Perhaps we all are looking for the perfect
cinematic moment in our travels, that singular experience that sticks in
our head long after our travel photos have made their way into an album
and our stories have faded into memory: standing on the platform at the
Gare du Nord, watching an old flame leave for the last time; listening
to the riffs of Hendrix at the foot of the ancient Baltit Fort in the
Himalayas; or floating like a dolphin in a warm, briny bay off the coast
of Costa Rica
We had one such cinematic moment recently at the Oasis Winery, the
essential stop on the Virginia wine trail at the foot of the Blue Ridge
Mountains. It is here, about an hour southwest of the Beltway, that polo
enthusiast, philanthropist and bon vivant Tareq Salahi makes one of the
best methode champenoise sparkling wines in the world.
Salahi, a second-generation winemaker whose father founded the winery in
the mid-70s, is captain of the official USA Polo Team “Virginia is for
Lovers,” who will be making something of an international tour in
conjunction with the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown landing in 2007.
The vintner and his wonderfully charming wife, Michaele, brought a
relaxed enthusiasm to a visit to Winery’s tasting room, inviting us to
enjoy a glass of Oasis’s spectacular "Infinity" Celebration!!! Cuvee D'
Or Brut and their delectable Meritage. Guests to the tasting room seemed
to relish the experience, sampling great wines near the roaring
fireplace as they nibbled on light culinary delights and enjoyed the
serene, low horizon of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance.
There is a lot to relish at Oasis, with special events, custom VIP tours
of wine country, a polo “twilight wine and dine” during the season, wine
adventures, and a seemingly endless retinue of opportunities for wine
enthusiasts at every level of interest and experience. . Not to be
missed is the gorgeously relaxing outdoor patio at
the winery, available year-round for wine tastings
and private functions, thanks to
Settling back into the SUV for the drive back to the Lansdowne Resort,
we watched the ducks float happily in the winery’s pond as Louis
Armstrong’s gravelly, stylish version of “La Vie en Rose” drifted from
the CD player. It was a cinematic moment, the feeling that we had truly
found an Oasis, a convergence of the science and art of great wine,
crafted by a person with a true joie d’vivre for wine, polo and life.
THE PRIVATE DOSSIER:
The Oasis Winery, 14141,
Hume Road, Hume, Virginia, 22639, USA,
1-800-304-7656, Fax: 540-635-4653.
The winery offers a full
complement of catered menus for private and
corporate functions, has an elaborate array of VIP
wine country tours via private limousine or
motorcoach, and features exciting, chartered yacht
adventures aboard the private Oasis yacht, as well
as a select retinue of luxury travel opportunities
to Costa Rica, St. Croix and elsewhere.
Next on the agenda is
the Oasis Winery St. Patrick's Day celebration
weekend March 12th and 13th, 2005. For more
information, see the winery's website at
www.oasiswine.com
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Luxury Dossier
Executive Editor Donna L.M. Khan with Oasis
Wine CEO Tareq Salahi in the Oasis Winery
tasting room, Hume, Virginia. |
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