Before my Southern Fried bike trip, my experience with Virginia was limited to the huge tins of extra-large, extra-fancy, extra-salty peanuts my family received from friends every Christmas. Now, after pedaling over 300 miles of the state's most bucolic wine and hunt country, I consider myself a bit of an expert. I ate plenty of peanuts along the way - turns out they make great biking snacks - but found plenty of other delicious regional treats. Some of my favorite discoveries:
Wasmund's Rye: We stopped by Sperryville's Copper Fox Distillery on our way from Washington to Culpepper, where owner Rick Wasmund gave us a quick tour. They're known for their single-malt whiskey, which is made using barley they malt themselves, then smoke over apple and cherry wood, and also make a rye using two-thirds rye and one-third barley. We couldn't try the spirits because of VA law (and, you know, the whole biking thing) but we picked up a half dozen bottles at DC's Central Liquors to bring back home.
Wasmund's Rye: We stopped by Sperryville's Copper Fox Distillery on our way from Washington to Culpepper, where owner Rick Wasmund gave us a quick tour. They're known for their single-malt whiskey, which is made using barley they malt themselves, then smoke over apple and cherry wood, and also make a rye using two-thirds rye and one-third barley. We couldn't try the spirits because of VA law (and, you know, the whole biking thing) but we picked up a half dozen bottles at DC's Central Liquors to bring back home.
Surryano Ham: We didn't actually make it all the way to Surry to visit Sam Edwards
and his pig-curing operation. The family-owned company has been making
classic Virginia baked hams for years but recently got the food world buzzing
about his Surryano ham, made from domestic Berkshire pigs. It has the
velvety texture of proscuitto but a distinctive smokiness. We stocked
up at Feast, a cute gourmet shop in Charlottesville that focuses on local purveyors.
Albemarle Pippin: When we visited Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, we learned many things about the third president: that he was a self-taught architect, that he kept meticulous diaries, and that he was an apple fiend. His favorite was the Albemarle Pippin, a rather homely greenish colored fruit with dark speckles. We tried them at nearby Carter Mountain Orchards and immediately saw the appeal: they're almost overly crisp, with a refreshing tartness. No more prissy Pink Ladies for me.
Barboursville Octagon: I was skeptical about Virginia wines until we visited Barboursville Vineyards, where we had a long, boozy lunch at their Palladio restaurant and tried their crisp rose and berry-rich cabernet franc. But our absolute favorite was their Octagon, a big, full-bodied blend of merlot and cabernet franc - we liked it so much that we ordered it again at Middleburg's Goodstone Inn.
Flavor Magazine: Whenever I am in a new place I look for the local edition of Edible magazine - they are a great way to find the best local producers and farm-to-table restaurants. But in Virginia there is an even better resource: Flavor, a beautifully designed food magazine that launched less than a year ago and highlights artisan producers, up-and-coming chefs, and food sustainability issues. The issue I picked up had a big feature on butchers, a piece by Marian Burros on dairy farmers, and an item on nuns who turn out superior Gouda.
Albemarle Pippin: When we visited Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, we learned many things about the third president: that he was a self-taught architect, that he kept meticulous diaries, and that he was an apple fiend. His favorite was the Albemarle Pippin, a rather homely greenish colored fruit with dark speckles. We tried them at nearby Carter Mountain Orchards and immediately saw the appeal: they're almost overly crisp, with a refreshing tartness. No more prissy Pink Ladies for me.
Barboursville Octagon: I was skeptical about Virginia wines until we visited Barboursville Vineyards, where we had a long, boozy lunch at their Palladio restaurant and tried their crisp rose and berry-rich cabernet franc. But our absolute favorite was their Octagon, a big, full-bodied blend of merlot and cabernet franc - we liked it so much that we ordered it again at Middleburg's Goodstone Inn.
Flavor Magazine: Whenever I am in a new place I look for the local edition of Edible magazine - they are a great way to find the best local producers and farm-to-table restaurants. But in Virginia there is an even better resource: Flavor, a beautifully designed food magazine that launched less than a year ago and highlights artisan producers, up-and-coming chefs, and food sustainability issues. The issue I picked up had a big feature on butchers, a piece by Marian Burros on dairy farmers, and an item on nuns who turn out superior Gouda.
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