Earlier this November, Max and I headed to my parent’s house on Lake Anna for a little getaway to Charlottesville. We arrived on Thursday evening after work, stopping for our usual Chick-Fil-A dinner (the best!) Friday morning Max had to do a little more work so I took a walk, made us breakfast, and worked on an embroidery project.
On Friday afternoon we headed to Charlottesville which is about an hour away from the lake. I really wanted to check out Jefferson Winery. But first, we stopped at a little sandwich spot down the street, Simeon Market. We both got wine flights so we got to try most of the wines without doing a formal tasting (they aren’t offering those right now) and sat out in the field overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our sandwiches were SO good and the perfect pair with our wine. We got lucky with incredible weather so that made the day even better. The people were really nice and welcoming – they even have someone who helps you find a parking spot because it can be a bit tight. The wine was great and we even bought a bottle of Viognier to bring home. It was really cool to enjoy some wine in the same spot that Thomas Jefferson started the first vineyard in America.
After that, we headed to Keswick Vineyards. While the wines weren’t as spectacular as Jefferson, we still enjoyed the flights. The views were beautiful and it was quite peaceful and not busy. We sat at some chairs overlooking the fields and mountains as the sunset.
Next, we headed into Downtown Charlottesville to grab some dinner. We went to Hamilton’s because it was one of the only places with reservations available. The food was great and it was quite affordable, but the decor is pretty 90s. Then we grabbed some ice cream from Chap’s and sat at a table in the Downtown Mall area to enjoy the awesome weather.
On Saturday, my family arrived so we went on a morning boat ride. We couldn’t get over the incredible weather! That afternoon, we packed a picnic and went to King Family Vineyard. This winery is drop-dead gorgeous, especially in the fall! They have a beautiful view of the mountains and in the summer they even host Polo matches you can watch. Because the weather was so sunny, it was really busy but everyone was able to stay pretty spaced out because it’s such a big place. We actually snagged a table but ended up in the sun and were surprised by how hot it was! We got a bottle of Viogner and then some Crosè cans to bring home.
We stopped by Blue Mountain Brewery but it was pretty packed so we didn’t stay long. Also, this place is much more of a restaurant than a traditional casual brewery. It looked like fun but we didn’t feel like waiting for a table!
We ended the evening with take-out pizza back at the house. On Sunday we went for another boat ride before heading home! It was a really nice little getaway and we got extra lucky with the incredible weather. I can’t wait to go back to Charlottesville to try all the other wineries. Have you been to Charlottesville? If not, add it to your list!