A tasting room at Paradise Springs Winery.
Culpeper, Virginia
1 1/2 hours away
For wineries, spring can mean a new vintage. Want to toast the season? We suggest starting a weekend in Culpeper, Virginia, where you can wander the budding vines at Old House Vineyards, then sample a ruby-red glass of Bacchanalia on the Southern-style veranda.
Hungry? Enjoy a dinner of roasted chicken stuffed with fresh herbs at the European-themed It's About Thyme. At the Thyme Inn, you can settle into a Jacuzzi, then drift off by a fire in one of the five guest rooms. On the first Sunday of the month, you might hop over to Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery (800-800-9463), ten miles down the road, for brunch ($25). Try a glass of Petit Manseng for dessert; with flavors of honey, apricot, and orange, it tastes like spring.
Heading home, take a detour to the new Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton. In the tasting room, which is an 1800s log cabin, try a sip of Nana's Rosé, with its bouquet of strawberry shortcake.
Rooms at the Thyme Inn range from $125 to $550.
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Nancy Bauer is founder of the popular Facebook group, Virginia Wine Love, and the website VirginiaWineLove.com.
