As if he needed more coolness, a couple years ago Steve Case bought a Virginia vineyard. Our Dining Bisnow editor recently took a field trip to his Charlottesville winery. (Most shocking fact: Somehow he managed to avoid calling it America Onvine.)
Steve and his wife Jean have done major renovations and improvements to the once-strugglingEarly Mountain Vineyards since buying it in November 2011. They offer a muchwiderrange ofwine-tasting anddining options than the typical vineyard, in hopes of enticing guests tohang outfor a while rather than vineyard-hop. (You had us at "wider range.")
We bet the AOL founder had time-pressed tech entrepreneurs in mind when he created a tasting room with a stand-up bar. But Early Mountain also has plenty of seating and a large fireplace. Outdoor seating is available on multiple patios and a hillside terrace with fire pits and views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The tasting room has wines from all over Virginia on a monthly rotating basis-- a plus since the vineyards aren't exactly in walking distance.
The dining experience at Early Mountain also offers more options than the typical vineyard.The marketplace menu features lots of local ingredients in dishes like smoked gouda mac & cheese and meatloaf with roasted fingerling potatoes. And to round out the meal, the decadent dessert menu has salted caramel cheesecake.
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