Barboursville Vineyards gets global props while we wait for the dirty horchata glazed donut By James Sanford
The British wine periodical Decanter is raising a glass to Barboursville Vineyards’ Octagon 2017, which was named one of its top 50 U.S. wines of 2025. The Bordeaux-style blend of merlot, cabernet franc, and petit verdot is the first Virginia wine to make the list.
“It’s a great confirmation from a very important international wine review magazine,” says Barboursville General Manager and Winemaker Luca Paschina.
Barboursville has been producing
Octagon since the late ’90s. “It’s great news, not only for us, it was for Virginia as a whole,” Paschina says. “Thirty-five years ago, there were very few places where you could have a great meal in Charlottesville. And very few, very few decent wines. … But it really has become a food and wine mecca.”
Paschina gives much of the credit for that to winemakers and growers moving in from other regions: Italy, France, South Africa, the Finger Lakes, and the West Coast. “This is the type of business where we have one chance per year to make a wine,” he says. “We’re not manufacturing wine every week, or whatever. You get one shot, you put money in the ground, you wait three years to get your first crop. … It’s really a lot of work, and you have to be very patient.”
Moore chicken, please
Sure, you’ve had chicken salad before. But with jalapeños? With Kalamata olives? Or perhaps a chicken salad BLT? All these and more are on the menu at Chicken Salad Chick, which opened December 17 in The Shops at Stonefield.
It’s a national chain with 12 locations in the state, and the first Charlottesville shop is run by Darden School of Business grad Josh Moore, his wife Tricia, and his brother Jared, who’s currently the general manager. The Moores were such fans of the brand they decided to open a franchise.
“We have 12 different chicken salad flavors that are on our menu at all times and have one that rotates every two to three months,” says Jared. If you’re in a rush, grab-n-go Quick Chicks are available for takeout. And Jared says they plan to start catering very soon: “We kinda just wanted to get our feet under us and get the doors open, and a feel for the customer base and for Charlottesville.”
Baking her way
The new year brings new opportunities for Chris Martin, founder of bakernobakery, who recently learned she was selected for the James Beard Foundation’s 2026 Winter Legacy Network cohort, a leadership seminar that pairs up-and-coming chefs with culinary experts. The virtual program will assist Martin as she develops her new brick-and-mortar bakery, Florosa, in 2026.
Martin admits she’s actually had a bakery in the basement of her home, but “I wasn’t quite ready to let go of the [bakernobakery] branding yet.”
Details are still coming together, but soon she’ll be “in some place seven days a week that’s available to the public.”
Among the menu items is the dirty horchata glazed donut she’s currently working on, and a plan to bring back her popular apple fritters. “I took them away from the public—super mean of me,” Martin jokes.
The name Florosa “really threw my Spanish-speaking family for a loop,” says the baker (with a bakery) who likes the Latin root of flora and osa—as it alludes to “full of flowers.”
“Considering I’m not quite American, not quite Nicaraguan, it’s kind of fun to exist in this wordplay space that enables me to create something new,” Martin says. “That’s what my flavor profile is, versus fitting into the tradition of Latin American technique, or the expectation of more French-driven, American-style flavors.”
Lunch launch
Juke’s Kitchen is a new lunch option from longtime Dairy Market employee Niwan Lamborn, who saw an opportunity to take over the open space between Dino’s Pizza and Currylicious. The comfort food counter serves Reuben sandwiches, Italian subs, and daily soups like lentil, cream of mushroom, and loaded potato from chef Rafael Portillo.
Among the offerings at Chicken Salad Chick, which recently opened in The Shops at Stonefield, is the bacon cheddar melt, served on a toasted croissant.
MORE TO CHEW ON
Thursday 1/22
Wine Tasting with Sommelier Erin Scala. Delight your senses through a wine tasting conducted in the Main Gallery, where the exhibition “Stacey Evans: Passenger: Riding the Rails” provides an immersive, cultivated ambiance. This is a casual, seated event for adults ages 21+. Light snacks will be provided, reservations required. $20–25, 6pm. Second Street Gallery, 115 Second St. SE. second streetgallery.org
Saturday 1/24 &
Sunday 1/25
Princess Tea. A charming afternoon tea for little royals and their grownups, featuring a preset tier of sweet and savory bites with tea or hot cocoa. Arrive in costume or borrow from our collection. Optional treats and upgrades available. Reservations encouraged. Limited walk-in availability. $22, times vary. Ethos Wine & Tea, 817 W. Main St., ethoswineandtea.com
Ongoing Events
Downtown C-ville Food Tour + Charcuterie Mini Class. Explore the city’s vibrant food scene, enjoy savory bites, handcrafted cocktails, and a hands-on charcuterie-making class where you’ll build your own box to take home. January 18 and February 1 and 8. $125, 1:20pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. c-villebites.com
Low-Country Shrimp Boil. Bringing the best of Southern tradition to your plate with shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, and potatoes in a fun atmosphere with live music from Matthew O’Donnell. January 16, 23, and 30, and February 6. Free entry, 4pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwood farmandwinery.com
The Yellow Mug After Dark. A fresh mix of zero-proof drinks, Hello Again Consignment’s pop-up shop, rotating local vendors, and family-friendly activities. Free parking. Campfire if it’s not brutally cold. Bring your own snacks. January 16, 23, and 30. Free entry, 4pm. The Yellow Mug, 1260 Crozet Ave., Crozet. helloagaincrozet.com
Winemaker Pop-Ups. Enjoy free samples and tour the facility with independent winemakers on Fridays at the Virginia Wine Collective. January 16 and February 6: Jake Busching of Jake Busching Wines. January 30: Josh Cataldo of Cataldo’s Perfezione. Free, 6pm. Virginia Wine Collective, 1585 Avon St. Ext. eastwood farmandwinery.com
