Tarara Winery: Fully-Vested

A post by "Miss Pavla" To see more posts click here

My love of wine and my desire to avoid all things commonplace in suburbia were officially married this weekend. As a young professional and business owner, I am attached at the hip to my Palm Treo and a tight-fit schedule that has me between work and the gym at least twice a day, most days. To add to that, I spent many years in the Washington DC area, wondering what most people wonder when they finally get out of traffic, and sit down on a Saturday afternoon, “What is there to do this weekend?”

Now, like most athletes, we kinda workout and then just chill for the most part. Keep it simple. But with age comes an urge to try new things and appreciate the finer things or at least the more unique and interesting (and not so pricey). So it was completely befitting when a co-worker approached me about Tarara Winery in Leesburg, VA.

This place is more than just a grape-stomping wine producer, they are in the cultural epicenter of the growing Virginia wine country, and are certainly leaving their mark. Now, I am stating my disclaimer here, I am not a seasoned Virginia wine connoisseur, however, I have had my fair share of wines, and therefore I find myself to be well-qualified to begin a trek through Virginia wine territory beginning with Tarara winery

A co-worker belongs to Tarara’s Estate Wine Club, which to the untrained eye, seems like something out of a Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous episode (yes, I am old enough to remember it and young enough to not appreciate anything on it!). However, upon further inspection, you realize that its not just a wine delivery service, but a true entertainment package in itself, that for the price, is an economical and unique way to have a great time in Northern Virginia.  With a year-long membership, you receive 12 bottles of wine (some exceeding the price of the membership), 2 passes for free tastings EACH and every time you visit Tarara, 20% off their wine all-the-time, and last but certainly not least, 2 passes for their summer concert series, which i got to experience this past weekend.

For couples, dates, or families and/or groups of friends, this is a perfect Saturday outing9 that happens every Saturday of the summer through the end of September. Live bands perform on their stage that sits right at the edge of a beautiful lake on the 400-acre property, and a mini-hut wrapped with a bar-like counter, serves as the outdoor tasting station. You can picnic with your own stuff, or you can enjoy Herndon’s very own Tortilla Factory with your wine. They also have a bigger mini-hut where you can purchase glasses of wine or entire bottles, along with other trinkets. They even have a cigar stand for all you super-bourgeoisie people out there!

The band that performed this past Saturday was Juniper Lane, and they were awesome! They played some of their own stuff but also performed some modern and classic rock that you would recognize just in case you didn’t fully appreciate their style. I’m not an expert on rock, but I know good music when I hear it, and I certainly know a good musician when I see one, and these guys knew what they were doing. Their female singer had a very unique and elegant voice, and I appreciated that it wasn’t a one-man show.

But more than this, the place is just amazing. Its almost like a scene from “A Walk in the Clouds” and perfect for any group of people seeking to have a good time. They also have an open air deck where you can relax and drink wine or eat, paddle boat out on the lake, pick fruit from their orchard, or enjoy a premium wine tasting which includes hors d’oeuvres and a tour of their wine cave. Aside from the things you can purchase, these activities are for under $20, (tasting – $10, fruit picking $5/pint, premium wine tasting/tour – $20, concert series for non-members – $10) and WAY better than a trip to the movie theatre.

Guys, if you wanna impress a chick, this is DEFINITELY a place to take her on a date, or just to show the lucky lady in your life a good time that doesn’t involve NetFlix or AppleBee’s. Stay tuned as I  find more fun in NOVA that doesn’t involve a bar, a club, or a huge tab!

udothedishes . . .