Some day I look forward to traveling around the country stopping in at many wineries, for now we are truly so lucky that Virginia offers such an amazing array of wineries. Although we’ve been out towards Charlottesville quite a few times, there’s always the opportuniting to discover more wineries in and around the Charlottesville area.
Day 1 – stop 1 started us off at Honah Lee. We were there a bit before opening so we had a chance to stroll around the property and take some photos. What a beautiful property. They are on the Virginia Wine Pass where they are offering Complimentary tasting for two with the purchase of a bottle. Their website also notes they are a part of the Harvest Hosts. Harvest Hosts offers “a network of wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, and attractions that invite RVers to stay in 1207+ stunning camping sites. The $79 yearly membership gives members unlimited access to stay overnight at any one of our Host‘s locations. We kindly ask our members to support their Hosts by purchasing one of their local products with each stay!”
Our problem when visiting wineries is deciding on what to buy to bring home. We really liked the reds here, so we brought a couple home.
Stop 2 brought us to Chestnut Oak Vineyard. I absolutely love the artwork on the wall here, just brightens my day. Very friendly staff and I love that they were offering flights. This way we can sit and chat and taste. They’re on the Wine Pass too. They offer Buy one tasting, get one free.
Stop #3 was Castle Hill Cider has been on our list awhile and we finally stopped by this trip. Beautiful place and scenery. I did enjoy the Eldercherry. There were mixed reviews on the others that our group tried.
Photo by Peter Russ
Stop #4 – Wisdom Oak Winery was a delightful spot. They’re on your Virginia Wine Pass to – 5% discount on bottle purchases. Beautiful outdoor setting, great service, and a relaxing environment. Stayed tuned for Winery Wednesday, they’ll be featured and I’ll share our favorite wine.
Last but not least on day 1 of our trip to discover more wineries in and around the Charlottesville area is Loving Cup Vineyard and Winery! Also on the Virginia Wine Pass (nope no kickbacks for pushing this pass just shear sensible advice because for a super fair price you save money at so many wineries around Virginia.
Anyway back to Loving Cup. They had me at organic. Lovely wines and beautiful scenery are a plus. This is our second time here because last time it was raining and we were indoors so I wanted to see this in a different light. A hot day out in the field, but lovely none the less. We had the Cayuga White, Ginny’s – Ginney’s Block, and the Dudley Nose Rosé. The consensus was the Dudley Nose Rose was the better of the two. The Cayuga White was a bit different than others we’ve tried.
Photo by Peter Russ
Time for some R & R
After a long day of winery visits, we were in need of food and rest, LOTS of rest. So we checked in to our great little B & B. Now those who know me know that I am NOT a fan of B & B’s. Why you ask, well I’m convinced they’re all haunted. Too many scary movies and TV shows I guess, lol. Okay, so lesson learned here. This B & B was fantastic!
The Inn at the Crossroads was charming, beautifully decorated and hosted by fantastic folks. We were greeted immediately after pulled into the parking lot. The rooms were clean and relaxing. Plus they weren’t haunted =)
On the website, when booking I was able to request a vegetarian breakfast at no charge. They do offer a gluten-free option for a small fee as well. The breakfast offered a choice of Orange, V-8, Cranberry Juice, or a specialty drink – Lemony Strawberry-Peach, we chose this and it was delicious! Let’s not forget plenty of coffee too. The food consisted of peaches in a creamy sauce, homemade Rasberry Bread, Mascarpone Baked French toast and sausage (for our non-veg friends to enjoy.
Day 2
We started day number 2 off at Jefferson Vineyards. We knew the night before we wanted to go here so we made a reservation for opening time. Overall a good experience checking in etc. The pain was their gates didn’t open until 11 am on the dot. So many of us sat in wait at this little corner shop because there was nowhere to wait. If you want folks to be on time open your gates 15 minutes early and we’ll happily sit in the parking lot until opening. For what we had I felt like the pricing was high. A flight of 4 very small tastes for I think it was $15 which was too high in my opinion. Wines were okay, but not my top favorites. Beautiful space and plenty of sitting room. My friend took some of the most gorgeous photos here.
Photo by Peter Russ Photo by Peter Russ Photo by Peter Russ Photo by Peter Russ Photo by Peter Russ Photo by Peter Russ
Stop #2 brought us to one of my favorites. See this Winery Wednesday post for the details. Gabriele Rausse didn’t disappoint. Full relaxation and a beautiful tasting for just $10, so we got two and they served them in these beautiful trays and with real glasses to pour them into.
Photo by Peter Russ Photo by Peter Russ Photo by Peter Russ
Stop #3 – Thistle Gate Vineyard was such a fantastic stop. They were basically going to be a stop to check off on my VinoWine app, but they pulled me in with great customer service and Sangria! Not to mention some nice wines too. Great tasting options and a relaxing spot on the porch.
Another bathroom sink, this one made it in because of the horse.
Our final stop on this very fun trip was to Cunningham Creek Winery. We went for a highly recommended drink from another couple we met at Thistle Gate, the 2019 Tall & Strong. Another relaxing beautiful spot we stayed way too long at but thoroughly enjoyed the time.
Not gonna lie by the time winery number 4 comes around it can be a challenge remembering what we’ve had throughout the day especially if you’ve been having a bottle here and a bottle there. So our trick to visiting more than 2 or 3 wineries in a day is to do tastings only. Then if you are up for it have a bottle at the very last stop or get one to take back to the hotel with you. For the most part, we always pick up some bottles to bring home with us.
That about it for this one. Thanks for sticking with me through the whoel trpost. Feel free to reach out with any questions. I love to chat about our adventures.
Disclosure: Please bear in mind that some of the links in this post may be affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. I will note when a post doesn’t contain any affiliate links as well. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. Note that the wineries and B & B’s don’t contain affiliate links at this time.
