MEET YOUR “NEW” NEIGHBOR
Master Sommelier Opening Pizza & Wine Spot on Main Street Story and photos by Kaitlin Hill
J
arad Slipp is a master sommelier, Culinary Institute of America-trained chef, and former RdV Vineyards estate manager. Now, he is bringing a lifetime of fine dining experience and a wealth of wine knowledge to his new West Washington Street shop, Knead Wine. Slipp’s interest in cooking developed early. “Jarad was always cooking with his grandfather, and that’s where his love for cooking started,” Allie Nault, Slipp’s girlfriend, said from the sun-soaked entrance of Knead Wine. “And, it took him to the Culinary Institute of America, where he was one of the youngest people to actually go and graduate.” Slipp started his formal training at the Hyde Park school at age 16 and honed his skills as a chef at notable restaurants around the world and with household names after graduating. “That [training] really propelled his culinary career,” Nault said. “He worked in London for Gordon Ramsay at his Michelin three-star restaurant, he came back to D.C. where he owned his own restaurant in his early 20s called ‘Nectar,’ then to New York City where he worked for Fabio Trabocchi.” Slipp returned to D.C. to work for Eric Ziebold at CityZen before finding his way to Middleburg as the estate director at RdV Vineyard in 2013. During his time at RdV, Slipp would add the title “master sommelier” to his already impressive résumé. He is one of 269 master sommeliers in the world. After six years at RdV, Nault said, “it came time for him to decide what the next step was for him, and it was loving pizza and loving wine.” “And loving this area too,” Slipp added. “I didn’t want to move away.” Though his CV is stacked with fine din-
ing’s best, Slipp’s latest project is decidedly and pleasantly unfussy. “I always wanted to have some super fancy Michelin three-star, but been there, done that,” Slipp said. “And I think the older you get, you just want something that is simple, and yours, and pure.” The small but smartly dressed space, formerly Le Petit Marche, is warm and inviting with Middleburg-blue walls and original wood floors. The shop is refined but undeniably relaxed, a little like Slipp himself, who has done most of the rehab and redecorating firsthand. “I’ve done a lot of the work inside myself,” Slipp said, indicating the textured wallpaper on the back wall. “[The design] just popped into my head. It was literally three o’clock in the morning, and I was looking at paint schemes, colors, and whatnot. And I have a very mid-century modern aesthetic,” he added, gesturing toward the large central table and wine racks that line the walls. “And I wanted the natural wood, the unfinished wood. It kind of fits with the Middleburg country chic.” His concept of well-done-but-not-overdone applies to the wine and pizza he serves. Slipp has curated a collection of wines and pies that reflect his in-depth knowledge and propensity for excellence, as well as his attention to accessibility. “Being a master sommelier is to demystify wine and not make it snooty, snotty, or uppity,” he said. “We are trying to keep things light and fun and approachable — not haughty.” For Slipp, part of being approachable is being affordable. He sources his wines from “classic regions with an oddball or great Sommelier | Page 4
Jarad Slipp at Knead Wine.
AUGUST 2020
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