Faves and raves by Jordan Harris, general manager, winemaker, Tarara Winery
Age: 28
Number of years in the D.C. area: 2
Neighborhood: Outside Leesburg
Favorite restaurant: We just brought in a group of our favorites that we’re going to be doing some work with at an upcoming festival we’re doing … one in D.C. that is fantastic, Equinox Restaurant. Todd and Ellen Gray who are doing incredible things, they’re doing local cuisine. In Fairfax, we’re working very closely with 2941 (2941 Fairview Park Drive), and just down the street from us is Patowmack Farm (42461 Lovettsville Road, Lovettsville), which does a great thing — they actually grow a lot of their own ingredients, use all local ingredients, it’s just an absolutely stunning view as well, looking down toward the Potomac.
Best spot to try Virginia wine: Absolutely it’s Tarara Winery. There are many different places to go — some of the area’s restaurants that are serving the local wines and local cuisine are a great place to try several different [Virginia] wines. Just doing a whole tour of Loudoun County, there are 25 wineries currently in Loudoun and 50 in Northern Virginia.
Best live music: Once again, I have to plug Tarara Winery. We have our concert series that we run from the start of June to the end of September where we get local artists. … There’s an abundance of music, of course. Wolf Trap always has a lot of artists. But one thing that we definitely shine at is using local artists. Also, Notaviva Vineyards (13274 Sagle Road, Purcellville) does the same things, Stephen and Shannon Mackey have really also prized their winery on pairing with music.
Best historical spot: Harpers Ferry is a fabulous spot. Some of the old towns in Northern Virginia are really quite exciting to go to. Even walking in the Old Town of Leesburg. I think that the historical sites in the area are so abundant that it’s hard to choose one, because everywhere I walk, I see something new.
Favorite sports venue: I’m actually Canadian, so I have to say that Verizon Center, and going to watch the Capitals. I’m a big hockey fan.
Best outside-the-beltway retreat: One of the best place for me to get away is actually in my backyard. We live on-site, so we overlook the lake. I would say doing the wine tours, and checking out local restaurants, and some of the local farms and shops. … Northern Virginia, as you get 30 miles away from D.C., is just a bounty of rural beauty, it’s all a great getaway.
Thoughts on D.C.’s infamous traffic: I don’t see a lot of it, to be honest. I laugh at a lot of people that talk about traffic congestion here. As I said, I’m originally from Canada, I lived about an hour away from Toronto. After living that close to Toronto, I think the infrastructure here is absolutely magnificent. The fact that I can get into D.C. from 10 miles away from Leesburg, even in the middle of rush hour, in an hour, that’s incredible.
Best kid-friendly entertainment: We’ve had plenty of friends who come who do have kids, we’ve taken to the Spy Museum and the Air and Space Museum, and they’ve had an absolutely incredible time.
Best memory of Northern Virginia: One of the best memories would be [Ralph] Whitie Hubert, our founder, showing up on our doorstep with flowers for my wife to welcome us.
