Cider Spotlight!

“Megan Hereford and Jocelyn Kuzelka are two long-time friends who got bitten by both the wine and cider bugs. By the 2010s, Hereford was selling ‘all the things that wine- and cidermakers use to craft fine wine and cider,’ while Kuzelka was consulting with winemakers and cidermakers around the country as well as making her own small batches of each. The two finally decided to start their own winery, and in 2021, Daring Wine Company was born in Stuart, VA (some 40+ miles to the west of Danville). Staying true to their multiple interests, they not only make wine but also cider, like this one …”

Read More
Wine of the Week! 01/02/24

“Today, Michel and his wife Carole still oversee the winemaking [at Vignobles Michel Dulon] with sustainably farmed grapes, while their daughters, Sophie and Françoise manage the business. They put out this affordable Bordeaux, separate from their house label …”

Read More
Beer of the Week! 01/02/24

“There’s room in the world for an NEIPA juice bomb, and One Family Brewing Company in Lovettsville, VA … being veterans, probably, would not approve of us cavalierly talking about dropping any types of bombs, but they’re certainly not afraid to make a juicy, zesty old New England Style IPA, and we’re all for that …”

Read More
Beer Spotlight!

“Someone just walked into the store looking for a decent stout that wasn’t going to be huge and overwhelming. We took them right to this baby. The Sunrise Eclipse is as light-bodied as a Dry Irish Stout with quite a different flavor profile …”

Read More
Beer of the Week! 12/26/2023

“In 2015, in Herndon, VA, Brothers-in-law Andrew Kelley and Kai Leszkowicz founded Aslin Beer Company. (Aslin is their wives’ maiden name.) Their very first beer was this New England Style IPA, the Orange Starfish. Though they’ve brewed many NEIPAs over the years, with a number of them being variations on the Orange Starfish, they’ve yet to abandon their first love …”

Read More
Beer Spotlight!

“It was as if Bamburg brewers said, ‘The smoke gives the beer flavor. What’s the big deal? That’s what beer is.’ Thus, Bamburg is the home (since 1767) of Brauerei Schlenkerla, internationally known for its Rauchbier …”

Read More
Wine of the Week! 12/18/2023

“Two weeks ago, we talked about the prestigious Dão region in the mountains of north central Portugal when we featured the entry level red from Quinta dos Grilos (Cricket Farm). … Now, we’re pleased to feature their next step up, the Grilos Dão Reserva …”

Read More
Beer of the Week! 12/18/23

The Häxan is one of Right Proper’s earliest beers. A robust porter, it’s Swedish for ‘witch,’ taking its name from a 1922 Swedish silent documentary film on witchcraft. (That’s one of things we love about craft beer; things are rarely boring.)

Read More
Market Street
Beer Spotlight!

“St. Bernardus is the beer that you want to think is a Trappist ale, but isn’t. It’s close, though. For years, we’ve called it ‘the beer that’s as close as you can get to Trappist without actually being Trappist.’ Truth be told, we may’ve seen closer, but it’s fun to say that, and the beer is good enough to make monks jealous — turns out, for good reason …”

Read More
Beer of the Week! 12/04/23

“We’re ashamed to say that we can’t hold back a snicker at Bell’s Brewery’s blatant brand management here … Our snarkyness aside, we get it. You can’t just make a good beer, you also have to sell it. Fortunately for all of us, Bell’s can still make a good beer.”

Read More
Beer Spotlight!

“This English Old Ale style ale comes from Great Divide Brewing Company in Denver, CO. One of the oldest American craft breweries, Great Divide started in 1994. The very next year, they put out the Hibernation Ale for the first time …”

Read More
Wine of the Week! 11/29/23

“Txomin Etxaniz was founded and is still run by the Tsueka-Etxaniz family. Though Txomin Etxaniz started the winery in 1930, there are documents showing ancestors making wine since 1649. Not surprisingly, they are one of the most important winemaking families in the region …”

Read More