to Little washington winery

Located in Washington, Virginia, Little Washington Winery, is renowned for its Dirt Road Wine Academy and Foodie-U Wine School. Fun & Educational classes offer the opportunity to deepen your understanding and appreciation of wine. The Dirt Road Wine Academy emphasizes a hands-on, experiential approach to learning about wine, incorporating wine-making workshops, food & wine pairing classes and regional tastings. Expand your knowledge and passion for wine - Come Play!

LITTLE WASHINGTON WINERY IS HOME OF

THE DIRT ROAD WINE ACADEMY and foodie-u wine school

OUR WINEMAKERS & SOMMS LEAD SEATED CLASSES

RESERVATIONS online IN ADVANCE ARE REQUIRED

Getting in on our fun is easy … Check out the classes below. Select a class & date. Come play!

FOOD & WINE PAIRING CLASSES happen at little washington winery’s fOODIE-U WINE SCHOOL

**Wine Bootcamp**
**BOOK BOOTCAMP**
This is the class that started it all! The day we announced it 1700 people signed up! Then they said what’s next? Our wine ed classes have kept us surviving for over13 years! This class is all the things nobody else tells you except Carl - how to choose a bottle in a wine shop, how to achieve aeration perfection, how white wine is made, how red wine is made, why you should be loving rosés and how to find the good ones, how to behave in a restaurant. Not so basic training - You could call this class “Wine 301”.

**15 Rules of Food & Wine**
**BOOK 15 RULES**
The “that’s a lot of food nibblers” class. Our winemaker, Donna, leads a tasting full of whites, rosés, reds and sweet wines. Along the way exquisite citrusy, savory, spicy, salty, bitter, umami and sweet food nibblers are added to the class in order to demonstrate in the 15 rules of perfect food & wine pairing. You’ll be amazed what can happen to your palate with a perfectly matched pairing and what can go absolutely incredibly wrong when you put conflicting food and/or wine in your mouth at the same time.

**Vintners Table Learning Lunch**
**BOOK VINTNERS TABLE**
Culinary - This guided wine and food pairing happens at lunch time with our winemaker, Donna, using five categories of wine and tapas sized food pairings to take you all the way through a lunchtime meal, including three entrees, three cheeses in the cheese course, three desserts and three chocolate delicacies. You’ll learn how to get perfect pairings every time. Learn what happens when you go a little too far with a wine. Experience the “aha” moment that could save your life at parties. Come hungry - this is a guided learning lunch.

**Molecular Pairing**
**BOOK MOLECULAR PAIRING**
Have you noticed chefs are being a bit more creative these days? Perfectly cooked potatoes, delicious peas and smoked cheese. Easy to make and delicious. Top Scientists have spent the better part of two decades collaborating with chefs to map out the aromatic molecules that give foods and wines their flavor. Thanks to all of that exhausting research, we are now able to identify why certain foods and wines work well together. Learn the simple set of molecular principles that explain how to create ideal harmonies in food and wine.

**Cheeseology**
**BOOK CHEESEOLOGY**
Learn how to pair wines and cheeses. We will break down that daunting grocery store cheese aisle experience for you. No, there are not six million cheeses - there are six. Every cheese in the store fits into one of six categories. In this tasting of wine with cheeses - we’ll start by taking your personality quiz, then build on your own preferences for wine to pair the 6 categories of cheese with the 6 categories of wine. We’ll make it easy peasy for you shop for cheese and come out of that daunting cheese aisle with a perfect wine & cheese pairing every time.

**Triple Threat**
**BOOK THRIPLE THREAT**
This is the class we said we would never attempt all at once! Then we caved for our enthusiastically convincing crew member who thought up the idea! In this tasting we'll taste all of our vices in one sitting … cheeses and chocolate desserts and wines all together to see what it does to our palate. Somebody's got to do it right? If you get the right wine to complement the right cheese or chocolate it can be a match made in heaven! Learn how to appreciate these picky flavors and pair them well.

**Anatomy of Epic Nosh Board**
**BOOK EPIC NOSH BOARD**
The Charcuterie Board is a culinary adventure that wine enthusiasts love! Lots of Savory goodies on a board that consist of an array of cured meats, cheeses, fresh fruit, pickled things, jams, sauces and culinary wild cards to be paired with beer or wine. What’s wrong with this picture? Some of your favorite nosh foods are definitely ruining your wine! Learn how to upgrade the charcuterie adventure to an epic “NOSH” board that tantalizes your taste buds with every bite. We’ll narrow in on which foods do and which foods do not belong on this board.

**Everyday OR Splurge?**
**BOOK SPLURGE**
Everyone has their own price range on wine – what’s yours? Everyday $-$?, Premium $-$?, Splurge $? to $? Can you identify the price bracket of a wine in a blind tasting? In this class we’ll explore wines with food elements in a blind tasting to see if we can identify the expensive splurge wine and if it’s worth splurging! We’ll also reveal some wines to consider if you are going for the splurge. Our goal is to have you walk out of this class knowing when to splurge and what to splurge on when you need a mind blowing wine!

**Aromas Matter**
**BOOK AROMAS MATTER**
Can you describe the taste of a peach without saying it tastes like something else? Have you ever wondered why wineries describe each of their wines as tasting like something totally unrelated to a grape? Apples, blackberries, leather, earthy?? Wine smells (and tastes) like virtually every fruit in the book, except for grapes! When it comes to wine, it’s our olfactory abilities that allow us to discern the sheer variety of flavors that are offered up in a sip of wine. Aroma refers to the smells unique to the grape variety - lychee aromas of Gewürztraminer, petroleum essence of Riesling, barnyardy smell in French Pinot Noir. Learn what Somms look for to detect varietals of wine.

**How to Pair Dessert & Wine**
**BOOK DESSERT & WINE**
Let’s explore the impossible pairing! Experts say dessert and wine cannot possibly be put into your mouth at the same time. Technically they are right - better be careful, some of these flavors are in definite conflict! Wine enhances taste, creating an entirely new flavor profile. Desserts are no different. Making the perfect dessert and wine pairing can be an incredible way to end a memorable evening. You may be hard pressed to find anyone upset with the wrong wine & dessert pairing (it IS wine and it IS dessert after all). This tasting will show you how to get a perfect pairing every time!

**Wine Blending Lab**
**BOOK BLENDING LAB**
Be a winemaker for a day and see how we do it! Learn how we make our master piece blends. In this tasting experience, you get to mix and match single varietals to make your own perfect masterpiece of wine. We will load you up with varietals in test tubes and a sip of our own masterpiece we call "George" then guide you through an in-depth understanding of what each varietal brings to the equation. Then we will turn you loose to create your own perfect masterpiece of wine. Your recipe can be added to our lockbox so that you can come and make a batch of your own concoction for your special occasions.

**WINEMAKERS SUPPER**
**BOOK SUPPER**
Join owners Carl & Donna for a celebration of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter at our Winemakers Supper Series! Let’s celebrate the seasons with a Farm to Table Supper in all 4 seasons of the year here in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains at the base of America’s prettiest road, Skyline Drive. We’re located right in the foothills of Shenandoah National Park west of Washington DC.
**April 20**
**July 20**
**October 12**
**December 14**

WINE-centric classes - Taste through famous wine REGIONS OF THE WORLD at the Dirt Road Wine Academy

**Iconic Masterpieces of Wine**
**BOOK ICONIC MASTERPIECES**
Wine has been produced for thousands of years, with evidence of ancient wine production from 6000 BC (the earliest known traces of wine). Wine production and consumption increased, burgeoning from the 15th century onwards as part of European expansion. Despite the devastating 1887 phylloxera infestation, modern science and technology adapted. In this class Carl will talk about history as we taste through the world’s most famous wines that have achieved cult standing as Iconic Masterpiece wines of the World.

**80 Minutes Around The World**
**BOOK 80 MINUTES**
Get to know the famous wine regions in the world and why they are where they are. Our winemaker, Carl, takes you on an incredible tasting journey of wine without ever needing to apply for a visa! Learn to tell your volcanic ash terroir from your sea salt and sand terroir, your steens from your pinotages, your left bank from your right, the healthiest wines on the planet (where 1 glass of wine equals an hour and a half workout in the gym) and more in this 80 minute wine geography lesson.

**Alsace is in France** (for now)
**BOOK ALCASE REGION**
The history of Alsace wine has been influenced by the repeated changes of nationality of the Alsace region, which has passed from France to Germany and vice versa several times throughout history. Post World War II wine styles in Alsace and Germany diverged, as Alsace wines remained fully fermented, that is dry, intended to be paired with food. In recent decades, German wines have become drier and more powerful, while some Alsace wines have become sweeter as late harvest and dessert style wines have been "rediscovered".

**Guess the $100 Bordeaux**
**BOOK BORDEAUX**
The Bordeaux region of France is the most famous and highly coveted wine region in the world. The Gironde estuary cuts through the center of the region creating two banks: a left bank and a right bank. Discover why the left bank wine style is completely opposite from the right bank style and when to choose which for perfect pairings, and all about petit chateaus with Carl as you taste wines blindly with a flight of Bordeauxs. Guess the $100 bottle and your next class is free!

**South Africa Wine**
**BOOK SOUTH AFRICA**
South Africa’s time to shine on the world wine stage has definitely arrived. To find the world's hottest new wine region, look for the place that has gone through turmoil. A significant proportion of the best South African wines today were not being made in 2000. Our winemakers are taking a survey of wines and varietals from this land of stunning beauty; Learn your steens from your pinotages, sample some surprising styles of your favorite varietals coming out of South Africa, oh and hear all about our favorite Zimbabwean winemaker as as explore the world of emerging South African wines.

**Virginia VS The World™**
**BOOK VA VS WORLD**
Thomas Jefferson had a vision … of vineyards lacing the Virginia landscape. And, along with the vines certain economic benefits – not to mention the resulting prestige, pleasure and refinement of enjoying fine wine. Virginia is ready to go head-to-head with world class wines! Be the judge in an exciting blind tasting as Virginia wines are tasted side-by-side with international competitors.

**Elusive & Iconic ITALY**
**BOOK ITALY**
With over 350 native grapes in Italy, without question, Italy provides a staggering percentage of the world's most distinctive and exalted wines. In addition, the sheer breadth of styles they produce is equally impressive. Italy grows the largest array of grape varietals in the world, and is home to many classic wine regions and wine styles. We’ll taste rare grape varietals from Italy like Ruche, LaGrein, Zibbibo, Romato, Gaglioppo. We’ll taste the famous varietals coming out of major Italian wine regions. Barolo, Orvieto, Amorone Valpolicella, Super Tuscan, Sagrantino, Primativo, Nero d’Avola, Montepulciano, Etna, Suave!

**Blue Ridge Wine Retreat**
**BOOK RETREAT**
The ultimate wine immersion experience set in the tranquility of the Blue Ridge Mountains west of Washington D.C. This retreat includes 6 wine ed classes, 2 lunches, Guess the $100 Bordeaux Happy Hour, wine pairing dinner & Choco-Vino challenge at the Dirt Road Wine Academy. The retreat happens the first weekend of every month. Get a head start on achieving your Dirt Road Wine Academy Diploma! With the Blue Ridge Wine Retreat you'll knock out 6 of the 24 Dirt Road Wine Academy lessons in one weekend. Enjoy wine and food centric classes, plus an evening farm to table pairing filled with laughter, learning and fun in this weekend farm adventure.

**The Malbecians are Coming! (and South America too!)**
**BOOK SOUTH AMERICA**
South America has been making wine since the 1500’s. Plantings of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere gave South America the leg-up it needed to make some exceptional *vino*. Once every decade or so a wine grape comes along that transcends region, winery, or even common sense to become a brand unto itself. Malbec has joined that illustrious club as Americas current darling of wine. Let’s taste it and a few other grapes from South America.

**Bubbles Bubbles Bubbles**
**BOOK BUBBLES**
There are bubbles and then there are “come quick, I’m tasting the stars” bubbles. Learn how specific grapes and production techniques influence sparkling wines. Learn why Prosecco is a great choice for mimosas, the reason Champagne is so expensive and all about alternative bubblies from around the world. Did you know that Prosecco is made differently than Champagne? Learn what method is the best for the longest lasting Champagne bubbles.We’ll taste bubblies and munch on a few fun pairings too!

**Spain & a peek at Portugal**
**BOOK SPAIN**
Which wine regions to visit on a vacation to Spain? Even some Spaniards wouldn’t know where to begin. Well, here’s a secret: No matter where you are on the Iberian Peninsula, you’re never far from a vineyard—so don’t overthink it. Barcelona is a commuter train away from the historic cava houses of Penedès. Bierzo, the region wine geeks can’t stop fawning over, is a pleasant drive from León. And the “Sherry Triangle,” can be explored on a day-trip from Seville.

**Dirt Road Wine Club Vetting Taste-Off - MEMBERS ONLY**
**BOOK VETTING**
Judge a professional drinkers favorite wines! Andrew is coming home to bring us his favorite recent wine finds! He always tries to trick us with something we know nothing about. Find the most incredible wines we’ll never find without him. We need a focus group of Dirt Road Wine Club members to judge this new batch. We’ll knock his 20 favorite wines down to 3 that move forward to the next level of our gauntlet as club wines of the month.

BEER AND FOOD PAIRING CLASSES happen at the dirt road wine academy and foodie-u wine school

**BEER BOOTCAMP**
**BOOK BEER BOOTCAMP**
Structured around a series of 3 oz. arm curls, this live tasting with our brewmaster hops through all the different styles of beer from the aromatic pale ales and IPAs, cream ales, wheat ales, amber ales, brown ales, porters and roasty stouts. Discover your own personality of beer as we taste our way through the style differences and the hottest trends of craft beer.

**BEER CHEESEOLOGY**
**BOOK BEER & CHEESE**
The Turophile’s ultimate interactive beer tasting! Our brewmaster will turn that daunting trip to the cheese aisle on its head and make it easy to pair up cheeses with brews. We’ll play with fresh cheeses and mild cheeses and bloomy rind cheeses and funky cheeses and creamy cheeses and semi-hard cheeses and hard cheeses and stinky cheeses too.

**CHOCO-BREW CHALLENGE**
**coming soon**
Many people assume sweet & heavy-bodied stouts are the only compliment to chocolate. Wrong. Beer and chocolate are both a delicate balance of sweet and bitter flavors. We have proven once and for all that beer, indeed, does go with chocolate. You are about to have an “aha” moment when particular beers balance and showcase particular flavors of chocolate.

**BEER & FOOD PAIRING**
**BOOK BEER & FOOD**
As a small independent craft brewery we consider it our duty to help beer reclaim its rightful place at the dinner table. This tasting was designed specifically with foodies in mind. Lets lay out the flavor fundamentals of pairing beer with food.

If you have a seat reservation emergency please email us here.

“Getting there is half the fun! Watch yourself relax as you approach the Blue Ridge mountains.”

**Get the Dirt Road Wine Academy Degree** **24 CLASSES - 4 every weekend - AFTER EVERY 4 CLASSES GET ONE CLASS FREE**

“Meet “George” - Little Washington Winery’s signature product voted #1 red wine in Virginia.”

Little Washington Winery

Located at 65 Clark Lane, Washington Virginia

Take a gorgeous drive through Virginia Wine Country to the Blue Ridge Mountains, west of Washington DC.

60 miles west of the DC beltway at Alexandria & Arlington
50 minutes from Loudoun, Fairfax, Lake Anna, Chantilly, Middleburg, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Winchester
35 minutes from Gainesville and Haymarket
25 minutes from Warrenton, Luray, Culpeper, Front Royal
1.5 Hours from Richmond, Fredericksburg, Quantico; 2 hours from Williamsburg, Annapolis, Baltimore; 2.5 hours to Norfolk, Hampton, Virginia Beach