Rich Soil | Loudoun County’s Makers

ALONGSIDE THE GRAPE VINES PAINTED YELLOW WITH THE SEASON, THIS MEAL CELEBRATED all that makes the terroir of VIRGINIA’S WINE COUNTRY truly unique

Our first meal back in the D.C. Area since 2019 brought us to the stunning vineyard of Walsh Family Wine in Loudoun County, VA. Under the Autumn sun, we transformed the tasting room lawn into a long table supper featuring the area’s incredible community of makers + creatives.

The tablescape was designed by Colleen + Lori of wldwst featuring local flowers sustainably grown by Far Bungalow Farm. Colleen & Lori incorporated a variety of mushrooms and squash into the tablescape – an inspired nod to the season and a muted counter tone to the bright Autumn colors. Place settings featured handmade ceramic plates and teak utensils by Something Vintage, a mix of vintage cocktail glasses sourced by Julien Garman of Julien Does Vintage and menu and partner cards designed by Marinell Montales.

We kicked off the evening with a “White Fig Leaf Negroni” expertly crafted by Clever Beast Botanicals featuring their vermouth made on site in collaboration with Walsh Family Wine. Guests grabbed the cocktail as they headed on a tour of the vineyard with Sarah Walsh, co-owner of Walsh Family Wine.

Chef Estelle Richer-Legault of Not So Lonely Club welcomed us to her plant-based menu with a curated selection of vegan cheeses served alongside thyme roasted figs and grapes. She followed this spread with a stunning seasonal butter board and wood-fired corn and durum bread from Meadow Bread.

The salad course featured Autumn greens topped with crispy fried tempeh and roasted butternut squash. Intentionally designed serving platters by Cloude Terre set the stage for a main course of handmade cavatelli pasta with chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms and pumpkin caviar.

In a closing toast to the local season, pawpaws featured in a vegan cheesecake dessert alongside figs, coffee chocolate truffles, and maple shard. This final plate coupled with single origin Colombian coffee by Aperture Coffee Roasters served in vintage mugs provided by Julien Does Vintage.

The five-course vegan meal was Chef Estelle’s ode to the Autumn bounty made available by the region's many local growers and producers. Each course included a paired selection of low-intervention wines grown and produced by the team at Walsh Family Wine.

As the evening concluded guests were delighted with the surprise gift of vintage cocktail glasses from Julien Does Vintage and an insulated market bag including a recipe card and ingredients to prepare their own vegan dish at home with Kinfood DC.

This meal truly highlighted the best of Loudoun County and we were honored to come alongside Chef Estelle of Not So Lonely Club to make her vision of this meal come to life. We hope that this meal left our makers and guests inspired to continue creating and gathering around shared spaces where people can experience a sense of beauty, community and wholeness.