Horton and Barboursville Vineyards

During a recent wine tour we slipped off our planned track to visit Horton Vineyards and Barboursville Vineyards. It was very easy to stop at both places, because they were literally right down the street from each other.

Horton Vineyards

Since we were traveling west, we stopped at Horton first. The tasting room was a really unique brick, castle-like building that was guarded by long rows of vines.

Horton Vineyards offers TONS of different wines. Reds, whites, roses, fruit wines, dessert wines – if you can name it, Horton more than likely has some. :) Dan and I were also really happy to see how reasonably price the majority of them were too. Among our favorites were: Eclipse Red, Freedom, Route 33 Red, Tannat, Acai fruit wine, Peach fruit wine, and Raspberry fruit wine.

Another fun thing about Horton is that for our tasting, we got to try ten different wines of our choosing. This is especially nice if you are visiting with someone else, because you can each try different wines and get a better idea of what they have to offer. :)

Barboursville Vineyards

Just down the road, we made a quick turn and arrived at Barboursville. Even though it was still early, this place was already flowing with customers.

The tasting is very different at Barboursville. Instead of having one person serve you, you move down the bar, trying different wines at each section of the bar.

We had a great time chatting with the servers there and found them to be friendly and happy to chat about their wines.

Among our favorites were their Nebbiolo Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, and Cabernet Blanc.

Stonefire Kitchen

After two wine tastings, Dan and I were ready for some lunch. The servers at both Horton and Barboursville suggested a small café called Stonefire Kitchen, and they were right in suggesting it. The food was fresh and delicious, and it is defiantly a good food stop if you are in the area.

What John Cusack’s Birthday Reminds Me Of

On my feeds this morning, a blogger posted that it was John Cusack’s birthday. (Don’t worry; I’m not going to start gushing about how hot he is or anything like that.) After reading the announcement, the first thing that came to my mind was The Journey of Natty Gann, which is one of my favorite childhood movies. Right up there with Disney’s Robin Hood, Newsies, and Anne of Green Gables.

How does the mention of John Cusack bring this movie to mind? Well, he is the supporting actor in it. However, being the person that I am, I never made the connection between him and his character until my late teens. The character who caught my attention and my real love in this film was Natty Gann.

For me, Natty Gann was more than an entertaining character. She was the visual proof of what I wanted to be. She had all the qualities that I hoped to have myself, and she was one of the first influences to show me that it was OK to be me. Some of the traits that endeared me to Natty Gann are:

• She was a tomboy (with a cool newsboy cap).
• She was independent and resourceful.
• She loved animals and had a wolf for a best friend.
• She survived in the wild.
• She was brave enough to fight for what she wanted.

To this day, I still attribute my love of dogs (and wolves) to watching this film.

In case you have never seen this movie, here is a quick synopsis:

Natty Gann is an energetic, street-smart kid of a single father during the Great Depression. Because work is so scarce, her father leaves Natty under the care of their landlady while he goes to a job in Washington state.

A couple weeks go by, and the landlady assumes that Natty’s father has abandoned her and tries to turn her over to an orphanage. However, before they can catch her, Natty runs and starts traveling the railways to find her father in Washington.

Throughout her journey, Natty meets different people who either help or hinder her. One friend she makes is a wolf that she rescues from dog fighters. The other friend she meets is John Cusack, who helps her out of a few tight spots.

The Journey of Natty Gann was more like a life-changing experience for me. I still have my original VHS of the movie, and I will never throw it away, even though I also have it on DVD and will never own a VHS player again. LOL

If you have never seen this movie before, you should definitely check it out. You may not enjoy it as much as I did, but that is fine. It is still a great movie!

Oh… and Happy Birthday to John Cusack. :) You are a great actor, and I really do enjoy your films.

Naked Mountain Vineyards

Around a fun, tight bend of a country road lays Naked Mountain Vineyards. The vineyard and winery have been here for over 35 years, but the current owners, Randy and Meagan Morgan, decided to purchase the location in 2010 after visiting it on a wine tour.

Just looking around the property, you can tell that the owners know what features make for an inviting winery stop. The hillside is dotted with Adirondack chairs; there is a covered picnic area; and you can find additional seating in the tasting room or on the tasting room deck. The views of the surrounding mountains are also very beautiful.

Naked Mountain offers a variety of whites, roseˊs, and reds. Dan and I had a great time talking about the wines with Shanna, our server. In fact, both the servers at the tasting bar were very friendly and happy to spend time chatting about the things they love about their wines. Among our favorites here were: Chardonnay/Riesling, Old Vine Riesling, Soar, and Make Me Blush.

If you are out in the Front Royal area, Naked Mountain is a fun place to stop. We enjoyed the hospitality we found at Naked Mountain and look forward to going back for a picnic soon.