miniature horses and sangria at aspen dale winery | virginia

As I was uploading photos for this post, an odd memory came back to me. It was one of those memories that flashes by and then is gone, and you have to go searching for it in the twists and turns and ridges in your brain. The most I can make of it is the distinct memory of a small round horse riding arena, the smell of dung and hay and that absolutely unique scent of horse that's a mixture of the outdoors and fresh air and wildness. I remember riding the horses, trotting around the arena slowly, getting used to the saddle beneath me and wishing I were riding bareback. I mean it with as little euphemism as possible when I say I've always been the sort of woman who prefers riding bareback.

What I can't remember is exactly where I was or with what friend. I can pull from the annals of time that I had this friend for a short time, and maybe we weren't so close, and I can see her mom carrying a baby out of an old house with peeling wood, and my mom went in after her to stay for a while and say hello. The friend's name might have been Katie, but I can't be positive.

I've ridden other horses over the years and found always that I'd prefer no saddle and that I'm quite possibly allergic to the animals, and that there's a fearlessness and wild abandon in me that gets the horse, but also that I find riding kind of boring, if truth be told. Most of the times I have ridden have been on trails that I'd rather be hiking. But they're beautiful animals, that for some strange reason are always the cause of excitement when people see them.

Have you ever noticed that? From the horse-drawn carriages in Central Park to officers patrolling on horseback to actually visiting a stable, people get very excited to see horses. I think it's a combination of the paradox of their large size and typically gentle nature and their romanticized role in America's entire history. Really, the only thing more exciting than seeing a full grown horse is seeing a miniature one. 

There are a lot of horses and a few miniature horses at Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn, another stunning, rustic Virginia winery that I'd like to call home. On the same gray day that Zander and I visited Linden Vineyards, where we met vintner Jim Law, we also visited Aspen Dale, known for its hominess, coziness, and barn animals.

Walking into Aspen Dale, my gaze immediately turned upward to the loft situated above the main floor, accessed by a spiral staircase. The very thought of a loft makes me crave thick socks, a long novel, and a steaming mug. In a winery, the association of comfort persists but with a touch of romance, intimacy, and lingering conversations.

When I finally pulled myself away from the loft, I saddled up to the tasting bar. We were handed our glasses and a plate each of small tasting bites. I love when wineries do standard wine tastings with food pairings (it also happens at Fabbiolo Cellars). It's a particularly smart choice for Aspen Dale, where I think the food makes the wines shine a little brighter than they would on their own.

We tasted six wines, with a few there were notable. In particular, the 2009 Rockawalkin' is a dry, earthy, peppery Cabernet Sauvignon that was okay on its own but came alive paired with dark chocolate. When I hear "dessert wine" I cringe, and Aspen Dale changed my preconceived notions with this one. Typically, dessert wines are sweet - like ports, some reislings, and ice wine - but a dry red with the right earth tones pulls out the bitterness and seductiveness of a piece of dark chocolate. I wanted to drink this wine and indulge in chocolate covered cherries or strawberries late into the night.

My other favorite was completely unexpected - Sangria! I've never seen bottled Sangria at a winery, but you know what? It works for them. It's also delicious. The tasting staff openly admitted to us that it was from a rough harvest, and they experimented with it, coming up with a top-secret recipe. They started offering it to customers, and it took off. It's selling like crazy. It reinforced the wine truth that the whole business of tasting and drinking and enjoying wine is individual and subjective. If you like it, go for it.

So I did. I bought a bottle that I can't wait to open.

They're so smart with their food pairings, too, that when Zan  and I ordered a glass each to enjoy on the grounds, we also ordered a food plate with more of what we sampled.

While sipping my wine, I wandered around the extensive grounds that lead back to a functioning barn. I was the only one milling around the wet grass on the gray day, and I liked it like that. It was just me and the horses. I was quickly enamored with the view - fog settled in over the mountains in the distance in one direction, and vines stretching endlessly in another.

The miniature horses of course stole my heart. I joked that I had met Li'l Sebastian from Parks and Recreation.

Aspen Dale Winery is the kind of place I want to settle into, a glass of wine in one hand, listening to the crackle of flames in the fireplace, a live guitar player singing the blues, knowing there's a bit of wild right outside the back door. That's the kind of memory I can hold onto.

if you go...

Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn 

located off rt-66 in delaplane, virginia

tasting with food pairing: $8 (with glass $10.50)

if you plan to go with a group of 8 or more, make a reservation by emailing reservations@aspendalewinery.com