Last week we took a little break from our crazy lives and headed to good ole’ Virginia wine country.  We stayed for a few nights at the Inn at Westwood, a gorgeous B and B in Orange, Virginia.  We can not say enough about our time there!  It was ridiculously clean, the breakfast was fresh, healthy and delicious, and Elizabeth and Jay were so welcoming and hospitable!  We will definitely be going back and I hope you go check it out too!

Aside from our delightful accommodations, we really enjoyed touring the wineries.  What’s more relaxing than a drive through the beautiful country side with stops along the way for tastes of Virginia’s best wines?  It was on our first trip through wine country years ago that I discovered a love for Cabernet Franc.  It’s a grape that is often used for mixing along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in a Bordeaux style blend, but in Virginia it grows well enough to stand on it’s own.  So only local wineries have the best of this stuff!  And trust me, it is delicious!  Other winery-found favorites of ours include Viogniers, Steel Barreled Chardonnays, and of course our all time old faithful, Cabernet Sauvignon.

We spent one morning at Early Mountain Vineyards were we had a wine flight accompanied by a plate of local cheeses and we got to enjoy it all by a cedar fire!  Lovely!

Photo courtesy of my iphone

Photo courtesy of our B and B buddies, Kara and Sam, pictured below at the Barboursville Ruins

What’s your favorite wine or favorite winery experience?  Leave a comment below and let me know!  Commenters will be entered to win a year long subscription to Virginia Wine Lover’s Magazine!  I’ll enter your names and randomly select a winner by Thursday at 2p.m.