Out and About Around Town

If you read my bio, you know that I belong to a wine club. The club is composed of a web of friends of different ages and from different backgrounds who come together for their love of wine. When I was a wine rookie, all I ever enjoyed were sweet wines or the old favorite that everyone tastes first, White Zinfandel. Ugh! Please, someone smack me if they ever see me drink that again. Since I became a member of the wine club, my eyes have been opened to so many different types of wines, their grapes, regions, and food pairings.

To escape my crazy life of family, work, and school, I meet with my friends once a month. During the cold, winter months, we either visit each other's homes for our meetings or we do field trips. Snowmageddon, as Aula called it once, had us locked down since December. Needless to say, the natives were restless. We were eager to finally be able to venture out last Saturday to the 13.5% Wine Bar in Hampden and it was awesome!

The wine bar bills itself as "Hip in Hampden" and it certainly lives up to its name. The place was standing room only, filled with lots of lovely, young professionals drinking everything from pino grigio to pinotage. It's certainly a nice, upbeat place for a hardworking student to unwind after a weeks worth of grueling classes. Okay, who really needs to use grueling classes as an excuse. The food wasn't bad either. The bread plate which includes warmed focaccia served with an EVOO, balsamic reduction, grated cheese blend was de-lic-ious.

Another field trip involved us making our own wine at Carafe Wine Makers in Old Town Alexandria. And no, we didn't stomp the grapes like Lucy and Ethel. Am I dating myself?? Anyway, you get to decide what type of wine to make and you can even create your own label. You can host a party there or you can even create and bottle your own wine to use as a gift.

All of those things are fun but what we're really waiting for is the month of May. When most people are thinking of warm weather, summer break, and GRADUATION, we're thinking of the start of wine festival season. Okay, I know it's only March but when you're in a wine club, it's never too soon to start planning. Maryland's wine festival season is just a little over 2 months away but who's really counting. It's an opportunity for all the vino lovers to gather and sample wines from around the state paired with the best seafood in the region.

The premier festival is The Maryland Wine Festival in Carroll County. Each September, vineyards from around the state gather to give you a little taste of heaven. And believe me, it's really a little taste unless you buy a whole bottle. Everyone's walking around with their wine glasses in little holders around their necks so they can have two hands free to eat. People bring their lawn chairs and hang out with family and friends. It's really a great experience. If you love wine, live in Maryland and haven't been to the Maryland Wine Festival, shame on you!

So when all of you hardworking students need a break or want to wind down, check these places out and let me know. I also hope that I can win all of you other whatever-you-drink people over too. Until next time...