pause

Every time we saw something pretty from the car as we rolled down dirt roads and over gravel and rocks, Staley, Jess, and I - all squished together in the backseat, would yell, "Pause!" until Zander came to a screeching halt - all of us thrown forward then back. I'd roll down the window and stick my camera out to capture the scene, Zan accelerating and breaking, stop-and-go, Jess retorting, "Now back an inch! You missed it - forward an inch!" And the pictures were so bad - a fence was always in the way, or shrubbery through which, far beyond, we could catch a glimpse of the mountains. Or, as Brian, from Wyoming scoffed, "More like foothills!"

At Stone Tower Winery, we were tipsier from our laughter - that point you get to when no matter what anyone says, clever or completely mundane, it's hysterical. That rhythm, that banter, it's the stuff. It's the bee's knees. It's addictive. And as our taster finished our tasting, she teased us with the soon-to-be-released 2013 Rose. She brought out the bottle, but no! She couldn't open it for us to taste; it's for members only. Zan and I bolted to the front of the tasting room, nearly tripping over each other, grabbing a membership form, and battling over whose name would be on it. Our spanking new membership came with not one tasting but five of that Rose, and three bottles of it to go.

It was the best Rose, the best wine, any of us have ever tasted. It was the taste of exclusivity, and the taste of rays of sun warming the breeze, and the taste of a perfect day spent celebrating a birthday to remember.

Pause. 

stone tower winery is a great new addition to virginia wine

Stone Tower Winery produces two Chardonnays - Lacey and Lauren - named after the owners' daughters. Lacey likes Lauren's oaky, creamy chardonnay, and Lauren prefers Lacey's acidic, floral, lighter version. Stories like these are one of the many reasons that I love Virginia wine. The industry is still small enough that every winery visit feels like you're being invited into someone's home.

The winery is situated on Hogback Mountain - also home to a paintball field (though I didn't see it on the long, winding dirt road drive). The tasting room is in a large, beautiful old barn. I relished the small details. Names of wine varietals are painted on rocks from the property. The names of their wines and vintages are hand-painted on slabs of wood and hung tastefully around the tasting room. Photos from weddings held on the property show off the beauty of the landscape. And there's an equestrian theme that suits the old (but refurnished and modernized) barn - complete with riding hats on the banquet tables on the second floor. The ambiance is just as good - even on a wet and gray Saturday like this past one when we ventured out to Loudon County, Stone Cold Winery was warm, welcoming, and inviting.

Jeremy, a manager, poured our wine tasting. Jess, Zander, and I opted for the reserve tasting - and might I suggest you do the same? It's $15 for all of their current vintages and a few of their stellar older ones, as well (6 total). Jeremy and Jess talked shop while I snapped pictures and listened intently; wine tasting is serious business, and it's clear that Stone Tower prides themselves on making great wines.

We started off with a champagne-based sparkling wine, and I was "bubbling" over with happiness. It's rare to find sparkling wine at Virginia wineries, especially dry, crisp, citrusy ones. I loved it so much I ordered a glass to enjoy while we were there and bought a bottle to take home. When it came to the Chardonnays, Jess and I enjoyed the Lacey, and Zan enjoyed the Lauren more. Jess loved the 2012 Viognier. It has huge minerals and a very round mouth feel. I love Viognier, but this one kept taking me by surprise... I still can't decide if I liked it. Zan's favorite wine is their Sanglier Noble. It has a great nose of cherry, currants, baking spices - basically winter in a glass. I wanted to pair it with dark chocolate. To be honest, it lacked a little complexity on my palate, but Zander would beg to differ.

Stone Tower is new in the Virginia wine scene, and it's an incredibly welcome addition. I can't wait to get back when the air is a little warmer and the whole vineyard is ablaze with spring colors and enjoy a few more glasses of their sparkling wine.

grape stomping lucy & ethel style at clifton day | virginia

It was Christmas of 1994 when I yelled across the six other people in our minivan and over "Here Comes Santa Claus" blaring from the tape deck to my mom all the way in the driver's seat, "What's a prostitute?" In my imperfect memory, the car came to a screeching halt and everything went silent like a scene from a movie. In reality, I think she yelled back, "Ask me later!" and kept on driving. She can, every once in a while, play it cool like that.

I asked again later, and she demanded to know where I'd heard that word. Talking to my friends about Pretty Woman, naturally. Mom and I had watched the movie so many times I'm surprised the tape still worked, but she never let me watch the sex scene (you know the one I'm talking about - where they're on the piano and it's truly, ridiculously sexy and inappropriate for an 8-year-old). She explained prostitute to me and then probably reconsidered ever having allowed me to see that movie in the first place. But the damage had been done so we continued to watch it until we really did wear the VHS out.

The other scene from that movie that stuck with me as a kid is in the very beginning, when the stunning Julia Roberts (that smile!) convinces Richard Gere's stuffy character to chill out by vegging, and she laughs hysterically at an old re-run of I Love Lucy when Lucy and Ethel stomp grapes to make wine. (I'm calling myself out on being really young here that my exposition on grape stomping involves a second-hand experience of seeing the iconic Lucy scene.) I've wanted to stomp grapes every since, and what girl that grew up on Pretty Woman in the 90s didn't?

I got my chance this weekend at the Clifton Day Festival in Clifton, Virginia. It's my favorite small-town in America. I challenge anyone to find me a town quainter and cuter and more perfectly old-fashioned small-town than Clifton. It's one of my favorite places to get away to for an afternoon, which is perfect since Paradise Springs Winery - the closest winery to DC - is just a short drive away. Paradise Springs offered wine tasting and grape stomping at the festival so Sonia, Zan, and I pulled ourselves into the drizzly, gray weather and on traffic-laden Route 66 last Sunday afternoon.

The festival was great and much bigger than I expected. Zan and I bought several incredible smelling candles from Wikiwood Naturals, a company based out of Virginia, and I can't get enough of my "Gingerbread Dreams" scent. We found a perfect handmade Christmas gift for Zan's 2-going-on-3-year-old goddaughter. And we coveted handcrafted wine racks and shelves in oak and cherry. Of course, we splurged on festival fair like beignets and an ice cream sandwich. And then, the grape stomping!

It was chilly and wet out, but the three of us were still surprised that there was nobody waiting to stomp grapes when we chatted with the guys running the Paradise Springs booth. Sonia and I volunteered to lead the charge, took off our boots and socks, rolled up our jeans, and jumped in. It is a bizarre sensation - cold, gooey, squishy naturally, and it oozes between your toes. It's kind of like squishing mud, but you can feel the skins of the grapes coming off.

After we stomped, the Winery staff told us a little bit about the advantages of stomping grapes rather than using machines (though treading grapes is rarely done today for sanitation reasons). Your feet can feel clumps easier than a machine can spot them. Feet also release the juice from the grapes more gradually and gently than machines. Grape stomping is traditionally used to make red wine.

Clifton Day and grape stomping was so much fun. I finally got to live out my Pretty Woman dreams! All that's left now is for Richard Gere Zan to jump out of a limo and climb a fire escape to dramatically profess his love and kiss me deeply. ;) 

(I'm also crazy about red hair and know my salad fork from my dinner fork from Barney Thompson and I moved to LA after college because, "What's your dream?!" really hit home, and sometimes before a fancy date with Zander, I say, "In case I forget to tell you later, I had a really great time tonight." Oh, and of course, "Rodeo Drive, baby!" Pretty Woman has been influential in my life, as you can see.)

gadino cellars is an italian family affair | virginia wineries

Gadino Cellars sits on an assuming gravel road near a school and a smattering of personal homes. The first view of the cellars is of an attached garage. There's a car parked in it and an assortment of the kinds of tools and household items that are commonplace in any suburban home garage. The gravel road veered to the right as we neared the garage, and a small parking area opened up in front of us. As Zander navigated into a spot, an unexpected sight came into focus: the soft curves of the Blue Ridge Mountains framed a baby blue sky so clear I thought I might be able to see into the clouds themselves. Grape vines stretched for acres back to a wooded forest, and a well-manicured lawn led the way to the front doors of Gadino Cellars - a family-run, local Washington, Virginia winery that doesn't show its entire hand at once.

Married couple Derek and Stephanie - who goes by Steph - own Gadino Cellars, but running the winery is a whole family affair. Steph brings the Italian influence to Gadino, a family name. Bill Gadino and Aleta Saccuta Gadino developed an interest in wine as children, when their Italian grandparents instilled in them the cultural tradition of home wine-making for family events. With extraordinary foresight, Bill bought 15 acres of land in Rappahannock County, Virginia, an area he believed would one day emerge as a leader in the Virginia wine industry. He began planting grape vines in 1990, bestowing some of the Gadino vines the superlative of oldest vines in Virginia. Bill and Aleta founded Gadino Cellars in 2004 and passed on the torch to Derek and Stephanie when they showed an interest in continuing the family business.

When I tweeted that I planned to stop by Gadino for a tasting last Friday, Derek quickly responded, introducing himself and welcoming my visit. In the tasting room, Zander and I were greeted by a variety of unique, hanging flags depicting medieval Italian coats of arms. A wooden "amore" sign adorns a fireplace in the corner, and a long, arcing bar invites visitors to step closer. Derek and Steph greeted us warmly, told us the family story, and made us feel right at home.

Finally, we got serious about the main purpose for our visit: the wines. Steph takes charge of the tasting flights, and her current picks are perfect for the summer: they range from crisp, light, and refreshing, to medium-bodied reds promising robust, nuanced futures with age. Here's what's on the current flight:

• 2011 Chardonnay: a complex, full-bodied Chardonnay aged in oak. It's not buttery or overly oak-flavored; citrus flavors dance on the palette, and the finish is creamy. 
• 2012 Luminoso: An off-dry Petit Mensang and Vidal Blanc blend with 1% residual sugar. This would pair well with spicy dishes. Zander enjoyed it.
• 2011 Sunset: dubbed a "picnic style wine," it's a total patio pounder with 2% residual sugar. It enjoys fangirl status. 
• 2011 Moonrise: A rosé style wine with very little residual sugar- this is my kind summer wine. It's dry with strong aromas of strawberry. 
• 2011 Cabernet Franc Riserva: Cab Franc is a popular varietal grown in Virginia, but it occasionally is too full-bodied or pepper-heavy for my taste. Gadino's version is medium-bodied with notes of blackberries and a soft peppery finish. It's a "mouth-dry" wine with tannins, and it's a red I'd drink with or without food. 
• 2010 Nebbiolo: The star of the show, this Italian varietal boasts cherry on the nose and is dying to be aged. At $33 a bottle, it's Gadino's most expensive offering on the flight, but it's well worth buying one... or an entire case and opening it in a few years. 
• 2010 Imagine: Things are all in the family at Gadino, including this wine, named to celebrate the family's first grandchild's young imagination. It's the sweetest wine of the bunch with an oak finish. As Steph suggested, it would pair well with a dark chocolate-covered strawberry but isn't quite a dessert wine. 
• 2011 Viognier: Not on the flight, Gadino's first-prize winning Viognier is what drinking wine is all about. It is crisp, dry, full of tropical flavors on the palace, and has a slightly spicy finish. I go nuts for a dry Viognier, and this is the best I've ever had. 

It seems like every time Zander and I visit a new winery lately, it jumps to the top of our "we have to get back there again soon" list, but this one - really, really we will be back soon. The family behind Gadino Cellars knows wine and loves it, and it shows in every single inch of this stunning, made-with-love winery. 

if you go...

Gadino Cellars  

tasting: $6/person, including signature wine glass

2 regulation sized bocce courts are open for guest enjoyment

the tasting room and entire winery is dog-friendly, but keep your Theo on a leash

wine list with descriptions

 connect with Gadino on twitter like i did

what i would do in 5 days in queensland

Meet Roo. He's the first boy I slept with. (Let me rephrase - the first boy with whom I slept.)

I've never been to Australia, and I’ve wanted to go most of my life. (Me: Mom, where do kangaroos come from? Mom: I knew we'd have this talk someday...)  

When I heard about a competition hosted by Johnny Jet (@johnnyjet) in conjunction with Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and Delta Vacations for one blogger to win a five day trip to Queensland, I -- well, I searched D.C. for Vegemite, bought a kid's snorkel, and made a total fool of myself on camera.

For my entry to win a trip down under, I've whittled my extensive must-do list in Queensland to a potential five day itinerary and created a shameless short video to complement the written portion.

Trek in the Outback 

Queensland's plentiful national parks (such as Lamington National Park), rainforests (such as Daintree), and open country are the things my daydreams are made of. I would spend a day bush walking, summiting a mountain, or trekking to the bottom of a gorge. As a dedicated TEQ blogger, my goal would be to learn and relay to my readers and followers the stories of the outback - the myths and legends, the reality of the landscapes, and what it's like to hike in Queensland.

Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef

I've had the privilege and joy of snorkeling in caves in Okinawa and with whale sharks in Mozambique. I've seen beautiful things under water, but I haven't yet seen the Holy Grail of them all: the Great Barrier Reef. I would bring my underwater camera and instagram pictures from one of the 7 wonders of the world - inviting my friends, family, and followers to come with me and explore the world from under the sea.

Follow the Food and Wine Trail

I’m a firm believer that food and wine tell a story of a place. From vineyards you learn a history of agriculture and the land. From food you learn what pioneers foraged and how it became the basis of local staple dishes. Queensland is a quickly growing region on the world wine stage. I want to encourage potential visitors to experience Queensland through the lens of a glass of wine on a local food and winery tour.

Wildlife Ecotour

I would opt to take a guided or self-guided tour through a wildlife refuge or natural habitat that prioritizes preserving the land and the safety and well-being of the animals. I would use my social media channels to share photos I take tiptoeing through the forest to see a kangaroo (maybe he's throwing a punch - who knows!), crouching low to spot a crocodile or craning my neck to catch a glimpse of a parrot.

Exploring Fraser Island

I'd explore the world's largest sand island for hours - searching for shipwreck remnants, sidestepping my way into the mangrove forests, and looking out for dingoes. Unplanned adventures make for my favorite memories and best blog posts. I can always sleep on the plane back, right? 

What would you do if you had 5 days in Queensland? 

Follow the competition on twitter with the hashtag #5daysinQueensland. If you’re so inclined, please share my post so I can have the opportunity to share my trip with you!