Get Out Loudoun for July 2020

JULY 2020

Reopening with Open Spaces

Loudoun Now Your guide to Loudoun’s Entertainment Scene

Cheers! We’re open.

{Reservations Required} Open by reservation only on Friday 6-9 p.m. with Bistro Music + on Saturday and Sundays 10-6 p.m. with Live Music both days 1-5 p.m.

All guests must have a reservation by contacting reservations@ doukeniewinery.com.

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Check out our website www.doukeniewinery.com and social media for music and food schedule.

· On display in the tasting room during open hours, an exhibit on loan from the Loudoun Museum “Vintage Pursuits: Cultivating a Virginia Wine Industry” · Our tasting room and grounds are closed all day Monday through 5:30 p.m. on Friday. · Curbside pick-up available

14727 Mountain Road, Purcellville, VA (540) 668-6464

· Safe social environment following CDC guidelines

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JULY 2020

www.doukeniewinery.com

Inside: Leesburg’s Ryan Cam scored a single recorded by Usher after winning the season finale of NBC’s “Songland.”

GET OUT LOUDOUN Get Out Loudoun is a 10,000 circulation monthly distributed to entertainment, tourism and hospitality venues throughout Loudoun County. For the latest news on the music scene and other community events, go to getoutloudoun.com.

CONTRIBUTORS Contributors Martin Bonica Renss Greene Jan Mercker Norman K. Styer

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VINES 2020 was to be a year of celebration for Carl DiManno and this Governor’s Cupwinning team at 868 Estate Vineyards, then COVID-19 stopped the party.

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THE INTERVIEW Purcellville singer-songwriter Grant Frazier has followed up his 2016 debut with a new album, “In This Moment.”

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TUNES Songwriter Ken Francis Wenzel captures the emotions of the time in new single “Healing Heart.”

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BREWS One of Loudoun’s pioneering nanobreweries turning up its production.

ON THE COVER Photo by Douglas Graham Loudoun’s wide-open spaces, like this view from Dirt Farm Brewery in Bluemont, will likely be popular attractions as area residents move beyond their coronavirus isolation.

TO ADVERTISE Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or sales@loudounnow.com JULY 2020

getoutloudoun.com GET OUT LOUDOUN

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Loudoun is Ready Starting a business is always a leap of faith, but what about starting a business in the middle of a global pandemic? After months of lockdown, Loudoun is opening again and—astonishingly enough—a slate of exciting new restaurants and cafes are among the enterprises flinging open their doors.

“Our grand debut had been set for March, but then COVID came and we had to pivot,” said Monica Pindell, owner of Mocatinas, a chic new dessert house in historic downtown Leesburg.

Pindell, who left a corporate job to start Mocatinas—“an A-Z in candy, cookies, ice cream and espresso drinks,”—turned to online sales to stay afloat, selling two-pint ice cream packs with toppings, which she dubbed “Social to Go.” The kits have been such a hit that she has decided to keep them on the menu when the shop, which has a downstairs café and upstairs event space, reopens in full.

To enhance her presence, and put her customers’ minds at ease, Pindell has also signed Loudoun Is Ready, a pledge campaign launched by Loudoun Economic Development, Visit Loudoun and the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce to prepare local businesses and consumers as restrictions are lifted.

Participants—restaurants, wineries, gyms, hotels and more—pledge to meet government safety guidelines and in return receive a Loudoun Is Ready sticker, campaign button and a listing on Loudounisready.com.

“We’re proud to be a part of Loudoun Is Ready,” Pindell said. “Mocatinas is taking a serious approach to our commitment by adhering to the most stringent safety and sanitizing guidelines.”

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Another new business—a Loudoun Is Ready signatory—is set to open in downtown Middleburg in July. The brainchild of chef and master sommelier Jarad Slipp, Knead Wine is a boutique retail wine shop with a twist: Slipp will be making and selling gourmet pizza to-go, along with bottles of Pinot, Cab and Chablis he has sourced from lesser known wine regions across the world.

“We fell in love with Middleburg and Loudoun through its wineries,” said Hospitality Director Allie Nault. “There was never a question of us not opening. Now, with Loudoun Is Ready, we’re raring to go.”

In eastern Loudoun, Asian food fans will be raring to sample the delights of Lee Tai Tai, the sleek new 148-seat Belmont Chase restaurant of veteran chef and developer, Michael Lee. “Things happen,” Lee said of the emergency measures of lockdown. “But people always have to eat, and when we are allowed to open properly, we will feed them something wonderful.”

For more information, visit visitloudoun.org/getout

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JULY 2020

Fresh Air, Open Spaces a Draw for COVID-conscious Visitors As Virginia emerges from months of business shutdowns and calls for residents to stay at home, Loudoun’s tourism destinations are geared up to welcome back visitors, with a focus providing them with confidence that their safety is a top priority.

County leaders have put a priority on assuring consumer confidence, starting with a “We are Ready” campaign in which businesses publicly commit to state and CDC-recommended best practices for physical distancing and sanitation.

The goal is to ensure visitors take home a favorite bottle of wine and a valued memory of spending time with family and friends, without fear of exposure to the virus.

More than 500 county businesses have signed the “Loudoun is Ready” pledge.

With international travel, or even airplane flights, off the table for many vacationers this year, Loudoun’s open spaces and rural attractions are expected to see an uptick in visitors looking for a fresh-air daytrips or weekend getaways.

“People are going to want to come out to an area with the rare open spaces, fresh air, great food, wine, ability to start connecting with people in a way that they have not had in a while in a safe environment, or a perceived safe environment,” Visit Loudoun CEO Beth Erickson said. “So, I think that one of the other things that’s going to be key, is the consumer confidence in the safety of the venues and the destination when they start going back in. And that’s why it’s so critically important that we manage this situation well.”

It isn’t just Loudoun’s rural brewery and winery settings that are attracting COVID-conscious visitors. The county’s scenic gravel roads are a regional attraction for cyclists. And thousands of acres of parkland managed by NovaParks, the county government and even historic properties like Morven Park near Leesburg offer miles of hiking trials and space to keep away from the crowds.

“We will be here when they are ready. And when they get here, they will have a great experience,” Erickson said.

JULY 2020

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VINES

Winemaker Carl DiManno turned an ornamental grape planting into the commonwealth’s top wine prize.

Photo: Renss Greene

868 Estate Vineyards Looks Ahead After Stunted Governor’s Cup Celebration

BY JAN MERCKER

Typically, the winemaker who hoist the treasured Governor’s Cup honoring the commonwealth’s top wine enjoys a months-long celebration of that accomplishment. Carl DiManno and his team at 868 Estate Vineyards missed out on most of that.

Just weeks after winning the coveted award, Virginia’s tasting rooms—and most of everything else—shut down as part of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

DiManno said the winery celebrated the achievement with a “really good” weekend immediately following the announcement, a “pretty good” weekend after that. The full closure hit the next weekend. DiManno said the interviews he had lined up with magazines and newspapers all disappeared, leaving the winery with little fanfare. He said the 868 team was planning to get through the initial four weeks of attention before planning any further celebrations.

“We didn’t get a chance to get there,” DiManno said.

patrons hoping to take home a bottle of 2017 Vidal Blanc Passito will be out of luck. The tasting room is sold out, he said. The next vintage won’t be ready until next year.

The award-winning dessert wine was made with estate-grown vidal blanc grapes initially planted for curb appeal thanks to DiManno’s innovative approach that embraces trial and error.

“Whether it’s curiosity or boredom, I like to experiment when I have the bandwidth to do that,” said DiManno, a former chemical engineer who fell in love with wine while working for an oil company in New Orleans. His passion ramped up when he was hired by Chevron and relocated to Northern California. Visiting wineries on weekends became a regular thing, and DiManno eventually realized he wanted to make wine into more than a hobby. He enrolled in the prestigious enology program at the University of California Davis and immersed himself in the science of winemaking.

As part of that program, DiManno interned at Artesa Vineyards in the Napa Valley, working with noted winemaker Don Van Staaveren. But the East Coast called when DiManno met the acclaimed

As crowds flock back to Loudoun’s wineries, 6

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868 ESTATES

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JULY 2020

868 ESTATES

Virginia viticulturist and consultant Lucie Morton, who connected DiManno with Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Montgomery County, MD. DiManno was hired as a vineyard manager rather than the winemaking side, boosting his grapegrowing chops.

“It was a really good experience,” DiManno said. “I learned a lot in a really short period of time.”

DiManno and his family moved to Ashburn to split the commuting difference between Sugarloaf and his wife Erin’s corporate job in Fairfax County. The couple still lives in Ashburn with their 18-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son.

While at Sugarloaf, DiManno started his own Revolution label, a small garagiste operation that kicked off with a cabernet franc rose using Virginia-grown grapes. DiManno also was briefly hired as a winemaking consultant for the popular but ill-fated Oasis Winery in Fauquier run by notorious socialite and White House gate crasher Tareq Salahi. The upside of that experience was connecting with his current business partners Nancy and Peter Deliso, who were looking to buy a Virginia vineyard property. DiManno and the Delisos bought the 90 acres nestled between the Blue Ridge and Short Hill Mountain that became 868 in 2011 and merged with Grandale Farm restaurant next door the following year, opening a tasting room across from the restaurant. DiManno launched the 868 label in 2012, named for the elevation of a scenic hillside on the property.

Ironically, the award-winning vidal blanc grapes were initially planted for esthetic appeal, with DiManno’s initial intent being to plant hardy hybrid grapes in more visible locations while focusing on more sought-after European varietals for winemaking.

“The original planting of the vidal blanc was so that we could see vines from the tasting room,” he said with a chuckle.

Since vidal blanc is successfully used in ice wines in vineyard regions farther north, DiManno decided to try a dessert wine with 868’s estategrown grapes. But his first attempt in 2016, a late harvest wine made by leaving grapes on the vine for an extended period, fell flat.

“That didn’t quite work out,” DiManno said. “The question was how do we make this better.”

JULY 2020

DiManno decided to take a different approach with the 2017 harvest, using the Italian passito method, which involves partially drying grapes before pressing, concentrating sugars and intensifying flavors. The grapes were pressed after losing around 25 percent of their volume, DiManno said, fermented, kept in barrels around 14 months and bottled in the spring of 2019.

“The first was a swing and a miss,” DiManno said.

“The second seemed to work out.”

Carl DiManno poses with the Governor’s Cup, which visitors can see on display at the 868 Estate Vineyards tasting room near Hillsboro.

Photo: Renss Greene

The result is the first Virginia Governor’s Cup winner made entirely of Loudoun grapes. Loudoun’s previous cup win—in 2017 by the Barns of Hamilton Station Vineyards—used outsourced grapes from elsewhere in the state.

“That struck us as a point of emphasis,” DiManno said. “We wanted to focus on the fact that it was Loudoun-grown fruit, made into wine in Loudoun.”

The award brings new visibility to the vineyard and restaurant at Loudoun’s northwestern edge as DiManno’s love of experimentation pays off.

“When things go wrong, I can usually figure out why. I can’t always fix them, but I can figure out why. At the same time, there’s some experimentation,” he said. “The ones that work, we stick with and the ones that don’t, we put them on the shelf.”

For more information about 868 Estate Vineyards and its award-winning Passito, go to 868estatevineyards.com.

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WINERIES 1 8 Chains North Winery 38593 Daymont Ln., Waterford, VA 8chainsnorth.com 2 868 Estate Vineyards 14001 Harpers Ferry Rd., Purcellville 868estatevineyards.com 3 The Barns at Hamilton Station 16804 Hamilton Station Rd., Hamilton thebarnsathamiltonstation.com 4 Bluemont Vineyard 18755 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont bluemontvineyard.com 5 Bogati Winery 35246 Harry Byrd Hwy., Round Hill bogatiwinery.com 6 Boxwood Estate Winery 2042 Burrland Rd., Middleburg boxwoodwinery.com 7 Breaux Vineyards 36888 Breaux Vineyards Ln., Hillsboro breauxvineyards.com

8 Buzzo Family Vineyards 35226 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro bozwines.com 9 Cana Vineyards of Middleburg 38600 John Mosby Hwy., Middleburg canavineyards.com 10 Casanel Vineyards 17952 Canby Rd., Leesburg casanelvineyards.com 11 Chrysalis Vineyards 39025 John Mosby Hwy., Aldie chrysaliswine.com 12 Corcoran Vineyards & Cider 14635 Corkys Farm Ln., Waterford corcoranvineyards.com 13 Creek’s Edge Winery 41255 Annas Ln., Lovettsville creeksedgewinery.com 14 Crushed Cellars 37938 Charles Town Pike, Purcellville crushedcellars.com

15` Doukenie Winery 14727 Mountain Rd., Hillsboro doukeniewinery.com 16 Dry Mill Vineyards & Winery 18195 Dry Mill Rd., Leesburg drymillwine.com 17 Fabbioli Cellars 15669 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg fabbioliwines.com 18 Fleetwood Farm Winery 23075 Evergreen Mills Rd., Leesburg fleetwoodfarmwinery.com 19 Forever Farm & Vineyards 15779 Woodgrove Road, Purcellville foreverfarmandvineyard.com 20 Greenhill Winery & Vineyards 23595 Winery Ln., Middleburg greenhillvineyards.com 21 Hidden Brook Winery 43301 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg hiddenbrookwinery.com

22 Hiddencroft Vineyards 12202 Axline Rd., Lovettsville hiddencroftvineyards.com 23 Hunters Run Wine Barn 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton huntersrunwinebarn.com 24 Lost Creek Winery 43285 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg lostcreekwinery.com 25 Maggie Malick Wine Caves 12138 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro maggiemalickwinecaves.com 26 Otium Cellars 18050 Tranquility Rd., Purcellville otiumcellars.com 27 Stone Tower Winery 19925 Hogback Mountain Rd., L’burg stonetowerwinery.com

28 Stonehouse Meadery 36580 Shoemaker School Rd., Purcellville stonehousemeadery.com 29 Sunset Hills Vineyard 38295 Fremont Overlook Ln, Purcellville sunsethillsvineyard.com 30 Tarara Winery 13648 Tarara Ln, Leesburg tarara.com 31 Terra Nebulo 39792 Old Waterford Rd., Waterford terranebulo.com 32 Two Twisted Posts Winery 12944 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro twotwistedposts.com 33 Village Winery 40405 Browns Lane, Waterford villagewineryandvineyards.com

34 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards 38906 Mount Gilead Rd., Leesburg willowcroftwine.com 35 The Wine Reserve at Waterford 38516 Charles Town Pike, Waterford waterfordwinereserve.com 36 Walsh Family Wine 16031 Hillsboro Rd., Purcellville northgatevineyard.com 37 Winery 32 15066 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg winery32.com 38 Zephaniah Farm Vineyard 19381 Dunlop Mill Rd., Leesburg zephwine.com

BREWERIES 1 Adroit Theory Brewing 404 Browning Ct., Purcellville adroit-theory.com 2 B Chord Brewing Company 34266 Williams Gap Rd., Round Hill bchordbrewing.com 3 Barnhouse Brewery 43271 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg barnhousebrewery.com 4 Bear Chase Brewing 33665 Bear Chase Ln., Bluemont bearchasebrew.com 5 Belly Love Brewing Company 725 E. Main St., Purcellville bellylovebrewing.com 6 Beltway Brewing Company 22620 Davis Dr. Ste 110, Sterling beltwaybrewco.com 7 Black Hoof Brewing Company 11 South King St., Leesburg blackhoofbrewing.com 8 Black Walnut Brewery 210 S. King St., Leesburg blackwalnutbrewery.com 9 Crooked Run Brewing Central 22455 Davis Dr., Sterling crookedrunbrewing.com 10 Crooked Run Brewing Market Station, Leesburg crookedrunbrewing.com

11 Dirt Farm Brewing 18701 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont dirtfarmbrewing.com 12 Dog Money Rest. & Brewery 50 Catoctin Circle NE, Leesburg dogmoney.squarespace.com 13 Dynasty Brewing Company 21140 Ashburn Crossing Drive, Ashburn 101 Loudoun St, SE, Leesburg dynastybrewing.com 14 Harper’s Ferry Brewing 37412 Adventure Ctr. Lane, Hillsboro harpersferrybrewing.com 15 House 6 Brewing 4427 Atwater Dr., Ashburn house6brewing.com 16 Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Rd. #142, Ashburn lostrhino.com 17 Loudoun Brewing Company 310 E. Market St., Leesburg loudounbrewing.com 18 Ocelot Brewing Company 23600 Overland Dr., #180, Dulles ocelotbrewing.com 19 Old 690 Brewing Company 15670 Ashbury Church Rd., Hillsboro old690.com

20 Old Ox Brewery 44652 Guilford Dr., Ste 114, Ashburn oldoxbrewery.com 21 Old Ox Brewery Middleburg 14 S Madison St, Middleburg, VA 22 Phase 2 Brewing 19382 Diamond Lake Dr, Lansdowne Phase2Brewing.com 23 Rocket Frog Brewing Company 22560 Glenn Dr. #103, Sterling rocketfrogbeer.com 24 Solace Brewing Company 42615 Trade West Dr., Sterling solacebrewing.com 25 Sweetwater Tavern 45980 Waterview Plaza, Sterling greatamericanrestaurants.com 26 The Craft of Brewing 21140 Ashburn Crossing Dr., Ashburn thecraftob.com 27 Twinpanzee Brewing Co. 101 Executive Dr., Sterling twinpanzee.com 28 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery 42245 Black Hops Ln., Lucketts vanishbeer.com 29 Wheatland Springs Farm 38454 John Wolford Rd., Waterford

BREWERIES & WINERIES 1 Hillsborough Brewery & Vineyards 36716 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro hillsboroughwine.com

2 Notaviva Craft Fermentations 13274 Sagle Rd., Hillsboro notavivavineyards.com

3 Quattro Goomba’s Brewery & Winery 22860 James Monroe Hwy., Aldie goombawine.com

Frazier finds his ‘moment’

BY MARTIN BONICA

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ike many performers during the COVID shutdown, singer-songwriter Grant Frazier has been broadcasting performances from his home over Facebook and Instagram.

For Frazier, the shows, accompanied by a steady drip of singles, were part of the buildup to the release of his second album, “In This Moment.”

Recorded at Arbor Ridge Studios in North Carolina, this album is the product of a collaboration with producer Daniel Levi Goans of Lowland Hum, and its smooth but dynamic sound marks a development from his 2016 debut, “Runaway.”

Frazier’s 2016 debut was recorded at M80 Recording Studio in Purcellville the summer after his freshman year of college. He had been releasing songs sporadically on SoundCloud, but decided that summer to start recording formally.

“I knew I had a batch of songs that I felt were good enough to put some money toward to get into a studio, but I couldn’t really find the space, or the right people to work with,” Frazier said. He made his connection with the studio’s owners after he performed at the Purcellville Music and Arts Festival. “I was the very first artist to record there,” he said. “It was a brand new studio.”

The album, with Frazier backed by cellist Nick Rupert, bassist Will Finn, drummer Nathaniel Davis, and guitarist Pete Durand, has a homegrown, in-the-moment feeling to it. Cello, piano, and an anchor of acoustic guitars and brushed drums create a spacious yet cozy soundscape. Frazier delivers his lyrics, which paint pictures of relationships and self-reflection, in a manner ranging from a croon to a drawnout falsetto.

Its followup, “In This Moment,” could be described as more poppy. “Don’t Wanna Think About That” is evocative of a John Mayer song (one of Frazier’s biggest influences), with very slightly funky muted rhythm guitar and flourishes of electric from guest keyboardist Charles Cleaver. “Welcome Home, Virginia” is more Credit: Maggie Graff, IgnitedCreative

FRAZIER

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evocative of his earlier work—a breezier, propulsive song anchored by a relentless train beat and swells of lap steel guitar. “Pick You Up” sits somewhere in the middle, with a steady backbeat, almost entirely electric, with some unexpected splashes of synthesizer.

Frazier wasn’t concerned about his sophomore effort sounding over-polished or indistinct; he credits his studio collaborators for helping him achieve his vision. “I felt like I knew what sound I was going for. I had a lot of different ideas for production that we ended up using in the songs, and Daniel had a ton of ideas as well. ... We went into the studio and it was one of those things where we had an idea and a roadmap, but we were also open to seeing where the magic of the studio space could take us,” Frazier said. He cites Cleaver’s keyboard playing on “Don’t Wanna Think About That” as a standout moment in the sessions. “He was able to do something that I never envisioned before for the song.”

“We went into the studio and it was one of those things where we had an idea and a roadmap, but we were also open to seeing where the magic of the studio space could take us.”

To facilitate their use of session musicians, Frazier and Goans planned their studio time meticulously, arranging tracking sessions for particular songs around the availability of specific player. The album includes Jeff Crawford on bass, Daniel Seriff on guitars, Daniel Faust on drums, Rusty Smith on trumpet, and Charles Owens on saxophone.

The plan had been for the album to come out in April, accompanied by a record release show at the Southern Cafe and Music Hall in Charlottesville. However, like most performing artists in the spring of 2020, Frazier’s plans had to change because of the social distancing protocols put in place to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Frazier made the decision JULY 2020

“In This Moment,” the second album by a Purcellville singer/songwriter Grant Frazier is available on streaming platforms

to delay the release. “I felt like it wasn’t the right time,” he said. “Everything was getting shut down, anxiety was high, and as a country we were trying to figure out how we were going to move on from here and adapt to the new life that we’re living right now.”

Prior to the concert freeze, Frazier made regular appearances in both Loudoun County having played Leesburg’s “Acoustic on the Green” three times, and a fixture on the winery/brewery circuit and Charlottesville, where he attended UVA as a pre-med student, finishing his final semester remotely.

“Up in Northern Virginia, I feel like there are a lot more familiar faces, but down in Charlottesville I’m still working on trying to establish myself in that area,” he said. He found the fallback to online performances this spring, actually helped build bonds with his audience.

“I feel like as an artist during this time, I feel like it’s my responsibility to share my music with people so it can give them 10 or 15 minutes of getting their mind off of everything that’s going on, the craziness, the state of the world. I feel like it’s important for all of us as artists to find new avenues to reach the listeners,” he said.

“In This Moment” is available on streaming platforms. His music can be found online at grantfraziermusic.com, and his live appearances on Instagram and Facebook can be seen on @grantfraizermusic.

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TUNES WENZEL RELEASES COVID-INSPIRED ‘HEALING HEART’ Like many of Loudoun’s singersongwriters, Ken Francis Wenzel life on the performance stage came to a sudden halt in mid-March.

The COVID-19 shutdown closed down the wineries and breweries where he’d typically be playing weekend shows.

As Loudoun’s entertainment scene begins its revival, Wenzel emerges from quarantine with a new gift for his audiences. His latest single, “Healing Hearts,” was inspired by life during the pandemic and the strength of the community in fighting through—together. The lyrics became still more poignant as protesters took to the streets seeking to end racial injustice.

In the song, the singer laments the deserted streets, learning how to make masks, working to stretch a budget, and the isolation felt by so many. But the chorus celebrates the strong feeling of community that emerged as neighbors work to help each other through the crisis.

Wenzel said the song came to him during the last weekend in April. After playing it a few times during his livestream shows and porch concerts, he headed to Mark Williams’ Sucker Punch Recording Studios in Bethesda, MD, and quickly knocked it out. Friends, including Tommy Gann, on keyboards, recorded parts from their home studios to lay in.

It’s been six years since his most recent CD and he has quite a few unrecorded songs. This one seemed special.

“The reaction I got is the reason I decided to record it,” he said. “I felt this deserved to get down.”

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The single was released Monday, with a special video debuting five days later. The video features a montage of images of life during the pandemic. After it was complete, George Floyd was killed and the protests began. The video was updated to capture those emotions, as well. He plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from the single Wenzel is donating a portion of the proceeds.colorofchange.org and the CDC Foundation.

“Good songs can allow you interpret meaning and speak to events that are happening,” he said, adding that the emotional challenges of the coronavirus crisis will be with us all for quite a while.

Meanwhile, Wenzel is getting back on the concert circuit. You can catch him Sunday afternoon from 1-4 p.m. at the Barns of Hamilton Station Vineyard.

Learn more at kenwenzelmusic.com.

LEESBURG SONGWRITER GETS NATIONAL—AND USHER’S—ATTENTION An NBC series designed to put the spotlight on the craft of songwriting has brought Leesburg’s Ryan Cambetes national recognition.

In the season finale of “Songland,” on June 15, celebrity judge Usher chose to record his song “Staying Over”—which was renamed “California” during the recrafting process on the show—from among the works pitched by four contestants. Usher recorded the song with Tyga. It is available on streaming sites.

Follow Cambetes’ work on streaming and social media sites using his stage name Ryan Cam.

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JULY 2020

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Loudoun’s Dining 

FORDS FISH SHACK Consistently voted Loudoun residents’ favorite place for seafood, Ford’s offers fresh seafood in a family-dining atmosphere at three locations, as well as a catering arm and a food truck operation.

Ashburn-44260 Ice Rink Plaza, Ashburn, VA 20147 (571) 918-4092 • fordsfishshack.com Lansdowne-19308 Promenade Dr., Leesburg, VA 20176 (571) 333-1301 • fordsfishshack.com South Riding 25031 Riding Plaza, Chantilly, VA 20152 (703) 542-7520 • fordsfishshack.com

SPANKY’S SHENANIGANS Known as one of the Loudoun’s favorite bars, Spanky’s Shenanigans is a popular destination from its morning breakfast menu to its ample roster of live music performers.

538 E Market St, Leesburg, VA 20176 (703) 777-2454 • spankyspub.com

LIGHTFOOT RESTAURANT Inside an historic bank building in downtown Leesburg, the Zagat-rated Lightfoot provides both a fine-dining experience and a gathering place for locals. Executive Chef Ingrid Gustavson serves up American cuisine with southern and ethnic accents.

11 North King Street Leesburg, VA 20176 703-771-2233 • lightfootrestaurant.com

TUSCARORA MILL Known by locals as Tuskies, the restaurant is located inside a restored 19th century grain mill in Leesburg’s historic district. Offering everything from locally sourced fine dining to a casual bar experience, it’s been a dining destination for more than three decades.

203 Harrison St SE, Leesburg, VA 20175 (703) 771-9300 • tuskies.com

JULY 2020

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Loudoun Brewing Turns Up the Tap

Phil Fust is brewing more beer more quickly with a new four-barrel system imported from Sweden.

Photo: Norman K. Styer

BY NORMAN K. STYER

status before showing up to as a volunteer at the brewery.

Loudoun Brewing Company, the pioneering nanobrewery that helped launch downtown Leesburg’s craft beverage scene, will celebrate its fifth anniversary this fall.

“I never got my home system completely put together. I brewed in a couple people’s houses and then when I volunteered with the original owner here.”

During most of those years, Phil Fust has been concocting his recipes—more than 160 of them—in a 30-gallon system, pushing out small batch after small batch. Fust upgraded this spring to a super-efficient, high-tech system imported from Sweden.

The result is a savings on his grain and hops bills, but, more importantly, double the beer in half the time. That doesn’t mean any less work for Fust, who can be found at the East Market Street brewery almost every day.

The system is one of less than two dozen in operation in the U.S., but it fits well into the small space available.

“This building, obviously, was never meant to be a brewery,” Fust said of the small office building that most recently housed a title loan company.

“But it is and it works pretty good.”

Perhaps as much as the brewery space differs from others in Loudoun, Fust isn’t your typical brewer. He never even achieved home-brewer 14

Patrick and Alamna Steffens opened Loudoun Brewing Company in 2015, but their plans changed with the arrival of a new baby. Fust took over the brewing responsibility and then, took over as co-owner along with his wife, Shannon.

Among the most popular brews over the years have been the Loudoun United-branded Unified golden ale, the #LoudounLove collaboration red ale, the Loud & Brewing IPA, and The Dog’s Bollocks dry Irish stout.

While continuing to refine the use of the new brewing system—“I have to tell you, I was pretty intimidated when I first got it”—Fust also is looking to expand beyond downtown Leesburg.

“I’m having a good time, but it is a lot of work though,” he said. “I’ve been self-employed since I was 25 so hard work is not a problem.”

Loudoun Brewing Company is located at 310 E. Market St. in Leesburg’s Historic District and is opens at 2 p.m.

Monday through Thursday and noon on weekends. Learn more at loudounbrewing.com.

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JULY 2020

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Loudoun’s Attractions 

LOUDOUN HERITAGE FARM MUSEUM Travel through time to meet the 10 generations of Loudoun County residents who built this county and left their mark on the land. Exhibits include a schoolhouse, general store, Native American artifact display and the American Workhorse Museum Collection.

21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling, VA 20164 (571) 258-3800 • heritagefarmmuseum.org

LOUDOUN MUSEUM With a collection of more than 8,000 artifacts, the museum tells Loudoun’s story over its 260-year history, with an ever-changing selection of special exhibits on Native American settlements, World War II memorabilia, the county’s role in the Civil Wars, along with displays of antique clothing and furniture.

16 Loudoun Street SW Leesburg, Virginia 20175 (703) 777-7427 • loudounmuseum.org

MORVEN PARK Morven Park is a 1,000-acre historic estate on the edge of Leesburg that was home to Virginia governor and agricultural pioneer Westmoreland Davis. Tours of the Greek Revival mansion include 16th century Belgian tapestries, Spanish cassones, hundreds of silver pieces, Hudson River Valley paintings, and Asian treasures. The estate also features the Winmill Carriage Museum, the Museum of Hounds and Hunting of North America, formal boxwood gardens, miles of hiking and riding trails, and athletic fields.

17195 Southern Planter Lane Leesburg, VA 20176 703-777-2414 • morvenpark.org

OATLANDS HISTORIC HOUSE & GARDENS The 415-acre Oatlands estate, owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers tours of the historic mansion, extensive gardens and outbuildings that include the oldest standing greenhouse in the South. Exhibits focus on the lives of the Carter and Eustis families who building the estate, as well as the lives of enslaved people who lived and worked there.

20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg, VA 20175 703.777.3174 • oatlands.org

* During the COVID-19 pandemic, many venues have limited hours of operations and special requirements such as advance reservations. It is best to call ahead before making your visit.

JULY 2020

GET OUT LOUDOUN

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#LoudounIsReady What does “Loudoun is Ready” Mean?

The time is now to welcome you back and we want to show you Loudoun Is Ready! Hundreds of Loudoun companies are committed to meet the latest state and national safety guidelines.

Hundreds of Loudoun companies took the pledge to meet safety guidelines

Visit LoudounIsReady.com to see which businesses have taken the pledge and are ready for your return.

See a list of businessess that took the pledge

Look for the Loudoun Is Ready window cling, banners and social distancing floor markers in all your favorite stores, restaurants, tasting rooms and other attractions as business owners proudly show they value your confidence in their business.

Look for the “Loudoun is Ready” banners and stickers

LOUDOUN BUSINESSES ARE READY Local businesses are taking the proper steps to welcome you back!

LoudounIsReady.com