Our Story

 

Along Virginia’s Scenic Byways, with magnificent views of the Blue Ridge Mountains rolling beside you, you will find Otium Cellars, a boutique winery located just outside of the picturesque town of Purcellville.  With its roots in old Franconian tradition, Otium has a tradition of producing superior quality wines from one of the best Estates in Western Loudoun County.

Otium Cellars is a beautiful, captivating winery, and Anita Tanamala fell in love with this property on her very first visit.  Her interest and involvement in Equestrian activities brought Anita to this winery, and upon tasting Otium’s Blaufränkisch, she immediately realized the true star-quality of Otium’s unique and brilliant wine. She purchased the property in February, 2021 and is excited to open to the public the renovated and reimagined Otium Winery.

With a vision and a promise to deliver the best wine, Anita has partnered with winemaker Max Bauer, whose family originally started Otium Cellars.  With his intimate knowledge of the soils and wines at Otium, Max’s return to the winery will allow him to continue creating unique, complex wines with Austrian and German varieties such as Blaufränkisch, Dornfelder, Zweigelt, Grüner Veltliner and Pinot Gris.  Otium’s tasting room will provide other varieties as well, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Reisling.

Otium’s vines were first planted in 2007, and its tasting room opened in April of 2012. The winery’s unique terrior is what makes the wines so high in quality. The soil, moderate elevations, excellent drainage and temperate climate are all well suited to produce intense, complex wines. At Otium, our winemaking philosophy is simple:  A premium wine is made through the year-round, holistic efforts in the vineyard, long before it even arrives at the cellar!

 

Our Team

 

Anita Tanamala, Owner 

Anita has been a resident of Loudoun County for over 20 years now, and is a mother, investor, and farmer. From her very first visit, Anita fell in love with Loudoun County’s beautiful countryside, equestrian farms, and its boutique wine scene. Since taking up the opportunity to own and operate Otium Cellars, Anita has fully immersed herself with the functioning of this unique property, with its beautiful views and high-quality wines. As Owner, Anita supports her team in creating enjoyable and memorable experiences for the guests at Otium Cellars. When not at  Otium Cellars, Anita is busy spending time with her husband and two children, and especially helping her son with his equestrian activities. Anita is also an avid cook and enjoys entertaining friends and family. 

 

Kristopher Diemar, Chief Operating Officer

As COO of Otium Cellars, Kris oversees the entire property from winemaking, weddings, special events, accommodations and distribution. A seasoned veteran of the hospitality industry, he has led and developed national restaurant groups as well as being a former restaurant founder and owner. As a 30+ year resident of Loudoun, Kris is excited to again live and work within the County! When he is not working, Kris enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters driving the gravel roads of Virginia in their Jeep Wrangler!

 

Beau Eyster, Executive Chef

Chef Beau’s cuisine is rooted in the traditions of farm to table cooking. His grandmother from Delaware cooked traditional Eastern Shore dishes using produce from the family farm. Beau’s paternal grandmother in York, Pennsylvania, had a refined style of cooking, but she too used the freshest ingredients available from her local Amish market. Beau graduated with a Culinary Degree from Johnson and Whales University in Charleston, South Carolina.  While there, he immersed himself in learning the low country cuisine particular to that region. In 2004, Beau relocated to Northern Virginia where he has defined his creativity while using the freshest foods from Virginia farms. When asked what kind of food Beau enjoys most he would reply “Comfort Food with a Refined Twist!”