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].
This question often perplexes those of us in the industry. However, the answer, in its essence, is remarkably straightforward.
The younger generation aren’t collectors. The more you have, the more you have to move, and young people move around a lot these days for work or personal interests. Then there is the patience factor; a great bottle of wine needs time to develop into something grand. Not to mention, the snobbery thing doesn’t sit well with some.
But let’s look at what works on any level of wine appreciation. Wine tastes good and completes and heightens any culinary experience. It can turn even microwaved leftovers into something special. Then, there is the social aspect; wine is meant to be shared, contemplated, and discussed. There is no harm in enjoying a glass by yourself, but wine tastes better when shared in good company.
Understanding wine is easy. Most of it is geography, where the grapes were grown and the wine made. You need to know the basics. No one expects anyone to identify a wine blind and correctly identify it. That’s ridiculous for this discussion.
Wine is history and speaks to our past, who we are, and where we came from. Many Sunday afternoon lunches with family and friends always included wine. It was part of our culture and a remembrance of the “old country.” And that aspect should be cherished. It is who we are.
If you like to travel, wine can be your passport and companion. Anyone who has visited greater Europe, South America, Australia, or New Zealand will find that enjoying wine is part of the culture. Visiting a place and enjoying the local foods and wines are the sources of magical moments we will never forget.
Like playing golf, understanding and selecting a wine has become intrinsically interwoven with climbing the corporate ladder. Choosing the perfect wine for a business dinner is a plus. Trust me, you don’t need to be an expert; a few simple tips will suffice. You need to get started.
And that is what I’m here for. Nothing pleases me more than helping young people explore the world of wine. It is a fascinating journey that never ends and is constantly changing. There are few absolutes and a lot of surprises along the way. Like music and art, appreciation of wine is one of life’s great pleasures. Just come on in and get started.
One of the best ways to explore and learn about wine is our Friday (4:30- 6:30 p.m.) and Saturday (1-4 p.m.), Arlington’s Happy Hour evening tastings. There is no charge, and we often have cheeses to complete the experience.
We feature a multitude of wines on our email specials, which have been instrumental not just in educating clients but also saving them a heck of a lot of money for well over 25 years. You can sign up right here at Arrowine.com.
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In closing, could you think of me as “your personal wine guide.” I’m always here to help you!
Doug Rosen
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Inova Health System appears to be narrowing its vision for the former ExxonMobil headquarters site in Merrifield to health care.
The nonprofit has “no immediate intention” of pursuing previously approved plans to turn the 117-acre campus at 8095 Innovation Park Drive into a mixed-use development, Inova President and CEO Dr. Stephen Jones recently told the Washington Business Journal.
Now named the Inova Center for Personalized Health (ICPH), the campus will instead continue to house medical facilities, such as the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, and administrative offices, which are being relocated from the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus on the west side of Gallows Road, according to the WBJ’s story.
“It’s not a priority, for sure — and never was a priority for me,” Jones told the WBJ, noting that his focus will be on “clinical care.”
Inova proposed ambitious plans in 2018 to build out ExxonMobil’s former corporate headquarters with health care, academic and research facilities, along with multi-family housing, offices, a hotel and retail.
Under Jones’s predecessor, Knox Singleton, the health care system began leasing the campus in 2015 after it was vacated by the oil and gas company, opening the Center for Personalized Health in 2017 and the cancer institute in 2019.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors amended its comprehensive plan in September 2019 to allow 3.8 million square feet of potential new development on the property in addition to five existing office buildings, which collectively totaled more than 1.2 million square feet.
About half of that future construction would’ve been devoted to academic and research spaces for George Mason University and the University of Virginia. Inova also envisioned 705 residential units — possibly for assisted living, student housing and workforce housing — and a 120,000-square-foot hotel “that could be used by families of cancer patients and researchers,” according to the county.
“The campus now will be transformed into a vibrant innovation district with dynamic academic and research spaces, along with supporting retail, hotel, housing, and recreation uses that are open and inviting to the community,” Inova said in a press release at the time.
Just a month later, however, Jones announced an organizational restructuring for Inova, and the nonprofit shuttered the capital investments initiative, start-up accelerator and genomics research institute based at the ICPH.
Since then, the ICPH has expanded its cancer screening services and leased space to UVA, which is expected to begin offering college degree programs, classes for high school students and workforce training on the Merrifield campus in January 2025.
Jones told the WBJ that Inova could still follow through on a substantial redevelopment in the future if “opportunities came along,” but he doesn’t want to get distracted from the system’s health care-related needs, including new hospitals planned in Alexandria and Springfield.
Police Continue Traffic Enforcement Campaign — “Between April 22 and 28, the Fairfax County Police Department worked in conjunction with the Virginia State Police (VSP) and raised the bar by issuing over 6,500 citations and warnings, with over 200 citations for reckless driving on our roadways…Wave three of Road Shark will commence on June 17.” [FCPD]
Family of Woman Killed in Shooting Starts Fundraiser — “Kate Laporta was one of eight cousins in Zubrick’s family that were closest to him in age. But earlier this month, she was shot and killed — with Laporta’s boyfriend charged in her killing…To honor her memory, the cousins have launched an online fundraiser. They say the money collected will go into [college] savings plans for Laporta’s children.” [NBC4]
Transformer Catches Fire in Reston — “Around 10:35am, #FCFRD units responded to a transformer fire at a mid-rise building in the 2200 blk of Colts Neck Rd in Reston. Units were dispatched for an explosion from a ground transformer. The fire was quickly brought under control. No reported injuries.” [FCFRD/Twitter]
New Apartments Open Near Huntington Metro — “Aventon Huntington Station…officially opened March 15, according to Kevin Pinckney, senior business manager at Willow Bridge Property Company-Mid-Atlantic. The 366-unit complex is tentatively planning to hold a grand opening ceremony Aug. 8, he said.” [On the MoVe]
Tysons Has Highest Apartment Rents in Region — “Apartment rental rates in Tysons were at the top of the heap in the Washington region in April, according to new data. With an overall median rental price of $2,566 ($2,334 for one-bedroom units, $2,798 for two bedrooms), the Tysons area led 33 different sub-sectors of the D.C. metro area over the past month.” [Gazette Leader]
D.C. Region Celebrates Asian Heritage Month — “Throughout the month of May, several communities across the D.C. area plan to host a series of captivating festivals, each showcasing the diverse traditions and customs of different Asian cultures.” Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month celebrations will include festivals in Chantilly and Old Town Fairfax. [WTOP]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunshine and a high of 91 degrees during the day, accompanied by a light west wind blowing at 3 to 7 mph. The evening will bring partly cloudy skies and a low of about 64 degrees, with calm winds shifting to come from the northeast at approximately 6 mph after midnight. [NWS]
Sushi Umi has arrived in Tysons.
The Japanese restaurant began accepting pick-up orders at 7615 Colshire Road in the Scotts Run neighborhood on April 19 and quietly opened to dine-in customers on April 22.
Operations manager Jung Song says Sushi Umi hasn’t started advertising the opening, in part because it’s still in the process of hiring employees, but the team is working to set a date for a more formal introduction to the community.
“We want to make sure that we fully have everything we need to do the grand opening,” Song told FFXnow. “So, we don’t have a date yet, but we’re trying to plan everything out.”
This is Sushi Umi’s second location, following its launch at Worldgate Centre in Herndon in December 2020. When looking to expand, the business was drawn to Tysons by the urban center’s reputation as an office hub.
“With all the businesses and different companies located in Tysons, I believe that it was a great opportunity to serve our customers even better,” Song said.
The Tysons location is smaller than its Herndon counterpart, seating 40 to 45 people indoors with the capacity for more diners on a covered outdoor patio.
The menus at both restaurants are similar, featuring a variety of sushi, sashimi and rice bowls, but they offer different specials “to capture a different audience of customers,” Song says. For instance, the Tysons location’s signature dish of unagi kabayaki — a whole broiled eel served with an egg omelette over sushi rice — isn’t available in Herndon.
All of the food is curated by Song’s father-in-law, Sushi Umi’s owner and executive chef. The Song family has over 30 years of culinary experience, operating restaurants in Alexandria in the 1990s and in Manassas in the early 2000s before they started Sushi Umi.
“Our goal is to provide the freshest fish and ingredients to satisfy our customers’ needs,” Song said.
Though still in its soft opening phase, the Tysons location has gotten a warm response from early customers, according to Song.
He noted that dining options within walking distance remain limited for residents of Scotts Run, which is home to the Kingston and Haden apartments as well as the 410-unit Heming that finished construction last fall. Another Japanese restaurant, Modan, is expected to open in the new high-rise this year.
“I think a lot of our customers are glad that we’re open,” Song said. “It took us a long time, some difficulties with construction and permits and so on, but…the vibe is that they’re just glad to have somewhere [that they can go].”
Sushi Umi is open for lunch in Tysons from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays. Dinner hours are 4:30-9:30 p.m. on weekdays, 3-9:30 p.m. on Saturday and 3-9 p.m. on Sunday.
Hat tip to Rich Arnold
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has signed off on a 3-cent bump in its real estate tax rate, a move it said was partly forced by insufficient state funding.
The board approved the new rate yesterday (Tuesday) as part of a mark-up session on the fiscal year 2025 budget, which will be formally adopted next Tuesday, May 7. The 3-cent hike is expected to generate about $97 million in additional revenue for the county — about $32.3 million less compared to the 4-cent increase initially proposed.
With much of that money going towards county and public school employee salaries, the supervisors acknowledged a need to retain skilled workers and maintain quality public services, but many voiced concerns about the county’s overreliance on real estate taxes.
As a Dillon Rule state, Virginia limits counties to the taxing authorities explicitly granted by the General Assembly. In guidance for next year’s budget, the Board of Supervisors noted that it will continue advocating for broader authority from state lawmakers, while also directing County Executive Bryan Hill to determine what additional revenue options are currently available.
“I think it’s incredibly important that we try to diversify our tax base, and we try to take the tools available to us that the state has given us to us as limited as they are,” Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said.
The supervisors said the board was compelled to raise the real estate tax due to a lack of funding at the state level, particularly criticizing state officials for underfunding Fairfax County Public Schools.
According to a study conducted last year by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia schools receive $1,900 less per student in kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) funding than the national and regional averages. FCPS alone is shortchanged an estimated $345 million.
“We cannot do this alone…We also can’t hold our breath for them to step up,” Palchik said. “So, we are pushing, and we hope that they will finalize a budget and bring us more state champions who will help us bear the burden of funding those services that keep us a great community, our schools, our public safety, our parks, and everything that we do here.”
The General Assembly will convene for a special session on May 13 to discuss the state budget after the House of Delegates rejected amendments from Gov. Glenn Youngkin that included a 3% salary increase for teachers for the next two years.
While hopeful the county will get more financial support once the bi-annual state budget is adopted, several supervisors anticipate it won’t be enough to support the county’s future needs.
“We would be sitting here talking about reducing our tax rate dramatically if the 18 cents that the state owes us by their own formula arrived here at the government center in the form of a check,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said. “That’s why our residents are suffering with real estate assessments: They pay a lot in income taxes to Richmond, and then we have to charge them a lot for real estate tax assessments to maintain a high-quality public school system and our own staff.”
Supervisors characterized the county’s situation as critical with costs rising and revenue declining, particularly from a sluggish commercial sector.
According to McKay, the county’s largest expense is paying county and school employees, which account for 82% of general fund expenditures.
At public hearings on the budget, several local labor union representatives urged the board to implement a 4% market rate adjustment (MRA) for county employees, as dictated by the county’s formula for calculating annual worker pay raises.
Ultimately, supervisors opted to fund the 2% MRA recommended by Hill, acknowledging that expenses will continue to escalate as employees seek improved compensation to cope with living in one of the nation’s highest-cost areas.
Expressing disappointment with the decision, Tammie Wondong, president of the Fairfax County Government Employees Union chapter of SEIU Virginia 512, pledged that the union will persist in advocating for improved wages to secure access to a “better quality of life” for its members.
“It’s concerning that the Board of Supervisors would recommend partial funding for the MRA,” she told FFXnow in an email before the mark-up session. “With partial funding, government workers will still struggle to pay for necessary things like food and medicine, and the county may continue to lose great employees to neighboring counties as a result.”
In addition to the lower-than-advertised tax rate increase, the board approved adjustments to the FY 2025 budget that included $24,000 for stipends to the Fairfax County Planning Commission and $25,000 to restore a Youth Leadership Program that provides summer internships in the county government to high school students.
The package also deferred $7.56 million in fuel and information technology costs, and the county will phase in a planned increase in senior center membership fees over two years, instead of implementing it all at once.
Supervisors acknowledged that homeowners will keep shouldering the county’s tax burden unless alternative revenue sources are identified, though no specific proposals were raised.
“The only glimmer of hope in this budget is the guidance, which helps us look at what is next,” Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said. “How do we continue to ensure that we can diversify our tax base, continue to invest in our housing and our employees, and that, hopefully, we’re not faced with harder budgets than this one. But, right now, it is looking very likely that that is the case.”
The Vienna Community Center will be abuzz with activity this Saturday (May 4), thanks to the simultaneous return of the town’s farmers market and native plant sale.
Operated by the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna, the Vienna Farmers Market will launch at 8 a.m. in the community center’s parking lot at 120 Cherry Street SE. More than two dozen food and produce vendors have been lined up for the new season, which will continue on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon through October.
This week, the farmers market will be accompanied by a Spring Native Plant Sale sponsored by the Vienna Conservation and Sustainability Commission (CSC). Seasonal plants will be available for purchase, and there will be a free drawing to win a native tree.
“All plants are raised and sold by Hill House Garden Nursery and include flowering perennials, native shrubs, and small trees available for purchase,” the town said in a press release.
The CSC is a 10-member group of appointed residents who promote environmentally friendly practices, support community initiatives and education, and recommend policies to the town council. The commission meets once a month at the community center.
New vehicle lanes and a shared-use trail are officially open to travelers on Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) after almost five years of construction.
The Virginia Department of Transportation announced last night (Tuesday) that it has finished expanding the roadway from four to six travel lanes — three in each direction — between Riva Ridge Drive in Reston and Jarrett Valley Drive just north of the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons.
A 2-mile segment between Riva Ridge and Reston Avenue has been open to traffic since October 2022, but the additional five miles of lanes were completed well ahead of VDOT’s target date of July 31.
Work has also wrapped up on 10-foot-wide paths for pedestrians and bicyclists along both sides of Route 7, as anticipated by the Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn’s office. Cyclists will get a chance to try out the amenity during Alcorn’s annual Tour de Hunter Mill community bicycle ride this Sunday (May 5).
“The shared-use paths tie into those on Route 7 beyond the eastern and western limits of the project, providing a direct bicyclist/pedestrian connection from the Fairfax County Parkway Trail to Tysons,” VDOT said in a press release. “In addition, Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail users now have a new route under the Difficult Run bridge to safely cross Route 7.”
The Route 7 Corridor Improvements project redesigned intersections, including at Lewinsville Road in Wolf Trap and Baron Cameron Road in Reston, and added a pedestrian underpass for Colvin Run Mill Park, though a trail connecting to the south side of the tunnel still needs to be built by Fairfax County.
The $313.9 million project broke ground in June 2019 with the goal of improving safety, reducing traffic congestion and expanding mobility, according to VDOT, which says the affected, nearly 7-mile section of Route 7 averages 50,000 vehicles a day.
Though construction is finished, a reduced speed limit of 45 mph will remain in early May, allowing crews to remove temporary signs that were posted throughout the work zone.
“Once this work is complete, the speed limit between Reston Avenue and Wolftrap Run Road will be restored to 55 miles per hour,” VDOT said.
Man Gets Life in Prison for N. Va. Gang Killings — An MS-13 leader was sentenced to life in prison yesterday (Tuesday) for giving orders that led to multiple murders in Northern Virginia during the summer of 2019. Prosecutors say Melvin Canales Saldana told gang members to kill rivals “more aggressively,” prompting some to target “random civilians so they could increase their status within the gang.” [Associated Press/WTOP]
Tysons Satellite Company Will Be Acquired — “Intelsat SA said Tuesday it has reached a deal to be acquired by SES SA for $3.1 billion in cash…The deal will position SES to better compete with broadband satellites of SpaceX-owned Starlink and Amazon.com Inc. The combined company will have a fleet of more than 100 geostationary and 26 medium orbit satellites.” [Washington Business Journal]
Vienna Sticks With Current Real Estate Tax Rate — “Vienna homeowners, on average, have to pony up an additional $135 because of rising property assessments, but the town’s real-estate tax rate will stay the same this year. The Vienna Town Council on April 29 unanimously agreed to keep that rate steady at 19.5 cents per $100 assessed valuation.” [Gazette Leader]
FCPS Revives Prom for Students With Disabilities — Fairfax County Public Schools recently held a day prom for around 100 special education students at the CrystalView Wedding and Events Banquet Hall in Fairfax. Returning from a five-year hiatus, the event drew students “from Centreville, Chantilly, Edison, Hayfield, Justice, Lewis, Oakton and South Lakes high schools.” [WUSA9]
Asian Food Market Draws Crowd in Annandale — “More than 500 people enjoyed Thai food at the Asiantque Market behind the Masonic lodge at 6911 Columbia Pike Sunday evening. This was the biggest crowd yet at the monthly food festivals, said organizer Nelson Figueroa Velez.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Wednesday — It will be a sunny day with high temperatures near 81 degrees and a northwest wind moving 7 to 9 mph. Night will be mostly clear, with a low around 59. The wind will shift to the southwest around 5 mph after midnight. [NWS]
Fairfax County is now bringing nature to residents’ doorsteps.
Last week, the Fairfax County Park Authority launched a new, fully electric mobile nature center called the Wonder Wagon. The tricked-out nature-themed van, operated by park staff, is intended to bring outdoor wonders to underserved communities and Title 1 schools.
According to spokesperson Ben Boxer, the park authority hopes the van will bring people closer to nature by using hands-on activities to deepen local residents’ connection with the environment, especially for those without immediate access to parks.
“Our Wonder Wagon staff are experienced programmers who specialize in providing engaging, thought-provoking experiences for people of all ages,” Boxer told FFXnow. “With the tools and exhibits contained in the Wonder Wagon, they will be leading a variety of activities from catching bugs and observing birds to identifying and learning about local flora and fauna.”
In 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved $114,640 for the FCPA to hire staff and purchase supplies, but that was only half of what was needed to get the program off the ground.
Over the last year, the Fairfax County Park Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the park authority, raised the remaining funds, securing an additional $177,742 from donors for staff, the van and operational expenses. Contributions included an environmental fund grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia and the National Park Service’s Chesapeake Gateways Grant.
The Wonder Wagon officially launched on April 20 during Earth Day Fairfax, an Earth Day festival held at Sully Historic Site in Chantilly.
The van won’t be available for events at private schools or residences, such as birthday parties. Instead, it’ll be making appearances at public events and school activities, according to Boxer.
All requests may be submitted online. The park authority’s website also has a calendar of upcoming Wonder Wagon appearances.
A new pop-up store at Tysons Corner Center hopes to entice shoppers on the lookout for possible Mother’s Day gifts.
Emilia George, a New York-based maternity lifestyle retailer, is running a pop-up kiosk in the mall with clothes and accessories geared toward expecting and current mothers. The shop will operate on the second floor between Sephora and Lush until Friday, May 17.
The pop-up includes an invitation-only “Sip and Shop” event from 5-8 p.m. on May 9, where visitors can browse while imbibing soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages.
The business will also mark Mother’s Day, which falls on Sunday, May 12, with “a warm and welcoming event dedicated to the celebration of caregivers,” according to a press release. That event will be open to the general public, a spokesperson confirmed.
“Emilia George believes in empowering women and celebrating the small indulgences throughout motherhood,” the press release said.
Emilia George was started in 2019 by New York City resident Elle Wang as a maternity clothing line, but it has since evolved into a broader lifestyle company. In addition to clothes, shoes and accessories for women and children, it sells baby formula, health and beauty products, toys and home goods.
According to the Tribeca Citizen, Wang started the business as a home-based “side hustle” while working for the United Nations. She opened its flagship store in Tribeca in 2022 and provides products wholesale to national retailers, including Nordstorm, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Since launching on April 17, the Tysons Corner Center pop-up has gotten such an enthusiastic response that Emilia George says it’s negotiating with the mall’s management for an extension.
“We’ve received so much foot traffic and praises already,” the spokesperson said when asked about the potential for a permanent kiosk. “Definitely a possibility!”
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has thrown its support behind Maryland’s pursuit of federal funding for a long-awaited replacement of the American Legion Bridge.
At the request of Chairman Jeff McKay and Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, the board approved a letter on April 16 urging U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to fulfill the Maryland Department of Transportation’s expected grant request for its American Legion Bridge and 270 Corridor project.
In addition to replacing the 60-year-old bridge, the only direct connection between Fairfax and Montgomery counties, MDOT is considering adding toll lanes on its side of the Capital Beltway from I-495 to the I-270 western spur, along with transit, pedestrian and bicycle improvements.
According to McKay, the department’s State Highway Administration informed county officials that it will apply for the federal Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program, which has $5.1 billion to allocate to transportation infrastructure projects nationwide. Applications are due by May 6.
“We know this is an emergency situation. We applaud Maryland for getting this going again,” McKay said during the board meeting.
Maryland went back to the drawing board on its plans for the Beltway last year after private express lanes operator Transurban withdrew from a project championed by then-governor Larry Hogan. Then called Op Lanes Maryland, the proposed road widening and bridge replacement encountered fervent opposition from residents and local officials, leading to delays and lawsuits.
Virginia has pushed ahead with its own effort to widen the Beltway with toll lanes, known as 495 NEXT, but some community members, including elected officials, have worried it won’t offer much congestion relief without Maryland’s involvement, instead merely pushing the existing chokepoint at the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons north to the George Washington Memorial Parkway in McLean.
In his letter to Buttigieg, McKay notes that capacity improvements for the American Legion Bridge have long been a priority for Fairfax County.
The American Legion Bridge, as a direct connection between the region’s most populous counties, is one of the most heavily used. It is also the most congested, with traffic volumes expected to increase. The chokepoint created by this bridge requires long-term solutions to help those traveling between Maryland and Virginia.
The Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant availability provides an opportunity to advance a project that is an important regional conduit for travel and economic activity between Virginia and Maryland, which will ensure the continued economic vitality of the Metropolitan Washington region.
In addition to adding toll lanes, the new bridge will feature a shared-use path and allow for planned bus routes between Tysons and Bethesda.
At community open houses last fall, MDOT officials touted potential benefits for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users, though limited details and a need for funding left some skeptical. The project could break ground by 2026, which would put it on track to finish construction by 2031, Maryland Matters reported.
After breaking ground in spring 2022, the Virginia Department of Transportation anticipates starting operations for the new I-495 toll lanes in December 2025 and fully wrapping up 495 NEXT in May 2026.
