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Posted: 2026-10-05 08:00
 After last month's A Vineyard Tour of 868 Estate Vineyards with a Taste of Uncork Loudoun, I leveraged being in the area to visit two more craft beverage establishments. And as fate would come forth, the following weekend we attempted to attend the Lovettsville Oktoberfest, but chose to detour after seeing the concession lines.  Two Twisted Posts Winery & Tavern
I was able to sample a couple wines from Two Twisted Posts at the Taste of Uncork Loudoun event. There 2022 Viognier is a fuller expression of the grape as it is whole-cluster pressed, fermented and aged sur lie for twenty months, and aged in a combination of oak treatments. But it still retains a stone fruit and citrus core. Their 2020 Cabernet Franc is another wine where the oak treatment doesn't overwhelm the dark black and cherry juice. But after that tasting, I was ready for a palate cleanser and the beauty of this winery is that it is very close to 868 Estate and they also brew craft beer. On arrival, I immediately grabbed a pint of their Two Twisted Lager - an American lager brewed with Carolina rice and Pilsner malt. Set aside your mass produced lager and choose this delicious alternative instead.  Mt. Defiance Cider & Distillery
I used to frequent Mt. Defiance's downtown Middleburg location often, but this was the first time visiting the Cider Barn where they have combined the cider, wine, and distilling operations. It's a spacious area, with cider and wine served in the main hall and spirits in the loft. Plus plenty of room outdoors for both groups. Their Virginia Farmhouse Cider is a classic as the traditional dry cider shows apple and citrus fruit, tannic texture, and a little funk. Later in the afternoon we shared a flight of whiskies and favored the Mt. Defiance Smoked Virginia Whiskey. The whiskey starts with a high corn mash bill which includes wheat and malted barley that is aged two years after distillation in used oak. The smoky flavor comes from cherry wood, alder wood, and lemon balm introduces before bottling. Nicely done. Hiddencroft Vineyards
The vineyard occupies part of the historic Compher family farm, a property established in 1868 in what was once known as the "German Settlement" of Loudoun County. This community later became Lovettsville - hence the popular Oktoberfest celebration. The Compher family owned and worked the land for roughly a century from 1868 until 1968 and eventually purchased by Clyde Housel and Terry Housel. They planted the first vines in 2001 followed by an official commercial opening in May 2008. Our first visit occurred shortly after this opening. A few years later the winery expanded operations onto the adjacent historic property and moved its tasting room into a restored circa-1850 farmhouse and barn. Throughout the years, Hiddencroft has been known for long aging of reds - particularly their Chambourcin which changes complexity and looses any semblance of the jammy, highly acidic, low tannic nature of its youth. Instead Hiddencroft's aged Chambourcin shows more tannic structure, more rounded fruit, and still enough acidity to lift the finish. 
Both Stockyard and Cool Spring are located very close to Hiddencroft providing an easy exploration of this trio. Stockyard Brewery is a relatively new operation opening only a year ago and the family-friendly farm brewery sits on approximately 50 acres of farmland - maintaining its historic agricultural activity. The taproom barn was crafted from repurposed historic materials and includes a cornerstone carved 1893. Inside the famished will find plenty of food options plus a plethora of beer and guest wines and cider. I chose their Milo's Marzen in order to salvage Oktoberfest which paired nicely with the Brisket Cup.
Cool Spring Distillery
Since the exit for Cool Spring is literally right across from Stockyard, we couldn't pass on a visit despite the always welcome rain. The distillery is located on the east side of Short Hill Mountains, not far from Two Twisted Posts on the western side of the mountain. They offer a wide assortment of expressions from moonshine to rum to whiskey. Their Cool Spring Short Hill Sugar Shine is made from - obviously sugar - and is very approachable. And their Cool Spring Apple Pie unloads with those traditional Autumn flavors that we look forward to sharing with our moonshine friends. They have a unique method for creating rum, using dark molasses, honey, and Demerara brown sugar. Even at 80 proof it comes across a little hot; thus several of our party preferred the Cool Spring Spiced Rum version. I'll have to return to evaluate their Bourbon, but we did come home with a bottle of their Spiked Lemonade. This expression is made using the Short Hill Shine as a base and infusing with the lemon flesh repurposed from the lemon skins used to craft their Cool Spring Lovettcello. Cheers.
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Posted: 2026-10-02 08:03
Carapelli is one of Italy’s longest‑standing olive oil houses, founded in 1893 by Cesira and Costantino Carapelli in Montevarchi, where the family originally traded wheat and bulk oil. Over the following decades, the company industrialized its operations while maintaining traditional milling practices, building one of the most modern grain mills of the era near Florence and establishing its first olive press before World War II. By the mid‑20th century, Carapelli had become a fixture on Italian tables and later relocated production to Tavarnelle Val di Pesa in the Chianti hills, reinforcing its identity as a Tuscan‑rooted producer. Today, Carapelli remains a major Italian olive oil brand with a portfolio that includes both filtered and raw‑style oils. Tuscany’s olive‑growing tradition is defined by small groves, hillside microclimates, and cultivars adapted to cooler winters. The Chianti zone surrounding Tavarnelle Val di Pesa is known for producing medium‑to‑robust oils with green fruit aromatics and pronounced pungency—traits shaped by early harvest timing and the region’s mix of traditional Tuscan varieties. While Carapelli sources broadly for some of its lines, its historical association with Tuscan production and its long emphasis on cold extraction reflect regional traditions that prioritize freshness, low oxidation, and preservation of volatile compounds. Tuscany’s olive oil culture also values authenticity in presentation, which helps explain the company’s early leadership in bottled EVOO and later interest in raw, unfiltered styles. Carapelli’s Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil, introduced as part of the brand’s innovation in "raw oils" , is described as a dense, cloudy oil resembling fresh mill oil, retaining suspended olive fruit particles that contribute to texture and flavor. This product follows the company’s earlier milestone, Le Macine, the first unfiltered EVOO bottled for the Italian market. The Unfiltered shows abundant aromatic activity due to retained solids and has a late arriving bitterness that starts deep within the throat and gradually rises. This reflects the high phenolic composition of the olive oil and is muted when adding a little lemon or lime juice.
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Posted: 2026-09-30 08:00
 On September 20th, I participated in an Uncork Loudoun Winery Education Day at 868 Estate Vineyards. The event provided a behind-the-scenes look at Loudoun wine country as well as a tasting through a pilot group of 13 Loudoun County wineries. This initiative connects sommeliers and buyers directly with winemakers to explore viticultural practices and varietals with the long-term goal to place a Loudoun Made, Loudoun Grown wine in every restaurant across Loudoun and surrounding counties, ultimately expanding into the Washington, DC market. Uncork Loudoun is a coordinated trade initiative launched by the Loudoun Wineries & Winegrowers Association (LWWA) to transform how restaurants and retailers source and sell local wine. The program aims to increase the visibility and accessibility of Loudoun County wines across the DC region by focusing on education, unified marketing, and collaborative sales.  The Education Day started with a glass of Iron Will Sparkling Viognier while 868 Estate tri-owner Nancy Deliso and winemaker Tim Kish gave a brief overview of the 15 year history of the winery. Then it was off the visit the production facility and walk through a portion of their 21 acres of vines. In normal years, 868 Estate produces approximately 4,000 cases of wine annually, but the last two years have not been normal, for Loudoun County, Virginia, or the East Coast. This was the case in 2022 and 2023 where ideal growing conditions led to a bumper crop which is helping the winery alleviate a dismal 2025 crop and a disastrous 2026 harvest. This is a result of the April Freeze That Rewrote the 2026 Vintage where 868 is looking at a complete loss of their white grapes and 50% on their reds. We walked alongside suffering Nebbiolo and Cabernet Franc. And if was not just vinifera vines, even the Chambourcin and Chardonel were affected.
 Within the winery production facility we sampled a couple barrel aged wines, followed by their 2023 Estate Viognier. This wine shows by the Virginia marketing authorities designate Viognier as the Commonwealth's signature grape - although because of its temperamental behavior - is not widely grown. This wine differs from many across the area, because Kish is a strong believer in whole-cluster fermentation where the entire grape clusters, including stems, are fermented. This provides increased aromatic and flavor complexity in addition to adding more tannins and phenolic compounds which provide more structure and aging potential.  Back in the Vintner’s Table building, we sampled more wine from 868 Estate as well as other wines from the Uncork Loudoun portfolio. One of my favorite wines of the day was the 868 Estate 2025 Rosé - a blend of Cabernet Franc and Viognier made effervescent through forced carbonation. Of their reds, the 868 Estate 2022 Merlot was very pleasant with a fruit forward character transitioning to an earthy and herbaceous finish. That's 20% Cabernet Sauvignon will do. On the other side of the spectrum I have to comment on their 868 Estate 2022 Chardonnay which was a Gold Medal Winner at the 2024 Virginia Governor's Cup awards and provides green apples and citrus with a noticeable structure and fresh acidity. For the Uncork Loudoun portfolio, there were another couple dozen of wines available to sample, mostly from Bordeaux region grapes. Our friends at October One Vineyard contributed another Merlot in their 2021 Loudoun County Merlot. The grapes come from their estate vineyard in Bluemont and is luscious red fruit - start to finish. Iron Will provided a trio of reds with their 2021 Cabernet Franc showing velvety red fruit and a nice tannic structure. On the white side of the isle, I kept returning to the Fabbioli Cellars 2023 Something White - a palate cleansing blend of Vidal Blanc and Petit Manseng. I hope to see more Uncork Loudoun events throughout the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Afterward this event, I was able to visit a couple more Loudoun craft beverage establishments as well as a few more last weekend while trying to celebrate Oktoberfest. Stay tuned for more Loudoun County coverage. Cheers.
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Posted: 2026-09-28 09:00
Two weeks ago I attended a virtual masterclass presented by Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein on European Wine Treasures -- a three-year European Union co-funded initiative designed to showcase wines from the ancient vineyards of Greece to the distinctive terroir of Jumilla PDO, Spain. The idea is to present two iconic (yet perhaps obscure) wine regions with one European story in terms of exploring the authenticity, heritage, and quality behind European wines with certified origin. The discussion on the Greece focused on the region's basic terroir and then to its signature grape: Assyrtiko. Popularly recognized as being associated with Santorini's arid, volcanic and windy climate, but the grape is also grown in the mainland and other islands, like this Ktima Kissa (PGI) Peloponnese Assyrtiko 2025. The constant across Greece is the high natural acidity, structure, and varying fruit character depending on the growing region. Archaeological evidence confirms that Greece is home to some of the oldest known grape wine remnants in the world with the earliest evidence of crushed grapes, dating back approximately 6,500 years (1). The evolution of Greek wine from this period became shaped by varied topography, the rise of indigenous grapes, regional microclimates, and obviously the numerous islands with their own terroir. Assyrtiko is one of Greece’s most recognizable white grape varieties, historically rooted in Santorini but now cultivated across the mainland where it adapts to diverse soils and climatic conditions. The grape is known for its ability to maintain high acidity even in hot environments, a trait linked to its thick skins and slow phenolic development. Mainland expressions typically show citrus, saline, and stone‑fruit characteristics supported by a firm acid backbone and mineral tension. The Peloponnese is one of Greece’s most active mainland wine regions, known for its combination of coastal influences, elevated interior plateaus, and varied soil types. The northern Peloponnese, in particular, benefits from cooling breezes from the Gulf of Corinth and higher‑altitude vineyard sites that moderate summer heat. Soils range from limestone and marl to gravelly alluvial deposits, supporting moderate vine vigor and steady ripening. The region is traditionally associated with Moschofilero, Agiorgitiko, and Roditis, yet plantings of Assyrtiko have expanded due to the grape’s ability to retain acidity and structure in warm Mediterranean climates. In the Peloponnese, Assyrtiko often presents a slightly broader palate compared to its island counterparts, though still marked by linearity and structural clarity. Producers value the grape for its versatility in stainless‑steel fermentation, restrained oak use, and suitability for both early‑drinking and age‑worthy styles. Ktima Kissa is located in Diminio in the northern Peloponnese, a coastal zone in Corinthia. The winery was founded in 1949 by the Kissa family, with a focus on showing how local grapes respond to the soils and climate of the mountainous areas of Corinth. Their primary vineyard holdings are located on the slopes of Mavrioros - or Black Mountain - and part of Ziria mountain with the vines reaching an elevation of 750m to 900m. The mountain thus protects these elevated sites from the hot south winds and breezes from the Gulf of Corinth spark nighttime temperature drops that help preserve acidity. These parcels are planted in rocky and sandy loamy soils that provide just enough drainage and water retention to allow for dry farming. The result of these conditions is s an extended ripening period, preserving Assyrtiko’s characteristic acidity but also allowing the varietal to express a more aromatic – fruity dimension. The grapes in the Ktima Kissa PGI Peloponnese Assyrtiko 2025 were hand harvested and after fermentation the wine sat with the lees for an additional nine months with periodic batonnage before bottling. The wine shows Assyrtiko’s characteristic citrus and mineral profile and is driven by the acidity bringing lasting liveliness. (1) Soultana-Maria Valamoti, Professor, School of History and Archaeology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
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Posted: 2026-09-25 07:00
Oktoberfest has commenced and that means plenty of Oktoberfest and Festbiers highlighted in the marketplace. The Oktoberfest Märzen is a Bavarian lager historically brewed in March and stored in cool cellars through the summer so it would be ready for autumn consumption. Its defining characteristics include an amber to copper color, a malt‑forward profile built on Vienna and Munich malts, and a clean fermentation that produces a smooth, rounded beer without fruity esters. The style developed in Bavaria and is closely associated with Munich, where it became the dominant beer served at Oktoberfest throughout the 19th and much of the 20th century. Although the official festival in Munich now pours a lighter Festbier, the Märzen remains the classic Oktoberfest beer internationally, especially in the United States, where brewers continue to produce amber lagers modeled on the historical version.The origin of the Märzen is tied to seasonal brewing practices in Bavaria, where warm‑weather brewing was avoided because of spoilage and fire risk. Brewers produced stronger, more stable beer in March that could mature safely over the summer months. By the early 1800s, this March‑brewed lager became closely linked to Oktoberfest, the Munich celebration first held in 1810 to mark the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Therese of Saxe‑Hildburghausen. As Oktoberfest grew into a major public festival, Märzen became the traditional beer served in the tents, shaping its identity as the beer of autumn celebrations. Hacker‑Pschorr is one of Munich’s oldest breweries, with origins in the Hacker brewery founded in 1417. In the late 18th century, Joseph Pschorr married into the Hacker family and expanded the brewery significantly, eventually merging the two operations into the Hacker‑Pschorr name recognized today. During the 19th century, the brewery became one of Munich’s largest producers and a major supplier to Oktoberfest. Their Oktoberfest beer reflects the historical Märzen profile: an amber lager emphasizing malt richness, long cold maturation, and adherence to traditional Bavarian brewing practices.
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