The Art of Perfect Pairing • A Taste of What Small Towns Do Best
DISCOVER
When I saw the announcement for a summer wine dinner at The Georges in Lexington, Virginia, I paused.
I love Lexington. I love staying at The Georges. And I am, without apology, a foodie at heart.
How could we pass this up?
There was just one small complication: We had barely arrived home from a road trip. The suitcases were still packed, the laundry was waiting patiently—or perhaps plotting against us—and common sense suggested that we stay put.
So, naturally, we didn’t even unpack. We got back on the road. At first, I caught myself thinking, This is quite an event for a small town. But then I paused again. This is exactly where small towns shine! Because intimate, beautifully curated experiences like this are exactly what remarkable small towns are becoming known for.
Not scaled-down imitations of city life. Not consolation prizes for people who happen to live beyond the interstate loop. Something better: exceptional food, compelling stories, genuine hospitality, and the chance to meet the people who created what is on your plate and in your glass.
Lexington gets this
Small towns do not need to imitate big cities. Their advantage is intimacy.
Arriving at The Georges
Our evening began with a stay at The Georges, a boutique hotel woven into the historic heart of downtown Lexington.
The Georges is not a conventional hotel contained inside one large building. Its 33 individually designed guest rooms and suites are spread among a collection of historic properties along Main Street, including the Washington Building, Marshall Building, Lawyer’s Row, and The Livery. Original artwork, custom furnishings, Frette linens, heated bathroom floors ( I will never get over this luxury,) towel warmers, and oversized showers add modern comfort without sanding away the buildings’ character. The Georges’ accommodations manage to feel refined without becoming trying too hard. The style makes you know it was designed by someone with impeccable taste who still invites you to put your feet up.
I have now stayed both in the historic inn and in Lawyer’s Row, and the experiences are delightfully different. If I were traveling with friends, I think Lawyer’s Row would be particularly fun, with rooms together.
Lawyer’s Row sits quietly back from Main Street, overlooking Courthouse Square. Its three rooms feel a bit like having your own private Lexington address. The Washington and Marshall buildings place you closer to the rhythm of the hotel, its restaurants, and the gentle comings and goings of downtown.
After settling into our perfect room, we headed to TAPS for a cocktail.
TAPS is often called “Lexington’s living room” by those who know it, and the name fits. It is comfortable, convivial, and just polished enough. Locals mix with hotel guests, conversations unfold over craft cocktails, and no one appears to be in a terrible hurry.
In other words, it feels like Lexington. It has become our favorite part of visiting.
From a Stagecoach Depot to a Summer Dinner
As evening arrived, we strolled one block to The Livery, where the wine dinner was being held.
The historic Sheridan Livery Building has been reimagined as a chic indoor-outdoor gathering space, with exposed wooden beams, large metal-framed windows, contemporary lighting, and a winding stone patio. Its past gives it soul; its renovation gives it possibility. The Livery was an ideal setting for an evening centered on craftsmanship, transformation, and the surprising places a good story can take us.
We were greeted with the first taste of the evening: Ankida Ridge’s Verday.
The light blush wine was fresh, bright, and exactly right for a warm Virginia evening. Ankida describes Verday as a Vinho Verde-style blend made from young-harvested Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It has lively acidity, lower alcohol, and a subtle spritz of effervescence. It really tastes like summer in a glass.
Passed hors d’oeuvres were just what the Verday called for—and they were delicious. Small bites of watermelon, mint & feta were my favorite. Simple and extraordinarily fresh.
I also had the chance to slip “backstage” and watch the kitchen team in action. There is something wonderful about seeing a beautifully plated course arrive at the table. There is something even more impressive about seeing the controlled commotion required to get it there.
Behind every effortless dinner is a kitchen full of people making approximately 200 decisions a minute.
The scallop course arrived next, paired with Ankida Ridge Chardonnay. It was elegant, balanced, and, quite simply, perfection.
Over a succession of amazing dishes, my favorite course arrived : tender crusted duck paired with Ankida Ridge’s award-winning Pinot Noir. The pairing had depth without heaviness, and the duck was so tender that it barely seemed to require a knife. I could have used a bit more time to indulge in this one before we were delighted with dessert.
Truly the evening was so well curated, it went too fast, and I hated to see it end.
And the People
Did I mention that the evening was also full of the most interesting people! A range of ages and backgrounds, I was taken by how interesting the crowd was, individually. A videographer who specializes in rodeos, a young woman who loves Lexington so much that she travels to Charlottesville for work a few days a week, a couple who have lived the world over and yet chose this for home, alumni who found a way to make this a new season. I noticed how the small towns in the region stay connected by the people who live there as guests arrived from Petersburg and Charlottesville to join for the evening.
A Menu Built Around Virginia Wine
The evening’s menu was curated by Chef Jan Van Haute around wines from Ankida Ridge Vineyards, a family-owned vineyard high in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Amherst County.
Both Chef Van Haute and vineyard co-owner Christine Vrooman joined the dinner, sharing the stories behind the food, wine, and journeys that brought them to that room.
That personal connection changed the evening. We were not simply tasting wine. We were hearing why it existed.
Christine’s vineyard story began with an accident. She and her family had purchased their mountain property as a future retirement retreat after leaving their veterinary practice. When a small patch of the forested land was mistakenly cleared, they had to decide what to do with it.
With guidance from vineyard consultant Lucie Morton, they took a chance on planting Pinot Noir—a grape many growers warned could not produce a fine wine in Virginia’s hot, humid climate.
The mountain had other ideas.
Ankida Ridge’s first Pinot Noir vintage was released to strong acclaim, and the vineyard has continued earning serious recognition. Its 2022 Pinot Noir received a score of 98 and tied for top honors in VinePair’s ranking of the best Pinot Noirs of 2025. Ankida Ridge also earned two gold medals in the Virginia Governor’s Cup competition. The vineyard’s story is one of serendipity, stubbornness, family, and paying attention when life unexpectedly clears a path.
Talk about inspiring. We visited her vineyard the next day - read the blog on Ankida Ridge, soon.
The Next Chapter for Chef Jan Van Haute
Chef Jan Van Haute’s story reaches from the Netherlands and fine-dining kitchens to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
He is now helping reimagine The Inn at Vaucluse Spring, a historic property near Stephens City, just outside Winchester. His plans bring together an intimate inn, locally rooted cuisine, and the kind of immersive hospitality that encourages guests to experience a place rather than simply pass through it.
Photo cred: @theinnatvauclusespring
At the dinner, he spoke about the inn’s next chapter and its planned opening. Naturally, my mind began mapping another small-town road trip.
Lexington. Amherst County. Stephens City. A few winding roads, a historic inn or two, memorable meals, and perhaps a bottle of Pinot Noir tucked safely in the trunk.
Research, obviously.
The MoxieTowns Take
The dinner reminded me that small towns do not need to recreate the big-city experience.
At their best, they offer something cities often struggle to provide: intimacy.
You meet the vineyard owner. You hear the chef’s story. You walk from your room to your cocktail and then one block farther to dinner. The person pouring the wine can tell you about the mountain where the grapes grew. The building around you has already lived several lives before becoming part of your evening.
There is sophistication here, certainly. But there is also connection.
That is the small-town advantage.
The Art of Perfect Pairing dinner at The Georges offered all the polish and culinary ambition one might expect from a major-city event, but it added something harder to manufacture: a genuine sense of community among the guests, creators, and hosts.
We returned home with full hearts, a longer list of places to visit, and suitcases that were ready for the next adventure.
Some trips are planned months in advance. Others begin because something interesting makes you pause. Those are often the trips worth taking.
Watch MoxieTowns for more stories about Ankida Ridge Vineyards, The Inn at Vaucluse Spring, The Georges, and the small-town road trips connecting them all.
Many thanks to Alan Moxon and General Manager, John Gomes for a wonderful evening. They clearly understand what small towns are up to!
