On Saturday, I already mentioned that we woke up and visited the local farmers market. Then we walked back to the hotel and hopped in the car to head to Leesburg, VA. It took us about 45 minutes to get there, but was oh so worth it.
Our first stop was Casanel Vineyards and it was a perfect first stop. We found it down a long winding road out in the country. The drive in was flocked with the vines and really set the tone to get us excited about trying wines. (Because we weren't already excited, right?)
We drove up to a cute little tasting room with a large outside patio. We had a wonderful lady named Karen host out tasting and she was such a joy. She know so much history about this relatively new winery and it was neat to hear about how the owner started the winery and is keeping it in the family with his two daughters. We actually ended up taking home a bottle of their Chardonnay, which is crazy because I usually hate Chardonnays. There was something about this one that I liked and will be perfect for a nice picnic this summer.
The second place we went I didn't snap a picture. It was a much smaller winery and its vineyard was in a separate place. We weren't a fan of the wines, but they did have a wine slushy. I've never had a wine slushy before, but give me the beach or a pool and I could have drank that thing all day! I must find a recipe for one!
After we left there, we headed into downtown Leesburg, VA. We had lunch at a little place called Shoes Cork & Keg. It's this cute little cafe made out of an old shoe store. We ordered, grabbed a glass of wine, and headed down a narrow alleyway to a secret garden outback. They have it all set up with tables, umbrellas, lounge chairs, and high tops around a fountain. We were in heaven. We sat in the little lounge area and just enjoyed the beautiful weather. I had one of the most delicious sandwiches I've ever had: A chicken apricot honey mustard panini. If you're in the area, you must make this a stop and order this sandwich. You will not regret it.
After lunch we walked around town a bit, looked through the cute boutique and antique stores, and grabbed a couple ice cream cones for dessert.
Next up with headed to Zephaniah Vineyards. I loved this place. The wine tastings are actually done inside the families old colonial home that has been passed through the family. But what gets you is all the people picnicking on the lawn when you first drive up. It makes you want to stay here all day. We loved talking with the lady of the house and learning their history. We enjoyed all of their wines and came home with a blend called Three Captains Red. We throughly enjoyed this winery and would love to go back.
Finally, we stopped by Stone Tower Vineyards, only a few miles away. This place has the absolute best views. It was a gorgeous. Their tasting barn is relatively new and they are already expanding. With the crowds there, I can see why. They were a little on the steeper side for tasting but we tasted away. We weren't a fan of their wines, but stayed for a bit just to look around and admire the view. They supposedly have great parties here for their wine club members, and if I lived closer, I might actually join, not for the wine, but for the place!
We were ready to head back at this point. We got back to the hotel around 6:00pm. That gave us a little time to rest, shower, and get ready for our 8:30 dinner reservations at The Landini Brothers Restaurant. This was a little italian place in Old Town. We were able to snag a table outside. Their Calamari was delicious and we split their spinach ravioli plate, which was just enough.
We had planned to get Crepes for dessert, but didn't make it in time as we got distracted by a little wine bar on a side street called Grape & Bean. This place was fantastic and we enjoyed one glass of wine their as they were closing.
Finally, we headed to a historic hotel where we were greeted with beautiful piano music. We headed to their bar to find an open mic event going on. This wasn't just any open mic, this was old school open mic, with primarily 60 + year old patrons. It was awesome. Seriously, these people knew how to sing and it was obviously they were regulars. We enjoyed listening to it and at one point, a lady sitting next to me at the bar leaned over and said "These old people sure know how to party!" It was so true. I wish I had taken photos here, but if you are in Old Town on a Saturday night, you need to check it out.
We woke up this next morning, packed up, and walked to a cute breakfast place down the street called Table Top before heading back home. We had such a wonderful and relaxing trip. And it was even better being greater with a Birthday surprise when we got back. Thanks to my sweet Mother-in-law and Father-in-law!
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