Colorful Victorian Farmhouse with Farm-Fresh Meals and Pinot Noir Vineyard
Housed in a 19th-century Victorian farmhouse, High Meadows Vineyard Inn is one of central Virginia’s most historic properties. Thanks to the recent efforts of innkeepers Nancy and Cynthia Bruce, it’s also one of the most unique. Since purchasing the bed and breakfast in 2007, the mother-and-daughter duo have renovated all the guest rooms—adding bold color and eclectic decor—and painted the home’s exterior in bright shades of blue and green. They’ve also added a housemade breakfast made from farm-fresh produce. The result is a charming, almost whimsical setting. Guests can stroll past the grounds’ woodland ponds, watch the resident peacocks roam about, or explore the property’s 2-acre pinot noir vineyard. Since it’s located in the fertile Monticello American Viticultural Area, High Meadows also offers free tastings at a handful of local wineries and a preprogrammed GPS tour that takes you through the nearby Monticello Wine Trail.
The inn specializes in gourmet comfort food, and you’ll get a true farm-to-table experience while you’re here. Every morning, the innkeepers gather organic eggs from their own flock of hens to prepare eggs benedict with housemade hollandaise sauce and other breakfast dishes. The carolina shrimp-and-grits breakfast features scallions from the inn’s gardens, and seasonal crepes are stuffed with local chèvre cheese. This romantic package also includes a three-course candlelit dinner, during which guests order from a selected list of entrees, such as stuffed local trout or fillet of beef au poivre.
High Meadows was recently praised in Vintage & Victorian magazine for its colorful interiors and whimsical decor. This signature style, described as “cool” and “unexpected,” especially shines in the inn’s seven individually decorated guest rooms. Occupying the entire attic floor and accessed by its own staircase, the Dogwood room features a custom king round bed and a clawfoot soaking tub. The yellow Daffodil room looks out onto the flourishing azalea gardens, and you can enjoy complimentary chocolate-covered strawberries on the private deck attached to the cottage suite.
Scottsville, Virginia: Riverside Town near Wineries and Jefferson’s Monticello
High Meadows Vineyard Inn is located in Scottsville, a small, colonial-era town situated along the James River in central Virginia. Set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the area is rife with top-notch hiking trails and wildlife. The town’s location in central Virginia means visitors have access to award-winning wineries and some of the country’s most important historical sites.
Central Virginia is home to more than 70 wineries, many of which lie within 30 minutes of the inn. You can taste award-winning chardonnays in the historic Monticello AVA, where four wine trails link dozens of tasting rooms along the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains. At Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, you can sip dessert wine in a courtyard overlooking the Shenandoah Valley, then head over to Mountfair Vineyards for its red Bordeaux-style blends.
Roughly 30 minutes north is the town of Charlottesville, where you’ll find an abundance of historical sites, such as Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Tours of the former president’s hilltop estate highlight hidden staircases, a plantation street, and his inventions, such as a seven-day clock. Charlottesville is also home to the University of Virginia, which was featured on Travel + Leisure’s list of America’s Most Beautiful College Campuses.
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