Weekend Wandering: The Winery at Bull Run

Summer weekends are a great time to explore Virgina wineries. What could be more perfect than sipping a glass of wine with friends while listening to live music and overlooking a vineyard?

This weekend we hit up The Winery at Bull Run, only a short 40 minute drive from DC. We were looking for a short excursion from the city, so The Winery at Bull Run was perfect. We walked up to a rustic and charming spot and heard live music and laughter from the lawn beyond. 

We did a full tasting of their Reds, Whites, and Speciality Wines for $13. What I loved about this wine tasting is that my favorite bottles were wines that I typically never buy - Merlot and Chardonnay. The bottles range from $28-$30 with the speciality wines near $40. Below is a list of our favorite sips with small side notes from the tasting. 

F a v o r i t e    S i p s

2014 Chardonnay / Not buttery at all, citrusy with a smooth finish 

2013 Merlot / Not too dry with a smokey finish  

Reconciliation / Red wine blend, easy drinking table wine for any palette

Fort Wine / Port style wine, chocolaty and perfectly sweet

They had dips and charcuterie available for purchase as well as an on-site food truck. There are separate areas at the winery for Adults Only and Adults with Kids. Everyone has their own space to enjoy the winery in their own way, it's a brilliant layout!

The winery's website, address, and hours are all listed at the bottom of the post. Plan your trip to take a sip! Thanks to The Winery at Bull Run for a fabulous day.

Entry to the Tasting Room

All smiles with my 2014 Chardonnay

Grab a cornhole set and let loose on the lawn while listening to live music

Picnic table perfection

Awesome musician taking requests from the crowd

Food trucks for hot and hearty eats

The Winery at Bull Run

http://www.wineryatbullrun.com

15950 Lee Highway, Centerville, VA 20120

Saturday to Wednesday 11am to 7pm

Thursday 11am to 8pm

Friday 11am to 9pm

The Washington Ballet's 'Sleepy Hollow': A Review

Last night my husband and I braved the snow and ice (thanks to a very kind Uber driver) and made it to The Kennedy Center for The Washington Ballet's World Premiere of 'Sleepy Hollow'.

What is it about Washington Irving's classic tale that always draws us in? I fondly remember watching the Disney cartoon version every fall, as narrated by Bing Crosby. Later on I was completely frightened by the Tim Burton film starring Johnny Depp. The present day TV series is, well, awful; but somehow it keeps getting renewed for another season. Let's just say the love triangle of Katrina, Brom, and Ichabod and the terrifying Headless Horseman who haunts them, will always keep us coming back for more.

Let's begin with a review of the most important part of this production, the dancers. For me, the real star of this show was Brooklyn Mack who dances the part of the Hessian turned Headless Horseman. Mack's performance was flawless. He showed such power and force on stage, his pure talent made the most technically difficult parts of the choreography look completely effortless. Mack's speed and precision in his fouette turn series coupled with the shear weightlessness of his grand jetes simply left the audience in awe. I would have loved to have seen Mack take the final bow in this production, he certainly earned it.

Brooklyn Mack plays the Headless Horseman in Washington Ballet’s “Sleepy Hollow.”
(Design Army and Dean Alexander)

The second star in my opinion was Miguel Anaya, who danced the part of the the town lunatic. His wide eyed, dynamic facial expressions brought this unfamiliar character to life. When he later performs his solo amongst the haunted forest, Anaya's talent for grace and technical perfection truly shines.

As for the overall production, I would say it was fantastic. I loved the use of large scale digital images projected on the scrim which helped set the scene and move the story line along. One of the most impactful projections, which occurs throughout the production, is the movement along a spooky tree line. This image gives the audience a sense of riding in a carriage, rolling their way along a bumpy country road down into the village of Sleepy Hollow.

Matthew Pierce's original score gave the production a balance of mystery, fear, and quirk. The costumes for the three witches and ghosts of the revolutionary war were particularly haunting and beautiful. Lastly, I loved the horses ridden in the chase scenes by both Icahbod and the Headless Horseman. The way the shell was designed and how the dancers moved beneath it, rearing the horses's heads and tails, was spectacularly cool.

There were a few parts of the production I found odd or boring. One was the telling of 'Rip Van Winkle' (a secondary story within the Sleepy Hollow tale). It just felt like a way to fill time and that it did not actually contribute to the overall story. Also, the choreography that occurred on the benches in the school house and church scenes left me feeling quite underwhelmed. This odd choreography was more second-rate off-broadway than innovative and engaging, which is what I have come to expect from The Washington Ballet.

With those few criticisms said, overall, I am so glad we braved the weather to make it for this production. The Washington Ballet continually delights it's audiences with creative, fresh takes on familiar, classic stories. Bravo!

Your Valentine's Day Cheat Sheet

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, is your heart going pitter-patter because you still don't have any plans? Might I suggest an evening a la Humphrey Bogart?

E Street Cinema will be showing Casablanca at midnight on Saturday, this is an all time classic movie that's cool enough for him and romantic enough for her. Carry the theme throughout the evening with drinks and dinner leading up to the opening scene.

Drinks

Hit up a swanky bar like Denson and start the night with the movie's signature Champagne Cocktail

Dinner

Enjoy some authentic Moroccan cuisine with a dash of belly dancing at Marrakesh

Entertainment

The main event! Who doesn't love a theater with a bar? Buy your tickets early, E Street is sure to sell out.

Spread some love this Valentine's Day, 

S.

Bottlin' Booze for a Social Saturday

Photo from Green Hat Gin

Looking for something new, random, and fun to do this weekend? Why not join local distiller Green Hat Gin for their bottling session?

They are looking for a few booze loving folks to help them bottle this Saturday from 2-4:30pm. Email them at cheers@greenhatgin.com by 12 noon tomorrow to sign up.

Grab some friends and rally at the distillery. I'd hope for a subtle afternoon buzz from free gin tastings for the exchange of day labor...but that's just my two cents.

Cheers!
S.

Happy Birthday Haute on the Hill!

My baby has turned 1 today! My blog baby, that is.

Haute on the Hill's first post was one year ago today, it's amazing how quickly the year has gone by.

I am so grateful for those of you who have shared, liked, and privately messaged me about how much you enjoy reading Haute on the Hill.  It is a labor of love that allows me to be my most authentic self, away from work and worry.

I did some data digging today. Of my 46 blog entries posted this year, with nearly 3,000 page views, the entries listed below were the Top 5 Most Viewed. Not surprisingly, the "Decade Later" entry about my self reflections from age 19 to 29 was by far the most viewed. It was a fun, personal entry to write - I'm glad so many of you enjoyed it!

If you missed one of the posts below, check it out now on what's sure to be a horrible commute home in DC (thank you, snow day, for making everyone miserable except school children).

Top 5 Posts from Haute on the Hill's First Year

5. Fashion Lecture with Costume Designers from House of Cards and The Americans

4. DC Photo Shoot with Mantas Photography

3. An Open Letter to DC Fashion Week

2. A Guide to the Best of DC's Performing Arts Winter Season

1. A Decade Later, Here is What I Have Learned

Photo by The Cake Merchant

I'm developing some great new content for the upcoming year. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see from Haute on the Hill, please let me know!

DC is an incredible city full of warm and engaging people. As for my neighborhood, I can't imagine living anywhere but Capitol Hill. Our community truly is like a small village thrown into the middle of a global city.

I look forward to connecting and growing with you all in 2015.

Cheers!
S.

DC Photo Shoot with Mantas Photography

It's official, winter is upon us. And that means more time for cozying up in front of the fire, reading the paper, watching endless hours of HGTV, and of course blogging. Today, I have had a ton of fun reviewing a photo session my husband and I did last weekend at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

Most people only have professional photography taken when they are engaged, married, or pregnant. Granted, those are all incredibly important times in one's life that you want to remember.

But what about everything else?

All those years that are not marked by some huge, life altering event but never the less, you find yourself gloriously happy.

Maybe we should want to remember those times too.

My husband and I have now been in DC for a year and a half. We feel more at home in our Capitol Hill row house then anywhere else we have ever lived. We are at a solid point in each of our careers. We are happy and healthy and enjoying a wonderful time in our lives. And I think 50 years from now, we would like to look back and remember these moments.

We worked with local DC photographer Mantas Kubilinskas and he was fantastic! Mantas is an incredible photographer. He makes you feel comfortable in front of the camera and makes sure you have a good time while doing it.

For anyone in DC looking to hire a photographer, I would highly recommend Mantas! Here are a few shots from the session, I have listed Mantas's contact information below. Enjoy!

Mantas Kubilinskas Photography

Click Here for Mantas's Portfolio

Click Here to Contact Mantas

Thank you, Mantas for a wonderful day of shooting!

- S.

Day Trip: The Art of Getting Lost and Morais Vineyards

My husband and I did not have big plans for the Labor Day weekend, but we did want to get out of the city for at least a day. We decided to take the car out for some back-road country driving and ended up somewhere between Prince William Forest Park and Route 17. The country roads were beautiful. We stopped to read historical markers and bought refreshments at corner market stores that have probably remained unchanged over the last century.

We passed a Flying Circus Air Show and so many beautiful farm houses just yearning for someone to bring them back to life. After an hour or so we decided to head back towards civilization and happened upon Morais Vineyards. With no agenda and no timeline, we stopped to check it out and I'm so glad we did!

Morais Vineyards is a small winery that just oozes Spanish mission charm. As you approach the vineyard the main tasting room will be on your right. This portion of the winery is less than a year old. The space consists of a large circular tasting bar with many tables along the perimeter for lingering. The building also has a wrap around patio that gazes out over the vineyard. You could also cozy up on picnic benches down the hill under a pergola.

The tastings are quite the steal! We were there for at least two hours between the actual tasting and enjoying a glass of Sangria on the patio afterwards. We purchased a bottle of the Moscatel and some of their delicious salted dark chocolate which came to the grand total of only $75.

Tasting Details
Classic Tasting: $8 per Guest + Tax, (8) Wines which includes a small cheese plate
Deluxe Tasting: $15 per Guest + Tax, (15) Wines which includes a small cheese plate, extra chocolates for the dessert wine pairings, and a souvenir wine glass

While we enjoyed the variety of reds, whites, and roses we tasted; overall, they were not full bodied enough for me to take one home.  However, where Morais really shines is in their dessert wines.  The Moscatel, Jeropiga, and Cherry Wine (served in a chocolate cup) were by far my favorite outside of the Cab Franc. Pay the extra few dollars and do the Deluxe Tasting so you can enjoy the sweeter selections, you absolutely won't regret it!

Tasting Room Hours
Saturdays & Sundays
12pm-6pm

Address
Morais Vineyards & Winery
11409 Marsh Road
Bealeton, VA 22712
www.moraisvineyards.com

Enjoy!
S.