Hey ya’ll! This winter has been so long and dreary and January had officially felt like the longest month of my life… but we did manage to sneak in a quick wine adventure. Probably the highlight of my January! Since we live in Richmond, as you know, we frequent Charlottesville often for wine. To branch out more, we have been trying to get up to Loudoun County in northern VA. Loudoun is known as DC’s wine country, there are a ton of wineries in short distance from each other and it makes for the perfect day or weekend trip.
We left on a Saturday afternoon and decided to stop at Effingham Manor on the way up. We like to stop at places on the way to break up the long car ride so Effingham was the perfect pit stop. I had heard amazing things about this place and was dying to try their reds. Their tasting room is in an old Manor that was built in 1777 and owned by William Alexander. If you love old buildings, history, and wine, you will love it here. Their tasting is $10 for 7 wines. Our favorites included their Merlot, Meritage and Kings Ransom. I did not get to try their Tannat but have heard positive reviews! Post tasting, we got a glass of wine so we could walk around the Manor. The whole upstairs is available for seating in the old bedrooms. I loved the vibe of the place and can’t wait to visit again. Unfortunately it was raining so we did not get to explore their expansive grounds, however there’s always next time!
Our next and last stop for the day was at 50 West Winery and Vineyard. This was another winery that had been on our list. 50 West is owned by the same family as Sunset Hills and they also share the same winemaker. They had a beautiful tasting room with plenty of indoor seating as well as outdoor. Their tasting is $10 for 6 wines and they also offer light fare if you are hungry… fresh bread, meats and cheeses. You can pack your own picnic, you just have to be outside! Some of our favorite wines included their Sauv Blanc, Vidal Blanc, and their 16 Aldie Heights Cuvee. We enjoyed some Sauv Blanc and relaxed in their tasting room. We had a wonderful visit.
Post tasting we hit up our favorite restaurant in Purcellville, West End Wine Bar and Pub. Y’all need to do yourselves a favor and go if you haven’t been. Whenever we stay in Loudoun, we always come here for dinner. They have amazing wine and food. During this visit, I enjoyed the Whiffletree Farm Crispy Chicken Confit while Zach enjoyed the Fried Bone-In Pork Chop. We also shared the Fried Green Tomatoes as an app! We have never been disappointed with a meal yet and we always leave full!
Be on the look out for part 2 of this recent wine adventure coming soon! We had such a nice time and are always looking for free weekends to head up to Loudoun, VA!
Cheers, Paige
Sips and Trips with Paige 
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