Virginia horse and wine country living
Just a half hour from the bustle of Washington, D.C., Loudoun County, Virginia, calls with 50 award-winning wineries and tasting rooms, more than 30 craft breweries and the charming small towns of Leesburg and Middleburg, the latter being the capital of Virginia horse country.
I made my way there after a D.C. conference and found a sophisticated brand of hospitality that welcomed me just as they had celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and John and Jackie Kennedy in the day.
Stay and Meet
Southern charm has taken up permanent residence at Sheila Johnson’s Salamander Middleburg Resort & Spa. One of only five resorts in the country to be awarded five stars by Forbes for accommodations, spa and restaurant, this property was a labor of love for the philanthropist and entrepreneur. It opened in 2013 and features trail rides over 340 rolling acres and activations on 15 horses and ponies (Look for Cupcake greeting guests in the lobby) in the serious equestrian center and wide-ranging paths onsite.
Team-building activities like zip lines and ropes courses come to life thanks to a partnership with Empower Adventures Middleburg, which runs Camp Salamander. A total of 100,000 sq. ft. of indoor-outdoor meeting space (not including the great lawn) are endowed with custom details such as designer lighting fixtures, original art and a teaching kitchen for gnocchi-rolling competitions or whatever you and the chefs can dream up.
Read More: Sheila Johnson: A Hospitality Legend Born Through Resilience
I had to stop at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, site of one of the first events we hosted coming back from Covid in 2021. The AAA Four Diamond property is a haven for wellness, with 296 guest rooms, 45 holes of championship golf, an award-winning spa, swimming pools and plenty of perches on which to sit and watch the Potomac River roll by. With three ballrooms, an independent AV team, Pinnacle Live, and a location only minutes from Dulles International Airport (AID), it is no wonder 2023 was the best year yet for the property.
Eat and Drink
Known as D.C.’s Wine Country, Loudon’s Reisling vines were planted by engineer and entrepreneur Lew Parker in 1980, and winery experiences quickly took root along with farm-to-table pairings of local cheeses and charcuterie. I stopped by Stone Tower Winery to tour the new Sparkling House, which joined Wild Boar Hall, Summit Room and Harvest Barn as charming options for groups with views of the vineyards.
Read More: Agriculture and Agritourism in Virginia Beach
The new facility can seat up to 275 and offers interactive classes, including tastings of the new line of estate bubbly. The Huber family is known for its Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vintages, and barrel room tours offer a behind-the-scenes view.
Experience
Yes, your attendees have probably tried their hand at ax throwing, pickleball and archery by now, but have they hammered metal? A new shop in Sterling leads groups through the historic art of blacksmithing. Lawless Forge is the second location of a company that started in Seattle, and it’s now expanding to a larger location minutes from IAD.
Groups can bond over fire and hammer during three-hour classes—with custom BBQ forks to show for their efforts. Don’t let the name fool you. The activity comes with its share of safety rules, such as gloves, glasses and closed-toe shoes, but the idea is that this is the time to be lawless by eschewing any creative restrictions you may have imposed in the past. Order in food trucks to make it an afternoon.
This article appears in the July/August 2024 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
