The history of hard cider in Virginia runs deep. Apple trees were amo… Read More
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Wine & Country Life Blog
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Wine & Country Life celebrates elevated living in the heart of Virginia wine country. Each issue of our luxury print magazine highlights Virginia wine, farm-to-table food, architecture, gardens & décor, the arts and elegant entertaining, as well as Virginia craft spirits, beer and ciders.
Virginia Wine Country is famous for its delicate wines, as there are over 300 vineyards in the state of Virginia. The wines are award-winning, delicious, and crafted metic… Read More
The 33rd annual Monticello Cup Awards ceremony took place at the opening event of the 2024 Monticello Wine Week, a full week of celebrations honoring the Monticello Wine T… Read More
The South is known for its many crave-worthy side dishes and snacks. And among these, the Virginia ham biscuit is one we will always crave. Nothing gets the party… Read More
The Virginia Governor’s Cup has a rich history. It began in 1982 as a statewide competition to promote and encourage quality winemaking in our budding young wine ind… Read More
The Virginia Governor’s Cup Awards is the state’s most prestigious wine competition. In 2024, professional judges led by Virginia wine expert Frank Morgan samp… Read More
The Garden Club of Virginia (GCV) was founded in 1920. Their mission is to restore and preserve historic landscapes around Virginia. They also have a passion for sharing kno… Read More
For thousands of years, the ancient herb lavender has been growing wild throughout the magnificent rolling hills of Provence, France. It is native to the Mediterranean. Mu… Read More
Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery is a proudly woman-owned winery in Leon, Virginia. It was founded in 1982 by French entrepreneurs Jean and Sylviane DeLuc. Current owne… Read More
Risotto and pasta are often compared in the culinary world, as both are versatile and can be altered to fit the season and its bounty of ingredients. We also know… Read More
The 2024 Virginia Governor’s Cup Awards marked another groundbreaking year for the burgeoning Virginia wine industry. Virginia wineries submitted more than 750 wines f… Read More
Turn your kitchen into a culinary classroom with our Farm-to-Table inspiration! Today, let’s brush up on our pairing skills with Tim Gearhart of Gearharts Fine… Read More
For 15 years, Veritas Vineyards & Winery has hosted the most elegant New Year’s celebration in the area. Their New Year’s Eve Ball is a sophisticated masqu… Read More
Just outside the Arctic Circle is Iceland, a dramatic landscape of massive glaciers, geysers, volcanoes and lava fields. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, this mountainous island… Read More
This holiday season, Wine & Country wants to help you find the perfect tree to fill your home with cheer. Our guide for Christmas Tree Farms in Virginia provides you w… Read More
It’s Virginia Cider Week and fall is in the air! And what better way to celebrate historic Virginia hard cider and the beautiful changing of the leaves, tha… Read More
Imagine stumbling across a serene glade in a dense forest—albeit a huge 12,000-acre glade carved out of the forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains—and that’… Read More
Cold weather means warm sweaters, firelit nights, cups of hot cocoa and wholesome hearty meals. But turning to comfort foods during the winter months doesn’… Read More
Winter is here, and that means days and evenings spent cozying up by the fire with a glass of local wine and a great book. We teamed up with Cathy Purple Cherry, Principal and Founder of&nbs… Read More
Two passions that began in her childhood guide artist Martha Strawther through life. The first, horses, has played out in years of competitive riding and teaching horsebac… Read More
For centuries, foxhunting has been an honorable hunting pastime of the elite class of Great Britain. Gentleman clad in red coats on horseback chased the ever mischievous f… Read More
In Virginia, autumn brings together all the best aspects of the season: brightly sunny afternoons, chilly, crisp evenings beneath starry skies, and vibrantly colored leave… Read More
Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer was an avid gardener and civil rights activist and she and her husband, Edward, often hosted prominent Black writers, artists… Read More
Tailgating season is upon us! Whether planning for a football tailgate, elegant equestrian event or backyard party, we want to help you decide what to bring to create the… Read More
We have a lovely home—one thatmoney did not buy—it was born and evolvedslowly out of our passionate, poverty-stricken agony to own our own home… Read More
The newest vineyard and winery to open in the Monticello AVA is Southwest Mountains Vineyards in Keswick, VA. The “soft” opening for the trade, and official open… Read More
While owner Jim Law has had a hand in every bottle produced at Linden Vineyards since its inaugural 1987 vintage, he prefers to be called a winegrower, not a winemaker.
It… Read More
Virginia boasts a diverse viticulture scene with over 75 different grape varieties cultivated for wine. Winemakers and grape growers continue to plant more ne… Read More
The long-forgotten 1800s wine industry in the Shenandoah Valley is making a comeback. Though Virginia’s wine industry can feel ‘new’ at times, Virginia w… Read More
Boela Gerber is an internationally renowned winemaker from South Africa who recently made the move to Virginia. He now heads the winery at Southwest Mountains Vineyards&nb… Read More
When Katherine Kane and her husband, Olin West, first viewed the property that is now Waterperry Farm, Kane’s creative side took the lead. “I knew I would make… Read More
Elena Wittman has something bold to say, and she’s got the credentials and skill to back it up. “I am 100% sure that hats would look good on anyone,” she… Read More
The terroir of Virginia was the highlight of the evening at this early harvest feast for these very special guests. Chefs, winemakers and foodies all appreciated the caref… Read More
Equestrian events in Virginia are known for encompassing exhilarating horse races, exciting polo matches and, of course, an elegant tailgate to accompany the activities of… Read More
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the heart of Loudoun County, lies the award-winning Catoctin Creek Distilling Company.
Founded in 2009 by Becky and Scott Harris, the… Read More
Veritas Vineyards & Winery is an award-winning Virginia winery located on Afton Mountain in beautiful Central Virginia. Founded by Andrew and Patricia Hodson, Veritas… Read More
While Virginia wine is generating buzz amongst critics, it’s easy to forget how young the modern wine movement is or how far it’s come in a short time. As earl… Read More
Experience the beauty and serenity of the Virginia countryside from a new perspective with private, guided horseback rides. From trail rides to winery tours, horse and win… Read More
My first introduction to the chili pepper came to me as an 8-year-old, when every Thursday night was pizza night for our family. My sister and I looked forward with great… Read More
On 507 acres in a quiet valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Crozet sits Our Lady of the Angels Monastery. While known amongst church communities as being the youngest ho… Read More
With more than 300 wineries in the state, it’s almost impossible to visit all of them in just one year. However, our many annual wine festivals offer visitors a chan… Read More
Lee Hartman, Winemaker at Bluestone Vineyard and President of the Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail is an industry leader. A passionate advocate for Virginia Wine, he has a parti… Read More
CrossKeys Vineyards has long been known as a destination for its award-winning wines. What visitors may not know is that it’s also a destination for exciting interna… Read More
Approximately 28 years since his first walk on the 400-acre property, Paul Breaux can still be occasionally seen meandering around the lush, hilly land, enjoying the p… Read More
Hiking trails and vineyards fill the state of Virginia. Some vineyards even offer tours through the vines, both self-guided and guided. These wine hikes and wine walks ar… Read More
In the wee hours of a colder-than-normal morning, that time of day when the sky begins to brighten but the sun is still just below the horizon, farmers of all ty… Read More
The Palladio Restaurant at Barboursville Vineyards is known for its Italian-inspired cuisine using locally sourced ingredients. They host a series of regular dinner events… Read More
Getting tired of your decor? Need some inspiration? Step inside a local, artistic home that is brimming with style and flair, perfect for spring. Go ahead, steal an idea o… Read More
You can thank Game of Thrones, at least in part, for the recent upswing in mead’s popularity. Before GOT, you may have read mentions of mead in the epic poem, Beowul… Read More
The coming seasons are looking strong for the UVA Polo Teams. After a challenging and rewarding school year, both the men’s and women’s polo teams from the… Read More
This beautiful home was on the 2021 Virginia Historic Garden Week tour. It created quite a sensation among guests who found themselves swept away by the romantic beau… Read More
On Tuesday May 2nd, the Virginia Wine Industry gathered at Level10 C’ville for the Monticello Cup awards ceremony and a celebration of Charlottesville Wine Country i… Read More
For Winemaker Emily Hodson of Veritas Vineyards & Winery and Flying Fox Vineyard, winemaking is about achieving a natural, balanced expression of the fruit. Being one… Read More
Our founding fathers were fascinated by Europe, none more so than Thomas Jefferson himself. A scholar by nature, he was delighted not only by the beauty he… Read More
GOLD BOOK REFERENCE GUIDE
Virginia Wine Country offers a bounty of opportunities to deepen your knowledge of wine and winemaking, whether… Read More
Caitlin Horton, Head Winemaker at Horton Vineyards and the youngest Winemaker in Virginia, grew up on the property. Her grandparents Dennis and Sharon Horton founded Horto… Read More
Maria Pace’s journey to creating nature inspired art with watercolors was an unexpected surprise. After high school, Maria received a bachelor’s degree in crea… Read More
GOLD BOOK REFERENCE GUIDE
A trip to a winery is a great way to spend a gorgeous day and few things are more delightful than delicious food paired with… Read More
In Virginia Wine Country, raising chickens is a popular homestead activity that makes farm-to-table living easy with delicious fresh eggs. Everyone from top Virginia resta… Read More
From their small commercial kitchen space, Laura and Anwar Allen of the popular Allens Scottish Shortbread are realizing a dream begun by Laura’s grandmother, Jessie… Read More
Marigold by Jean-Georges at Keswick Hall is an exciting destination for lovers of food and wine in Charlottesville. The restaurant provides an exceptional meal and dini… Read More
This year’s Historic Garden Week (HGW) in Virginia marks the 90th year of the springtime event that celebrates and supports Virginia’s public gardens all acros… Read More
There really is an ideal way to taste wine, and it’s about maximizing the sensory impressions you take from it, combining sensual pleasure with intellectual asses… Read More
Virginia Wine Country offers a bounty of opportunities to deepen your knowledge of wine and winemaking, whether you’re a novice, a seasoned wine professional or s… Read More
Stan Driver, a native of Nelson County and Blue Mountain Brewery’s hop master extraordinaire, has a long history of horticultural success. From selling hops in his s… Read More
Established in 1610, the city of Hampton, in Virginia’s coastal Tidewater region is rich with history. It’s the oldest continuously settled English-speaking ar… Read More
Each year, oenophiles around the state eagerly await the results of the Virginia Governor’s Cup Awards—the state’s most prestigious wine competition. In… Read More
In a former railroad depot turned peach-packing plant in Crozet, Charles “Chuck” Pinnell and his staff of five artisans turn out couture leather products for t… Read More
The Virginia Governor’s Cup is a prestigious competition that winemakers, viticulturists and oenophiles around the state look forward to every year. Beginning in 1982 as a small, indus… Read More
Chef Victoria Cosner is the Executive Chef for Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in North Garden, Virginia. She shares her love of the region, her favorite ingredi… Read More
Charlottesville’s own rustic Italian restaurant, Tavola, released a cookbook with all of their favorite Italian recipes to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. The b… Read More
The 2023 Virginia Governor’s Cup Awards marked another groundbreaking year for the burgeoning Virginia wine industry. After 614 entries from across the state, 66 of… Read More
For Ira Wallace, the practice of seed saving began as a hobby before blossoming into a passion and career for preserving heirloom varieties of southern heritage foods. Ira… Read More
In a cozy house, just a few blocks from downtown Charlottesville, Darrell Rose—musician and painter, and all-around intellectual—and I are sitting on a sofa ta… Read More
A good wine can stand on its own and be the star of the show, but even the best wines in the world can be made better with food. Cheese and crackers or fruit and nuts are… Read More
Discover our favorite luxury resorts in Virginia. From the historic Homestead in southwestern Virginia to the newly renovated Keswick Hall in Albemarle County and the time… Read More
Kahlil Gibran wrote “Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.” If that’s the case, then Upper Bundoran is a sonnet. Nestled in the foothills o… Read More
Sunrays gleam through the clouds over the rolling foothills of Warm Springs Mountain in Virginia. Amongst the sweeping views and lush backdrop sits this stunning mountains… Read More
Some places emanate healing properties. St. Moritz, Switzerland, an alpine dreamland, is one such destination. Clocking in at nearly 6,000 feet above sea level, St. Moritz… Read More
Virginia is famous for its significance in American history and its beautiful rolling hills. Throughout its soil, though, is a classic tale – one that is full of vic… Read More
To see jazz vocalist and Warrenton native René Marie perform is to witness joy. You can see it in the way she moves while she sings and in the beaming smile upon he… Read More
Plant-based cuisine is one of the fastest growing trends in the country today. Whether or not you embrace meat-free meals full time as a Vegan or more often (but not stric… Read More
In today’s modern, and often health conscious culture, many of us find ourselves hosting the Holidays for family or friends who are vegan even if we haven’t ch… Read More
Host the perfect beautiful and elegant holiday party this season with touches of rich gold, natural lighting and fir tree boughs. Mixing luminous golden touches with natur… Read More
Virginia Wine Country is prime for travel any time of year. From visiting vineyards to see illuminated vines and tall trees to strolling through small towns where you can… Read More
One of HBOMax’s newest cooking shows is The Big Brunch, a cooking competition that tasks 10 chefs to come up with innovative and delicious brunch dishes. Even though… Read More
Charlottesville chef Antwon Brinson is one of ten contestants on the inaugural season of The Big Brunch. A new series on HBOMax, it has been touted as “the kindest c… Read More
With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s time to show the women near… Read More
From holidays and birthdays to milestone anniversaries and every occasion in between, nothing spoils loved ones more than fabulous luxury gifts. Find the perfect present i… Read More
