3rd Annual Taste of Monticello Wine Trail Festival

Do you like wine? Do you like history? Do you like consuming wine while touring a historic site? If so, then you’re in luck, because the 3^rd Annual Taste of Monticello Wine Trail Festival will be commencing on April 10 through April 12, 2014! It’s “three days of celebrating the best of Central Virginia wines” and includes samples from twenty-different different local vineyards.

 Try a Cabernet Franc from Afton Mountain Vineyards Keswick Vineyards, or Kilaurwen Winery, a White Star from Veritas, or a Viognier from Jefferson Vineyards. From big, bold reds to sweet white wine, your taste buds will be satisfied.

Along with the wine-tasting come the events. On Thursday, April 10, you have the opportunity to attend the Monticello Cup Awards at the Jefferson Theater, where the best wines in the area will receive their due recognition. On Friday, April 11, you have the chance to tour a number of these participating wineries as well as enjoy a “series of wine makers’ dinners at some of Charlottesville’s best restaurants.” On Saturday, April 12, the 25 wineries will offer tasting events at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion, where there will be live music to keep you entertained. If you want an even more in-depth wine tour, considering joining in the VIP event with its catered food and access to a few exclusive wines.

Ready for some wine tasting? Click here to purchase your tickets. (And don’t forget to book a room at High Meadows Vineyard Inn!)

Blueberry-Lemon Muffins

Today is cold and snowy, which means that it's a great day to warm up in the kitchen with some baking. Try out a new recipe for yourself, which just so happens to closely resemble the Blueberry-Lemon Muffins that we serve right here at High Meadows Vineyard Inn:

Ingredients

Muffins:

    2 cups + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

    3/4 cup sugar

    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    1 cup creme fraiche (click here for a recipe to make your own crème fraiche)

    2 tablespoons milk

    2 tablespoons lemon juice

    1/4 cup canola oil

    1 egg

    Zest of 1/2 a lemon

    1 teaspoon lemon extract

    1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Topping:

    1/2 tablespoon butter, cold

    2 tablespoons sugar

    1 1/2 tablespoons flour

    1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

    Pinch of salt

Directions

Heat oven to 400.

Grease muffin pan or line with paper cups.

Mix topping ingredients together, and cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine creme fraiche, milk, oil, egg and extract. Pour wet mixture into dry, stir. Add lemon juice and continue to mix until the dough comes together, then fold in the blueberries.

Spoon batter into greased muffin tin. Sprinkle with topping and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. 

Original recipe found here.

Michie Tavern ca. 1784

Life in the 18^th Century was vastly different than our world today—different clothing, strange colloquialisms, and, if you can believe it, no Twitter or Facebook. But two things remain in similarity and those are the need for lodging and the offering of rich, hot Southern food. If you’re looking for a taste of history, then Michie Tavern ca. 1784 is at your service.

Michie Tavern is a Virginia Historic Landmark located about half a mile away from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.  (Check out the Monticello Neighborhood Pass if you’re interested in a combination tour of Monticello, Michie Tavern, and Ash-Lawn Highland.) A Scotsman by the name of William Michie established the tavern in 1784, and it became central to the community, providing citizens with food, drink, and lodging. Now, you can immerse yourself in the history of the area with a cuisine selection from the tavern’s “Colonial Midday Fare.” Feast on juicy fried chicken, soft, warm buttermilk biscuits, black-eyed peas and more. Wash it down with a cup of hot mulled cider, or a glass of lager, ale, or wine. 

If you’d like a souvenir of your colonial adventure, browse the various tavern shops—The General Store, the gift shop, the metal smith shop, and the clothier shop. If you can’t make it to Michie Tavern, but you’d still like to purchase a souvenir, check out their online store.

Michie Tavern is only a twenty-minute drive away from High Meadows Vineyard Inn, so book your room, and indulge in a bit of Virginia history.

Virginia’s Brew Ridge Trail

There’s no doubt that we love our Virginia wine, but it’s certainly not the only fantastic libation to be found in the area. We also happen to be close by to excellent, award-winning breweries. With the farthest brewery at 30 to 40 minutes away from High Meadows Vineyard Inn, the Brew Ridge Trail (clever name, yes?) is at your service:

Blue Mountain Brewery is a farm brewery that grows its own hops and “sits in the shadow of Appalachia’s Blue Ridge Mountains in Afton, Virginia” (Blue Mountain Brewery). Sip the light, German-style Kolsch 151 or the Dark Hollow Artisanal Ale, aged in charred oaken barrels. (Also, you can find more Blue Mountain Beer at their Barrel House in Arrington, VA.) 

Devils Backbone Brewing Company: Devils Backbone has won Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the year in both 2012 and 2013. And not only are their gold medal beers delicious, but their menu items are as well. Feast on fish and chips, pan seared salmon, a Bavarian pretzel, or a turkey enchilada burger, then enhance the flavors with sips of your chosen brew. 

South Street Brewery: Located in a 19^th century warehouse, South Street Brewery a great variety of fresh, local brews. Sample the juxtaposition of coffee and beer with an Espresso Porter. Taste tradition with the Absolution Ale, modeled after a 17^th Century English beverage. (They also carry several varieties of hard cider, if you’d prefer.)

Starr Hill Brewery: Starr Hill’s Master Brewer Mark Thompson, states, “It’s no secret that our mission is the Gift of Great Beer…I’m a steward of the product that enhances this thing we call life.”  Starr Hill lives up to its claim as a “Gift.” Sip a year-round Starr Pils, a seasonal Snow Blind, or a glass of the Monticello Reserve Ale.   

Wild Wolf Brewing Company: Wild Wolf is the “home of howling good beer.” With a stunning mountain setting, house smoked meats on the menu, and, of course, delectable brews, you’re in for a treat. From the Alpha Ale to the Howling Pumpkin, your taste buds won’t be disappointed!