May 2009: A hyper-local wine

The younger Staffords, Elizabeth and William, are getting an early education in small-scale viticulture. When they talk about the vineyard in their front yard, Philip and Martha Stafford—he a C&O founder and Michael Shaps’ partner in Virginia Wineworks; she the Charlottesville Cooking School proprietor—show an appealing mix of seriousness and self-deprecation. “I do think of […]

May 2009: Eyecatchers

Main Street USA   Location: Gordonsville Price: $199,900 MLS#: 464380 Within walking distance of downtown Gordonsville, this 2,000-square-footer shouts “Americana!” Maybe it’s the blooming backyard camellias and magnolias—maybe it’s the stained glass windows and 1935 bungalow-style chic. Either way, we can totally see Ma, Pa and the kids sitting down for dinner in the big […]

May 2009: Green Scene

Buy green, borrow green So, you’ve greened your utilities, duds, and diapers, but what about your mortgage? Green banks such as New Resource put an eco-minded spin on your finances. More than going paperless, these banks offer options such as equity lines for solar homes and a concern for the environment as well as the […]

May 2009: D.I.Y. Diary

What’s the hatch? What’s going on here? A door is repurposed as the centerpiece of an attic hatch. Watch your step. Though we dream of converting the attic in our house to a master bedroom, for now it remains an officially unfinished space. Therefore, our renovation loan required us to close off the attic with […]

May 2009: Toolbox

The drill of it all If you’re hanging a picture, changing out a switchplate, or attempting any sort of carpentry, it’s likely you’ll be reaching for a power drill. Since the drill itself is basically just a motor that makes things rotate, you can use it for lots of different tasks depending on what bit […]

May 2009: Instant Decorator

We’ve been instantly decorating together for a while now. And while some of you may be right on target in terms of your crafting skills, others of you might still be completely confused. This month’s project is the one for you. You can invent your own process as you go (we did!), and the worse […]

Andy Reagan connects the Marines to fine red wine

On a grey day in February, when the weather is still cold, I think I see the future of Virginia Wine. Cigarette hanging from his mouth, he’s cooking me lunch, flipping steaks on the grill with his bare hands. Andy Reagan, the 32-year-old winemaker at Jefferson Vineyards, will later pour me his 2007 and 2008 […]

Lucky and luckier

Giving fresh hope to all single barhoppers in town, Suzie Lucca met her husband Chris Schenkkan during a Saturday night out on the Downtown Mall in 2006. When Suzie’s group of friends collided with Chris’s between Zocalo and Blue Light, it didn’t take the girls much urging to join the boys at Zocalo. Suzie Lucca […]

Exhibits in town this week

Art Upstairs Gallery 112 W. Main St., Suite 3 (in York Place). Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday, noon-5pm; Friday, 1-9pm; Sunday, 1-4pm. 923-3900. www.artupstairsgallery.com. Through May 31: “Watercolor Retrospective: 1960s to Present,” by Peter Almonte. Bozart Gallery 211 W. Main St., Wednesday-Thursday, 3-9pm; Friday-Saturday, noon-9pm; Sunday, 1-4pm. 296-3919. www.bozartgallery.com. Through May 31: Recent works by Julia Kindred. […]