Live Fairfax is a bi-weekly column exploring Fairfax County. This recurring column is sponsored and written by Sharmane Medaris of McEnearney Associates. Questions? Reach Sharmane at 813-504-4479.

Are you looking for a fine dining experience with exceptional service and remarkable food?

If so, you must try Davio’s, a Northern Italian Steakhouse in Reston Station.

This video will showcase our experience and all the awesomeness.

Explore Fairfax with Sharmane Medaris of McEnearney.

Sharmane Medaris | Live Fairfax | www.soldbysharmane.com | [email protected] | @soldbysharmane | 813-504-4479 | 374 Maple Avenue Suite 202, Vienna, VA 22180

The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com

This sponsored column is written by the team at Arrowine & Cheese (4508 Cherry Hill Road in Arlington). Sign up for the email newsletter and receive exclusive discounts and offers. Experience Arrowine’s Tastings & Events. Have a question? Email [email protected].

Hello my friends,

Please excuse my absence during the holiday season. I’m back, well sort of, I’m in Paris concluding my annual “French Death March.” Well, it was annually up until three years ago. Now I can hear you all saying, “Oh that’s rough! Can I carry your bags?” It is usually the comment that follows.

I flew via Amsterdam to Montpellier, France. The Schipol airport is enormous. Luckily I had an eight-hour layover, so there was no need to rush. But, despite the enormity of the place, you can’t find a cup of coffee at 6 a.m. anywhere. So I had to settle for a Heineken, and I thought the Dutch were “coffee people.” So after cooling my heels for eight hours desperately trying not to fall asleep, at the shop-worn bar, in my “get the hell out of my Country Termial,” I was raring to go, albeit exhausted. No glamour here, folks.

Montpellier has been the home to Millésime Bio since 1991, and you guessed it is all about organic wine. It is the place to meet, taste and visit with winemakers who work organically, as most of mine do.

It was great to see old friends and have the opportunity to ferret out some “new and interesting” players. The fair is only two days long, and there are also several “off” tastings (located in different venues) before and during the fair. Folks who can’t afford or choose not to participate in the fair seize the opportunity to steal attention while everyone is in town. I stick to my agenda to save precious time.

That was a wise move, and I found some fabulous new winemakers. On the first day, I potentially bagged five. But it’s more challenging than it sounds. You must taste a lot of uninspired, sometimes technically flawed crap to find a winner. But I am always on point and excel at sizing up a winner with just a glance.

I headed to Paris to embark on Phase 2 in Angers, the Salon des Vins de Loire. So why go back to Paris? Driving the 7-plus hours is the only “direct” way to Angers from Montpellier, and the trains take just as long, especially when you are schlepping 2 1/2 weeks’ worth of luggage.

The Loire Salon is my sentimental favorite. The Salon has shrunk over the years. What was once three large halls is now one. And that includes the Bio-Dynamic growers certified by the Federation Demeter International. Biodynamics viticulture goes back to ancient earth healing techniques, with all the processes performed in conjunction with the lunar calendar. So let’s say organic “on steroids.” That was the best I could come up with, but you get the idea.

Like Millésime Bio, there are also “off” tastings. The Salon St. Jean at the Greniers St. Jean is an excellent tasting, started over twenty years ago by winemaker Nicolas Joly, who wrote “the book” on Biodynamics. Based on the works of Rudolph Steiner in 1924, Joly is responsible for bringing Biodynamic practices to the forefront of viticulture, changing the course of winemaking and wine worldwide.

And there is the infamous Dive Boutteille Natural Wine held in Saumur at the Caves Ackermann, and I mean caves. I pass on that one. The caves are cold, dank, and dark. It is impossible to taste well under those conditions. There are good wines with many fine growers, but no thanks.

Wine Paris and Vinexpo start on Monday and run till Wednesday. So I’m here in Paris getting myself ready. Bring it on!

Cheers,
Doug Rosen

The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com

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This is a sponsored post by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

The market continues to move at an extremely fast pace, leaving many buyers feeling like they will never snag the golden ring of a ratified sales contract. Buyers are waiving all kinds of protections to be the winning offeror.

Buyers: Your best bet is to be ready. Get all your paperwork into your lender so the only thing needed is a ratified sales contract. Work with your agent to hone in on location first and then focus on properties. In the end, location is the thing you can’t change.

Move quickly. When you find one that fits, write the offer! This market is really hard for people who have a slower decision-making process. If you are in this category, do lots of homework. Look at lots of property online, go to open houses and understand the finances. This way when you find one you like you feel more prepared to make the offer.

Here is a list of a few of the new listings in Reston this week:

• 1403 Newport Spring Court — 3 BD/3.5 BA — $550,000 — Open Sunday
• 2337 Lovedale Lane #411B — 2 BD/2 BA — $374,990 — Open Sunday
• 2337 Colts Brook Drive — 4 BD/3.5 BA — $669,900
• 1930 Upper Lake Drive — 4 BD/3 BA — $1,695,000 

Ike, a sweet 4-month-old pup, is Reston’s latest Pet of the Week.

Here’s what Ike’s friends at Fancy Cats Rescue Team had to say about him:

Meet Ike! This sweet 4-month-old mixed breed puppy is a fun-loving, dual eye color boy who gets along with everyone (human and dog) he meets. This boy is well on his way to house training, and you will love the way he prances when he sees you. He loves a good game of fetch, and if you need someone to cuddle up with, he’s your guy. He enjoys hanging outside, exploring his surroundings and playing with his toys.

Are you and Ike the perfect match?

We are excited to announce that The Kensington Reston, our beautiful assisted living and memory care community on Sunrise Valley Drive, is now open and welcoming residents.

We spent the last year getting ready to deliver to seniors an extraordinary place designed and built to meet their unique needs. We hired best-in-class professionals whose hearts are as big as the sun. And we trained them to provide care and service that reflect our continual commitment to excellence and a deep understanding of older adults.

Our promise is to love and care for your family as we do our own. Our care and assistance is more comprehensive than what many other traditional assisted living communities can offer. Excellent staff-to-resident ratios help deepen connections between caregivers and residents. Pocket programs — personalized small-group activities — foster friendships and a sense of purpose. Two levels of memory care address the challenges unique to each phase of disease progression. Couples are welcome and can reside together in the same suite, even if their care needs differ. And we are following all recommended COVID precautions.

We’re standing by, eager to listen and ready to help. Schedule an appointment for a personal tour today. RSVP to [email protected] or 571-494-8100. You can also visit our website at www.KensingtonReston.com.

Say “hi” to Triscuit and Piper, two energetic kitties who are up are adoption locally.

Here’s what their friends at Fancy Cats Rescue Team had to say about this duo:

Sweet Piper is full of energy and is fearless jumping up in the cat trees even though she only has one eye. Initially she was shy, but it didn’t take long before she was ready to play with all the other cats at the lounge. She’s good with adults, kids and especially other cats, so she will need to have a companion.

Triscuit is very playful and energetic. He loves to lick everyone and likes to cuddle with humans. He’s comfortable hanging around the cats but is learning to like the attention he’s been given while at Patriot Cat Lounge. Some of his favorite toys are the wands with birds or worms at the end, but he also loves the ping pong balls. Please come meet him.
See him at instagram hashtag #triscuit_fcdrt.

Will you, Triscuit and Piper make the perfect trio?

By Nicola Caul Shelley, Synergy Design & Construction

Nothing brings a home remodel or simple project to freshen up your home together more than beautiful paint. However, with the ever increasing number of gorgeous colors and types of paint available, it can be daunting knowing where to begin — or even knowing what to use. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.

• Preparation is KEY. Clean your walls and repair any nail pops or other imperfections if at all possible
• Primer helps even out the surfaces and prevents a blotchy appearance. Stain-killing primers both prime and seal surfaces
• When it comes to the actual paint finish to use, it depends on what your project is. Our go-to is flat/matte paint. It wipes clean, tends to show less imperfections and can be more easily “touched-up” than other paint finishes

Download our FREE “Paint Finishes” Tip Sheet to help you get started on making the right choice of paint finish for your home.

Colors, Colors Everywhere…

You’ve prepped your walls and decided which paint finish you want. Now you’re standing in a local hardware store completely overwhelmed by the array of colors. How do you make a choice?

• First, decide which tones you like. Do you like grey tones vs. brown? Green tones over blues? Even white paint comes in different tones, so if you want a warmer feeling, use white paint with a cream or brown tone rather than grey or blue.
• Take lots of color swatches home and tape them on your walls. What looks one color in the store will look completely different depending on the lighting in your home. Narrow your choices down.
• Got your shortlist? Then spend a few dollars on getting sample paint pots to bring home and try them on your walls. Color swatches and actual paint color are sometimes completely different, so it’s worth a little expense upfront to make the right choice rather than buying enough to paint a room and discovering it’s nothing like the sample once you put it on your walls.
• If you like bold colors and are planning to stay in your home, we say go for it. Statement colors are visually impactful and just plain lovely to look at. Use sparingly — consider painting one or two walls or strategically use accent color. Too much bold color in a room can make it feel smaller than it really is.
• If in doubt or you are thinking of selling your home in the near future, go with neutrals. You may love cobalt blue, but sometimes other people can’t see beyond bold colors to imagine their furniture in the space. Use throws, pillows and other accents in the room instead. These can be switched out as the mood strikes you rather than having to do another paint job.

Using a Paint or Home Remodeling Contractor

It’s important to have realistic expectations when either hiring a painting contractor or a home remodeler for a project that involves painting. For example, unless you are having new drywall or crown moulding installed, imperfections are going to show after the painting is complete. Remember that dent you put in your baseboards with the vacuum cleaner? Or that nick in the wall when you were moving a piece of furniture? Those aren’t going to magically disappear with a new paint job.

New recessed lighting or new lighting fixtures will also show up imperfections you just didn’t realize were there because brighter/better lighting will make them more obvious. Unless you point out the areas that just plain bug you beforehand, contractors can’t give you a smooth, blemish-free end result. Even with patching or repairs, it just isn’t possible to give you a “new drywall” finish. For this reason, some home remodelers no longer include paint in their scope of work. This is because it can be a hassle trying to manage expectations about the paint finish in your home.

This month’s featured remodel is a McLean Kitchen remodel. The original green and blonde wood color scheme had to go! Use of Benjamin Moore “Ballet White” in matte on the kitchen walls and refinishing the solarium structure in the same color (but in semi-gloss) keeps the look consistent and allows the rooms to flow from one to another. It also makes the space feel much larger without being cold.

At Synergy, we believe in providing a full service design/build experience. That’s why we include painting in the scope of every project we work on. We want you to have a turn-key experience, with nothing left to do after the dust settles except relax! Ready to renovate happy? Get in touch!