirley.com/
Published in the April 2019 edition of Dine Wine & Stein magazine.
Hinson Ford Cider & Mead: A Walk on the Dry Side
Over 400 years ago, the first Virginians struggled to turn grapes into wine. It was a lost cause.
Between the humidity, insects, unpalatable native grapes and the recalcitrant European grapes, wine became a rare sight on a colonist’s dinner table.
Of course, beer and whiskey kept our hardworking early citizens happy but hard cider was the drink of the masses.
Thomas Jefferson produced a champagne-style cider made with Hew’s Crabapples. It was his “table drink” bespeaking volumes since the Sage of Monticello was the Nation’s first wine connoisseur.
Throughout the 19th century growing and producing cider in Virginia was an integral part of our agrarian economy.
Over time, however, the potion largely faded as other adult beverages gained popularity.
Today, hard cider is making a strong comeback in Virginia and nationwide. One of the newest producers is Hinson Ford Cider & Mead located in Rappahannock County, appropriately known for its sizeable apple production in the early 20th century.
But mead shares equal billing with cider at the Amissville establishment. Mead is the oldest known libation in the world dating to 11,000 years ago. Most bottlings of both at Hinson Ford are fermented to dryness meaning little residual sugar is in the final product.
“New Tasty” could best describe what is unfolding at this small but artisanal business dedicated to the art of fermenting apples and honey.
As is typical in Virginia, history is linked to the name of the cidery itself. Hinson Ford Road, where the cidery is located, was named after Hinson’s Ford, a shallow crossing across the nearby Rappahannock River.
In August of 1862, Stonewall Jackson led a force of 77,000 men through the ford to position his troops for the looming Second Battle of Bull Run.
With a little imagination, one can picture the troops tramping past the future cidery; too bad they couldn’t have paused for a glass.
Red Orbs & Liquid Gold
The beauty of cider and mead are in their rural provenance. The art and science of their creation are embedded in a bucolic environment. Transforming the gifts of the orchard and the bee into flavorful social lubricants might be considered the highest and best use of both products.
So how did Hinson Ford discover its calling? Co-owner Dennis Kelly explains the epiphany occurred during his daughter’s wedding.
“Our daughter got married in 2015 at our place in Amissville. As a long-time hobby producer of cider and mead, my wife Mary Graham and I made several batches of mead.
“Of course, we also served champagne, wine, and craft beer but the mead kind of blew everything else away. We realized then we were on to something. It was very popular.”
It was Kelly’s good fortune that his neighbor Dave Shiff was a cider maker. A decision was made to join forces and build a cidery-meadery on Shiff’s 22-acre farm. It opened in 2018.
The ingredients finding a home in their flavorful bottles all hail from Rappahannock County. The apple juice is procured from Thornton River Orchard that is managed by orchardist Allan Clark. “He’s a wonderful orchardist and a good guy to work with.
“Ironically Allan was considering producing cider too and said, “Now I don’t have to worry about it. I’ll sell you the juice and you can make it,” said Kelly.
Most of the products are free from residual sugar and have a wine-like profile. Kelly is grateful for the large commercial cider producers because the exposure they’ve created for the libation. But he eschews sweet cider like a farmer haying a wet field.
Out of his current 11 offerings only one, a caramelized honey and maple syrup mead, is semi-sweet. Most of the others are dry and some lightly carbonated. When guests come looking for the sweet stuff the owners explain dry is their game and proceed to educate them on the elegant and crisp nature of the delicate beverages.
To create an even closer connection with its cider production, Shiff planted some 60 apple trees on his land that will start producing fruit next year and will find a home in their tasting room.
So, can any apples make quality cider? No. Similar to wine specific varietals are deemed best for producing cider.
“Winemakers would not use table grapes and cidermakers would not generally use Red Delicious, as an example,” explains Kelly. “Cider is often a blend of several different apples. As a general rule, the better an apple is for eating the less likely it will be used for cider production.”
Characteristics sought by cidermakers are a blend of sugar, acidity, and tannins.
The legendary Johnny Appleseed, who planted over 100,000 square miles of orchards, favored planting “spitters.” The apples were hard, small, and bitter but made great cider and applejack which was Johnny’s objective. Smart guy.
Unfortunately, Prohibition wiped out much of his work. When the Nation went dry in 1920, there was little use for either sweet or bitter apples. American’s did not consume a lot of fruit back then and most of the orchards were plowed under for other cultivation.
The Renaissance
Until about 15 years ago cider and mead were as rare as snow in July. But the phenomenal growth of artisanal wine, beer and spirits triggered interest on the part of cider hobbyists to test consumer interest by going public.
Like the first couple up on the dance floor, it wasn’t long before the number of producers began to grow. And the public began taking notice.
Today there are 820 cideries in the U.S. and mead is quickly catching up. In 2003 there were a paltry 30 such establishments nationwide. In 2018 there were well over 500 meaderies producing the drink of Vikings with an additional 350 planning to open their doors.
Here in Virginia, there are 31 cideries and 11 meaderies.
A guaranteed sign of success is when the Governor gets involved. Starting in 2012 Virginia became the first state to proclaim an official “Cider Week”. This year the celebration will occur November 15-24 and feature special tastings, pairings, dinners, events, and workshops.
Since Virginia is the sixth-largest apple producing state, it’s fitting the cider industry is being showcased with Richmond support.
To your health
Similar to many consumer food products today cider and mead are gaining traction for their health profile. “I think part of it is simply the younger generation looking for a new experience with a certain portion driven by people who are gluten intolerant and have similar health conditions.
“They can’t drink beer and they want something they can enjoy and tolerate. That’s true for both cider and mead,” says Kelly.
Some claim the medical properties of honey convey to mead drinkers. Honey has long been used as a health tonic because of its probiotic traits. When consumed it can have a positive impact on immunity and intestinal health.
It’s also used as a topical treatment for skin wounds and infections or taken by mouth for coughs and sore throats.
Scientists have found evidence that cider conveys the benefits of health-enhancing antioxidants. A pint delivers the same amount of antioxidants as a glass of red wine.
As with many such health claims, there is often limited medical validation so imbibers need to enjoy the liquid refreshments responsibility and accept with gratitude any health benefits.
The Tasting Sheet
To set your palate watering here’s a list of the current offerings at Hinson Ford. All are dry and lightly carbonated except one.
CIDERS
Brehon: Blend of eight Rappahannock County apples. 8% abv.
Ciderhouse: Blend of a dozen county varieties. 8.5% abv.
Ginger: Flavored with fresh ginger. 5.6% abv.
Hopyard: Dry hopped with Cascade and Amarillo hops. 8.5 % abv.
Scrumpy: Named for a traditional English cider. 7.2% abv.
Ruby: Blend of Baldwin apples, Montmorency cherries, and bittersweet cider apples. 9.8% abv.
Meads
Dark Skies Bochet: semi-sweet with caramelized honey fermented with maple syrup. 14% abv.
Elderberry: Fermented with Elderberry juice. 10% abv.
Orange Blossom: Made with orange blossom honey. 9.1% abv.
Goldenrod: Made with Goldenrod honey. 9% abv.
Strawberry: Fermented with strawberry puree. 8% abv.
Boutique in a special way
As with most immerging industries, both cideries and meaderies are unique in that large and fancy tasting rooms are the exception, not the rule. They are cozy and informal with the producers themselves often pouring the products with the same hands that created the beverages.
Such establishments are the polar opposite of a large, established winery. The seating may be limited but the attention manifold. Since passion is the fuel that drives the producers, they are eager to share not only the nuances and flavors of their products but also the hows and whys of production.
During warmer months a tasting should be followed by a glass on the grounds. After all, it’s not just tasting cider or mead, it’s banking a memory that will draw you back for another visit.
For a list of cideries and meaderies in the Old Dominion, take a peek into their digital taprooms here: https://www.ciderculture.com/cideries/state/va/ https://www.cheersva.org/meaderies/
Published in the October 2019 edition of Dine Wine & Stein magazine.
Marshall double-decker bus becomes region’s only “bustaurant”
A great way to build an appetite is to climb a set of stairs. It’s also the quickest way to enter into a unique world of dining if it happens to be a 1962 British double-decker bus. And no worries about food sliding off your plate. This bus does not fire up its engine, only the appetites of its lucky diners.
Two Fauquier County entrepreneurs are the “drivers” behind a successful and unique dining experience located in the increasingly foodie village of Marshall. With over a year of experience under their kitchen aprons, Brian Lichorowic and Lorrie Addison will soon launch Saturday evenings of music accompanied by its eclectic menu from the second floor of their “London on wheels” called Johnny Monarch’s.
Lichorowic is a former technology geek who originally hailed from upstate New York. He has six generations of dining history coursing through his veins. Scratch the man’s hands, and the aroma of a well-tended kitchen is likely to fill the air. He’s called Virginia home since 1989.
Addison is a Virginia belle born and raised. She grew up in Woodbridge and raised her children in Stafford County. As life moved on and she and Brian met each other on Match.com eight years ago. A befitting move for a techie in search of the right woman. It was a relationship destined to be centered on quality food.
So, how did the bus come into play? “I always wanted to get into the restaurant business. It was in my blood, and I was always thinking about it,” says Lichorowic. “But I wanted to do something unique other than a brick and mortar business.”
The idea—supported and pushed by Addison—sent the couple off in the search for an iconic double-decker bus. They found one for sale in Krakow Poland and had it shipped stateside, renovated it into a kitchen and dining room, and named the new business Johnny Monarch’s.
“My family hails from Krakow. That’s where my grandfather ran his first restaurant and where his grandfather ran his first restaurant. It was kind of a sign from heaven,” says Lichorowic.
The first level of the bus is home to a well-appointed kitchen, and eight steps leading to the upper level offers seating for up to 20 diners with a view of Main Street. An additional 1,000 square foot kitchen is located in a building behind the bus enabling the restaurant to double team their guests with a wide range of menu items.
One marketing hurdle the couple had to overcome was to shed the perception that the bus was a food truck. It is food served in a large vehicle, but it is not a food truck traveling from site to site.
Menu, wine & entertainment
Soon after selecting their site in Marshall, the couple began growing relationships with many of the town’s businesses. Domestic Aspirations, The Whole Ox, Joe’s Pizza, Field and Main, and many more, “are all friends of ours. We work together and buy products from them for use in the restaurant. We could not have picked a better place to plant ourselves,” says Lichorowic.
The menu ranges from rich comfort foods to vegetarian dishes. One impressive belly buster is the American Pie. It’s made from scratch using a thick layer of ground beef, herbs, spices, and topped with a heaping serving of Mac-N-Cheese, all baked to a toasty brown. Weighing in at 3,100 calories, the dish might be worth sharing with your fellow diner if you’re not up to tucking it away on your own.
For those who don’t want to punch another hole in their belt, a variety of vegan selections are available, including a Veetball Sub. Entries range in price from $12 to $18, but family size portions are available, making for a great family dining out experience.
The couple also offers a diverse catering menu for small and mid-size events.
The ultimate twofer is right next to the bus. It’s another double-decker bus devoted to wine. It’s owned by Randy Phillips, owner, and winemaker at Cave Ridge Winery in Mt. Jackson. The winery specializes in sparkling wines, so the bus is dubbed the “Bubble Decker.”
Phillips told them, “You do the food, and I’ll do the wine,” making for a gastronomic partnership that has worked well for guests of both buses. Glass and bottle sales are available on the second bus but can also be brought to dinner at Johnny Monarch’s.
Starting on January 11, a unique series of entertainment dinners called the Saturday Night Winter Music Series will commence with the appearance of Maddie Mae, a solo vocal act featuring the guitar playing Mae. She will perform acoustically in the dining section of the bus interacting with guests for an intimate, in-home like experience.
“The crowd kind of becomes part of the whole scene. They ask questions of the performer and even become background and rhythm singers. There will be two settings each Saturday; one at 4:30 p.m. and the second at 6:30 p.m.,” said Lichorowic.
For the full story on this unusual and successful marriage of buses, food, and wine visit Johnny Monarch’s at http://johnnymonar.ch/ and the Bubble Decker at https://www.thebubbledecker.com/
Published in December 27, 2019 edition of the Fauquier Times.
Model railroading relives yesteryear’s Christmases
Railroads built America. The embryonic beginning occurred with the first passenger and freight line established by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1827.
Networks expanded like kudzu smothering a southern forest, inexorably expanding west and fulfilling the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, the belief American expansion was both justified and inevitable.
Over the ensuing two centuries, a series of bankruptcies, consolidations and a decline in rail traffic due to auto, truck and air travel have seen railroads fade as a major transportation cog. Route mileage peaked at 254,251 miles in 1916 falling to 140,000 by 2018.
But who hasn’t heard that “lonesome whistle blow” and been reminded of the legacy of the train and its contribution to the Nation? The decline in rail traffic parallels the decline in model trains popular during the middle of the last century and a former centerpiece of Christmas in millions of homes.
But toy trains lovers still exist and may well be more passionate than their compatriots of over a half-century ago. If you pursue the hobby today in the face of public disinterest, you might be on the leading edge of a revival. And if you’re not, who cares. Passion is always in fashion.
Today’s model train industry is truncated but thriving in places like Fauquier and Prince William Counties. One simply has to know where to look.
Virginia Hobbies Etc.
Located at 46 Main Street across from the Warrenton post office, Virginia Hobbies, Etc. is owned and operated by Burrell Stindel who has been the conductor behind his radio-controlled trains, planes, and automobiles for 35 years.
He moved to Warrenton in 2002 with the intent of selling only model trains but, “found out what the town needed was a more expansive hobby shop. Today, we sell about 800 major items and some 10,000 products supporting those toys.”
If you need a wheel bearing for a truck, a track pin for your choo choo, a doll baby, or a model airplane kit, it’s in stock. The toy maven explains that the popularity of model railroading has faded over the decades because “we’ve now raised three generations of people who have never ridden on a train. There’s no connection today between the miniature and the real deal.”
He acknowledges that movies have helped drive sales to the younger set for trains like the Hogwarts Express and Polar Express. But most of his sales are to folks in their 40s.
Trains can range from $90 to $1,700 for a locomotive car depending on the quality and features a buyer is seeking. A complete set from a trusted manufacturer like Lionel sporting four cars, track, and the controller will run from $350 to $450.
Stindel underscores he typically matches prices on websites; an important feature for parents purchasing a train set for the kids only to later realize they have questions about its operation and maintenance. His service doesn’t stop once the train is rolling down the tracks.
Toy Trains and Collectibles
Dan and Hope Danielson and their children and grandchildren run their shop dedicated to the world of model trains. Located at 7216 New Market Court in Manassas, Dan Danielson has been a model train buff for 65 years. You can try and stump him with a train question but why waste your time? He has a firm grip on the locomotive throttle.
He and his wife are collectors with different interests; Hope focuses on trains from the 1900s to the early 1940s. Dan’s passion is collecting trains sold from the late 40s to the late 60s. The modern era of model railroading began in 1970. “You can pay upwards of $8,000 for a mint condition pre-war locomotive.”
In addition to antique trains for sale, the couple carries a wide variety of modern trains, tracks, and accessories available in Standard, O, O-27, S, HO and N gauges. Their selections include respected manufacturers such as Lionel, MTH, Bachmann, Williams, Atlas, Athearn and Kato.
Dan explains that track gauge is important when purchasing a train for a youngster. “You don’t want to buy an HO gauge train for a seven-year-old. It’s too fragile and they’ll get frustrated in assembling and running it.
“Rather, buy an O gauge set that they are not going to easily break. Our passion here is to make sure we get the right train for the right aged child so he or she can get the most fun and enjoyment out of it. Not just for Christmas but year-round.”
From December 18th to the 22nd Dan recommends that anyone interested in model trains drop by the Manassas Center for the Arts at 9419 Battle St. and check out its Winter Wonderland Model Train Show. On weekdays it’s open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; weekend hours are from is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “It’s a stunning layout and it’s all Christmas themed. It’s one dynamite train display.” Even better? It’s free.
One cautionary tale if you are considering a leap into model trains. Rod Stewart, the British singer, and songwriter spent 23 years building a massive model train and cityscape in the attic of his Los Angeles home.
Often while on tour he requested a separate room and had the bed cleared so he could work on the project while on the road. Might that have inspired his 1989 hit Downtown Train?
For those who want to leap from the miniature to full-blown, consider an overnight jaunt to Elkins West Virginia to hop aboard the seriously real Polar Express. The fun run unfolds each November and December and recreates the iconic movie in real-time. For information and tickets visit https://mountainrailwv.com/tour/polar-express/
If model railroading catches your imagination, no need to wander alone onto the tracks. In addition to the two valued shops in our area, stop by the National Model Railroad Association at https://www.nmra.org/. Learn all there is to know about choo-chooing before donning your striped engineer’s cap. All aboard!
Published in the November 27, 2019 edition of the Fauquier Times.
Locally produced strawberry wine scores big
Collaboration is often the soul of creativity. An idea orchestrated by two or more imaginative people can result in a winner. The latest example is producing smiles of satisfaction across the northern Piedmont.
It took a farmer and winemaker to break out of the mold and produce a tasty idea that is sipping its way to success. What typically is enjoyed in a bowl is now being poured from a bottle. It’s a locally produced strawberry wine with a fresh new taste.
The idea guy behind the libation is Jimmy Messick, co-owner along with his brother Ronnie, of Messick’s Farm Market in Bealeton. The magic in the bottle springs from part of six acres of strawberries that are under his cultivation, the largest planting in the county.
Additionally, over 40 acres are planted in a wide variety of fruits, berries, and vegetables all available in the market or as a pick-your-own buying experience.
In conjuring up his wine idea, Messick may have subliminally thought of the lyrics of a Kingston Trio song: “Raspberries, strawberries, the good wines we brew” and wondered why not create such a beverage for his market.
The only problem he wasn’t a winemaker. Enter Glenn Marchione, co-owner with his wife Tina, of Magnolia Vineyards in Amissville. Marchione is an experienced vintner, but grapes are his forte. He had never made fruit wine.
“We’re pretty excited. This is our first foray in producing fruit wine,” says Marchione. But he’s not the only one who is pumped about the social lubricant.
Farmer Messick couldn’t be happier that his idea has been successfully brought to fruition. “The wine is flying off the shelves. It’s been a great surprise to us that it’s been so well accepted,” says Messick.
The wine is bottled in clear 750 milliliters bottles showcasing its reddish amber hue. It’s 11 percent alcohol with a residual sugar of nine percent, making it a sweet wine. “It has a beautiful strawberry taste that bursts in your mouth. If you love strawberries, you’ll love this wine,” says Messick proudly.
The wine is called Prairie View in honor of the original farm his grandfather started in the 1930s where the terrain is flat and reminiscent of Midwest prairie land. One of his employees, Caitlin Taylor, designed the label.
The Farm
The Messick brothers are third-generation farmers. They own 1,000 acres of farmland over three separate properties in southern Fauquier County. In addition to the seven-day-a-week farm market, the brothers have 330 milk cows, 250 of which are daily milkers.
In addition, 800 acres are devoted to grain growing, producing corn, soybean, and wheat. Jimmy manages the farm and market, and Ronnie oversees the cattle operation.
The Messick’s business is an agritourism farm offering pick-your-own strawberries, pumpkins, and much more in season. As you walk the aisles of the market, you’ll find produce from the farm and pickled and preserved items such as sweet bay pickles, strawberry jams, and cheeses from the dairy.
The market carries local artisanal goods like handmade pasta, pastured meats, and even skincare products. For those who come hungry, there is a made-to-order deli counter for sandwiches and prepared salads and an ice cream stand.
In addition to the new strawberry wine, several selections of in-county wines are sold.
Wine recipe
Winemaker Marchione realized in undertaking fruit wine production, the components of strawberries needed a little boost to create a balanced taste. To that end, he added sugar, tartaric acid, and tannins to the fruit before fermentation was begun, building a structurally sound and satisfying wine.
The wine took about six months to produce and is expected to age similar to a light white wine, meaning you wouldn’t want to cellar it for years. This liquid treat is meant to be consumed young to capture its essence of strawberry flavors.
The first bottling was produced from one ton of strawberries resulting in about 1,500 bottles of wine. It takes about 40 plump strawberries to make a single bottle. The majority of the product will be sold at the farm market, but a portion is available for sale at Magnolia Vineyards. It retails for $18.99 a bottle.
Success is breeding an expansion of the fruit wine concept. “I just got a load of blackberries from Jimmy and will start fermenting the fruit soon. He already has a new label designed for the wine,” said Marchione.
On December 21, Messick will be holding a wine tasting for his “new kid on the block” and advises, “It will be a great time to come out and taste the wine. I think it makes our market complete,” he said.
For the full Messick’s Farm Market story visit https://www.messicksfarmmarket.com/.
Published in the December 18, 2019 edition of the Fauquier Times.
Dida’s Distillery Crafting Memories in Memory
“Pressed not mashed” may not immediately conjure up elegant craft brandy, vodka, and gin but it’s a technique central to producing award-winning spirits that taste beyond what you associate with these libations.
One needs to think out of the bottle when embracing such unique aromas and flavors. Dida’s Distillery—say “did-uhs”—is located in Huntly and presses grapes rather than mash barley and corn to produce its “water of life”.
“In 1906 our great-grandfather Paul Mariani immigrated to California from Croatia and began farming. Through commitment and passion, it led to the creation of Mariani Fruit Packing Company, a firm still producing high-end dried fruits today. Dida means grandfather in Croatian and the distillery honors his memory,” says distiller Allan Delmare.
The Delmare family knows from grapes having relocated from California in the late 1990s and opening Rappahannock Cellars as the 60th winery in the Old Dominion. Today there are over 310 wineries statewide. The winery produces 15,000 cases of still and sparkling wines annually and oversees one of the largest wine clubs in the state.
Delmare is the son of winery proprietor John Delmare and the force behind the craft spirit side of the house. The “spirit factory” is named in honor of the beloved family member but the pleasures flowing from its stills are not cast in your grandfather’s—or great grandfather’s—style. These spirited lubricants go well beyond.
Delmare knows grape-based spirits are only as good as the raw material that goes into the still. “We make incredible wines at Rappahannock Cellars so distilling those wines offers the opportunity to make world-class spirits.”
Delmare has two distilling goals: “Wine regions worldwide produce spirits made from grapes. Think Cognac in France, Grappa in Italy, Pisco in Peru and more. Why isn’t the U.S. noted for such spirits given its vibrant wine industry? My goal is to change that situation.
“Secondly, forget what you know about brandy. This is not your grandfather’s brandy. It’s an incredible fine libation born in the U.S. that can rival the taste of the best bourbons.”
How so? Cognac is typically aged in toasted wine barrels. But if you age it in both charred and toasted barrels you get a balanced bourbon-like palate effect. “Guests say they love our bourbon and but we quickly let them know its brandy produced and aged in a different style.”
The aging technique produces rich, deep, caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, toffee and coffee notes. The surprises continue as guests sample the vapor distilled gins flavored with a host of botanicals such as coriander, angelica, orange peel, lemon peel, rose hips, elderberry, orris root, cardamom and grains of paradise. The vodka is vacuum distilled with all-natural cinnamon sticks.
Delmare believes it’s an exciting time for Virginia to be introducing Americans to spirits like brandy that have largely been ignored by the consumer. “There’s an untapped potential for unique distilled spirits made from high-quality grapes and wine.”
For the full story on the delights being produced at Dida’s drop by its digital distillery at www.didasdistillery.com
Published in the December 2019 edition of Dine Wine & Stein magazine.
The joy and beauty of a fresh-cut Christmas tree
Artificial Christmas trees are steadily growing in popularity. The first fakes were created some 90 years ago by the Addis Brush Company but did not gain wide acceptance.
But since 2004, sales of the imitations in the United States have doubled from nine to 18 million trees. Real trees have held their own during the same period selling about 27 million each holiday season.
If you consider there are 36 million more Christmas revelers today than 15 years ago, the artificials are making headway. It’s understandable.
Artificial trees are now more realistic looking than ever and can “live” for years. The branches are typically made of polyvinyl chloride; think PVC plumbing pipe. And while they cost more initially, amortized over a long-life expectancy they are a good investment.
Still, they aren’t the real deal. Folks who walk into a home with a beautifully decorated artificial tree will often know it’s not from Mother Nature’s cupboard. Too perfect.
There is also the question of which tree is more environmentally friendly. The pros and cons tend to balance each other out. Many believe cutting a live tree is ecologically harmful but artificial trees made of petroleum-derived plastic will sit in landfills for centuries. Real trees decay in about seven years.
Sound arguments prevail on both sides of the issue. There is no right or wrong when Christmas celebrations are in play. Nonetheless, real seems more fun; especially if you can make a family event out of scoring a “needle factory” for the holidays.
Origin
During the Roman era, the mid-winter festival Saturnalia saw houses decorated with wreaths, evergreens and other items now associated with modern-day Christmas celebrations.
The first actual Christmas trees date to medieval times in early modern-day Germany where the populace brought trees into their homes to help celebrate Christmas. Decorations consisted of colored paper, apples, wafers, tinsel, and sweetmeats.
At the close of the Middle-Ages, the Catholic religious order of monks and nuns called the Cistercians wrote what many consider the oldest reference to the Christmas tree: “On Christmas eve, you will look for a large branch of green laurel, and you shall reap many red oranges, and place them in the branches that come of the laurel and in every orange you shall put a candle…”.
The first mention of the Christmas tree in the United States was in 1836 when an article was published describing a German maid decorating her mistress’s tree.
Since 1923, a national Christmas tree has been placed on the Ellipse near the White House. The towering evergreen is decorated with 2,500 lights and is lit by the President in early December.
Go local
Given the popularity of the tradition, it’s not surprising Christmas tree farms have sprung up in most rural areas of the country. Typically, these are small businesses that cater to families in search of the holiday icon. It often becomes a ritual to pack up the kids and spend a day in search of the perfect tree.
The farms usually offer both pre-cut and cut your own trees. However, the joy of visiting these farms is the time spent roaming the properties looking for a live tree that matches a family’s needs.
Here in Fauquier County there are four cut your own farms: Aboria in Marshall, Hank’s Christmas trees at the Hartland Farm in Markham, KK Christmas Trees in Marshall, and Stribling Trees at Oldacres Farm in Markham.
Jim Stribling is the tree farmer at his Oldacres Farm and knows from holiday trees as his parents farmed both the orchard and tree emporium before he accepted the baton as “tree maven” upon their retirement.
“This year we’ll be open the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas each weekend from 9 am to 5 p.m.,” says Stribling. “We have hundreds of Fraser pine and White pine trees that families can choose and cut. Customers can bring their saw or we’ll provide them one.”
Stribling underscores he has a variety of trees from four feet to over eight feet high. The taller trees are typically harder to find. His farm grows several thousand trees with hundreds primed each year for gracing living rooms throughout the Piedmont.
The farm offers hot cider and other refreshments while which customers have their trees netted and tied to their vehicles. Payment can be made by cash, check or credit cards.
For a complete list of Christmas tree farms in Fauquier, Culpeper, and Prince William counties, and throughout Northern Virginia visit http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org/VAxmasnorthern.php
Published in the November 2019 Fauquier Times Holiday Gift Guide.
“Hiking” the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail
The Appalachian Trail is the most iconic of long-distance mountain footpaths. Stretching from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine it rises and falls along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains for 2,192 miles.
Three million hikers each year spend some time on the trail. And 4,000 committed outdoor enthusiasts attempt to complete the entire hike in one season. It typically takes five to six months.
Only one in four succeed.
The AT speed record stands at 41 days. Karel Sabbe reached the trail’s at Mt. Katahdin last August completing the AT faster than anyone before him.
Forget your calculator. That’s an average of 53 miles a day. The man must have needed a beer on day 41.
Another AT giant is Warren Doyle who completed the entire AT hike 18 times. That’s 39,000 miles. After graduating from college and earning his master’s degree he realized, “I had to do something no one was telling me to do—no rewards, no cheerleaders, no scholarships, something I was not going to get paid for,” Doyle said.
As Sabbe, Doyle and their fellow thru-hikers cruised through Virginia they would have passed high above one of the largest and most scenic beer trails in the Old Dominion. A few may have even taken time to drop by one of the 15 breweries on the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail.
The Trail
The Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail is a collaborative effort of Greater Augusta Regional Tourism and its participating breweries; all are located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.
Created in mid-2016, today the individual but linked brew houses are pulling over a hundred individual craft tap handles while slaking the thirst of tens of thousands of natives and tourists alike.
“At the beginning of developing the trail we realized we did not have enough breweries to actually create one so we asked Lexington to the south and Harrisonburg to the north to join our efforts,” said Sheryl Wagner, director of tourism for the city of Staunton.
As with all things new learning to toggle and pull the right brewery “strings” loomed important in the early days of trail. It’s one thing to build a trail and create a website but driving beer lovers to actually “hike” it required some professional advice.
“The first year we were just doing promotions and trying to get the trail name out to the public.” Then the Waynesboro, Augusta marketing managers joined Wagner in attending a beer conference in Ashville, N.C.
One of the first questions posed to the new beer barons was, “Do you have a passport program?” They did not. They returned home and quickly established one.
“Our Passport Program has just blown-up the trail. Created in mid-2017 as of July of this year, we’ve had 3,559 passports redeemed resulting in 21,025 brewery visits. Folks from 47 states, Australia, Columbia, Canada, and Germany have enjoyed Virginia craft beer as a result.”
The passports are produced and distributed to the participating wineries who in turn hand them out to their guests at no cost. At each guest visit, a brewery provides an adhesive stamp to be placed in the passport.
After eight or more stamps have been scored by a satisfied beer lover the passport can be redeemed for a bright orange “Drink in Shenandoah Valley” tee-shirt.
The colorful and catchy-titled shirt is a prized possession and obviously gets a lot of wear given the success of the program.
As an added bonus, the Trail recently extended the benefits of the passport by providing free stainless-steel growlers for anyone who posts a photo of themselves wearing the tee-shirt on a social media site.
Another collaborative effort is in the works with the popular beer app Untapped. The free app allows users to keep track of what they’ve tasted and what they thought of the brews they’ve enjoyed. A partnership is being created with the app designers and should be announced soon.
But beer is not the sole draw while pursuing the suds journey. There are numerous natural attractions to take in when circuit-riding the trail. Bordered by the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains the Shenandoah Valley is a natural paradise featuring dramatic scenery wherever the eye falls.
Regardless of skill level activities include hiking, backpacking, cycling, canoeing, whitewater rafting, fishing, golfing, horseback riding and more.
For a more relaxed experience take in the beautiful and historic towns and museums along the trail’s line of travel while visiting geologic wonders like Natural Bridge and the Shenandoah Valley caverns.
Cruising Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway is an especially effective way to let go of any stress and refresh body and soul.
Go slow and also consider stopping by music festivals, farmer’s markets, “pick your own” fields and, of course, dropping by wineries during your beer breaks.
The impact of the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail is obvious to beer lovers. But behind the scene, it’s also playing an important role for central Virginia communities.
Promoting the enjoyment of craft beer is a “perfect pairing” for the Valley’s outdoor recreation assets and is driving increased tourism to the region by linking the craft beer experience with compelling lifestyle and outdoor recreational opportunities.
“The program has really put a spotlight on the rural places in which some of these breweries are located. These areas may not have many tourist attractions so it’s been great for us to partnered with them and our other county neighbors to showcase the region,” said Wagner.
If ever there was a time to enjoy a mini-staycation in the Old Dominion, sliding behind the wheel of the chariot and enjoying the delights of artisanal beer in a world-renown setting is now.
Start your engines.
Drop by http://beerwerkstrail.com/ for the full story and list of trail breweries.
Published in the Summer 2019 edition of Dine, Wine and Stein magazine.
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a tasty way to stay healthy. As is eating grapes. The red and purple orbs are rich in important flavonoids and dietary fiber. The phytonutrients and antioxidants in the fruits may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.
Apples and grapes are beautiful to look at and satisfying to munch on, making them the perfect fruit. And they’re widely available. But the zenith of their enjoyment is having the pleasure of eating one fresh-picked from a local apple tree or vineyard without having to snag it yourself.
How so? Think of Out on a Limb Orchard & Vineyard and its produce at the Manassas Farmer’s Market and Tackett’s Mill Farmer’s Market in Lake Ridge. Guess who will be tending the fruit stand when you show up? Doctor Ross Moore. And while the good doctor no longer uses his professional title, his former wellness career now extends to agriculture.
“I was a veterinarian for 42 years with the Independent Hill Veterinary Clinic,” says Ross. “I’m retired now and tend to my orchard and vineyard year-round.” In 1980, the vet purchased a 13-acre farm on Spriggs Road in Manassas. In yesteryears, the area was known as a thriving apple region but today grows subdivisions and shopping centers.
The farm had just a few remaining apple trees, but over the years he has slowly brought the orchard back to life by dint of hard work and the love of the land. The vet-turned-farmer now has 300 apple trees showcasing 50 varietals and a small vineyard dedicated to seedless table grapes.
Ross’ labors typically begin in February as he sets about pruning his orchard and vineyard. It continues throughout the summer months as he seeks to keep trees and vines healthy. “You want to maintain a balance between the tree canopy, fruit production, and root structure,” explains Ross. “They all have to be in harmony. Good air circulation and sunlight are important too, so the fruit colors up.”
In the fall, he sprays the trees with nitrogen to build up nitrogen reserves, supporting leaf development and fruit growth for the following year. One of his unique farming techniques is to paint the base of each tree with white latex paint. The treatment protects the trunk from depredation from small animals and insects that enjoy munching on the tree bark. Who knew?
The three most popular apples he sells are Sekai ichi, Japanese for “world’s number one,” which is large, juicy, and sweet; Honeycrisp, prized for its sweetness, firmness, and tartness; and Limbertwig, an old North Carolina species that is a little acidic yet still sweet like an old apple variety should be. But any of Ross’ selections are sure to satisfy.
Ross chuckles when he says, “The farm is a hobby gone wild. My grandmother said I got my love of agriculture from my Portuguese background. My great-great-grandfather owned the largest produce farm in Bermuda.” Ah, the old DNA explanation.
From August through November on each Tuesday he sells at the Tackett’s Farmers Market from 2:30–6:30 p.m., and on Thursdays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. you will find him at his fruit stand at the Manassas Farmers Market.
For information on upcoming fruit availability, ask to be placed on his email newsletter list. Ross also delivers to nearby customers, or you can pick up the freshest of fruit by visiting his farm. Reach Farmer Ross at Lilyncsu@icloud.com.
Published in the November 2019 edition of Discover Prince William.
