Hey friends! Today I am sharing our recent trip to Loudoun! We always celebrate our anniversary Labor Day weekend since we get a nice long weekend. This year we wanted to venture back up to Loudoun, VA to cross some more wineries off our list!
Day 1
Our first stop for the day was at Quattro Goombas! Quattro Goombas is both a winery and brewery. Pre-Covid, they had two separate tasting facilities but they are sharing the space currently. At this time, they are reservation only for three out of their five sections. If you prefer to hold your spot, you can make a reservation the Monday before the upcoming weekend. We decided to make a reservation to be on the safe side. Once you are seated, you use a QR code to order so it is all contactless. You receive a text when your order is ready and you pick up in their brewery space. We had a wine flight and beer flight to see what they had to offer. They also offer a full kitchen selection if you come hungry! We enjoyed their beers and I really loved their red blend, Vino Di Nonni. Since everything was contactless, I really wasn’t able to talk to anyone or learn more about their winery on this trip.
Next we ventured to Chrysalis Vineyards. Chrysalis has a beautiful view and tasting area. We sat up on their balcony overlooking their space. Chrysalis makes delicious wood oven pizza. We enjoyed their weekend special with a glass of Rosé. When we visited, they were not offering flights, just wines by the glass and bottle. Reservations are not required unless you have more than 6 in your party. If you plan on visiting during a beautiful day, plan accordingly; the lines are very long to order wine/food and our pizza took over an hour! It was worth the wait but we definitely didn’t plan enough time!
Our final, and favorite stop of the day was Slater Run Vineyards. At this time, they are reservation only. Slater Run has a beautiful tasting room with tons of indoor and outdoor seating. We sat in their Adirondack chairs overlooking their vineyard. They are offering three different mini self guided flights that range from $12-$14. They also have wines by the glass and bottle. I was a big fan of all their reds! They also have a French Sauvignon Blanc that is made by the wine makers family in France. I already have reservations to visit again in October and I can’t wait!
For dinner we headed to our favorite, West End Wine Bar and Pub! We highly recommend and suggest you make a reservation to ensure you don’t get turned away. Zach enjoyed the Dr. Pepper Braised Beef Short Ribs and I had the Hanger Steak Frittes. After dinner we indulged in their peanut butter cake with concord sorbet ~ their take on the classic pb&j!
After dinner we headed to Echelon Wine Bar in Leesburg. This wine bar has the same owners of Lost Creek Winery. We absolutely loved the vibe and atmosphere. We grabbed a bottle of Thibaut Janisson Brut and enjoyed sitting at the bar! This will not be our last time here and look forward to our future visits!
Day 2
We decided to start the day on a positive note and head out for a short hike. We ended up hiking Bears Den Trail. This is the perfect hike if you do not have a lot of time. It is only two miles and pretty easy. You also earn a lovely view near the top!
Following our hike we headed to one of our favorite breakfast spots in Purcellville, Petite Loulou. This French style cafe specializes in sweet and savory crapes along with delicious coffee beverages. We always have such a delicious meal!
Now on to my favorite part, wine! We started our day at the beautiful Walsh Family Wine. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Sarah and Nate, the owners/winemaker! Right now they are reservation only. They are offering mini self guided flights for $18. They also have wines by the glass and bottle. If you come hungry, they have adorable picnic baskets full of local goods. We have so many favorites but we enjoyed the Bethany Ridge Sauvignon Blanc. We also took home a bottle of their Louden Valley Cuvée.
The Wine Reserve at Waterford has their flights down to a science, and by science, I mean the wine comes to you in test tubes! We loved the unique presentation of their seated self-guided flights. I also love how they partner with other local wineries and highlight their wines in their tasting room. At this time, they have reservations available for three time slots. You get your time slot for two hours which is plenty of time to enjoy a flight and grab a glass. You can make a reservation for inside which is nice if it is rainy! We always love how they have a variety of bubbles and we are big fans of their Tenacity which is their Petit Verdot! I also fell in love with their First Harvest which is their Petit Manseng.
We ended our day at The Vineyards and Winery at Lost Creek. After hearing so many great things, I am glad we finally checked this one off our list! They are one of the only wineries I have visited recently offering seated tastings – which was such a nice change from the usual self-guided flights. We loved actually being able to chat with our tasting attendant and ask questions about the winery. This option was $15 for a samples of four wines. If you come hungry, they serve a small selection of delicious food. We ended up snacking on their blistered shishito peppers during our tasting and they were tasty! I loved their reds, the 2017 Genesis had to be my favorite!
Post wine tasting we enjoyed a low key dinner at Roots 657 which was right down the road from Lost Creek! If you want a quick, delicious meal, I would highly recommend Roots. Roots specializes in BBQ and it is ahhmazing. I always get the pulled pork sandwich while Zach enjoys the brisket sandwich!
That wraps up another wonderful trip to Loudoun, VA. I am super grateful for all the conversations and people we met during this trip! Be on the lookout for even more fun content coming in October for VA Wine Month, AKA my favorite month long holiday! Be sure to follow the blog and @sipsandtripswithpaige on Instagram!
Cheers, Paige
Sips and Trips with Paige 