Located in the heart of Historic Leesburg, The Wine Kitchen is the perfect spot to break up your day of winery hopping through DC’s Wine Country (Loudoun County).  The Wine Kitchen offers a rustic, yet casual atmosphere coupled with seasonal, locally sourced dishes and an exceptional wine list featuring flights, bottles for purchase and glasses. The atmosphere highlights the charm of the small town with exposed brick, rustic signage and an abundance of natural light weaving in through the large windows out front.  We recently stopped in on a beautiful summer afternoon to grab a delicious meal before heading back to the wine trail and we weren’t disappointed.

The Wine.

The Wine Kitchen offers a great selection of wines from around the world, as well as some local #VaWines.  Several wines caught our eye and we loved the variety available from the many grape growing regions across the world– Chardonnay and Zinfandel from California, Tempranillo from Spain, Pinot Noir from Oregon, and Fiano and Sangiovese from Italy.  While you can enjoy a fabulous glass or bottle of some delicious wines, one of the more appealing aspects is the variety of wine tasting flights on the menu.  10 tasting flights are currently available, each featuring three, two-ounce pours. The wine flights provide the opportunity to try three unique varietals for the same price as a glass.  We recommend trying “The Local Flavor” to get a small taste of Virginia with a 2014 Seyval Blanc from Breaux Vineyards (Purcellville), a 2011 Cabernet France from Granite Heights Winery (Warrenton), and a red blend from Tarara Winery, the Long Bomb Edition Seven (Leesburg).

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The Food.

The current menu highlights the seasonal goodness of summertime– think crisp, fresh garden greens, summer squash salads, roasted corn soup, heirloom tomatoes, swordfish, crab cakes and ricotta gnocchi to name a few of their featured items.  Local artisanal cheese and charcuterie platters are available as well as some classic American side items (fried green tomatoes and mac and cheese, yum yum).  Small plates and lighter portion sizes arrive at your table in a beautiful presentation of color and technique, making the experience all the more flavorful.

Next time you’re planning an afternoon in DC’s Wine Country add The Wine Kitchen to your list.  Stop in for lunch or end your day with dinner on the patio, a flight of wines and a delicious and perfectly presented meal!

*The Wine Kitchen is also located in Frederick, MD and Purcellville, VA.