“Sign up, Show up, Sip up, Paint!” as their website says, at Culpeper’s Wine & Design. 

A block away from the train station, you can find Culpeper’s very own Wine & Design – a place where family, friends, and couples can make art together. The Wine & Design franchise has dozens of locations across the country, including our very own town of Culpeper. Wine & Design, customers can have a glass of wine – or another one of the many drinks offered – and paint away.

Shannon Armstrong is the co-owner of Wine & Design alongside her husband, and talked about the many types of classes offered at Wine & Design. 

“We do palette classes. We have kids classes, kids camps. We do stain glass, lots of different craft projects. We paint wine bottles, wine glasses, lots of different things,” Shannon said. With all of these options, there’s something for everybody. There are even themed nights for couples or family.  

“We do date night so you and your significant other can come in and do a class, and then we also do ‘Mommy and Me’s,” Shannon said. “Like yesterday we had a family, a dad and a mom and son, did that one so we – we have something for everybody,” Shannon said, pointing at a new masterpiece. 

Besides the classes, Wine & Design has other special programs, such as the summer camp. During the summer camp at Wine & Design, children come in every day for a week to paint and do crafts. At the end of the week, they display their creations to family members at a mini art show. One of the employees at Wine & Design, 17 year-old Jensen Armstrong helps out at the camp. 

“I just like set up the canvases, help the kids, like make sure they're painting inside the lines and stuff and just grab whatever, wash the paint brushes, clean up here and there,” Jensen said. She talked about the camp and how she is even impressed by their artwork. 

“Some of these little kids come in here and they're very talented and I'm like dang I wish I could paint like that,” Jensen said, “but I like to paint. I like to hang out with the kids. They're all really cute.” Though these two Armstrongs are not related – Jensen is a neighbor and is friends with Shannon’s youngest daughter – it is clear that Jensen enjoys working at Wine & Design. 

“I really like working. It's fun being with the kids all the time and it's just nice to you know get out and hang out with kids all day and get to paint,” Jensen said. Another nifty project at Wine & Design is the block exchange. Right outside of the front entrance is a tiny library called the “Free Little Library” and adults and children alike are encouraged to take advantage of this ‘library’ and borrow the books.“We just encourage, you know adults, and kids to check out books and, you know, then they can pass it on or bring it back and get another one,” Shannon said.

Wine & Design also contributes to the community by supporting local wineries, such as DuCard Winery, are working to add more to the list. 

"We like to support the local wineries,” Shannon said. Customers can also purchase other wines, including whites and reds, as well other alcoholic beverages including beer and Bold Rock. But if you’re not into those types of drinks, Wine & Design also has sodas, water, and snacks. With all of the food and art options, everyone can enjoy Culpeper’s Wine & Design.