Wine Tasting and Antiques Galore in Leesburg, VA.

How does this kind of day sound to you...in fact, there's so much to do, you might just make a weekend of it!!!

You pick up your favorite person or people and take a drive about an hour northwest of DC.  Your listening to your favorite music and chatting lightly with your guests for the day.  With each passing mile the city melts away in the rear view mirror and in front of you starts to stretch further and further into countryside and mountain ranges.  You continue driving and your passing old, working farms and estates.  Before you know it everyone is telling you to look at something else and the view seems to stretch on forever.  Livestock graze, horses gallop, and the sun is high in the sky:)

Leesburg VA, once home to many American Indian tribes, most notably the Siouan Indians long before European settlement, was named after Thomas Lee in 1758, a largely influential political figure in Virginia beginning in the 1720's-1750's.  Driving down modern day Route 15, you can almost think back to a time when Indians rode horse back on this major north/south travel route.  They too, would have taken in the beautiful views of the Potomac River from high above on a hillside.   

Your first stop along scenic route 15 is LUNCH!  And what better way to pad your growling tummy before wine tasting than to enjoy a hearty meal at Tuskies!  Tuscarora Mill in Leesburg, VA. will fill you up with nicely sized portions of smoked or grilled duck breast, your choice of steak, hefty sandwiches and savory pastas and salads.  You won't be let down!

After lunch, be sure to walk the streets of charming, Historic Leesburg, you'll find wine and art shops as well as antique stores!!!

Once you've had your fill, your first stop heading towards Luckettsville will be Fabbioli Cellers, which is off a winding gravel road.  The chocolate tasting here is wonderful, specialty chocolates are hand made and hand picked to accompany the different wines you'll try, and if your a fan of red wine, this is the place for you!  Chocolates made with Mexican spices to extra dark cocoa will enhance every sip of wine you taste!

When you've purchased your favorite bottle to take home and enjoy, you'll pull back out on to scenic route 15 and after a few minutes, you'll spot a pink silo up ahead and to the right on a hillside, beside the silo sits a painted barn filled with antiques, called On a Whim.  This shop is worth a stop!  Once you enter your hit with sparkle from all directions, inside you will find beautifully restored furniture, antique china, glassware, mercury glass, and a hidden side house full of antique party dresses of every color in the rainbow!!!  This is one of the great shops of the Potomac Wine Cluster:)

Further down the road you'll enter the tiny town of Luckettsville.  You can't help but hop out at an Antique shop you spotted on the side of the road called The Old Lucketts Store and starting from the drive way on up the steps, through the many levels of this historic home you find unique treasure after treasure to delight your every sense!  China, fabrics, vintage clothing, and old odds and ends capture you at every turn.  Once you've picked out something nice and your friends join you at the check-out its time to pile back in the car and hit the next spot!

Just down the street you'll find three more wineries!!!  Hidden Brook, Lost Creek and Tarara Winery!  Be sure to stop into each one of these gems!  Hidden Brook and Lost Creek are right next to each other, specializing in all types of wine, at both of these wineries you'll taste whites, reds and sweet wines.  The names are similar huh, that might have something to do with the fact that their somewhat related:)  Lost Creek and Hidden Brook are family owned and operated wineries, and the grapes never fall far from the tree:)  But both wineries seek out different tastes, so stop by each and be dazzled by the variety!

Tarara Winery sits alone, hidden down a long driveway, perched on a hillside.  One of the best views in Leesburg is from the porch of this beautiful tasting room.  When you look out off the balcony you'll see the river below and sugarloaf mountain in the distance.  Specializing in single vineyard blends you'll taste the many levels of flavor in these Virginia wines, showcasing whites, reds and sweets, you'll enjoy them all.

 I recommend grabbing a wine trail map at any of these wineries and following the signs to the many other local wineries.  Oatlands Plantation is another must see, especially if you've decided to make this a weekend trip.  Oatlands, built in 1804 by George Carter, is a beautiful, federal style mansion painted in a sun yellow nestled in acres upon acres of farmland.  Once a working farm, complete with sheep, wheat fields and vineyards, today, Oatlands offers up a wonderful tour, afternoon tea and many special events throughout the year, so be sure to check their site before you make the journey:)

Whatever you decide to do, have fun, take photos and just be with the person, or people you're with, make the most of every moment, these moments are your life!

Enjoy:)