Quick Notes & Travel Recs: 10 Days in England

Me and some girlfriends just wrapped up an incredible 10-day sweep through England—from idyllic countryside hiking in the Cotswolds to coastal dining in Cornwall, historical wanderings in Bath, and a fast-paced city stop in London.

I came home overflowing with inspiration (and ideas for the Larder menu!). If you’re planning a trip anytime soon, here are my top notes, favorite bites, and quick suggestions on where to stay and eat.

The Cotswolds: Countryside Hikes & Pub Pies

• Where We Stayed: The King’s Head in Bledington — Absolutely charming! It’s in an ancient, historic building, but the interiors are beautifully executed. Cozy, historic, and done so well.

• The Standout Meal: The pub food at The King’s Head was honestly some of my favorite food of the entire trip. Highly recommend the chicken & mushroom pie served over mashed potatoes and broccoli—pure comfort. Their Full English Breakfast was also perfection: nothing fussy, just exceptionally good local comfort food that kept us fueled for miles of walking.

• The Hike: We did an 8–9 mile hike right through local farmland all the way to Stow-on-the-Wold. Totally worth the foot effort! Stow is an adorable little town full of great shops, bakeries, and an incredible cheese shop.

• Next Time Notes: I’d go back to the Cotswolds in a heartbeat for a dedicated 4-day inn-to-inn trekking trip. The dream itinerary: hiking four straight days between boutique pub-hotels, ending with a walk right into Bath. (Just pack light, or hire a luggage transfer service!).

Bath: Romantic Streets & All-Day Pastries

• The Vibe: I’d return in a second. Bath would be such a fantastic destination for a honeymoon, anniversary, or any celebratory getaway. Great energy, beautiful architecture, endless shopping, and a fantastic pub/restaurant scene.

• Where to Eat: Landrace Bakery — Honestly, you could easily eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner here. We had a gorgeous dinner upstairs and swung back for pastries the morning we left. The only thing we missed was their daily pizza, which looked incredible—I’d go back just for a slice!

St. Ives & Cornwall: Coastal Wine Shops & Cliffside Pools

• Favorite Meal of the Trip: St. Eia in St. Ives — Reminded me so much of the Larder! It’s a tiny, intimate wine shop and restaurant (seats around 20 people) on the Michelin radar. The small menu hyper-focuses on local farms and coastal seafood. We had a glorious local crab salad and their pork sausage & beans. Incredible.

• Where to Grab a Drink / View: The Old Coastguard in Mousehole — Warm, cozy dining room with sweeping ocean views. Getting there felt like a fun little adventure.

• Don't Miss: The Jubilee Pool in Penzance — A total time capsule from the 1940s built right into the cliffside overlooking the sea. It features a geothermal pool, lap lanes, and colorful changing room doors. Bring a swimsuit in your daypack so you don't miss out like I did!

• Traveler Tip: If I did Cornwall again, I’d rent a car and base myself somewhere more central. St. Ives is adorable and extremely walkable (everything is a 7-minute walk), but having a car unlocks the hidden countryside and tiny town food spots not as accessible by train.

🇬🇧 London: Sunday Markets & Cozy Pubs

• The Pace: I love 2-day spurts in big cities. You can hit a fast-paced stride knowing you'll always have more to explore on future visits!

• Sunday Market: Marylebone Farmers Market — Absolutely awesome for a Sunday stroll. Fresh artisan cheeses, hand-baked savory pies, fresh apple cider... everything you could want.

• Pub Pick: The Hart — A super trendy pub with a cozy, quiet dining room upstairs. Loved the overall vibe, design, and atmosphere.

How We Choose Great Wines at Skagit Valley Larder

The "Can't Stop Thinking About It" Test

January 2019, Duckhorn Winery

There is a running joke in the wine world that the hardest part of the job isn't finding good wine—it's refusing to settle for it.

After fifteen years in the glass, I’ve learned that a wall filled with hundreds of bottles usually just creates noise. Real curation takes discipline. It means passing on perfectly fine wines so you can hold out for the absolute showstoppers—the ones that earn a special mark in my tasting notebook: "Can't stop thinking about it."

If a bottle doesn't hit that standard, it doesn't earn a spot on our shelves. Period.

Here is a look inside the notebook and the exact criteria we use to hunt down every single wine at Skagit Valley Larder.

1. It Starts with Taste (and Fifteen Years of Training)

First and foremost: Is it delicious? Can you drink it right now? Is it representative of what it’s trying to be?

Developing that kind of palate confidence doesn't happen overnight. Over the last 15 years, I’ve been privy to some incredible wine rooms. At Beecher’s in NYC, we curated an all-domestic list that made us stand out in a sea of European-heavy menus (I still remember when Finger Lakes wines were breaking out, and when Cakebread Chardonnay was the hot bottle). At Rosemary’s and Tarallucci e Vino, I fell hard for Italian wine—learning that Prosecco can be both cheap and fantastic, drunk straight from tap carafes like beer.

Between those restaurants, working as a distributor, and working in shops like Compass Wines and Seifert & Jones, I’ve tasted & poured thousands of bottles. When you taste that much wine, you develop an instinct for taste levels. You instantly recognize the shift between a good Chardonnay and a truly great one. I steer clear of extreme, gimmick-driven profiles in favor of balance— and aim for wines that are classics or delightfully unique, but above all, universally joyful to drink.

2. Purity, Craft, and the "Anti-Button" Standard

Next, I look at how the wine was produced.

Some wines are mass-produced at the press of a button with zero human touch. When factory rules apply to drink, things get weird fast. Wines can be packed with additives, mega-purple dyes, and heavy processing. And don't be fooled by greenwashing—a wine can be labeled "vegan" or carry fancy marketing labels while still containing nasty additives, or it can be "totally natural" and taste... well, gross.

I don't strictly adhere to dogmatic buzzwords like organic, biodynamic, natty, or low-intervention. An uncertified wine from a tiny family farm can be completely honest, pure, and well-made. My goal is simple: select clean, small-batch wines made by real people who care deeply about their craft and leave the grapes alone so the vineyard can actually shine.

3. Renowned Importers (The Ultimate Stamp of Approval)

Working in distribution teaches you the insider map of the wine world: the importers. Over time, you learn which import portfolios hold non-negotiable standards. When you see specific importer stamps on the back of a bottle, you instantly know the baseline quality, taste level, and ethics behind it. We lean heavily on these trusted curators to bring the absolute best European and benchmark bottles straight to our shelves.

4. The $25 Sweet Spot

If you’re looking for a $7 bottle, head to Costco. Mass retailers buy extreme, industrial volume to push prices that low, but those aren't the wines we play with.

We aim right for the middle—an average price point of around $25. It’s the sweet spot for a Tuesday night dinner or a last-minute dinner party gift. My rule for pricing is straightforward: your $25 bottle should always taste like a $40 bottle. (And yes, a few of our absolute favorite, high-flying steals sit right around $18–$20!)

5. Old World Classics Meets the New Generation

You’ll always find classic Old World bottles here—if you’ve seen our French wine problem, you already know my heart lies in European terroir! But in every region, there’s a new generation of winemakers pushing boundaries, reviving forgotten native grapes, or experimenting with lighter styles. Our Top 50 balances both: timeless classics you can rely on, and fresh, untasted discoveries to keep things exciting.

6. The Story (and Yes, the Label)

The overall value of a wine shoots up the moment it comes with a great tale to tell. Stories give wine soul, and passing them along to your friends at the dinner table is half the fun.

And let's be honest about labels: I’m never going to let you bring an ugly bottle to a dinner party! You can have a gorgeous, design-forward label paired with a world-class wine inside. You don't have to choose.

What The Top 50 Means for You

Trimming our shelves down to 50 dedicated bottles means our staff gets to know every cork intimately, our live online store inventory is always accurate, and our weekly tastings directly reflect the best of what we hold. Most importantly, buying whole cases of these 50 gems unlocks volume savings that we get to pass straight to our wine club members.

Stop by the shop this week, grab a glass, and let us show you what made the cut!