Late in his life, atop Monticello mountain located adjacent to the small hamlet of Charlottesville, Virginia, Thomas Jefferson envisioned vineyards and wines from his native state standing shoulder to shoulder with the great wines of the Old World. He planted his vineyards close to home that year, but his efforts were in vain, and his vision remained unfulfilled.

Some 200 years later, the counties surrounding Monticello were designated the Monticello Viticultural Area(AVA), in recognition of the region’s distinguished and burgeoning wine industry. Over half of Virginia’s 2000 vineyard acres grow within the Monticello AVA, and over 30 wineries produce fine wines of national and international acclaim.

With homemade salads and submarines full of any and every kind of yummy tasting veggie and meat you can think of, Mel’s Café is the perfect stop on the road. Here you can find beef hot dogs, bacon cheese dog, homemade pork, or even the One Eye Cheeseburger. Here sandwiches and dinner are offered with side orders of macaroni, fries, onion rings, and even wings. And make sure you don’t forget desserts of cheesecake, apple pie, or the amazing grilled donuts with ice cream. Don’t miss their Facebook page where you can follow the owners on all their updates and exciting things happening at the café. It’s a time and meal you don’t want to miss out on.

 

As foodies search for culinary experiences in an unending world of options, Stony Point Development Group set out to deliver a food market that will bring the celebration of food and beverage together under one roof. Located in the historic Monticello Dairy Building in downtown Charlottesville, Dairy Market is the first market hall concept in Virginia’s Central Piedmont. At capacity, the Dairy will have up to 18 merchant stalls and 11,500 sq. ft. of exciting retail space. Dairy Market is extremely proud to be bringing the National Food Hall Revolution to this treasured landmark, that for decades, Charlottesville residents have been calling a hometown favorite community gathering place. Building on this iconic local brand and continuing the farm-to-fork tradition will be a key ingredient and give Dairy Market visitors a true sense of place and the thrill of an authentic culinary experience.

Located next to Monticello and Michie Tavern, Carter Mountain Orchard is family-owned and operated. Our mountaintop location affords spectacular views of Charlottesville, the Piedmont, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Open April through November, we offer Pick-Your-Own and pre-picked Peaches and Nectarines (June-August) and Pick Your Own and pre-picked Apples (mid-August through November). Our bakery serves fresh-baked pies and cookies, hand-dipped ice cream, and our famous Apple Cider Donuts! Apple Cider, Apple Butter, jams and jellies, local crafts, pumpkins, and gourmet food products available in our country store. Wine tasting and sales on site, and the Mountain Grille serves lunch. Our school tours are popular-call for reservations. Scouts, Youth Groups, Seniors welcome. Family friendly. Please see our website for more details.

Blenheim is located on the historic farm claimed by Secretary of the Colony John Carter who had a 1730 patent for 9,350 acres of land in Albemarle Country, immediately to the south of Monticello – this grant included the estate known as Blenheim. Edward Carter, son of John “Secretary” Carter, lived in the original Blenheim house, which burned. Our Redlands Chardonnay comes from the Redlands estate which was part of this original land grant and is still occupied by the Carter family today. Features single-vineyard Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, as well as small lots of Bordeaux style blends.

The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection is the only museum dedicated to Indigenous Australian art in the United State and the most significant collection of its kind outside of Australia. We attract visitors from around the globe who are inspired to discover that Indigenous Australian art is remarkably contemporary, incredibly diverse, sophisticated beyond measure, and constantly changing and innovating. Because we maintain close relationships with Indigenous artists and communities, we feature their voices prominently and you’ll feel like you’re hearing directly from Indigenous artists about their art and culture.

The outdoor Ix Art Park is a mural and sculpture area open year-round to the public. It is the location of many events, festivals, and workshops throughout the year, as well as the Saturday Farmers Market.

Enjoy romantic lodging and two locally-inspired restaurants, Virginia’s most renowned winery – all in one place!

Wedmore Place is part of the Williamsburg Winery and offers unique European inspired accommodations. Wedmore Place has 28 rooms including traditional. classical and superior rooms.

All rooms include:

The Williamsburg Winery is over 40 acres of vineyards, an on-site garden, a hotel and two restaurants, Café Provencal and the Gabriel Archer Tavern all set on Wessex Hundred, a 300-acre farm. The Williamsburg Winery opened in 1988 and is open year round. There are numerous sites on property for group tastings, weddings and private events. Additionally, the Williamsburg Winery hosts a variety of special events throughout the year that are open to the public.

With its authentic Ethiopian food, Manna Bistro & Bakery in the heart of Centreville is a local favorite for both vegans and meat lovers! Our chefs prepare every dish with imported Ethiopian spices, and a whole lot of care, to ensure that our customers are always receiving the very best dining experience possible. At Manna Bistro & Bakery, our casual, every day style of food is made from fresh, natural ingredients from our Mena Farm- which makes our menu reminiscent of mom’s home cooking. Our injera, a delicious sourdough Ethiopian flat bread that you wrap your food with, makes Manna a favorite with kids, where it’s a treat to “eat with your hands”! New to Ethiopian cuisine? Just ask and we’ll show you how it’s done! Additionally, Manna takes pride in our wide selection of quality bakery products including muffins, scones, bagels, breakfast tacos and so much more. All of the items are fresh from the oven and served to our customers right away! We invite you to visit our website for more information and full menus, then stop by today! Our friendly staff and warm décor makes Manna Bistro & Bakery the perfect place to relax with friends and family.

At Idido Coffee house, our mission is to consistently provide quality coffee, pastries and healthy light meals while exceeding customer service and support our community.