In our latest He Said, She Said, we sent a pair of newlyweds on a date to celebrate their one year anniversary, inviting the married duo to tackle the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail and a seafood and steak feast at Mile High in Glen Mills.
THE COUPLE
Berry
Age: 27
Job: Administrative Assistant, Victory Brewing Company
Hobbies:Volunteering for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, cooking, spending time with her husband, family and friends
Doug
Age: 30
Job: Sales, Gretz Beer Co.
Hobbies: Snowboarding, Surfing, Golf
The Date:
Tour of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail
http://www.bvwinetrail.com/
Dinner at Mile High Steak & Seafood
1102 Baltimore Pike, Suite 101, Glen Mills. PA 19342
www.milehighss.com
So, you’ve been married for 1 whole year! What is your favorite part about married life?
BERRY: Being able to experience life to the fullest with my best friend!
DOUG: My favorite part of married life is always having my best friend at my side. Whether we are out with friends, at a Phillies game or in the kitchen cooking dinner, we just have to look at each other to smile and laugh.
As newlyweds, do you make time for regular “Date-Nights”?
BERRY: We definitely try, even if it’s getting take-out and watching a movie at home.
DOUG: Not often enough.
What was the planned activity for you, and were you OK with this?
BERRY: Our date was set to enjoy the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail and then have dinner at Mile High Steak & Seafood. I was MORE than okay with these activities.
DOUG: Brandywine Wine Trail, followed by dinner. I was very happy with our activity.
Part 1: The Brandywine Valley Wine Trail
How many of the wineries did you get to go to? What was the atmosphere like at them, service, etc? Had you done the wine trail or been to any of these before?
BERRY: We went to 4 of the 6 wineries on the trail. We started at Penns Woods and had great service from Andrea. We bought of bottle of the first wine we sampled, Traminette (a dry, ctirusy, white wine). Then we headed over to Chaddsford Winery, where Chris guided us through the tastings. We were really fortunate to get a little behind the scenes tour from Matt, too! I’ve seen plenty of brewery equipment through my job, so it was really interesting to see how wine is made as well.
After that we drove out to Twin Brook, where Diane showcased their wines with a few food pairings, which I thought was really fun. I’ll never drink a chardonnay again without a Parmesan cheese snack! Our last stop was Black Walnut Winery, and we did our tasting with Karen, one of the proprietors. She was a lot of fun and was really engaging with her tasting notes. We bought their Syrah and their Port-style wine.
We had never done the wine trail, and I still want to get to the other two, Paradocx and Kreutz Creek. Hopefully we can do that later this
summer with some friends!
DOUG: We visited 4 wineries. The atmosphere was very laid back and friendly with very prompt service. I had not visited any of these wineries in the past or been on a wine trail.
Which winery was your favorite and why?
BERRY: Tough choice, as they were all so accommodating, but I think my favorite wines were at Black Walnut. I can’t wait to have that Syrah with steak au poivre!
DOUG: Penns Woods Winery was my favorite. Their wine was excellent and the atmosphere was superb. Our tasting took place in their historic farmhouse overlooking 30 acres of rolling hills and grape vines. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and friendly.
Part 2: Dinner at Mile High Steak & Seafood
How was the service? Were they attentive, helpful, etc.?
BERRY: The service was really exceptional. Our server was Brian and he was truly top-notch!
DOUG: The service was terrific. Our server Brian, who will celebrate his 1 year anniversary in July, was outstanding–extremely attentive and helpful with suggestions but not overbearing.
Did you have drinks with your dinner? If so, what did you have?
BERRY: Even after all the wine we tasted during the day, I definitely wanted some red wine with our steak dinners. We got a bottle of Valle Azul Malbec. It was decent, but a local wine would have been nice!
DOUG: I had a vodka martini, and we shared a bottle of wine.
Describe what you ordered for dinner. How was it, and would you order it again?
BERRY: I started with their soup of the day, corn chowder. It was so delicious! Chunks of red peppers, potatoes, and corn in a creamy broth – yum! We were served a refreshing lemon sorbet between the appetizer and main course, which was great.
Then I had the 10-ounce Rib-Eye topped with Stilton cheese, medium rare (drool), with roasted red potatoes, creamed spinach, and their bourbon-peppercorn sauce (which Brian recommended). AND! Because it was father’s day weekend, they were offering an additional side on the house. We don’t even have kids and still reaped the benefits of our dear ol’ dads. So on top of all of that food, I got Alaskan king crabs legs. I would order that entire meal again in a heartbeat, but I would swap out the roasted potatoes for a baked potato instead.
DOUG: I ordered the 14-ounce Dry Aged Strip Steak, rare. The steak was cooked to perfection. Flame kissed with a smooth, firm texture. Full flavor is an understatement. A+
Over all, how was your first anniversary?
BERRY: Our first anniversary was so much fun! Great weather, drinks, food, and company. I’m looking forward to many more!
DOUG: Could not have been better. Good wine, great dinner, and perfect company. What else could I ask for?
