Located in the shadow of the Shenandoah National Park, Little Washington Winery hosts a Wine Boot Camp that is a “must-take” for the novice wine-connoisseur. Owner, Carl Hendrickson and his wife Donna have been mainstays in the Virginia wine community. The couple enjoys passing on their oenology expertise and wine prowess without the pretentious overtones that many associate with viticulture. “We started it because on a day trip, our winery is the farthest west from DC. Our staff would sit around until 2 pm until people got out here,” said Carl Hendrickson about his Wine Boot Camp. “We decided to get people out here around 11 a.m. and let them work their way back. It’s been very successful; this spring we will start four classes per weekend.” Wine Boot Camp is two and a half hours of understanding everything about wine tasting in a “snob free zone.” The Hendrickson’s speak plainly about how do develop your palate, pair meals correctly, appropriate bottle aeration and exactly how to handle the cork when your waiter presents it at that uber-fancy restaurant. The class includes plenty of wine, a great sandwich pairing, super chocolate tastings, a thorough class on dessert wines and a really “cool” diploma. “I learned a ton at Wine Boot Camp and it was an incredibly fun class,” said Chris Benoit from Triangle, VA. “The instructors were interesting, entertaining and made me feel at ease with tasting and understanding wine.” Additionally, “boot campers” enjoy a Dirt Road Wine Tour, which not only highlights the Little Washington Winery vintages but also wines from all over the world. The Hendrickson’s employ a “traveling sommelier” who procures regional wines at the end of the world’s dirt roads. Each weekend the wine-tasting offering is different as you will enjoy vintages from Australia to Africa…