CELEBRATING NORTON
GET OUT LOUDOUN
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CONTRIBUTORS
Hanna Pampaloni
Norman K. Styer ON THE COVER
Chrysalis Vineyards founder Jenni McCloud and winemaker
Jake Blodinger stand among the world’s largest planting of Norton grapes.
By Hanna Pampaloni
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Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or sales@loudounnow.com
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SPOTLIGHT
For three decades Chrysalis Vineyards founder Jenni McCloud has championed a resurgence of the Norton grape. This month vineyards around the commonwealth will highlight the progress.
WINE
It is time to celebrate Loudoun’s best wines and winemakers, with 19 wines earning gold-medal status this year.
TUNES
The county’s top songwriters will collaborate with an international hitmaker during the inaugural Loudoun Artist in Residence program.
BREWS
Route 7 Brewing opens as a new hot spot for craft beverages and up-scale cuisine in Ashburn.
HAPPENINGS
Some of the world’s top equestrians and a collection of Wizards, witches and Muggles are returning to Morven Park this month
The Forbidden Forest Experience returns to Movern Park this fall allowing visitors to walk through Harry Potter’s world.
Hillsborough Winery owner-winemaker Kerem Baki samples the 40th Anniversary Loudoun Red Blend, a collaboration of a dozen of the county’s wineries to be released in limited qualities this month.
Celebrating 40 Years of Loudoun Wines
BY DOUGLAS ROGERS
Visit Loudoun
One day this past spring, winemaker Stephen Bozzo watched as a barrel of 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon from his Bozzo Family Vineyards was added to a stainless-steel tank in the winemaking facility at Hillsborough Winery, Brewery & Vineyard. Bozzo’s barrel was not the only contribution to the tank. Eleven other Loudoun wineries each contributed a barrel, while Hillsborough’s owner-winemaker Kerem Baki oversaw the months-long process of mixing, testing and balancing the blend.
The result of that process will be unveiled for all to see – and taste – this month, with the limited release of the 40th Anniversary Loudoun Red Blend, a collaboration vintage made to
commemorate and celebrate 40 years of Loudoun’s now booming wine industry. Available for purchase this October at each of the 12 participating wineries, the bottle is labeled with a beautiful vintage travel poster scene of DC’s Wine Country commissioned by Visit Loudoun.
“A lot of the wineries contributed Cab Franc,” said Bozzo, whose boutique winery is just west of Hillsboro. “We did Cabernet Sauvignon to give it some differentiation and expand the depth of the blend.”
At a recent pre-filtration tasting with the other winemakers, he found it to be “incredibly drinkable” for a young wine. “It will moderate a bit more and develop a richer mouth feel over time. It will become complex and very age-worthy.”
Visit Loudoun
FROM PAGE 4
8 Chains North Winery near Waterford contributed a barrel of 2022 Merlot aged in American oak and winemaker-owner Edz Sturans agreed with Bozzo’s assessment.
“It’s a wonderful, whimsical, fruit-forward blend that will only get better with age. It will become a collector’s item.”
Indeed, the only problem may be the limited release: only 300 cases – 3,600 bottles – can be made, with each winery receiving only 25 cases to sell. Buy yours soon while it’s still stock!
The October release of the blend coincides not only with 40th Anniversary celebrations, but also with Virginia Wine Month, the busiest season on the Loudoun wine calendar. Indeed, the evening of Friday, Oct. 25, sees the flagship event of the year, the Loudoun Wine Awards, at Lansdowne Resort with many of Loudoun’s 50-plus wineries competing for accolades ranging from Best Albariño to Winemaker of the Year. Purchase tickets for the Grand Tasting and Awards Dinner at loudounwineawards.com.
Of course, the wine awards are not the only way to celebrate wine month.
Take it from Bozzo: “October is leaf-peeping season, pleasant weather, harvest month, wine-making month and barreling month. If you’re a person who enjoys Virginia wine, you should be out and about at one of our more than 50 Loudoun wineries.”
We’ll drink to that.
SPOTLIGHT
Jenni McCloud and winemaker Jake Blodinger stand among the world’s largest planting of Norton grapes at Chrysalis Vineyards near Aldie.
The Campaign to Re-root Norton in Virginia
BY NORMAN K. STYER
At the time Jennifer McCloud established Chrysalis Vineyards on Loudoun’s southern border in 1998, it was clear she had a special mission.
She would not be simply striving—as others in the county’s still-young wine industry—to create vintages that would stand up credibly to the work of winemakers in California or Europe. She would revive and celebrate the Norton grape—a cultivar introduced a century ago by Daniel Norborne Norton in Richmond that once dominated winemaking in the eastern and midwestern states.
Today, Chrysalis has the largest planting of Norton in the world. And this month, her team is spearheading a Norton Wine Tour that will put the spotlight on 21 other wineries and vineyards around Virginia that have joined the effort to
restore the commonwealth’s native varietal.
For McCloud, that journey started at a Charlottesville hotel shortly after she sold her computer diagnostics company. Or maybe it started in a Miracle Mile liquor store in Miami, when she splurged on her first bottle of French wine in 1977.
That $11 bottle of 1971 Chateau Leoville started a love of wine and her later entrepreneurial windfall allowed her to become an impactful leader in the industry.
Two weeks after closing the deal to sell her company, McCloud was sitting in the front row in an Omni conference room listening to presentations from an American Society of Enology and Viticulture panel discussing alternative grapes. The afternoon session was about the Norton grape.
SPOLIGHT CONTINUED ON 8
Photo by Hanna Pampaloni
“That was just a no brainer to me,” She recalls. “As soon as I found out it was a native grape, and then I found out it was historically renowned, actually receiving an accolade of the best red wine of all nations from a World’s Fair in Vienna, Austria. And then it was the most disease resistant wine grape—not even just wine grape, but for raisins, table, fruit or wine.”
There she connected with Dennis Horton, of Horton Vineyards in Madison County, and his consulting winemaker Alan Kinne. Over the next three years they would tour wine regions in Spain and Portugal, trips that resulted in McCloud helping to bring Albariño to Virginia in 1996.
In 1998, she planted the first section of Norton. Horton propagated cuttings from a Missouri vineyard and shared the leftovers with McCloud. She added more the next year and a larger planting from a vineyard in Arkansas in 2003. For the past 15 years, Chrysalis has been a commercial nursery for Norton, supplying vines to other vineyards.
As McCloud evangelized for Norton, she wrestled through the many challenges of turning the fruit into wine.
“There’s so many variables that we’ll see,” she said. “Norton’s chemical makeup is different than vinifera. It’s a different species. It can have the tendency to have high pH while still having high titratable acidity, which is kind of like an oxymoron. You have high TA, but high pH because it has different acid structures. There’s a lot of malics acid in Norton. That’s the acid in an apple. That’s the sharp acid.”
Working with Kinne as her first winemaker, they soon adopted reductive techniques to keep oxygen out of the process. Then they developed a system of carbonic maceration to break down the high levels of malic acid. After Kinne returned to Chrysalis in 2010 after making wines on the West Coast he suggested yet another refinement by putting the Norton through a bin fermenting process used for Pinot. Today, the winery uses five different methods to create varying expressions of Norton wines.
Since 2019, Jake Blodinger has been the winemaker at Chrysalis, coming from North Carolina. Blodinger quit his restaurant job after one
particularly intolerable Mother’s Day service. His future wife signed him up for viticulture and enology classes at Surry Community College. He worked in as many cellars in North Carolina as possible. He then went to Georgia, where he worked with Rich Donley, who was the first winemaker at Loudoun’s Tarara Winery 25 years ago.
When he saw the job posting for a winemaker at Chrysalis, and with Donley’s encouragement, he drove to Loudoun—and was hired.
“I had never tasted Norton prior to coming here. It was an ‘I wanted to save myself for Chrysalis Vineyards kind of thing,’” he said of the wine’s storied reputation. “I built it up in my head and it didn’t disappoint. So that was awesome.”
He quickly experienced the challenges and frustrations that McCloud and Kinne had struggled through.
“Working with Norton for the first time made me scream and pull out my hair,” Blodinger said. “The chemistry didn’t make sense, but the fruit was definitely ripe. The juice was really sweet. The wine was very acidic. I didn’t know what was going on.”
“Jenni helped me figure it out and kept telling me the wine making-notes are all in the database. Look at the database. Look at the notes. And we worked on these wines together, he said.
The following year Blodinger focused on following the formulas.
“I took a step back and started to think about what Chrysalis had done in the past, I think 20 years at that point. Chrysalis Vineyards has always made great wine. Why am I trying to change what we are already doing? That doesn’t make any sense. I did a deep dive with Jenni of all the wine making and all the winemakers and the history behind it all, and just took a step back. Let’s just do those things that the winemakers did before me, and just do that again, and then just dial in that. And that’s been my primary focus.”
The opportunity to pass those lessons on to the next generation of winemakers is important to McCloud.
“I’m more excited now in making our wines than UPFRONT FROM PAGE 6
THE VIRGINIA NORTON WINE TOUR
A quarter century after the first Norton vine cuttings took root in the rolling hills near Middleburg, the effort by Chysalis Vineyards owner Jennifer McCloud to restore Virginia’s native grape is being celebrated with special tour of wineries around the commonwealth.
The Virginia Norton Wine Tour will launch the weekend of Oct. 18-20 with 10 wineries hosting events and offer promotions to showcase the diverse expressions of Norton wine—from fruity rosés to bold reds. The tour continues on successive weekends through Nov. 10 in wine clusters around the state.
The event is organized by the Norton Network, a collective of Virginia Norton growers, wine producers, and advocates.
Oct. 18-20: Arterra Wines, Barrel Oak Winery and Brewery, Bluemont Vineyard, Cana Vineyards & Winery, Casanel Vineyards and Winery, Chrysalis Vineyards at The Ag District, Fleetwood Farm Winery, Philip Carter
Winery, Rappahannock Cellars, and Slater Run Vineyards.
Oct. 25-27: Chateau MerrillAnne, DuCard Vineyards, Fifty-Third Winery and Vineyard, and Horton Vineyards.
Nov. 1-3: Hampton Roads Winery and Spinning Jenny Vineyard.
Nov. 8-10: Nokesville Winery, Paradise Springs Winery, Piedmont Meadows, Potomac Point Winery & Vineyard, The Winery at Bull Run, and Twin Oaks Tavern Winery.
UPFRONT FROM PAGE 8
I’ve ever been,” she said. “I personally made the wines back in the beginning. And what Jake has brought to the table is youth enthusiasm. I’ve been at this for 26 years or 27 or 28 if you take it all the way back to when I was starting.”
“We meet twice a week right here in this kitchen. We do all of our blending trials together and we don’t put a wine in a bottle until we’re both like, OK, that’s it.”
And Blodinger is adding to his predecessors’ research, not only continuing to refine production methods, but also documenting the differences in the fruit grown in different areas of vineyard. And there is still more to learn.
“Being in the industry in North Carolina, it was funny, because North Carolina dreams of being Virginia. Then I went down to Georgia, and Georgia dreams of just being able to make good wine. So, I get to Virginia and I felt like I had made it—this is the big leagues,” he said. “But I was pleased to discover that it’s still very much the wild west in Virginia. People are still planting
and creating and experimenting. That’s been something that I’m excited about, because Jenni and I are still running experiments on varieties that we grow.”
Inherent with the winemaking job at Chrysalis is an expectation for expertise with Norton.
“I’ve only been doing Norton for five years, and I don’t even make the best Norton. I’m tasting the stuff that’s coming out around Virginia and I’m pretty stunned,” Blodinger said, adding there’s a strong collaboration among the winemakers.
But he is a go-to resource.
“I get calls from a guy out in Arkansas that just planted Norton, and a guy down in Georgia who just planted Norton. And I have a guy in North Carolina who’s been growing Norton for 10 years, and he’s like: How do I make it into wine?”
That’s the question with which McCloud has wrestled successfully for nearly three decades.
Learn more at chrysaliswine.com.
19 Win Gold Ratings in 2024 Loudoun Wine Awards
Loudoun’s vineyards are busy with harvest-time activities, but the county’s winemakers are preparing to celebrate the best of past vintages.
Last month, a panel of judges gathered at the Echelon Wine Bar in Leesburg to review the entries for the 2024 Loudoun Wine Awards.
The top medal winners were announced, but the champions in each category as well as the year’s top winemaker, grower and industry ambassador will be announced during an Oct. 25 gala at Lansdowne Resort. Tickets for the gala, which includes a grand tasting of the award-winning wines are on sale at loudounwineawards.com.
Here are this year’s medal winners:
8 Chains North: Gold - LoCo Vino 2023; Silver - Albariño 2023, Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Furnace Mountain Red 2021, Kindred 2021, Merlot 2021, Peacock Farm Sparkling Rose N/V, Pink Link Rosé 2023, Sauvignon Blanc 2023.
50 West Vineyards: Silver - Viognier 2022.
868 Estate Vineyards: Silver - Cabernet Franc 2022, Chardonnay 2022, Meritage 2022, Sauvignon Blanc 2023.
Bleu Frog Vineyards: Silver - 5 Dog Night Red Blend N/V, Bleu Moon Port Style Wine N/V, Cabernet Franc 2022, Merlot 2022, Vidal Blanc Bleu Blenc 2023, VIVI Blanc N/V.
Bluemont Vineyard: Gold-Cabernet Franc 2021, Norton Reserve 2020; Silver - Albariño 2023, Chambourcin ‘Daydream’ N/V, Farm Table White 2023, Petit Manseng 2023, The Goat 2023.
Boden Young: Silver - Albariño 2023, Grüner Veltliner 2023, Triumvirate 2022.
Bozzo Family Vineyards: Gold - Petit Verdot ‘RickC’ 2022; Silver - Boloziv Red Blend 2022, Chardonnay SteffiC 2022, Sauvignon Blanc CeciliaG 2022.
Cana Vineyards & Winery: Silver - Albariño
2023, Petit Manseng 2023, Rosé of Merlot 2023.
Carriage House Wineworks: Silver - Albariño 2023, Chardonnay 2021, Petit Verdot 2022, Shelly Sparkling White 2023, Gentry Sparkling Rosé 2023.
Doukenie Winery: Gold - Petit Verdot 2021; Silver- Barrel Select Chardonnay 2021, Cabernet Franc 2022, Rosé 2023, Vintners Reserve 2021.
Endhardt Vineyards: Gold - Fervor Red 2021, Sauvignon Blanc Upper Block 2023; SilverBlanc de Cabernet Franc 2023, Chardonnay 2022, Golden Turkey 2021, Kindred 2021, Merlot 2021, Petit Verdot 2021, Reverie White 2023, Sauvignon Blanc Lower Block 2023.
Fabbioli Cellars: Silver - Cabernet Franc Reserve 2021, Something White 2022, Sparkling Petit Manseng 2023, Tannat 2022.
Farm de Vine: Silver - Cabernet Sauvignon 2023.
Iron Will Winery: Silver - Admit Twenty One 2023, Cabernet Franc 2021, Metamorphosis 2021, Petit Manseng 2021, Petit Verdot 2021.
Good Spirit Farm: Gold Albariño 2023; SilverCabernet Sauvignon 2021, Pinot Gris 2023, Red Blend 2022.
Greenhill Vineyards: Gold - Chardonnay Reserve 2022; Silver - Sauvignon 2022, Chenin Blanc 2023, Riesling 2023.
Hillsborough Vineyards: Silver - Opal Petit Manseng 2022, Ruby 2021.
Holmes Wine: Gold - Wine Blend 1 2021, Wine Blend 2 2021; Silver Mimi Cabernet Franc 2020.
Iron Will Winery: Gold - Sparkling Viognier 2023.
Kalero: Silver - Cabernet Franc 2020, Viognier 2020 .
Lost Creek Winery: Silver - Allure 2021, Barrel Select Chardonnay 2023, Cabernet Franc 2021, Chardonnay 2023, Genesis’ 2021, Petit Verdot 2021, Tannat 2021, Viognier 2023.
October One Vineyards: Gold -Cabernet Franc 2021; Silver - Albariño 2023, Merlot 2021,
1
50 West Vineyards
39060 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg 50westvineyards.com
2 8 Chains North Winery 38593 Daymont Ln., Waterford, VA 8chainsnorth.com
3 868 Estate Vineyards 14001 Harpers Ferry Rd., Purcellville 868estatevineyards.com
4 The Barns at Hamilton Station 16804 Hamilton Station Rd., Hamilton thebarnsathamiltonstation.com
5 Bleu Frog Vineyards 16413 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg bleufrogvineyards.com
6 Bluemont Vineyard 18755 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont bluemontvineyard.com
7 Bogati Winery 35246 Harry Byrd Hwy., Round Hill bogatiwinery.com
8 Boxwood Estate Winery 2042 Burrland Rd., Middleburg boxwoodwinery.com
9 Breaux Vineyards
36888 Breaux Vineyards Ln., Hillsboro breauxvineyards.com
10 Bozzo Family Vineyards
35226 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro bozwines.com
11 Cana Vineyards of Middleburg 38600 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg canavineyards.com
12 Carriage House Wineworks 40817 Brown Lane, Waterford chwwinery.com
13 Casanel Vineyards 17952 Canby Rd., Leesburg casanelvineyards.com
14 Chrysalis Vineyards 39025 Little River Turnpike, Aldie chrysaliswine.com
15 Corcoran Vineyards & Cider 14635 Corkys Farm Ln., Waterford corcoranvineyards.com
16 Creek’s Edge Winery 41255 Annas Ln., Lovettsville creeksedgewinery.com
17 Crushed Cellars
37938 Charles Town Pike, Purcellville crushedcellars.com
18 Domaine Portier Vineyards 13235 Miltown Road domainefortier.com
19 Doukenie Winery 14727 Mountain Rd., Hillsboro doukeniewinery.com
Droumavalla Farm Winery 14980 Limestone School Rd., Lucketts droumavalla.com
Farm & Vineyards
Harrison Hill Lane, Leesburg eagletreevineyards.com
Endhardt Vineyards 19600 Lincoln Road, Purcellville
31 October One Vineyard
7 Loudoun St., SW, Leesburg Octoberonevineyard.com
32 Old Farm Winery
23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie oldfarmwineryhartland.com
33 Otium Cellars
18050 Tranquility Rd., Purcellville otiumcellars.com
34 Stone Tower Winery
19925 Hogback Mountain Rd., Leesburg stonetowerwinery.com
35 Stonehouse Meadery
36580 Shoemaker School Rd., Purcellville stonehousemeadery.com
1 Adroit Theory Brewing 404 Browning Ct., Purcellville adroit-theory.com
2 Barnhouse Brewery 43271 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg barnhousebrewery.com
3 Bear Chase Brewing 33665 Bear Chase Ln., Bluemont bearchasebrew.com
4 Belly Love Brewing Company 725 E. Main St., Purcellville bellylovebrewing.com
5 Black Hoof Brewing Company 11 South King St., Leesburg blackhoofbrewing.com
6 Black Walnut Brewery 210 S. King St., Leesburg blackwalnutbrewery.com
7 Crooked Run Fermentations Central 22455 Davis Dr., Sterling crookedrunbrewing.com
8 Crooked Run Fermentations Market Station, Leesburg crookedrunbrewing.com
9 Dirt Farm Brewing 18701 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont dirtfarmbrewing.com
BREWERIES & WINERIES
1 Bluemont Station Brewery and Winery 18301 Whitehall Estate Lane, Bluemont bluemontstation.com
2 Hillsborough Brewery & Vineyards 36716 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro hillsboroughwine.com
3 Notaviva Brewery and Winery 13274 Sagle Rd., Hillsboro notavivavineyards.com
4 Quattro Goomba’s Brewery & Winery 22860 James Monroe Hwy., Aldie goombawine.com
36 Sunset Hills Vineyard 38295 Fremont Overlook Ln, Purcellville sunsethillsvineyard.com
37 Terra Nebulo
39892 Old Wheatland Rd., Waterford terranebulo.com
38 Three Creeks Winery
18548 Harmony Church Road, Hamilton 3creekswinery.com
39 Two Twisted Posts Winery 12944 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro twotwistedposts.com
40 Village Winery
40405 Browns Lane, Waterford villagewineryandvineyards.com
BREWERIES
10 Dynasty Brewing Company 21140 Ashburn Crossing Drive, Ashburn 101 Loudoun St, SE, Leesburg dynastybrewing.com
11 Flying Ace Farm 40950 Flying Ace Ln, Lovettsville flyingacefarm.com
12 Harper’s Ferry Brewing 37412 Adventure Ctr. Lane, Hillsboro harpersferrybrewing.com
13 Harvest Gap Brewery 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro facebook.com/HarvestGap
14 Honor Brewing Company 42604 Trade West Dr., Sterling honorbrewing.com
15 Lark Brewing Co. 24205 James Monroe Hwy., Aldie larkbrewingco.com
16 Lost Barrel Brewing 36138 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg lostbarrel.com
17 Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Rd. #142, Ashburn lostrhino.com
18 Loudoun Brewing Company 310 E. Market St., Leesburg loudounbrewing.com
CIDERIES
1 Henway Hard Cider Company 18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont henwayhardcider.com
2 Loudoun Cider House 43376 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg loudounciderhouse.com
3 Mt. De ance Cider Barn 495 E. Washington St., Middleburg mtdefiance.com
4 Wild Hare Hard Cider Cabin 106 South St., Leesburg wildharecider.com
41 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards
38906 Mount Gilead Rd., Leesburg willowcroftwine.com
42 The Wine Reserve at Waterford 38516 Charles Town Pike, Waterford waterfordwinereserve.com
43 Walsh Family Wine 16031 Hillsboro Rd., Purcellville northgatevineyard.com
44 Williams Gap Vineyards 35785 Sexton Farm Lane, Round Hill williamsgavineyard.com
45 Zephaniah Farm Vineyard 19381 Dunlop Mill Rd., Leesburg zephwine.com
19 Ocelot Brewing Company 23600 Overland Dr., #180, Dulles ocelotbrewing.com
20 Old 690 Brewing Company 15670 Ashbury Church Rd., Hillsboro old690.com
21 Old Ox Brewery 44652 Guilford Dr., Ste 114, Ashburn oldoxbrewery.com
22 Solace Brewing Company 42615 Trade West Dr., Sterling solacebrewing.com
23 Sweetwater Tavern 45980 Waterview Plaza, Sterling greatamericanrestaurants.com
24 The Craft of Brewing 21140 Ashburn Crossing Dr., Ashburn thecraftob.com
25 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery 42245 Black Hops Ln., Lucketts vanishbeer.com
26 Water’s End Brewing 1602 Village Market Blvd SE #120, Leesburg watersendbrewery.com
27 Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery 38506 John Wolford Rd., Waterford wheatlandspring.com
1 Stonehouse Meadery 36580 Shoemaker School Rd., Purcellville stonehousemeadery.com
TUNES
Songwriters To Draw Inspiration from Loudoun’s Unique Sites and Sounds
BY NORMAN K. STYER
A new songwriting collaboration will explore Loudoun’s special places— sonically and lyrically—during the creation of a new album of original songs that will culminate in a special night of music on Oct. 11.
Spearheaded by Todd Wright, with funding provided by Visit Loudoun, the Loudoun Artist in Residence project—Loudoun AIR—will be a traveling songwriting workshop that will bring local songwriters together to work with Germany-based hitmaker Terri Bjerre, known professionally as Terri B!, at venues throughout the county.
Wright said the project grew out of long talks with Visit Loudoun CEO Beth Erickson on ways to bolster Loudoun’s music scene.
“Beth and I had always talked about growing the songwriting community and bringing the songwriting community from other places in the world,” Wright said. “We just felt like the Virginia wine country in October was the perfect backdrop.”
Wright enlisted longtime collaborator Ethan Mentzer to help pull it together. They recruited a group of the county’s musical leaders—including Gary Smallwood, Cal Everett, Kim Pittinger, Jon Carroll, Ryan Wright, Pamela Brunetti, Stilson Greene, Emma Rowley and Tracy Hamlin—to join in the songwriting workshops.
They’ll gather with Bjerre for daylong songwriting sessions at several venues, including Catoctin Creek Distillery in Purcellville, Walsh Family Wine near Hillsboro, John Wesley Church in Waterford, and even a farm silo—spaces expected to provide special inspiration and unique sounds.
Wright and Mentzer have worked with Bjerre for years.
“She’s had millions and millions of streams in the dance world and EDM, she even has a soul project that does well. She’s always wanted to do something that’s based more in like rootsy folk Americana,” Wright said.
Another special element of the project will be blending “found music” sounds into the creations. Building on a recording project Mentzer made while living in Sweden in 2017, he and Wright have been collecting sound clips from the writing workshop venues. “We might bang a bit on a whiskey barrel, and then slap our hands on some bottles,” Wright said. Those clips can be assembled to create music. While Mentzer’s project used only the sounds—no instruments or vocals—they plan to incorporate the sounds into the performances of the artists.
Wright met Bjerre in Germany during a songwriting junket in 2011. He was surprised by the quality of her English, only to be more surprised to learn she was a Maryland native, although she had been based in Europe for three decades.
Hitmaker Terri B! will spend a week in Loudoun collaborating with local songwriters as part of the inaugural Loudoun AIR project.
FROM PAGE 14
“We figured out that we were both American and that was the moment where we glued together like white on rice,” Bjerre said. “I think we wrote our first biggest hit together in 15 minutes.” She pulled out some lyrics and Wright picked up a banjo. “Blind Heart” would become a club music hit with more that 70 million streams.
A versatile artist, Bjerre’s recent successes have been in dance music and jazz. She is looking forward to something grittier during her Loudoun visit.
“I love fabulous Thunderbirds. I actually was preparing a rock, rockabilly soul, whatever my voice is, album with guitars. Then I switched to soul after I was doing house music and electronics for so long,” she said.
“I’ve been writing for 33 years. I’ve had 20 Top 100s, three Billboard number ones and I still act like I haven’t done anything and I never felt successful. I’m even in the smooth jazz charts right now with my Terry Green Project,” she said. “I’ve really gotten to spread my wings and
write within all the genres that I wished to. Todd was always in my corner.”
Wright hopes the collaboration with Bjerre will benefit Loudoun’s artists, as well.
“Gary Smallwood plays like 220 shows a year, but he doesn’t play his own material. Nobody knows how great his own material is,” Wright said. “Now we have the opportunity to cross pollinate him with somebody that in any other situation he would have never worked with, somebody who’s based in Hamburg, Germany. We have the opportunity to make that happen.”
And Wright hopes this year’s week-long Loudoun AIR project grows into something bigger.
“This program is so interesting and unique to Loudoun. I hope we do it every year and that we build a festival around it,” Wright said.
For now, music fans will have one opportunity to hear the results of the collaboration. Terri B! will join the Loudoun participants on Friday, Oct. 11 during a ticketed show at the Barns of Hamilton Station. Reserve your seat at thebarnsathamiltonstation.com.
BREWS
Fusion Cuisine Meets Traditional Beers in Loudoun’s Newest Brewery
BY HANNA PAMPALONI
Loudoun’s newest brewery opened in September boasting traditional beers, unique food and a space to hang out with a few friends or host a business meeting.
Route 7 Brewing owners Ambar Sharma and Basabi Virmani first came to know each other in Winchester where they worked together on several fundraisers. Virmani worked at the Winchester Health Center and they collaborated on several projects for many of the city’s nonprofits, learning that they worked well as a team.
Sharma has been a fan of beer for years. His experience living in seven countries has given him a wide appreciation for more traditional beer and sparked a curiosity about how the ages-old drink is made. Years ago, his wife gave him a “brew your own” kit and since then Sharma has been making his own beer, giving him an even greater appreciation for the complexities and processes that go into producing the drink.
“I just appreciated the craft itself and always wanted to do something like a brewery,” he said.
On the other hand, Virmani has always dreamed of owning her own restaurant.
The two joined forces to open Route 7 Brewing – an effort marked with delays and challenges along the way.
While Sharma and Virmani fell in love with the Ashburn warehouse-style location immediately, they needed special exception approval from the county government, working with both the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
With that permit in hand, the duo started gathering equipment and designing the interior. Those plans were also met with delays when
Ambar Sharma, left, and Basabi Virmani, right, hold their favorite beers, the Riverside American Lager and the Kolkata Kolsch at their new business venture, Route 7 Brewing.
the truck carrying their equipment from Canada hit a patch of black ice and crashed. It took another three months to refabricate the pieces.
Once the brewhouse was finally in place, the duo began assembling a team, focusing on two vital roles for the business – a brewer and a chef.
Sharma and Virmani interviewed 17 candidates before settling on Chef Clinton Canyon. Virmani said Clinton instantly understood the kind of food they were trying to create and embraced their vision that centers around community.
The menu focuses on tapas-style foods that are easy to share with friends.
“You order a plate, you get some beers and let friends share food together,” Sharma said. “So, you build that energy, the vibe, the bond. That’s why our menu style was finger food, tapas style.”
Canyon puts his own style into each item, drawing on years of experience traveling as a private chef for foreign dignitaries through his job with the State Department.
“He brings a lot of rich experience in terms of seasonings and sauces,” Sharma said. “So, what he was able to do was put a twist on every menu item that was a lot of Basabi’s research
Photo by Hanna Pampaloni
Check out
Loudoun’s Attractions
LOUDOUN HERITAGE FARM MUSEUM
Travel through time to meet the 10 generations of Loudoun County residents who built this county and left their mark on the land. Exhibits include a schoolhouse, general store, Native American artifact display and the American Workhorse Museum Collection.
21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling, VA 20164 (571) 258-3800 • heritagefarmmuseum.org
LOUDOUN MUSEUM
With a collection of more than 8,000 artifacts, the Museum tells Loudoun’s story from pre-1600 up until today, with a selection of special exhibits featuring the history of Virginia Wine, the Early Republic era, and the County’s role in the US Civil War, along with a timeline of Loudoun County history. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram for upcoming events and public programs!
16 Loudoun Street SW Leesburg, Virginia 20175 (703) 777-7427 • loudounmuseum.org
MORVEN PARK
Morven Park is a 1,000-acre historic estate on the edge of Leesburg that was home to Virginia governor and agricultural pioneer Westmoreland Davis. Tours of the Greek Revival mansion include 16th century Belgian tapestries, Spanish cassones, hundreds of silver pieces, Hudson River Valley paintings, and Asian treasures. The estate also features the Winmill Carriage Museum, the Museum of Hounds and Hunting of North America, formal boxwood gardens, miles of hiking and riding trails, and athletic elds.
17195 Southern Planter Lane Leesburg, VA 20176 703-777-2414 • morvenpark.org
OATLANDS HISTORIC HOUSE & GARDENS
The 415-acre Oatlands estate, owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers tours of the historic mansion, extensive gardens and outbuildings that include the oldest standing greenhouse in the South. Exhibits focus on the lives of the Carter and Eustis families who building the estate, as well as the lives of enslaved people who lived and worked there.
20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg, VA 20175 703.777.3174 • oatlands.org
BREWS FROM PAGE 16
that we put together, he was able to do his own twist on it.”
“It has Indian fusion, Indian taste,” Sharma said.
“But it’s not an Indian restaurant,” Virmani added. Their favorite menu items include the Tandoori chicken egg rolls, Delhi deviled eggs, and beef empanadas.
But while the brewery’s food is adventurous, it’s beer is not, with brewer Eric Peters focusing on traditional beers that stand the test of time.
“We’re trying to have a lot of beer tasting beers,” Sharma said.
He said he was a fan of Peters when he was brewing for House 6, which closed in 2023.
“I was a regular at House 6. I loved his beer,” Sharma said of the Ashburn brewery.
Sharma said he’s worked with Peters to have most of the options have lower alcoholic percentages to allow visitors to drink and not worry about the side effects as much.
Peters said in the past he’s made all kinds of beer – traditional, trendy, Lucky Charms flavored – all of which are good. But there’s something special about the kinds that have lasted for thousands of years, he said.
“I worked at Beltway Brewing doing some contract brewing there and I probably brewed
WINE FROM PAGE 10
Rescue’ Blend 2022, Viognier 2023.
Quartzwood: Gold - Chardonel 2023; SilverVidal Method Ancestral 2023.
Sunset Hills Vineyard: Silver - Chardonnay 2023, Sunset Red Reserve 2022;
The Wine Reserve at Waterford: Silver – Limerick Cabernet Franc 2022, Quat Cabernet Franc 2021, Lost Somewhere Petit Verdot 2019, The Wine Reserve at Waterford Prossimo 2021.
Three Creeks Winery: Gold - Petit Verdot 2022; Silver - Cabernet Franc 2022, Melange Rouge 2022, Muscat Ottonel 2022, Petit Manseng 2023, Three Creeks Winery Rosé 2021, Tannat 2021, Viognier 2021.
Two Twisted Posts: Gold - Petit Verdot 2022;
100 different beers. That was just the nature of the business,” Peters said. “And I learned a lot of really great techniques working for a lot of great people. My style, I guess, would be more on the traditional side, I’d have to say. My goal is to just make really enjoyable, clean tasting, refreshing beers. Those are actually much harder to do than a lot of the kind of wackier, trendy type beers.”
The interior of the brewery was designed by Sharma and Virmani and has two parts. The ground floor includes the main bar, seating and two garage doors that can be opened during nicer weather which lead to a patio with more seating. Visitors also have a direct view of the brewing equipment and can often see Peters milling around the large fermenters, hard at work.
From the ground floor, visitors can take stairs up to a mezzanine where a smaller bar, additional seating, TV screens and a dumbwaiter from the kitchen serve community members looking for more privacy.
The brewery’s first weeks of operation has been successful with feedback from the community being overwhelmingly positive, Sharma said.
The brewery is located at 20051 Riverside Commons Plaza in Ashburn. It is open Fridays and Saturdays from noon to midnight and Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 10 p.m.
Chardonnay 2022, Piebald White 2023, Thomas Great’ 2021.
Walsh Family Wine: Gold - Late Harvest Petit Manseng 2019; Silver -Cabernet Franc 2021, Paeonia 2021, Petit Manseng 2021, Tannat 2021, Viognier 2022.
Williams Gap Vineyard: Gold - Chardonnay 2022, Merlot ‘Black Label’ 2021; Silver - Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Fieldstone’ 2021, Merlot 2022, Vidal Blanc 2022, ‘Williams Gap White 2022.
Willowcroft Farm Vineyards: Silver - Petit Verdot 2022, Rosé of Sharon 2023, Vidal Blanc 2023.
Zephaniah Farm Vineyard: Silver - Adeline 2021, Franc 2021, Chambourcin 2021, Chelois 2021, Friendship’ 2021, Merlot 2021, Rosé 2023 Three Captains Red 2020.
Loudoun’s Dining
FORDS FISH SHACK
Consistently voted Loudoun residents’ favorite place for seafood, Ford’s offers fresh seafood in a family-dining atmosphere at three locations, as well as a catering arm and a food truck operation.
Ashburn-44260 Ice Rink Plaza, Ashburn, VA 20147 (571) 918-4092 • fords shshack.com
Lansdowne-19308 Promenade Dr., Leesburg, VA 20176 (571) 333-1301 • fords shshack.com
South Riding 25031 Riding Plaza, Chantilly, VA 20152 (703) 542-7520 • fords shshack.com
SPANKY’S SHENANIGANS
Known as one of the Loudoun’s favorite bars, Spanky’s Shenanigans is a popular destination from its morning breakfast menu to its ample roster of live music performers.
538 E Market St, Leesburg, VA 20176 (703) 777-2454 • spankyspub.com
LIGHTFOOT RESTAURANT
Inside an historic bank building in downtown Leesburg, the Zagat-rated Lightfoot provides both a ne-dining experience and a gathering place for locals. Executive Chef Ingrid Gustavson serves up American cuisine with southern and ethnic accents.
11 North King Street Leesburg, VA 20176 703-771-2233 • lightfootrestaurant.com
TUSCARORA MILL
Known by locals as Tuskies, the restaurant is located inside a restored 19th century grain mill in Leesburg’s historic district. Offering everything from locally sourced ne dining to a casual bar experience, it’s been a dining destination for more than three decades.
203 Harrison St SE, Leesburg, VA 20175 (703) 771-9300 • tuskies.com
HAPPENINGS
MORVEN PARK HOSTS FALL HORSE TRIALS
Top riders from around the country will gather at Morven Park on Oct. 10-13 to compete in the Fall Horse Trials.
Morven Park is one of six venues in the United States to hold a CCI4*-L competition. Spectators are invited to enjoy an up-close look at the discipline of eventing. Men and women of all ages—including Olympic-level riders—compete head-to-head dressage, show jumping, and cross-country.
The event is open to spectators at no charge.
Learn more at morvenpark.org.
FARM TOUR PLANNED OCT. 19-20
The Loudoun Fall Farm Tour will take place on Oct. 19-20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Farms across the county will open their barn doors and field gates to welcome visitors for a weekend full of family-oriented activities, local food, and a firsthand experience of life on the farm. Visitors will meet the people behind Loudoun’s thriving agricultural community, and enjoy product tastings and animal interactions. Whether you’re looking to pick pumpkins, sample homemade goods, cuddle cute animals, or simply enjoy the beauty of Loudoun’s rural landscapes, this weekend promises something for everyone.
The event is free to the public.
Plan your visit at loudounfarmtour.com.
MCQUEEN TO BE HONORED AT MIDDLEBURG FILM FESTIVAL
The 2024 Middleburg Film Festival will spotlight Apple’s “Blitz” and a visit from writer-director Steve McQueen who will be presented the Visionary Director Award. Aother highlight will be a screening of Amazon/MGM’s “Nickel Boys”, with writer-director RaMell Ross presented with a Special Achievement in Filmmaking Award. In its 12th year, the event runs Oct. 17-20. The festival was created by Salamander Hospitality founder Shiela Johnson and includes showings
HAPPENINGS CONTINUED ON 21
Photo by Norman K. Styer
Courtney Olmstead aboard Eliza Do Alot jumps on the cross country course during Morven Park’s 2023 Fall Horse Trials.
Photo by Alexis Gustin
Donkey Meadow Safe Haven near Purcellville is one of the popular stops on Loudoun’s Fall Farm Tour.
HAPPENINGS FROM PAGE 20
at venues throughout town.
This year’s event will honor the Oscar-winning composer Mychael Danna with its Distinguished Composer Award, along with by a concert of his scores performed by an orchestra and choir led by Kim Kluge.
For a complete list of this year’s honorees, screenings and panel discussions and to purchase tickets, go to middleburgfilm.org.
FORBIDDEN FOREST RETURNS TO MORVEN PARK
Wizards, witches and Muggles are returning to Morven Park starting Oct. 26 the grounds of the historic mansion will be transformed into the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience.
This year’s event includes additional characters and the creatures from the 2022 version. The Leesburg location is one of only three in the United States where the attraction will be offered.
Guests walk through the illuminated wizarding world of Harry Potter during a 2022 tour of the Forbidden Forest Experience.
Visitors will enjoy glimpses of centaurs, bowtruckles, nifflers, and other magical creatures along the illuminated trail The shows continue nightly through Dec. 8. Advanced reservations are required.
For details and tickets, go to hpforbiddenforestexperience.com.
Now Showing
Death Comes to Dinner - NEW! Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre
October 12, November 2 & 9 at Oatlands
October 13 & 27, November 10 at Ambiance Restaurant in Ashburn
October 17 at The Branch in Leesburg│October 19 at Ono Offshore in Chantilly
October 25 at Creek’s Edge Winery in Lovettsville
October 26 at HIllsborough Vineyards and Brewery in Hillsboro
November 16 Fundraiser for Help 4 Our Children at StageCoach Theatre Studio in Ashburn
The Woman in Black - Haunting Drama
October 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, and 26-27
Magic and Mischief with the Professor and the Con Man
October 11, November 8, & December 13 A Christmas Story - Classic Family Comedy December 7 - 23
for Kids
All performances at StageCoach Theatre in Ashburn unless noted.
Registration is open for Fall After School Classes for ages 5 - 19 plus Adult Classes
Photo by Alexis Gustin
GETOUT Best Bets
10.05
Matt Stell
Saturday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m. Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com
The Arkansas native broke onto the national country music scene with his 2019 hit “Prayed for You.” Loudoun favorite Sela Campbell opens.
10.18
Women in Blues
Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.
The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards thebarnsathamiltonstation.com
Carly Harvey and Mary Shaver team up with the Bad Influence Band to rock the barn.
10.19
Ludacris
Saturday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m. Ion Arena ionarena.com
The legendary rapper and actor brings the house down with hits including “Southern Hospitality,” “What’s Your Fantasy,” and “Stand Up.” Re-scheduled from September.
10.25
New Potato Caboose Friday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m. Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com
Pioneers of the jam band scene return to perform in their DMV stomping grounds.
10.26
Tony Trischka’ Earl Jam Saturday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m. Franklin Park Arts Center franklinparkartscenter.org
Banjo master Tony Trischka honors the legacy of Bluegrass icon Earl Scruggs.
