and there’s no better way to experience the scenic beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Central Virginia’s award-winning wines than with a Charlottesville wine tour. Each season brings unique pleasures. Enjoy a warm breeze while wine tasting on an outdoor patio in spring or summer. Take in fall foliage, or sit and sip by a cozy fireplace during a winter visit.
West of Charlottesville, visit the wineries and breweries of Nelson 151, where the Blue Ridge Mountains seem close enough to touch. Bucolic scenes are no less breathtaking north and south of town, and to the east, you’ll find more gems to please your eyes and wineries to tempt your palate. No matter your taste, Camryn will take you there safely, in style and comfort.
Named for an original owner of the property, nineteenth-century Virginia Governor James Barbour, Barboursville Vineyards is among the most historic of the Charlottesville area’s wineries. In addition to award-winning wines sold across the country, Barboursville is also known for the ruins of the original Thomas Jefferson-designed mansion that provide romantic ambience for strolling after wine tasting or dining at Palladio restaurant.
Family owned and operated, Burnley Vineyards is still planting grapes and expanding their operation. A portfolio of both white and red wines pairs well with good company in the banquet tasting room.
Creating small-batch wines that reflect the Virginia terroir, Burnley Vineyards offers tastings Friday to Sunday. The tasting room features post-and-beam architecture and a festive mural. An outdoor seating area offers views of gently rolling hills.
Built on a farm that has been in operation since before there were interstates, Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm welcomes visitors each weekend for wine tastings, live music, and special events. The farm offers overnight accommodations for up to 12 and can provide pasture-raised beef for weddings and corporate retreats.
Come for the award-winning wine, hand crafted chocolate, and live music. Stay at the bed and breakfast, complete with saltwater hot tub and pool. Glass House Winery offers an unmatched experience in its climate-controlled tropical conservatory. The beautiful grounds are perfect for a picnic.
Hark Vineyards is a family-owned and family-friendly operation, and dogs are welcome on the property but must be leashed. Bring a picnic or enjoy cheese and charcuterie from the tasting room. Come for live music and stay for wine by the glass or bottle.
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Down-to-earth wine tastings at Horton allow you to choose from more than 40 varieties of wine. Go home with bottles of your favorite and recipes to match. The passionate and knowledgeable staff can answer all your questions about their winemaking methods.
Moss Vineyards offers am inviting, relaxed experience and a variety of spacious accommodations for larger events. Enjoy an indoor tasting, an outdoor picnic, host a wedding or corporate retreat.
Reynard Florence Vineyard offers an intimate and relaxed experience. The tasting room is perfect for couples and small groups. The firepit and patio offer cozy outdoor seating while the lawn allows for plenty of social distancing. Come Sundays to catch some New Orleans Jazz.
Stop by White Hall Vineyards after a hike and swim at the nearby Sugar Hollow swimming hole. Enjoy a picnic on the shaded lawn or a visit to the tasting room. See where the wine-making magic happens in a modern production area. Bring your pet and enjoy award-winning wine.
Drawing on a rich history, Blenheim Vineyards grows four different blocks of vines and offers a variety of wines. In partnership with founder Dave Matthews, the winery practices philanthropy by supporting World Central Kitchen, which offers food relief following natural disasters. Blenheim hosts regular special events featuring food trucks, a mobile bookstore, and special culinary delights. Make a reservation and order a catered box meal or bring your own picnic.
Delfosse Vineyards has won awards for both its wines and special event hosting. The grounds are complete with views to take your breath away. Take a walk along the unique terrace-style vineyards. End the day at a historical log cabin that provides accommodations you’ll find nowhere else.
Offering a full experience for the whole family, Eastwood Farm and Winery has wines, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. Take the kids or your partner on a hike of the vineyards, and bring a picnic to enjoy at any point. Enjoy weekly music, monthly art exhibitions, and plenty of special events like wine and yoga, food trucks, and sunset celebrations.
Featuring modern architecture and an intimate setting, Gabriele Rausse Winery is a popular wine destination whose labels you’re likely to see in stores across the country. Outdoor tastings are available Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Beyond wine, the winery offers a wide variety of products including raw honey and Sicilian olive oil.
Open Saturday and Sunday, Hardware Hills Vineyard offers spacious outdoor seating areas and a variety of wines, including sangria. Come on the right weekend to catch music and special events. Just look for the blue gate and sign!
Organic is the name of the game at Loving Cup, and there’s a USDA certificate to prove it. The winery currently offers wine and sangria by the glass and bottle as well as flight tastings. Bring your pet, bring a picnic, enjoy the comfortable atmosphere, and learn about organic farming while you’re there.
Featuring environmentally friendly gravity-flow production, Lovingston Winery focuses on small details to yield big results. The family farm features traditional as well as South African varietals. Schedule an overnight stay in The Cabin at Lovingston Winery or The Farmhouse at Lovingston Winery.
Owned by a winemaker who trained at and owns a successful vineyard in Burgundy, France, Michael Shaps Wineworks offers a variety of tastes and experiences. Visit the vineyard tasting room for local wines as well as the Maison Shaps Burgundy label, imported from the Burgundy vineyard. Check out the warehouse in Charlottesville for the domestic and imported Shaps line as well as specialty wines imported just for that location.
Sprawling over 5,000 acres, Mt. Ida Farm and Vineyard offers several jaw-dropping venues, ceremony sites and overnight accommodations. Just going for the day? Visit the tasting room and taphouse. Offering picnic-style snacks Monday to Thursday and a full kitchen menu Friday to Sunday, there is always something tasty to pair with the house-brewed craft beers and estate-grown wines.
It’s not only the award-winning wines and exquisite mountain views that have helped build Pippin Hill’s reputation as one of the Charlottesville area’s premiere wineries. It’s also the farm-to-table cuisine that rounds out a complete culinary experience. The seasonal tasting room menu features locally grown and produced fare like roasted cauliflower with smoky butter, cilantro, sherry vinegar and granola and grass-fed beef sliders with aged cheddar, smoked pepper and pickled shallot.
The Trump Winery is larger than life yet still welcoming. Taste reds and whites, and enjoy a treat from the seasonal menu. Bring your own blanket and chairs for an outdoor experience. For a truly Trumpian experience, stay overnight at over-the-top luxurious Albemarle Estate, where even your pet will be pampered with a plush dog bed, fresh bottled water, and plenty of toys.
Wisdom Oak offers outdoor, self-guided wine tastings. Reservations are strongly encouraged. This dog-friendly location offers a seasonal menu to pair with its best wines, which are made in small batches to ensure quality. There are also three separate sites on location for private events.
It’s all about comfort at Cunningham Creek, both for you and your pet! They have a dog park so your faithful companion can go off-leash while you taste wine. Bring your own picnic or enjoy offerings from the farm store. Tours are available by appointment.
With a winemaker named one of the 100 most influential in the nation, Keswick Vineyards offers a full wine-tasting experience seven days a week. Enjoy wines by the glass, flight or bottle. Locally produced ciders and craft beers are also available. Food trucks and live music on Saturdays.
Featuring a 5,000 square-foot tasting room as well as the original Farm House from 1857, Merrie Mill Farm combines history and modernity. Come enjoy fresh food and wine from a variety of local vineyards. Live music on the weekends.
Many Charlottesville-area wineries claim rich history, but none date as far back as Grace Estate’s. Owner John Sheffield Grace traces his lineage to the 11th century with Odo, Earl of Aumale, Count of Champagne. Three wine collections are named to honor Grace family ancestors, and grapes to make those wines are grown at the 50-acre Mt. Juliet vineyard. The estate mansion remains the Grace family home and also serves as a venue for elegant events.
Blue Ridge Mountains that seem to rise straight from the verdant fields surrounding King Family Vineyards offer visitors a postcard-worthy view to pair with flights of reds and whites. The expansive lawn is the perfect spot for a pick-up game of soccer or frisbee, and Sundays in spring and summer offer visitors a chance to watch polo matches while picnicking.
Wine is a decades-long tradition for the Summers family, who planted over five acres of Petit Verdot, Pinot Grigio, Merlot and Cabernet Franc on the family estate in 2003. A historic farmhouse just steps from the tasting room offer guests rustic comfort for overnight stays.
Named for seven towering white oaks that once graced the lawn of the manor house, Seven Oaks Farm is now home to Septenary winery. The 109-acre estate also features 60 acres of fenced pasture for sustainable farming. Guests are invited to stroll the property, enjoying the Blue Ridge Mountain views before or after a tasting.
Founded by the father/daughter team of Scott and Rachel Stinson, Stinson Vineyards offers small-lot wines with a distinct French influence. Rachel Stinson and her husband, Nathan Vrooman, use traditional French winemaking methods including whole berry fermentation for reds and sur lie aging for whites, emphasizing subtlety and complexity over the power and super-ripeness of West Coast wines.
A multi-generational passion project, Cardinal Point was conceived while Paul and Ruth Gorman were living in Europe with their son, Tim. The vineyards were planted more than three decades ago. Since that time, Tim has fueled the family passion for wine by earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture and now manages the vineyards. You can meet the Gormans and ask about their wine-making expertise during your tasting.
Harvesting varietals from multiple vineyards for optimal results, Flying Fox combines a dedicated and professional operation with a comfortable, playful atmosphere. Breaking from tradition, they make vermouth along with a portfolio of eight premium Virginia wines, all with labels and branding that are works of art in themselves.
Hazy Mountain offers a selection of wines, craft beers and both Italian- and German-inspired snacks. The production vineyard is in Swoope, Virginia, away from the press of Central Virginia vineyards, giving them unique production qualities which show up in every taste. An estate vineyard is currently being cultivated to give an even wider selection of excellence.
Grapes aren’t the only fruit in the wine game! Hilltop offers a wide selection of non-grape wines and honey meads. Encounter bluebirds in the berry patch and spot hummingbirds in the pollinator garden. The bucolic atmosphere is enhanced by the presence of registered Scottish Highland Cattle and a herd of friendly goats.
Pollak Vineyards offers an intimate wine tasting experience of a small, family owned establishment. The property boasts 34 acres of vinifera, a tasting room, a pond and an eye-popping view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A wine club offers seasonal wines that can be picked up as part of your experience or delivered directly to your home.
The passion project of successful professionals who wanted to do wine right, Valley Road Vineyards is in the heart of the scenic Rockfish Valley. Enjoy a tasting of Governor’s Cup Award-winning wine accompanied by live music and like-minded company. Host a private event or wedding with the facilities and service that won the WeddingWire Couple’s Choice award in 2020.
An elegant tasting room with floor-to-ceiling windows, expansive outdoor seating for tasting and picnicking, and the historic Veritas Farmhouse with full-service dining are just a few of the reasons so many people make Veritas a repeat destination. Reserve tastings are led by a Veritas wine educator and are available for groups of up to eight people. There’s also the Taste In Place experience with a video guide by Veritas winemaker Emily Hodson.
