Oak & Ember Tasting Room and Market Opens in Aldie
Written by Diane Helentjaris | Photos by Gracie Savage
Restaurateur Christian Puccio is busy on his computer at Oak & Ember Tasting Room and Market, his latest endeavor. It’s December 2025 and he’s waiting for a utilities rep to come by. Outside, traffic on Route 50 is steady, the drivers earnestly doing their best to meet Aldie’s 25-miles-per-hour speed limit. There’s foot traffic, too. Tucker Withers, the unofficial mayor of this unincorporated village, walks in. “When ya opening?” he asks.
“January 2,” Puccio says. The date marks the market’s official grand opening to the public. After a few pleasantries, Withers leaves. Later, he shares, “Sounds like he’s got a good product… We’re looking forward to it.”
Tucker Withers should know a “good product.” For 43 years he’s been the jovial proprietor, with help from his wife, Mary Ann, of the village’s Little River Inn, where his great-grandparents once lived. Withers has cooked for his patrons for decades, baking top-notch banana bread, cottage fried potatoes, and more.
Withers is not the only one excited about Oak & Ember. Puccio is likely the most jazzed up. “I really want people to understand the passion we have here,” he emphasizes. “This is a ‘from scratch’ kitchen.” He admits he hasn’t slept well in the run-up to the opening. A myriad of one-off tasks march through his mind at night — the occupancy permit, the ABC license. “I’ll be fine once we open the doors… The kitchen is super pumped, very talented, ready to open.” Head Chef Tarek Kipry and Executive Sous Chef Chris Barette are working with Puccio on the final fillips for the dessert menu. A vanilla bean panna cotta and skillet desserts with ice cream, all made on-site, are under discussion.
There are two approaches for customers. One option is to drop in and pick up ready-made food — sandwiches, salad, charcuterie, ingredients, or wine — to take home. The other is a sit-down tasting and dining experience. Shareable small plates and entrees are both available. The indoor capacity is over 40, in addition to outdoor patio seating.
Puccio is an experienced restaurateur. His parents were in the service industry, and he has fond memories of enjoying time with his five brothers in Manhattan while his father worked. At 25, he opened Puccio’s New York Deli in Leesburg. After seven years, he sold it and went on to other restaurant-related positions.
With an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, Oak & Ember follows the farm-to-table playbook. Puccio has cultivated and perfected a robust supply line of local farmers, dairies, artisan producers, and purveyors. From Village Cheeseworks in Upperville to Chilly Hollow Farm in Berryville and Misty Meadow Mushrooms in Leesburg, Puccio sources everything from beef to lion’s mane mushrooms. His chefs “like to forage. Ramp season is just around the corner, and when ramp season hits, we’ll be out grabbing some ramps.” He confirms his plans to incorporate morels and other regional goodies like rockfish as they become available.
With a laugh, Puccio describes his menu style as “Modern American Appalachian” to encompass its regional influences. He also says customers can expect “excellence in pastas,” reflecting his Italian heritage.
Rather than replicating the offerings of those wineries neighboring Aldie and Middleburg, Oak & Ember concentrates on wines originating farther afield, from other parts of Virginia, other states, and other countries. Puccio, a Level 1 Sommelier, has put together an expansive international wine list.
For an easy, at-home experience, interested parties can sign up for the Oak & Ember Tasting Room and Market subscription service. Participants receive a monthly curated wine choice along with ingredients for an easily prepared at-home meal such as pasta with a unique sauce.
Whether looking for a luxurious night out or just a missing element to elevate a night in, customers at Oak & Ember are sure to find all that and more. ML
Oak & Ember Tasting Room and Market
39285 Little River Turnpike
Aldie, VA 20105
oakandemberr.com
Published in the January 2026 issue of Middleburg Life.