Virginia

The Artisans of Sperryville – They’ve Got It Made in the Mountains

Destination: Rappahannock County, Virginia

Rappahannock County, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is home to some of the finest artisans in Virginia. Under the shadow of Old Rag they hone their skills, crafting small batches of single malt whisky and creating the glassware to savor it in.

Central Coffee Roasters
The first stop on this tour of the town is at Central Coffee Roasters, because we all need a little coffee to get started. Margaret Rogers and her family are living their dream here –roasting small batches of coffee beans from the furthest reaches of the world while each pursuing an artistic endeavor.

Maggie is a printmaker while her husband is a carpenter, and their sons rock with an acoustic, bluegrass style. Together they bring coffee to an art form, as well.

You can decide for yourself, with a sample or full-sized cup o’ what I hesitate to call Joe. It’s just too good. Freshly roasted light, medium and full bodied coffees from Central and South America and the East Indies are available by the pound, and blends and decaf are also offered.

The property backs up to the Thornton River, and guests are welcome to wander outside in the Certified Wildlife Habitat and enjoy Maggie’s flower gardens.

Central Coffee Roasters is located at 11836 Lee Highway and open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Glassworks Gallery
The Glassworks Gallery at Oldway Art Center is a visual treat. First of all, any place with its own suspension bridge is way cool. After you cross the bridge – no trolls under it, I promise – colorful orbs and bowls decorate the gardens along the walkway. Step into the building and the world of glassblower Eric Kvarnes.

In addition to blown glass bowls, vessels and jewelry by Eric, the gallery features pottery, woodwork, metalwork, photography, poetry and stained glass by other local artists.

Glassworks offers glassblowing classes on an ongoing basis, but you need not make a huge investment of time or money. Eric explains that, “We specialize in letting people blow two pieces of glass, have a great time doing it, and have no commitment to future classes. Life’s short. Do something unusual!”

Glassworks is located at 11774Lee Highway and open from 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. everyday except Wednesday.

Beech Spring Gift Shop
The artful display of quilts out on the front porch drew me into Beech Spring Gift Shop, and then I learned that Northern Virginia’s largest quilt outlet is so much more than that.

This family-owned business has been around for four generations – selling baskets, stained glass, Polish pottery, jewelry, jams, jellies, apple butter and local fruit in season.

And quilts. Lots and lots of quilts. They’re stacked high in the back room in every color combination imaginable, at prices that are remarkably affordable. Best of all, they’re made by Virginia artisans.

Beech Spring Gift Shop is located at 11600 Lee Highway and is open most days.

Copper Fox Distillery
The Copper Fox Distillery is found behind an unassuming exterior in Sperryville’s River District – off the beaten path but well worth looking for. Here Rick Wasmund is cooking up America’s only single malt whisky and pot-stilling it in small batches, one barrel at a time.

A tour of the works gives you a peek inside the distillery and inside Rick’s brain, as well. You’ll follow his adventures from the inspired idea to produce fruitwood flavored whisky, through his internship in Scotland, and up to the present day and his production of an award winning sipping whisky.

In 2009 the Beverage Testing Institute gave Wasmund’s Single Malt Whisky a Gold Medal, describing it as having a “bright copper color. Bold aromas of new suede, saddle soap, crème brulee and toasted banana nut bread,” and a “dryish medium-full body with orange marmalade, dried apricot and sweet brown spices.”

Intrigued? You can try this at home by purchasing a DIY kit in the gift shop, complete with clear spirits and a mini barrel – the result will be uniquely yours. Some of Rick’s whisky is for sale here, too

Tours depart on Monday through Friday at 4 p.m., and every Saturday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. And while the distillery won’t be in production again until November, you can still get a good idea of how small batch whisky is made. The scent of the last batch still lingers.

Copper Fox Distillery Enterprises is located at 9 River Lane, and the store is open from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. Group tours are available upon request.

Café Indigo
Pure Virginia. That’s the culinary point of view held by Chef Sebastian Carosi, who is creating his own brand of art with locally raised, farm grown food right next door in a stylishly renovated barn called Rappahannock Central.

The relaxed setting of Café Indigo combines brightly colored walls, quilts and cottage-fresh furniture with modern accoutrements in a charming 1930s fruit packing house. The lunch menu is simple, yet does not disappoint.

Barnyard chicken, Angus beef and Yorkshire pigs are featured in sandwiches, burgers and salads that are anything but ordinary. Ingredients such as wild bee pollen and smoked sunflower seeds add depth of flavor and signal that this restaurant could soon be on radar of DC foodies.

Café Indigo is located at 3 River Lane and is open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served.

Rappahannock Central
Sharing Rappahannock Central with Café Indigo is more food for the body at the Rappahannock Natural Foods Cooperative — making available the finest locally produced and humanely raised raw ingredients. And the galleries at River District Arts provide food for the soul.

River District Arts is a collective of nine artists working in galleries that are arranged ala Torpedo Factory. Some are on site, happily creating and chatting with passersby. Currently on exhibit in the Confluent Gallery until July 10 is “Local Wine, Local Art and Local Food.”

River District Arts is located at 3 River Lane and is open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Around the Town
While you are in Sperryville explore the small downtown area, with a couple of restaurants and several shops selling everything from fine yarn to pottery. Antique stores can also be found throughout Rappahannock County, making Sperryville the perfect day trip if you’d like to infuse a little warmth and country style into your home.

Or if you just plain like fine whisky and good food.

A Word on Lodging
If you decide you’d like to stay for more than a day, check out unique Bed and Breakfast spots in Sperryville.

Story copyright 2011, Elaine C. Jean. All rights reserved.
Photos copyright 2011, Paul N. Jean. All rights reserved.

Old Lucketts Store Delivers Vintage Hip to Loudoun County 
Destination: Leesburg, Virginia

The Old Luckett’s Store is a landmark on Route 15 just north of Leesburg. But if you haven’t stopped here lately, it may be time to visit again. The unique antique store is anything but stuck in the past.

Vintage Hip

Fabulous finds spill off the wraparound porch, announcing that this is the place to find whatever you’re looking for – and some things that might be looking for you.

Artfully arranged rooms of bona fide antiques and stylishly distressed furniture mingle with artwork, dried flowers and bins upon bins of keys, knobs, coat hooks and other stuff-of-life. The effect is so much more that the sum of its parts.

Neighboring Beekeepers Cottage specializes in romantic furnishings for the home, with a heavy dose of beads, baubles and trinkets. Breezy cottage, shabby chic, romantic French and country casual looks are featured here.

Pavilions in the yard showcase big, sturdy stuff like fireplace mantles, stained glass and outdoor statuary – the architectural elements that make a home a house – as well as the birdcages, old croquet sets and miniature greenhouses that make a house a home.

Everyday the owners of Old Luckett’s Store strive to bring you cool stuff at great prices, arranged in rooms that are fresh and full and ready to knock your socks off. But on the first weekend of every month, they take it way over the top with their Design House event.

Upcoming themes include the fine art of nesting on September 2-3-4 and kooky, spooky fun on September 30 and October 1-2. Holiday decorating is featured on November 4-5-6, and gift ideas reign on December 2-3-4.

Entry is made through a breezeway at the back of the property, where you’ll emerge in a courtyard that immediately tells you you’re in for a world of fun. Step up into the house where breakfast pastries by Peace of Cake often await, along with cups of steaming hot coffee.

When I walked in, I immediately bumped into owners Suzanne Eblen and Amy Whyte, the creators of this place where old meets new and everything is reinvented in the process. They’ve coordinated room after room down to the finest detail and you’re left with the feeling that it’s absolutely fabulous and you must have it all.

Eblen explains that their ultimate goal is to make living spaces that come together through passion, synergy and a huge dose of humor. The two have an interesting approach to designing their highly-thematic and subtly entertaining rooms: They concoct a detailed story for each one. A recent favorite was the evil stepsister room, with twin beds strewn akimbo and decorating touches that defied both conformity and peaceful coexistence.

The ultimate goal of Design House, in Eblin’s words, is to create a place where you can “Come in, have fun and be happy.” So when a customer recently admitted that she visited every month just to make herself feel good, Eblen was delighted. Mission accomplished!

All Fired up Again
If all that shopping has helped you work up an appetite, a five-ton wood-fired oven cranks out superb pies at Fireworks Pizza in Leesburg.

Choices range from the classic Margherita (Roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil) to the more exotic Baah-Baah Black Sheep (lamb sausage, marinated tomatoes, spinach, feta, red onion and tomato sauce with a balsamic glaze). Ingredients are fresh, organic and locally produced whenever possible.

Salads, sandwiches, appetizers and desserts round out the menu, with a great selection of beer in bottles and on tap. Wine and cocktails are also offered. Outdoor dining is comfortable and casual, giving you the opportunity to watch the sun set on another great day trip.

When you go …

• Old Luckett’s Store and its vendors are open everyday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•  Design House is held on the first weekend of every month.
•  Fireworks Pizza opens every day at 11:30 a.m.

Story copyright 2011, Elaine C. Jean. All rights reserved.
Photos copyright 2011, Paul N. Jean. All rights reserved.

What’s it all about, Aldie?

Destination: Loudoun County, Virginia

Aldie is a quaint little village that’s big on personality, radiating from eclectic shops that line its stretch of the John Mosby Highway. A rare grist mill hosts a variety of events and serves as the centerpiece of this likeable, comfortable town.

The Aldie Mill
The restored mill and authentic 19^th century architecture that grew up around it bring the visitor back to an Aldie that thrived in a different way. The Aldie Mill, completed by Charles Fenton Mercer between 1808 and 1809 and situated near the Little River, was the hub of community life. Here grain was ground into flour and transported to Alexandria via the newly completed Little River Turnpike, where it was shipped up and down the East Coast and over to Europe.

Today demonstrations of the only surviving gristmill of its kind in Virginia are held every Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. from mid-April to mid-November, so you can see the impressive tandem overshot waterwheels in motion. In addition, special events are scheduled throughout the year. Upcoming is “Spirited History: A Tasting of History and Whisky” on September 17, Eyewitness to the Civil War on September 25-26 and the award-winning Aldie Harvest Festival on October 15.

Aldie Peddler
The Aldie Peddler’s reputation precedes itself as a purveyor of both fine and reasonably priced wines and Amish outdoor furniture. But it’s the shop’s owner, Wally Lunceford, who gives the place its heart and soul.

The boyishly handsome proprietor is often found here, meeting and greeting customers and making the mood a little lighter. But while his multi-liter wine glass may be figuratively half full and always at the ready for a little shtick, Wally is seriously knowledgeable on the topic of wine.

Free tastings are offered throughout the year with tidbits of food and copious amounts of laughter. You can sign up for email alerts so you won’t miss any of the fun. The Aldie Peddler is open everyday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. except on Mondays, and the next scheduled wine tasting event is on September 10.

Bella Villa
Neighboring Bella Villa is the beautiful world of Rosanna Smith, and a visit here will inspire you to new decorating heights. She reports that recent finds have included, “glorious chandeliers straight from the canals of Venice, Italy,” and “ … crusty mirrors that somehow make everyone look beautiful.”

Clearly, Rosanna has a knack for marketing as well as collecting. She also makes a mean cup of espresso. Bella Villa is open from noon – 6 p.m. on Wednesday – Saturday and from noon – 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Mattingly’s
Across the street, Mattingly’s specializes in outdoor furniture to suit most purposes – picnic tables, swings, bars, birdhouses and enormous rocking lounge chairs that beg you to drag the big screen TV outdoors and grab a beer. I sat in one, and I swear it was the La-Z-Boy recliner of the Amish world. Mattingly’s is open Monday – Friday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. They’re closed on Sundays.

Mercer Tavern Antiques features a treasure trove of china, paintings, prints, decorative items and sturdy furniture from a variety of periods. Mary Ann and Tucker Withers have made it their business to bring you a wide array of items that show the softer side of life, in a setting that is cozy and friendly. They’re open Friday – Monday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Withers extend their hospitality in a country inn, just a few doors down on the same side.

Little River Inn
If you’d like to stay overnight in Aldie, The Little River Inn provides bed and breakfast lodging in a 19^th century setting. Accommodations range from a room at the inn to a cottage of your own. Fireplaces stocked with firewood bring you back to a bygone era, while central heat and air conditioning meet the need for creature comforts.

Quarters are decorated with country antiques, braided rugs, patchwork quilts and stenciled lampshades that lend a homey touch. Breakfast is prepared at the convenience of the guest and includes Dutch apple baby, sausage and eggs and baked French toast.

Diamonds and Rust
Owner Marcia Hall loves to shop, and the proof is in her store. Diamonds and Rust offers a seemingly endless supply of vintage beads, baubles and trinkets in addition to real retro fashions in a setting that’s fun and fabulous.

A mannequin sporting an early 20^th century suit and cloak conjures up images of Sherlock Holmes, and a flapper dress and cloche will get you thinking about Halloween or even New Year’s Eve.

Spangly purses, nostalgic charms, cameo necklaces and pocket watches fill the store, along with lacy linens and kitschy pictures. This is the place to come for affordable escapism; the bargain drawer offers your pick of items for $5 a piece, three for $10. Diamonds and Rust is open Monday – Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Little Apple Pastry Shop
The mother-daughter team of Kay Pitts and Margaret Hawes are ready to make you breakfast and more at their Little Apple Pastry Shop, an old fashioned country bakery with a case full of pies, cakes, cookies and treats. It’s obvious that the two live to bake, because they do it so well.

Lauded by the Washington Post for light and flaky ham biscuits and praised by the locals for their Everyday-is-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich, Kay and Margaret serve country comfort with reckless abandon — suffice it to say that diet is a four-letter word here.

The Little Apple Pastry Shop is open Tuesday – Friday from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Arrive by 10:30 a.m. if you’d like a breakfast sandwich, and note that the shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Story copyright 2011, Elaine C. Jean. All rights reserved.
Photos copyright 2011, Paul N. Jean. All rights reserved.