Sips and Trips with Paige

Hi wine loves! We have a special blog post today! My friends over at Leisure Pup asked me if I would give them some recommendations for their upcoming wine weekend to Charlottesville. I was tickled when they asked! I absolutely love sharing my favorite wineries and I hope they enjoy their fun wine weekend! You can follow along on their wine adventures on Instagram @pupofleisure!

Since the Monticello Wine Trail is so large, I narrowed it down to a specific location. I will be giving recs from the Northwest area!

Glass House Winery – What an amazing winery! Glass House is one of our favorites… it is absolutely gorgeous. Glass house is a boutique winery with tropical flare. They have a tropical conservatory attached to their tasting room. It is filled with tropical plants with tables and walkways. This is a great winery to visit during colder months since they have plenty of indoor seating. Outside they have plenty of outdoor seating along with a beautiful pond and dock. Zach had planned on proposing at Glass House down on the dock but it was a bit too busy for him! We love sitting on the dock with our feet in the water with a glass of their Viognier. Tastings are $10 and include samples of wine along with their handmade chocolate. Your four legged friend is allowed outside and in the amazing conservatory, just not in the tasting room. Open Thursday-Sunday.

Moss Vineyards – This winery has a VERY SPECIAL place in my heart, Zach proposed at Moss! The view is one of our favorites! They have a gorgeous outdoor seating area and it is always a very intimate experience. Moss is a very small winery producing only 500-1000 cases a year. They have five wines and grow four varietals on their vineyard. The location is beautiful with plenty of outdoor seating. Tastings are $10 and their Rose is our favorite! Bring your dog, they just expect your dog to be people and pet friendly! They are open weekends only, Friday-Sunday.

Stone Mountain Vineyards – What a VIEW! If you are looking for the winery with one of the best views, you have to take a drive (literally) up a mountain. Stone Mountain is one of the highest vineyards in Virginia… at over 1,700 ft. you will reach the top and just stare at the breathtaking view. This is a winery that you will want to stay at for hours, at least that’s what we did! The tasting room is large with a nice size bar, it looks like a large cabin with lots of hardwood in the interior. Their tasting is $12 for a variety of wines and a taste of their wine slushies. You are more than welcome to pack your own picnic but they have an assortment of cheeses and fresh artisan pizzas. This is a very dog friendly winery, so you might want to bring your four legged friend along! I am a sucker for a great logo and I absolutely love their wine labels and bear logo. Zach and I love their Rose! Stone Mountain is open Thursday-Monday.

*Sips and Trips Tip – Follow the directions on the website! Do not follow your GPS, we followed the websites directions and it is still a pretty scary drive up the mountain. I promise the view is worth it!

Stinson Vineyards – Stinson is a small family owned winery. They have a cute, modern tasting room that is similar to a garage. There is a lot of glass that offers beautiful views from inside as well as outside. Their barrels, tanks and concrete eggs are right in the next room where they have overflow tasting bars set up with some indoor seating. Outside, they have a beautiful patio with comfy seats as well as picnic tables. Their tasting is $10 and includes seven wines. We had a lovely tasting that was informative and fun! Our absolute favorite was their Sauvignon Blanc. It is aged in both stainless steel and concrete. The concrete gives the wine a nice mineral finish. Some of our other favorites were their Rose of Tannat and their Cabernet Franc. This is a dog friendly spot! They encourage you to bring your dogs inside as long as they are on a leash 🙂 Stinson is open Thursday-Sunday.

Grace Estate Winery – Grace Estate is located right down the road from Stinson. We love Grace Estate! Tastings are $9, they have their classic tasting or you can pick between a white or red tasting. This is nice if you specifically like red or white. Furry friends are only allowed outside at Grace, but they have a wonderful outdoor patio. Inside they have ample seating as well as a fireplace with comfy seating;) Some of our favorites at Grace include their Estate Le Gras Rose and their Estate Le Gras Cuve, their Vidal Blanc. Grace is open Wednesday-Sunday.

There you have it! A fun and fabulous wine weekend! I hope my friends over at Leisure Pup enjoy their wine weekend and stop by these amazing places. If you would like to follow them you can find them on Instagram @pupofleisure!

Cheers, Paige