The Inn at Stinson Vineyards in Crozet is an Elegant, Off-the-Beaten Path Getaway for Foodies and Wine Lovers Looking to Unplug and Unwind.

When the winding roads and rolling hills around Crozet, Virginia deposit you on the doorstep of the Inn at Stinson Vineyards, you might not be sure you’ve found the right spot. With its front door painted a cheery turquoise, the modest exterior of this renovated home, once occupied by a member of the Stinson family, belies the real “wow” factor waiting inside.

From the moment you step in, you are drawn through a light-filled foyer and dining room with vaulted ceilings—to a set of glass doors with transom windows that form a cathedral-style panoramic view of grapevines cascading downhill against a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In the heart of Virginia wine country, less than 20 miles from Charlottesville, this is a don’t-miss that’s off the beaten path.

That “aaaaaah” feeling is meant to last throughout your stay at this intimate, four-bedroom mountain getaway—opened in 2018 and accommodating up to nine guests—a bespoke experience from breakfast until bedtime for wine-lovers and foodies and anyone who wants to unwind and unplug. That’s all by design, says innkeeper and general manager Stephanie Campbell.

“It’s a place that allows people to come and truly escape and take a deep breath in a way,” Campbell explains. “It’s not fast-paced. There are not a lot of activities. It’s a time to indulge, to sit around on the screened-in porch and enjoy a glass of sauvignon blanc. It’s a getaway, a little slice of paradise for rejuvenation.”

The small-batch, family-owned estate winery’s own 2019 sauvignon blanc, fermented in concrete and stainless steel, boasts tasting notes of “stone fruit and Meyer lemon zest” and “fresh boxwood and a wet stone minerality.” Wine flights are available in the Inn’s cellar and next door at the winery tasting room as are bottles for purchase. Stinson Vineyards is co-owned by Scott Stinson and his daughter Rachel Stinson Vrooman and takes inspiration from the “garagiste” wineries of France.

At the Inn, each morning begins with an elegant, full-service, three-course breakfast—served inside or on the back deck overlooking the seasonal, heated pool and that stunning view—incorporating local ingredients and produce from the Inn’s garden. Their “build-your-own” parfait with house yogurt, homemade granola and fresh fruit is a guest favorite. The main course is a chef’s-choice hot breakfast. One morning it may be a lovely tartine with soft-scrambled Japanese-style eggs, house-cured salmon, pickled red onion and fresh dill. On the next, a petite crustless quiche with fresh veggies a delightfully creamy custard texture.

While breakfast is included with your stay, dinners at the Inn are optional. But if you miss the opportunity to indulge in the culinary craft of Virginia-native, in-house Chef Tyler Teass—who was part of the team that earned D.C.’s Rose Luxury its Michelin Star rating in 2016 and later helped open Brasserie Saison on Charlottesville’s historic downtown mall—you have missed out indeed.

During our visit, we were treated to an exquisite four-course, wine-paired meal designed by Chef Teass, which was preceded by an amuse-bouche—crème fraiche with white peaches and purple basil served with light, crispy cheese wafers—and the most delicate miniature sourdough waffles with local pork fat, sea salt and confectioners’ sugar, a mind-blowing, melt-in-your-mouth sweet-savory combo.

The courses included a celery root velouté with caviar, crispy potatoes and herbs (paired with the 2019 sauvignon blanc); a perfectly portioned twist of spaghetti with crab, basil pistou and breadcrumbs (paired with the 2020 Sugar Hollow White); roasted Roseda Farm beef, mushroom croquette, braised beans and herb jus (paired with the 2017 Meritage); and, for dessert, popcorn pudding with crème fraiche, lime and sorghum (paired with the 2018 petit manseng).

The Wine Cellar dinners run $150 per person—incredibly reasonable for the quality of food and level of service, but the Inn has also started offering a more casual dinner option called Chef’s Suppers, “featuring an array of seasonally driven plates meant to share” and sample alongside a variety of wines.

The rooms and shared spaces at the Inn are the epitome of clean, cozy minimalism accentuated by touches of rustic charm. No detail is left unthought of for guest convenience and comfort. Room rates start at around $200 per night, or you can rent the entire Inn starting at approximately $1,000 per night.

While you’re in and near Crozet, don’t miss small-town must-stops such as Crozet Pizza, Starr Hill Brewery, the Rockfish Gap Country Store and the Claudius Crozet Bridge Tunnel, a historic landmark recently re-opened to hikers and cyclists. And, of course there is a plethora of other wineries to visit nearby including King Family Vineyards, well-known not only for its pastoral landscape but also for its horses and polo matches.

Learn more at InnatStinsonVineyards.com.
Photos: Leona Baker, Lisa Davenport, Audra Jones Photography, Bekah Imagery or Courtesy of Inn at Stinson Vineyards

Think there’s nothing to do when the weather turns cold? Don’t whine—there’s always wine. At wineries across Central Virginia, you can spend winter weekends warming up with a glass— or bottle—of locally-made wine.

Area winemakers will tell you that wintertime, what some might consider the off-season, is a great time to visit wineries. George Hodson, general manager at Veritas Vineyard & Winery in Afton, says at Veritas winter is “more of a mindset.”

In addition to the ambience of the fireplace—a good place to “snuggle up,” he said—winter is a quiet season, but in the best way. “We have our fireplace burning constantly,” Hodson said. “The other aspect is how quiet it is. Wintertime is the perfect time to do the wine trails because there’s less traffic.”

In addition, he said, the winter tasting room staff is “more tenured,” which can mean a better experience. “They can have a really good interaction with people who have worked at the wineries a long time, that core tasting-room staff,” he said.

Wineries also can be a great place to enjoy the winter weather, albeit probably from indoors. After all, as Afton Mountain Vineyards puts it on their website, “Grapes don’t grow in ugly places.”

At Afton Mountain, which along with Veritas is one of several wineries located along State Route 151 in Nelson County, visitors can sip wine in an enclosed pavilion overlooking the winery.

“It offers all the beautiful views, like you’d be sitting outside, but it’s enclosed, and you have heat and a nice place to relax,” tasting room manager Michelle Kimmell said. “It’s a large, relaxing space for people to gather.”

The tasting room at Afton’s Valley Road Vineyards offers a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Rockfish Valley. CEO Stan Joynes calls it “the money shot” and said they plan to install a fire pit outside as well.

The Homeplace Vineyard, in Chatham, hosts its tastings in a rustic log cabin, and for history buffs, the tasting room at Chatham’s Tomahawk Mill Vineyard & Winery is a grist mill, built in 1888 by Confederate veteran James Anderson.

Close to Wintergreen Resort, Flying Fox Vineyard is a good place to wind down after a day on the slopes, “It’s really cozy here,” owner Chloe Watkins said, adding, “When they’re sick of skiing, they’ll come see us.”

Bring out Your Reds
The staff at area wineries will tell you winter is the time to bring out the red wines. With holidays and heavier foods, reds are more popular. “In the winter, we find that a lot of people come in to get red wine because they’re having a party or an Italian meal, something like lasagna or a pasta dish,” Kimmell said.

Ports are a big seller, too. “We have a fabulous, port-style wine,” Kimmell said of Afton Mountain’s VDN. “[It’s] fortified with brandy. It’s made from our grape juice, and we send it off to be distilled—aged—in bourbon barrels. It’s a definite cold-weather favorite. It’s the perfect wine to cozy up in front of a warm fire with in the wintertime.”

Valley Road, which released its first bottles this past April, has what Joynes describes as “particularly spectacular” reds. “What we’ve been told is our Meritage is really special and will be more special if we put it away for a while,” Joynes said of the blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

At Flying Fox, Watkins said Red Table is a popular winter wine. Described on the website as an “off-dry blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot,” it’s said to appeal to both red and white fans. It’s also the wine Watkins uses to make mulled wine, a spiced, heated wine offered at some wineries during the winter.

Around Thanksgiving, Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery, in Afton, releases a nouveau, a holiday wine that’s made from grapes harvested just weeks before. “It’s not aged very long,” said Rose Harper, who works in the tasting room. “It’s a pretty quick process.”

For that reason, Harper said, it “only lasts about three months before it starts to go,” and nouveau wines are sold only until about mid-January. “You’ve got to get it and drink it. It’s a pretty limited batch.”

While not a red and technically not even a wine, Sans Soucy Vineyards’ Ginger wine is a popular choice for winter. According to co-owner Jackie Anctil, Ginger is “more of a cordial, after-dinner drink” and is a good partner for Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

Anctil also suggests mixing it with bourbon or whisky to make a “Whisky Mac” or with champagne, her favorite. “It’s quite sweet and very gingery,” she said.

According to Anctil, Sans Soucy, located about a half-hour from Lynchburg in Brookneal, is the only winery in the Commonwealth and possibly beyond that makes ginger wine. “We’re the only ones who make ginger wine,” she said. “We’re the only ones in the state, for sure, and we pretty much believe we’re the only ones on the East Coast.”

Holiday Happenings
When thinking about the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” what’s likely to come to mind are drumming drummers, milking maids and partridges roosting in pear trees. This holiday season, consider a new, grownup take on the classic ditty: 12 days of holiday spirits—more specifically wine — along State Route 151 in Nelson County.

Nelson 151 (www.nelson151.com), a group that promotes wineries, breweries and distilleries along the scenic byway, will present its “Twelve Days of Christmas on Nelson 151” from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5, 2017.

Five wineries along the route—Flying Fox, Afton Mountain, Hill Top, Veritas and Cardinal Point—are participating in the fundraiser, which benefits several area charities.

“Each member of 151 chooses a local charity that they want to support on their designated day,” Hodson, of Veritas, said. “They also choose how they want to determine their contribution. Some will do a percentage of total revenue, some will have the value of tastings.”

Take a Drive
Route 151 Wine Tour (From Lynchburg, south to north)
Hill Top Berry Farm & Winery,
2800 Berry Hill Rd., Nellysford.
11 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days.
www.hilltopberrywine.com.

Flying Fox Vineyard,
27 Chapel Hollow Rd., Afton.
11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday through Monday.
www.flyingfoxvineyard.com.

Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery,
9423 Batesville Rd., Afton.
11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., seven days (November/December), weekends only, January through March.
www.cardinalpointwinery.com

Afton Mountain Vineyards,
234 Vineyard Ln., Afton.
11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., seven days (weather permitting).
www.aftonmountainvineyards.com.

Veritas Vineyard & Winery,
151 Veritas Ln., Afton.
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
www.veritaswines.com.

Valley Road Vineyards,
9264 Critzers Shop Rd., Afton.
10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday and Monday.
www.valleyroadwines.com.

Southside Wine Tour
The Homeplace Vineyard,
568 Rigney Circle, Chatham.
11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. Closed January and February.
www.thehomeplacevineyard.com.

Tomahawk Mill Vineyard & Winery,
9221 Anderson Mill Rd., Chatham.
11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Sunday, through mid-December. Mid-December through mid-March, by appointment.
www.tomahawkmill.com.

Sans Soucy Vineyards (and Staunton River Brewing Company),
1571 Mount Calvary Rd., Brookneal.
1 to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (check Facebook for additional hours).
www.sanssoucyvineyards.com.

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By Suzanne Ramsey