shenandoah Archives - Obie Travels

A Winery Weekend in Charlottesville Virginia

Jul 20, 2021

Monticello Winery Trail – Exploring Near Charlottesville

Whether you are a wine aficionado or a wine novice, a winery weekend in Charlottesville Virginia wine regions is a beautiful way to enjoy new wines and learn more about this less well-known region. Virginia is not well-known as a wine producer, but this region has a lot to offer. Little to most people know that Virginia is the 5th largest producer of wine in the country. There are more than 4,000 acres of planted vineyards and over 300 wineries that produce wines. The state has productions of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.

History and Background of Virginia Wines

Virginia refers to itself as the “Birthplace of Wine in America”. With a region also steeped in American History, learning the beginning of American wines makes this visit unique. When colonists settled into Jamestown, they quickly prioritized grapes among their farms. During a tour of Monticello, you learn the importance of wine for Thomas Jefferson. He set aside part of his estate to plant a vineyard, although he never produced any wine of his own. Over the next 150 years, you will see the growth of this region and the recognition of this state as a producer of excellent wine.

Image from Virginiawineguide.net

American Viticulture

Areas in Virginia

There are several wine areas in Virginia, often called AVAs or American Viticulture Areas. Here is a map that shows the Virginia area

Understanding the AVA map is not important, but I always find it interesting to understand growing conditions and which conditions support what grapes. For an explanation of this should you be interested, please see the following article from VirginiaWineGuide.net

This article focuses on the Monticello region as our itinerary allowed. The following are our experiences and by no means an exhaustive list, but more the wineries we visited. We will definitely go back and hope to add to the post as we visit more wineries.

Wineries Near Charlottesville We Loved

Glass House Winery – A beautiful location with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. The conservatory room is a greenhouse like room surrounded by plants with a outdoor feel. They have many wines to chose from and offer tastings in both the red and white flights. They offer some wine from lesser known grapes such as tannat, chambourcin, and barbera. Much of their wine is estate grown.

Michael Schaps Wineworks – Michael Schaps owns a winery in Virginia as well as in Burgundy France. He brings his experience from France to create amazing wines with his label and other wineries through the state. At the tasting room you can sample both the Virginia as well as the Burgundy wines. We enjoyed all of the wines, but enjoyed the stories even better.

What a view at Pippin Hill Farm

Pippin Hill – One of the best views in the valley. Their property is gorgeous and they encourage you to drop by and enjoy their views and wines. They have a restaurant and tasting room where you can enjoy a flight, glass or bottle. Reservations are required for the restaurant and other seated areas. They are open 7 days a week and it can be very crowded so suggest going in off schedule times. They have a large variety of wines with red, white, rose and sparkling. We enjoyed a white flight and was particular fond of the Viognier.

Veritas Vineyard – Veritas is very well known for their locally grown wines and a tasting room and restaurant that is a special as their wine. We tasted their flights and decided on a glass of merlot. Their wines are very complex and should be a winner for any wine lover.

Flying Fox Vineyard – Affiliated with the family of Veritas Vineyard we loved this stop. Great wine and a very comfortable atmosphere. They produce small productions of wine that is unique and captures a creative spirit in winemaking

Valley Road Vineyards – Another great view of the Blue Ridge Mountains west of Charlottesville. They offer flights, glasses and bottles. The red flight was very good, but not necessarily our favorites in the region. We did enjoy the sparkling wines.

King Family Vineyards – A huge and beautiful property that offers polo on Sundays. We did not try a polo match as we are not into crowds, but if you are looking for some unique experience what a treat. The in house staff was extremely helpful and insightful. A nice touch was YouTube videos on each of the wines to help explain your tasting. We enjoyed the red flight and would definitely come back

Other Wineries on our To Do List for next trip!

We always pace ourselves and leave wanting more. The following wineries were on our list of referrals and wineries with award winning wine.

Afton Mountain Wines
Septenary Winery at Seven Oaks
Thatch Winery
Blenheim Vineyards
Jefferson Vineyards
Barboursville Vineyards

And don’t let us limit you. Check out this list of all the wineries in the area. Pick a new favorite and let me know. I can add it to my list.

Stay at a Winery!

Glass House Winery – A great winery with plenty of seating and scenery. The wines were some of the best we had while we were in the area. The bed and breakfast has 3 rooms downstairs and a 2 bedroom suite upstairs. The decor is fun with lots of large ceramic animals including monkeys hanging from the ceiling. There is a pool and hot tub as well.

Arcady Vineyard Bed and Breakfast – a property very close to downtown Charlottesville with great views of the vineyard. A glass of wine on check-in and plenty of places to sit outside and enjoy the scenery.

The Farmhouse at Veritas Vineyard and Winery – Another favorite winery during our visit. The Farmhouse offers luxurious rooms in a historic home with great service and food options. A great location near Charlottesville, but also plenty of food options on property

Stinson Vineyards – In addition to great wines, offers a bed and breakfast with 4 king rooms with modern features. There is an outdoor pool in season and a gourmet breakfast in the morning. Lots of amenities for your stay.

Afton Mountain Vineyards – A winery east of Charlottesville near Wintergreen Resort offering vineyard cottages. There is a w bedroom owners cottage and 4 1 bedroom cottages.

Meriwether Springs Vineyard – The beautiful property with lakes and lots of lands has a 4 bedroom 3 bathroom house that sleeps up to 14. The house must be rented by one party and not available on a perform basis.

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Luray Caverns – Highs and Lows

Jul 16, 2021

Luray Caverns is the largest and most popular cave in the Eastern United States. If you are planning a trip to Shenandoah National Park, Luray Caverns is most certainly on your list of things to do. The following information will help you plan your time there. My reviews were mixed so will give you the details to help you make the most of your time.

Why you should visit Luray Cavern

Luray Caverns is one of the most frequently visited caves in America for a reason. The National Park Service named the site a U.S. National Natural Landmark in 1974. The cavern has some of the most beautiful rock formations with colorful displays, a mirrored lake and unique formations that are millions of year in the making. Luray Caverns is a must see during your trip to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and an easy detour from the Thornton Gap Entrance on Skyline Drive.

Disclaimer – Just so you know

While the Luray Caverns are spectacular and a must see, there is a disclaimer. The caverns and other properties on site are privately owned and the company has captured the crowds with tourist trap madness. Don’t get me wrong. I love a good tourist site. And if I had small children we would spend the day walking through the garden maze and the village. BUT…as a empty nest couple who is looking to see the natural wonders of the world, it was a complete turn-off.

Once in the cave, the lack of education about protecting the cave was bothersome. Broken stalactites, paths walking right by columns, lack of staff to ensure preservation made me cringe. When we saw the Wishing Well, I had to say it was a low moment. They encourage throwing coins into a small but deep pool. Yearly they collect money to donate to a charity. While noble, seeing the pool with coins and bills thrown around was disheartening. So much for preserving a natural resource. But I do ask that you put that aside and enjoy the resource for what it is.

Tickets and Important Information

Luray Caverns are opens at 9am and closes between 4pm – 7pm (depending on the time of year). Tickets are $32 for adults and $16 for kids 6-12. Kids under 5 are free. We went in 2021 and there were no tour guides only self-guided tours with a pamphlet. The caves are well-lit and there are signs to match your pamphlet telling you the key highlights of the cave. Our self-guided tour took a little over an hour and we stopped for pictures and to read all of the info.

The Car & Carriage Caravan Museum, Heritage Village, and the Toy Town Junction are included with your ticket. The Garden Maze and Rope Adventures are for an extra charge. Parking is crowded, but usually a convenient spot is available. There is also a cafe and gift shop. Get your tickets here.

History and Overview

Although Native American knowledge of the caverns may predate discovery, a group of men including William Campbell, Andrew Campbell and Benton Stebbins first explored the cave in 1878. The caverns have lighted and paved walkways through some of the more magnificent sites. Some of the more spectacular sites include:

Pluto’s Ghost – A large formation created by merging stalactite and stalagmite has a beautiful white image that appears as a ghost in the cavern. It is large and you will see it from many angles during your tour.

Dream Lake – The lake consists of over 2,000 square feet of water that is at most 20 inches deep. What makes this area so spectacular is that the water creates a perfect image of the hanging stalactites in the water which creates a mirage of underwater formations. Walking close to the water to see the reflection is quite amazing. The photos do not do justice to the experience.

Wishing Well – As states above this was my least favorite as it felt like it was a clash of nature and human influence. The money is used to donate to charities, but just left me sad that we are not preserving the natural beauty.

Pictures of Dream Lake with the mirror images. Notice how the water looks like the floor of a cave with lots of texture

Stalacpipe Organ – An actual organ created by Larry Sprinkle begun in 1956 that utilizes stalactites of varying sizes to create the music. Was very interesting to know the history

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