A Hint of Napa in Virginia

In recent years, Virginia has earned a burgeoning reputation as one of the nation’s best wine producing states. While the Old Dominion is not considered the equal of California or the Pacific Northwest, it’s held in high regard, and two of the state’s finer vineyards lay just an easy jaunt to the west.

Fifty miles west of Arlington, a leisurely, winding drive along Route 7 sits Bluemont Vineyard. The winery rests on top of the highest hill in the area. At an elevation of 951 feet, their slate outdoor patio has sweeping vistas of the plains and farms below, and on a clear day, visitors can catch planes landing at Dulles Airport.

The place has an almost Colonial feel to it. When arriving, you might find gentlemen engaging in a form of craft-making. Last Saturday, standing to the side of the door was a retired man carving a table leg by hand, the wood flying on a spindle, a smile on his face as he enjoyed a reasonable warm November day.

Inside the feel of the winery is just as charming, with soft yellow walls accenting a grey stone floor. Eccentric wooden benches encircle unique wooden tables, an atmosphere that begets enjoyment. For just five dollars guests can enjoy six tastings, small sips of an array of different wines. Among the pours last week (they rotate depending on the mood of the server) were oaky chardonnays, fruity peach and strawberry wines, and a range of bold and dry reds. After the tasting, be sure to head upstairs, where local farmers bring wares to ply. Last Saturday, a Mennonite man offered samples of homemade cheese. Among his finest was a sharp, white cheddar, aged two years, crumbly yet soft.

A good second winery to visit, just ten miles back toward Leesburg, not far from the beautiful rural town, is Dry Mill Winery, the newest vineyard to hit the growing Virginia scene. But it may be its finest.

Dry Mill resides inside an old, converted barn, and the best place to do tastings there is the second floor banquet hall. The barn remains in the same state from when it was first built, with all the floors, exposed beams and trim still the original wood. Sharp white walls provide a lovely contrast to the dark oak. In the hall are two long tables, which can hold up to twenty people.

While the scenery at Dry Mill is nowhere near as picturesque as Bluemont, they make up for it with superior wines. While all their reds and whites tasted outstanding, their 2007 syrah packed a punch, a vintage and grape capable of holding its own against any syrah from any winery across the United States.

The red is a fantastic way to end an afternoon, a reminder that Virginia has the potential to one day be mentioned in the same breath as California. They already though, have the atmosphere and culture down pat though. While less than 45 minutes outside the Beltway, the wineries feel a country way, a Napa-esque world, right in our own backyard.

- David

Rockville, Maryland Market Report – 11/9/10

Here’s my overall analysis:  There have been less unites for sale than one year ago when had Home Buyer Stimulus #1. So comparing this time period to last year is not an equal comparison. But that said, here are the statistics for Rockville, Maryland:

• # of Homes for Sale: 543 (compare to 520 in August and 495 in September 2009)
• # of Homes Sold: 96  (down from 113 in August, and down from 125 at same time last year)
• Median Home Price:  $397,366 (up from $415,354 in August, and up from $400,507 one year ago)
• Average days on the market: 65 (up from 55 in August, and down from 74 one year ago).

Being located in the center of the county and having many transportation, shopping and entertainment options makes Rockville a very desirable place to live. You can enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants along Rockville Pike and in the Town Center.  With the end of daylight savings time, you can enjoy long evenings with the family in one of the many lovely communities spread around Rockville.

Data, commentary and analysis provided by David Hess, Executive Vice President, Avery-Hess, Realtors

Find Your Home. Plan Your Life. www.averyhess.com

America’s Best Urban Oasis

When people think of great parks in urban areas, Central Park in New York City and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco frequently come to mind. Often overlooked, but undeservedly so, is the National Arboretum in Northeast DC.

One wouldn’t expect to find 450 acres of pristine forest sandwiched between two major DC arteries, but at the intersection of Bladensburg Road and New York Avenue lies one of the most beautiful parks in the entire country.

A fantastic day at the Arboretum can begin with the peaceful, soothing elements of Buddhist culture. A walk around the park’s massive koi pond set behind the visitor’s center starts a leisurely day. There, one can marvel at the orange, white and black speckled fish, who in their decades in the pond, have grown to enormous lengths.

From there, head to the park’s bonsai forest, with painstakingly crafted, hand-cut trees honoring the Japanese tradition.

After the relaxing, Asian-influenced stroll, the Arboretum takes a decidedly American turn. First up is an amazing piece of the District’s history.

Heading away from the visitor’s center, as hikers crest a gentle hill, a concentric circle of columns comes into view. They are the old totems that once supported the east portico of the Capitol. And while that bit of history is a treat, a view of the real Capitol is even better. And not many people know that the Arboretum has one of the best views of Washington’s skyline.

Leaving behind the old columns, on their way to the overlook, visitors first pass through a rotating exhibit of vegetation. This month’s theme is “Power Plants,” which showcases a wide variety of greenery that can be used as sustainable forms of alternative energy.

Past the exhibit is the Azaleas Garden, which, when blooming in spring, is a fantastic sight to behold. In the fall and winter, the plants lie dormant. However, autumn may be the best season to visit the Arboretum, with the leaves of most deciduous trees rapidly changing colors. The sky throughout the park is a stunning array of bright oranges, browns and reds.

In the Azalea Garden is a thin dirt-path that winds up the highest hill on the grounds. It leads through labeled trees and flower beds, all telling visitors the genus, species and natural habitat of plants from near and far away.

The hike is brief, just fifteen minutes. At the top, it’s another five minutes along the plateau to an overlook at the far end of the hill. Up there is a small opening between a multitude of trees. Through the narrow slit lies the whole cityscape of Washington. The Capitol looms in the distance, as does the Washington Monument. Farther out are the gleaming office buildings of Rosslyn, all marvelous.

In a city that’s extremely flat, it’s hard to find a beautiful shot of this area’s wonderful skyline, but the Arboretum has it, and it just may be the area’s best.

-David

MyLife in Metro DC: Lobster Fest 2010

It’s true, for the better part of my 27 years on this earth, I’ve lived in what many would call the “South” (Virginia), but no matter where I might be geographically located, I’ll always be a “Northerner” in my heart.

My Hometown - Bangor, Maine

My Northern roots stem back to my childhood.  I was born in Bangor, Maine, and if you look on a map, there isn’t much further North one can go and still be in the United States.

My hometown has a 31-foot tall statue of folklore legend Paul Bunyan, who many believe was also born in Bangor.  If you ask me, there are few things more Northern than a giant lumberjack (and his blue ox) and I feel this only helps solidify my “Northerner” status.  That and I occasionally drop the word “wicked” into a sentence without even realizing it…but on to the lobsters…

My Dad and Stepmom still live in Maine and one of their favorite things to do is watch my “Southern” friends eat lobsters.  It’s a tradition my Dad and I started when I was in college. Of course, some of my friends have had lobster before …but no Red Lobster visit compares to a proper Maine Lobster Fest.

The temptation of a home-cooked lobster dinner complete with fancy beers (bud light instead of beast light) and homemade whoopie pies for dessert (my Stepmom makes the World’s best!) was something my broke college friends simply couldn’t resist.  My friends still can’t…although most of them can now afford their own bud light.

At every lobster fest, looks of excitement, shock, confusion, and even terror overcome my friends as they find themselves face to face with the red crustacean only previously seen swimming around at their local grocery store.

Putting their lobsters in the pot!

This year, the mere opening of the box that contained our dinner caused one of my friends to scream and run away.  But one by one my Dad convinced each of my friends to drop their dinner into the boiling water while I showed them how to put the lobster to “sleep” before putting them in…just in case anyone felt bad about the lobsters still being alive.

The Lobsters - Before & After

Watching as my friends carefully dissected and attempted to dismember the body that sat before them was quite a show!  People ended up wearing other peoples’ lobster, splashes of sea water, shells and lobster tamale painted the walls of my condo and the phrase “is this ok to eat?!,” was asked over and over again.  During all of this, my Dad, Step mom and I sat back, laughed and enjoyed.

My Dad serving the Lobsters!

While some struggled with their lobsters, others quickly mastered the challenge plated before them.  Scott won the award for not only being the fastest to consume a lobster, but also for consuming nearly two whole 1.5 lb. lobsters all by himself.  Raha was given the “looked most like she was going to pass out but rallied to eat a whoopie pie” award, and my roomie was dubbed “the World’s slowest lobster eater,” but he did tell my family it was the “best day of his life”… so we all patiently waited for him while he happily finished…well almost finished his lobster.  The night was complete and Lobster Fest 2010 was deemed an overwhelming success by all!

Chris Enjoying a Homemade Whoopie Pie

My family finally got the chance to meet my wonderful DC friends and share a part of our Northern traditions with them and my friends got to meet my amazing parents and left my house with full bellies…and clothes covered with a lovely “lobster” aroma.

I love being from Maine, it’s wicked awesome…

Want to have your own Maine Lobster Fest experience in DC?

Red Hook Lobster Pound provides metro DC with the most authentic Maine Lobster rolls I’ve seen in the South.  However, you won’t be able to make reservations for this feast, instead you’ll have to track down one of their trucks (stopping at various mobile locations) on the streets of Washington D.C.!  How will you find them?  Follow Red Hook (LobstertruckDC) on Twitter to find out where they’ll be for the week then just look for the line… My roommate tells me he’s seen people wait for over an hour  just to get a taste of the Northern delicacy.  Whoopie pie seekers be warned – we’ve conducted our own taste test and while Red Hook’s are good, they’ve got nothing on my Stepmom’s recipe!

Want to go even MORE authentic with your Maine Lobster Fest?

Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound is our family’s favorite place to buy Maine lobster and they will ship anywhere in the country.  Your lobsters will arrive via overnight mail packed on icepacks in fresh Maine seaweed and still alive.  Bibs & directions are included but I recommend buying a few lobster picks and crackers of your own to help break into your dinner.  I highly recommend you give it a try, and if you do, be sure to let me know and share your story!

To share your  experience, learn more about MyLife, view pictures, videos, post comments, and suggest adventures“Like”MyLife on Facebook!

-Kristin

Silver Spring, MD Market Report – 11/01/10

The stats in Silver Spring really bounced around in September. One month does not make a trend so rather than pontificate, here are the stats:
Market statistics for Silver Spring, Maryland:

• Homes for sale: 1,436 (up from 1,359 in August and up from 1,243 one year ago)
• Homes Sold: 180 (down from 212 in August but almost the same 183 sales as one year ago)
• Median sold price: $297,214 (down from $335,196 in August, and up from $276,986 one year ago)
• Average days on market: 75 (pretty stable most of this year and nearly the same as one year ago when it was 76)

My prediction is that the market will be slow until after January due to the uncertainties of the elections, repeal of ObamaCare, the negative attention over foreclosure “Robosigners,” and the general malaise among many people caused by their concerns and anxiety for the future of the American Free Enterprise system. For those who are focused on their goals to buy a house, there may be some opportunities over the next 60 days to score a good deal.

Market data and commentary provided by David Hess, Executive Vice President and Managing Broker.
Search for homes in Silver Spring, and all of the DC Metro: www.averyhess.com