Harding

Of the many wonderful things we might think of as coming in a box—a diamond ring, a Big Mac, or a special gift from Justin Timberlake—wine is still not among them. A friend opens her refrigerator to break out a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc, but instead of removing a bottle, she squeezes off a [...]

NEW C-VILLE COVER STORY: The Connector

At an age when many people are still asking their parents for an allowance, Holly Hatcher was starting a career that’s been defined by asking others what they need and then finding the resources to put it together.

Harvest comes early for local winegrowers

When it comes to growing wine in Virginia, “you hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” says vineyard manager Fernando Franco.

Reel winemakers of VA

It’s a dark moment indeed when “Virginia wine country” is cursed with a representative like hopped-up, anorexic goofball Michaele Salahi.

Riaan Rossouw unveils r

“These wines are all fragments of my memory.” Winemaker Riaan Rossouw is sitting with his wife, Rachel O’Neill, and a reporter upstairs at the Ivy Inn just before the dinner hour. The table, draped in white linens, is appointed with two elegant decanters, six wine glasses, three water glasses, and two red wine bottles each [...]

Virginia on track for a seventh viticultural area

There are six American Viticultural Areas in Virginia. If Rachel Martin has her way, there will soon be seven, which will bring the total AVAs in the nation to 198. Martin is the executive vice president of Boxwood Winery in Middleburg. Her parents, Rita and John Kent Cooke (of Washington Redskins fame), started it six [...]

The Sound of Music; Heritage Theatre Festival; Culbreth Theater, July 6-10

Clocking in at just over three hours, the Heritage Theatre Festival’s season-opening production of The Sound of Music is a full night of musical theater. Blessedly, it is also a fully satisfying evening out. Let me say right now that if American musical theater—the kind of showy show where people break into song to move [...]

At Monticello, Tracey Ullman exhorts 71 new citizens to be confident

"Here you can find the best version of yourself," she told the naturalized citizens at Monticello’s 48th annual swearing-in ceremony.

If TJ did it, why can't we?

When Justin Sarafin talks about being in charge of “dependencies,” he’s not referring to the unfortunate habits of social misfits. Monticello’s assistant curator is talking about the work and storage spaces beneath the great house—many of which have been refurbished and opened to the public for the first time in the past month. Among these, [...]

NEW C-VILLE COVER STORY: Don’t touch that dial

If a university isn’t the place to experiment with form and taste, then what place is?

NEW C-VILLE COVER STORY: Taking the heat

Melissa Close-Hart is as much artist as chef, as her beautifully plated food makes clear.

Third winery opens in Louisa

Sitting in her newly christened tasting room, Penny Martin says “she’s starting to learn to like” wine.

Kluge auction fetches $20.2 million

The 52 percent discount was not in effect last week when Patricia Kluge’s furnishings went on sale. Though she dropped the price of Albemarle House, the 45-room English country-style home from which 933 lots of stuff were culled, to $48 million from her original $100 million, by midday Wednesday it seemed similar bargains would be [...]

NEW C-VILLE COVER STORY: Living la vida local

We’re back for a second year with a list of firm recommendations and observations about what it takes to be a true local.

Kluge auction fetches $20.2 million

The 52 percent discount was not in effect this week when Patricia Kluge’s furnishings went on sale.

Inside “The Collection of Patricia Kluge,” before the Sotheby’s auction

The auction, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, is expected to net Mrs. K something in the vicinity of $9 million. Here, a look at the goods

Tracey Ullman to address new citizens at Monticello

Monticello has announced that comedienne Tracey Ullman will be the featured speaker at its annual naturalization ceremony on July 4. Those hoping for her dead-on impersonations of Arianna Huffington, David Beckham or Rachel Maddow, or perhaps, more crudely, her version of Suzanne Somers hawking the “Vagisizer” on an infomercial, or Laura Bush anticipating life back [...]

How is being a wine importer and distributor like being in the rag trade?

When Smith Williams says, “I had to roll my shirt sleeves up,” reflecting on his early days with JW Sieg Wines,

Comedienne Tracey Ullman to address new citizens at Monticello

Ullman joins a long list of naturalization ceremony speakers from the arts and politics, from Madeleine Albright and Andrew Young to I.M. Pei and, two years ago, President George W. Bush

Ullman became a naturalized citizen in 2006, in order to be able to vote, after 25 years of living in the United States.

City 19-year-old charged with January murder

Besides the murder charge, Demonte Marquis Burgess is charged wtih five felonies related to the Sixth Street shooting and four other charges related to an incident that occurred earlier this month

Virginia's first lady, Maureen McDonnell, gets behind the local wine biz