New Kent Winery



New Kent Winery

A couple weeks ago my girlfriend and I took a short trip to Williamsburg and made a couple pit stops along the way.  Our first stop was at New Kent Winery.  I enjoyed it so much (along with Saude Creek Winery) that this past saturday Mark and I took a few of our close friends back with us to enjoy a day of wine tasting and gorgeous views.  With weather in high 60s/low 70's it was perfect for sitting on the patio and deck and catching up with our friends.

New Kent winery in particular is known in the area for being a "pretty winery" to visit.  Some wineries that you visit are just buildings with little more than good wine to offer.  But this one offers a place that is pleasing to the eye as well as the pallet. 



From the parking lot.



From inside looking out the back to the patio.

There is a large front porch that welcomes you in to a large open area for tasting and buying wine.  Tastings are $5 each and to add a tour of the facility it's an additonal $3.  One the back in another large porch with tables and seats for a picnic or for just relaxing. 



The kids found a seat just their size.



Everyone waiting for the next tasting.

Since I had been once before I already had my favorite picked out.  It was nice to hear what others enjoyed and what others would be taking home.  I personally loved their Chardonnay and the White Merlot.  Yes White Merlot!  They have a special press that makes a Merlot that is truly white.  And very good!  I had gotten these two on my first visit.  With Mark there I know we got three more and I think they were totally different than the two I bought.  I know he got their Patriot but I didn't see what the two others were.  Either way I know they won't go to waste :)



A quick picture of everyone with their new goodies!

They are open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. So make some plans, pack a picnic and let me know which wine turns out to be your favorite!





Monday Love

Happy New Week to everyone!  Hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving holiday and that you didn't get too stuffed :)  I am glad to say that our Thanksgiving was at my sister's house and that meant all the leftovers stayed at her place...so we over ate once and that was eat.  I did miss the turkey and dressing come Friday but it was ok in the end!

Around the holidays the Bryants don't usually travel too far from home...but we are still just as busy!  Over the long holiday we spent lots of time with friends and family, decked our halls with plenty of pretty yule tide decorations and even managed to spend a day at a couple wineries with lots of friends. 



Is there an app to tell me where the next meal is?



New Kent Winery before...



New Kent winery during....



New Kent winery after :)



These two have a love/hate relationship!
They are on the deck of Saude Creek winery.



Check out the view behind our picnic.



That is the Pumonkey River in the distance.






"The gang"





Not quite ready for the tacky light tour...but getting there.



Now were ready for Yule!

 There will be lots of fun events and festivities to come.  Can't wait to share them all with you guys! 

Saude Creek Winery



Our host Donna

This weekend I spend some time in Williamsburg with a good friend.  We got there by way of I-64 which required us to pass two wineries in New Kent County.  Well you know where this story is going.  I don't have all the pictures down loaded but I thought I would tell you a little about one of the wineries and out visit. 


Saude Creek Winery, in Lanexa Virginia, was our second stop this particular day and so glad it was because we ended up sitting for a while enjoying the views and our wine.




Saude Creek

From the front you just see the winery and the vineyard.  Once you are inside the winery you can look out the back on the forest and in the distance the Pamunkey River.  There is a wrap around porch with lots of chairs and small tables.  There are also a couple fire pits down in the yard so that you could sit outside and have a picnic even when there is a chill in the air.  If there is a chill inside you can just snuggle up close to a roaring fire in their stone fire place.



Now doesn't that look cozy?

Our hostess for the day was Donna and let me tell you she did it up right!  She took us down their list of wines and then hooked us up with some crackers, cheese and meatballs!  She was awesome.  While my girl friend and I sipped a couple glasses of wine we sat by the fire and caught up on old times and made plans to make it back to this winery soon.  Tasting was $5 and you get a souvenir glass to keep.  They are closed on Tuesday but open at 11:00 a.m. the rest of the week.  Closing time is at 6:00 p.m. 

My favorite was the Saude Creek Blush.  I bought a bottle and took it home for Mark to try.  I'll have to do a "yay or nay" on it soon.  I have more pictures of the view from the back porch...I just have to find the time to down load them!


Monday Love

For some reason when you are looking at a short work week Monday doesn't look so bad! Or maybe it was my weekend that makes Monday seem just a tad more bearable.   Either way it was a fabulous weekend and a short week to boot. 

This weekend I got some projects finished up



Small chalk wall in the girls room

Had a great trip to a couple wineries.



Some wine in front of a cozy fire

Shopped in Williamsburg at Merchant's square.


Some shopping for the unusual.

Had an early Thanksgiving meal with family :)

Emma with her Mamaw.

It was a wonderful weekend.  And I'll tell you all about it this week. In the mean time what are you doing to prepare for Thanksgiving?  Visiting family or cooking a big meal at home?  Drop me a comment and share some of your goings on this holiday.    







Hello Weekend

It's that time in the week when we start looking ahead to what our weekend holds.  I for one will be packing a bag and spending a night in Williamsburg.  The plan is for some shopping, a little down time with my girl friend and maybe a winery....or two.  How about you? 

Speaking of Williamsburg, if you are in the area you can catch a production of The Producers by The Williamsburg Players.  They will be taking the stage on the 18th and 19th at 8:00 p.m. 



By the Williamsburg Players

If you live in Southern Virginia how about a visit to Martinsville for a Big Bowl of Chili?  Proceeds benefit the United way of Henry County....so supporting a good cause with some good food :)





Chili anyone?

Those of you that live in the heart of Appelachia you can start thinking ahead to what to do with those leftovers. Wades Mill will be hosting a class on Nov. 18th at 10:00 a.m. for what to do with all that left over food.  Now that is a class I can support!

On Saturday if you live in Northern Virginia you can be part of the annual Freeze your gizzard off 5K.  The race starts at 9:00 a.m. in Ida Lee Park.  Looks like long johns will be in order!

How about some nice home cooked soup?  Old House Winery in Culpeper is celebrating the month with some home cooked fall soups. 



Soups on!

And there are still a few wine festivals in the area....Jefferson Wine Festival  is going on at Poplar Forrest on the 19th from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.



More wine please.

  
This weekend we will also be attending a local wine event at the Beacon Theater in Hopewell Virginia on Saturday and then heading to a family Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday.  The holidays are upon us folks time to eat, shop and drink too much egg nog :)

Cold weather blues

Up until today our temperatures have been mild and actually very nice.  I could go out with a light jacket or even no jacket at all.  But winter is coming and mother nature has shown us a couple hints of what is to come.  I suppose it's time to say good by to the warmth of summer...





Swimming in the James river



Playing on the beach of Lake Anna



Emma pretending to be a big girl in Virginia Beach



Tommy buried in the sand at Kiptopeke State Park



Catching a weekend ball game



Taking a stroll through Maymont



Camping In Verona with the family by a stream

 

I know that the coming months will be filled with holidays and happiness...but I just wanted one last peek at the warmth of summer. 




Yay or Nay

We're busy this week on a few projects around the house and just trying to get back into the swing of our normal busy selves.  Last night over dinner Mark and I shared a bottle of wine and Mark suggested we start keeping tabs of what we like and what we don't.  In my head I have a list but there are just too many things floating up there already.  So a simple post today to start our "yay or nay" on some of Virginia's finest wine....

First up....Sweet Mountain Laural from Chateau Morrisette Winery. 

Both Mark and I give it two thumbs up....It's a sweet wine so not something I would serve with dinner.  And trust me because we tried.  It didn't go so great with lasagna but was great with some dark chocolate infused with coffee!  I have looked around their site to see what grapes they used to make this wine but can't seem to get my answer.  I think next time I get a bottle I might save it for a cobbler or ice cream.  :)

Pocohontas State Park

I will be the first to admit that for years and years I never really took advantage of the many parks right here in my own back yard.  I went to Maymont Park enough and maybe Petersburg National Battlefield but never visited the State Parks, didn't go to my local children's parks unless there was a formal function and I can probably count on one hand the number of times I planned a trip just to look at leaves.  Actually that would have been never until last year.  But then something changed....no idea what but now I have a goal to visit every State Park and I can just about map out my local parks without looking. 

Close to a year ago I started looking at ways I could give back to the State Parks system.  Almost all of the State Parks have volunteer or "friend" groups and some offer host programs.  I live closest to Pocohontas State Park and wanted to put in some time there doing what I could.  I signed up online to volunteer and they contacted me with some needs they had.  I decided I would help with their recycling program and so now about every two weeks I make a trip to the park to help with recycling.  Once I'm there I just might go on a walk or sit for a bit under a big tree...maybe drop the kids off by the swimming pool with Mark :)





Pocohontas State Park



Swimming Pools

   


Part of the swimming facility

They have a huge swimming area for campers and visitors.  It's only open in the summer of course but when it is open it's usually packed!  There is a snack bar and area to eat right here within the pool area but there are also pavilions and picnic tables located around the outside of the pool area as well. 



The pavilions can be rented for special events.



Plenty of Picnic Tables

There are hiking, biking and horse trails all over the park.  You can fish, boat, kayak, play volleyball, lay on a blanket in the sun.  A few trails that I enjoy in particular are just over the foot bridge here....



Foot bridge to the other side.





In the summer you can rent a kayak.



Small Boat Ramp.

The family has also been to the park when I'm not here to work.  We have hiked, come here to swim, I have biked a small part of it (thought I would die doing it!) and we have come for school athletic events.  They have camping (both tent and RV), a dining hall for rental, a CCC museum, a Nature Center, and an amphitheater. 



Nature Center and Meeting Center.



CCC Museum



Going down!



There are so many more things to see at this park as well as all the other Virginia State Parks.  And while I was there Sunday I couldn't help but feel like a kid...when the wind would blow and all the leaves came falling down on me :)  I wanted to make a leaf pile and jump in.  I resisted! 




My favorite picture of the day. 









Monday Love

The Busy Bryants actually stayed put this weekend.  Sorta....mostly....kinda.  Well we didn't go on any trips!  But to say it wasn't a busy weekend would just be a lie!  We worked around the house, we worked outside the house, and we worked in our community. 

Mark and Tommy volunteered their Saturday cutting wood for a special need while I worked around the house getting things back in semi-order.  Since we haven't really been home on the weekends all that much it was looking like a bomb went off!  Then again with Emmapoo around it usually looks like that. 



Emma helping mommy :)

When Mark got home I worked on another project I have been wanting to get done for some time now.  A sorta rock garden/flower garden.  I needed something right next to the driveway to help keep the grass from growing right up next to it.  So I thought this would work....

And everyday I look outside my front door and think "I need to really do something out there" but the leaves are just sooo pretty that I hate to.  It reminds me of a yellow carpet.  So for now I've left it alone.



Looking out my front door!



I did work on getting some mulch down right in front of the house.  And it looks nice....even if I do say so myself.




I think a pretty Japanese Maple right here would be nice.

While I was busy cleaning these two were busy being silly.  But it worked out.  Christy kept Emma busy long enough for me to get done outside.



My two sock monkeys!


Sunday we didn't really slow it down by much.  I volunteer at Pocohontas State Park and headed over there right after breakfast.  I wish I had made the kids come along.  It was far too nice of a day to be inside.




Look at the colors!

Sunday afternoon wasn't bad.  Dinner was in the crock pot and I was able to pick up more mulch and more rocks to finish out the 'to-do' list for the weekend.  With the holidays coming we are planning on being around the general area more...so maybe I can get the rest of my list checked off!  Hope Monday is treating you well.