Many people associate Charlottesville, Virginia with the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson and/or Monticello, or as a quick getaway from DC. I spent seven years going to graduate school and living in Charlottesville post-grad and while it is a small city, there is a lot of great food, wine, and outdoor activities to explore during your time there.
Friday
Arrival
As soon as you make it to Charlottesville, I recommend getting a glass of wine within the confines of the city. My favorite place to do this is at Ethos Wine Bar (a woman-owned shop with a good selection of wine and tea), Bottle House (wine shop focusing on traditional styles of wine), or if you are willing to make a short drive, the Virginia Wine Collective (a wine production and tasting room that makes winemaking accessible to independent winemakers). In fact, you could go to all three if the time allows before dinner in order to support local businesses.
Dinner
Continental Divide is a local Charlottesville establishment that has been open for over 30 years. When I say that they have the best nachos I’ve ever had, I mean it wholeheartedly. I have flown into Charlottesville a day early to eat at CD – that’s how good it is! While the entire menu at Continental Divide is good, you must order both nachos: Red Hot Blues as well as Nachos. We always get the nachos with black beans. Make sure to get full bottles of the hot sauce to go with them as well and remember that the “dangerously hot” is truly spicy, even for me as a gal who loves SPICY food. If your group is still hungry after the nachos (the servings are huge), I would recommend the spinach and mushroom enchiladas or the tuna tostada. If you like margaritas you must get the house margarita at CD. You can sub out the house tequila for any tequila you desire or mezcal. There is always a wait at Continental Divide, especially when UVA students are in town so make sure to get there right at 5, otherwise, be patient and wait to try the best nachos you’ll likely ever have.
Nightcap
If you’re looking for a place to grab a drink after dinner, I recommend the short walk over to the Downtown Mall. Head over to The Bebedero for a robust agave spirits program, Alley Light (make a reservation beforehand) for inventive cocktails using a variety of spirits, or The Fitzroy if you’re looking for a bit more of a rowdy vibe.
Saturday
Monticello Trail
Just a few miles outside of Charlottesville’s downtown area sits the Saunders-Monticello Trail. This trail is well-marked, and has a variety of gravel, pavement, and wood bridges. It’s a there and back route (total 4 miles) but if you’d like to explore Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s estate, you can go around the visitors center and even do a tour before walking back down to your car. BreakfastFor breakfast, I’d make the short drive over to Belmont to eat at Belle. Belle is a bakery and cafe that serves pastries, breakfast sandwiches. I recommend going on Saturday because it can get very busy during Sunday brunch. The avocado breakfast sandwich (#3), omelet, and avocado toast are my go-to orders!
Winery Hopping
After eating breakfast, it’s time to get ready for a day of drinking wine. I, of course, do not condone drinking and driving so I recommend either having a designated driver or hiring a driver for the day. I have personally used Blue Ridge Drivers and enjoyed the experience with them.Oakencroft Farm and Winery I recommend starting your day off at Oakencroft Farm and Winery. Oakencroft is close to my heart because I used to work there, but previous affiliations aside, I love that it is both woman-owned and the winemaker is also a woman. The wines feature many hybrid grapes including Sevyal Blanc, Chambourcin, and Vidal Blanc. Go to learn about hybrid grapes and regenerative farm practices while enjoying the beautiful tasting room. Pro tip: make sure to get a slice of the salted honey pie to go to eat later in the day.Stinson Vineyards From Oakencroft, make the short 15 minute drive over to Stinson Vineyards. Stinson is a family owned estate and vineyard run by a father/daughter combo. All of their wines are great but I recommend trying the Rose (made from Tannat), any vintage of the Meritage (Bordeaux blend), as well as the Chardonnay!
**Lunch stop**
After the first two wineries, it’ll be time to eat! Make sure to stop at Greenwood Grocery for sandwiches (the Beauregard is a vegetarian’s dream sandwich) and snacks to bring over to the next winery.For the second half of the day, there are unlimited options. Some favorites near Greenwood include Septenary (adults only winery with a delicious Gruner Vetliner), Pollak Vineyards (beautiful views with a great Nebbiolo and Meritage), and Common Wealth Crush (an incubator/cooperative that has amazing innovative wines made by young winemakers)!
Dinner
For dinner, I recommend that you head back over to the Belmont area. Some of my favorite restaurants are located there: Mas and Conmole. Mas is a tapas style restaurant that I’ve been going to since 2015 – I even went there with my mom and friends after my white coat ceremony in medical school. My favorite part about Mas, other than the delicious food, is that you can order different portion sizes, making it easy to customize to the group size. Some favorites include: patatas bravas, alcachofa a la parrilla, gambas a la parrilla, and queso y alcachofa. Order this with any of their specials or salads and you will have the perfect meal for a group! My other favorite restaurant in Belmont is Conmole, an Oaxacan style restaurant that has some of the best mole on the east coast. The mole frijol molido and the empanadas are my go-to order, but I am certain that anything you order will be delicious!
Sunday
Finish out your Charlottesville weekend by walking around UVA’s Grounds (the school’s fancy word for campus). If you have an early morning flight, I recommend stopping by Bodo’s to grab a bagel sandwich and some bagels to take home. If you have extra time, after a stroll around, I recommend grabbing a late brunch at Oakhurst Cafe. Their scones, hash, and grilled cheese and soup are great – also consider trying one of the seasonal specials. Make sure to make a reservation as it can get busy on the weekends.
There you have it – a quick, but full weekend in Charlottesville! Stay tuned for part two and let me know what your Charlottesville favorites are!
Leave a Reply