Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Over the years of holidays and birthdays, we realized the best gift to give is one that you can make memories together; and so, we began an era of gifting getaways in our family. This past Christmas my present to Lauren was a weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia filled with wine flights and fresh mountain air, specifically to stay at an Airbnb I have had my sights set on for years. Although Virginia is not everyone’s first choice when thinking of exploring new cities, there are so many wineries, shops, and unique restaurants. After rescheduling our sister trip once due to Covid, we packed up the trusty Jeep and headed south to first conquer Shenandoah National Park before heading into town. If you love wine, unique cuisine, rolling hills, and escaping your city for a weekend adventure that is an easy drive from Ohio, then look no further than Charlottesville!
WHERE TO STAY
Airbnb (Townsmen Hotel): Right in the center of the hustle and bustle of downtown Charlottesville, this Airbnb has multiple private rooms to make experiencing the heart of the city the easiest.
The Inn at Stinson Vineyard: One of the most peaceful places we have ever stayed at- this bed & breakfast has a pool that overlooks the vineyards and an amazing healthy breakfast cooked for you in the morning.
WHERE TO EAT/DRINK
Wineries & Drink Spots:
Tilman’s Cheese and Wine- Stop here for an amazing selection of cheese and wines, and be prepared… portions are large!! We recommend the burrata and the brie crostini, but keep in mind it could have been an appetizer for 4 (us Walker sisters have no restraint when it comes to any and everything cheese)
Early Mountain Vineyard- This place is everything you want to wake up and fall asleep to, the décor and styling of the vineyard was gorgeous (think RH mixed with medieval castle vibes). We did the Early Mountain taste flight and enjoyed all the wines offered (yes even white!) with a large portion of pimento cheese as our snack!
Jefferson Vineyards- This is the oldest vineyard in Charlottesville, even during covid and without a reservation, they were able to seat us outdoors to enjoy the views of the rolling hills. Lauren did a tasting flight and I just had a glass of rose as we sat under a shaded tree.
Gabriele Rausse Vineyard- This was the hipster winery of the trip; the driveway is not marked and they are not open on Saturdays. The tastings come out in unique tiny bottles to pour into your own glass, we sat outside and enjoyed our wine in the woods; however, the architecture of the tasting room was unique to anything else in Charlottesville (we couldn’t sit inside due to COVID).
Pippin Hill Farm- This was one of the reasons I chose Charlottesville, I had seen their Instagram a few years ago and had been dying to go. We went on a Sunday afternoon and enjoyed mini cheeseburgers with a bottle of rose right near the vineyards. Perfect place to bring a dog and have a boozy day – the Hydrangeas were in full bloom walking in and the landscaping of the grounds is just incredible. If you don’t do a tasting inside, they have tents up and foldable chairs you can borrow to sit on the lawn and enjoy the views!
Stinson Vineyard- We only went into the tasting room quickly to pick up a bottle of wine and drink it poolside, but would recommend heading over there if you are staying more than a day at the Inn.
Food:
Luce- THIS IS A MUST!! Friendly reminder, there is no seating as you order from a cute yellow window from 4 options of freshly made pasta. Honestly, felt like we were back in Italy. It put me into the best food coma.
Iron Paffle & Coffee- Went here for breakfast and was AMAZED at the food, as neither of us had ever heard of a paffle, which is is a waffle/pastry (think croissant texture! Lauren got a sweet Paffle with a blueberry compote and whipped cream and I got a savory paffle filled with eggs + bacon)
Public Fish and Oyster- After visiting New Orleans, I am always open to trying out new oyster restaurants. This was Lauren’s first time having a fresh oyster (not char-boiled or fried), though she didn’t love it, I was impressed with the oysters and if you are there from 3-6 pm you can enjoy happy hour even on Saturdays.
Marco & Luca Dumplings- this was a Lauren pick for a quick snack, and it didn’t disappoint. We tried the deep fried dumplings and boa buns- both were INCREDIBLE.
Sal’s Caffe Italia- We stopped here for drinks before going to dinner and sat at the outside bar. Adorable space and amazing service, the food looked delicious if you want to try this as a dinner spot.
Grit Coffee- Before we headed for Crozet, we stopped at Grit for breakfast and enjoyed lattes and breakfast sandwiches.
Crozet Pizza- Picked this up to go and took it back to the pool for dinner with wine, excellent make your own pizza (pepperoni and pineapple is always my go to).
WHAT TO DO
Shenandoah National Park- An hour away from Charlottesville, we checked another park off our list and did two hikes. We did Hawksville Summit Trail which was the highest peak in Shenandoah and another shorter one (I’m kicking myself I can’t remember the name) which had small waterfalls; both trails were easy for all ages!
Shopping- there are a few cute boutiques and card & book shops in the main drag – check out Blue Whale books and Rock Paper Scissors.
Overall this is a perfect weekend getaway that’s easy to drive to on the east coast! So many amazing wineries that make you feel as though you are out in Napa, and food that equally competes with the drinks.