Of Wine and Art

A few weeks ago, I drove down to Richmond to visit my dear friend Kara. The weather for the weekend was less than stellar, but we still managed to enjoy ourselves. On Saturday we drove out to Charlottesville (about an hour from Richmond) and visited a few wineries. Our first stop was Jefferson Vineyards, which is just a stone's throw from Monticello and stands on the same spot where Thomas Jefferson had his vineyard.

The wine was exceptional and the staff were quite knowledgeable. I wound up spending more than I had anticipated on a bottle of wine, but it was worth it. We had planned on going to Trump Winery next, just out of pure curiosity, but we were advised to go to Blenheim Winery instead. I think we made a wise choice. It turns out the all-green tasting room at Blenheim was designed by Charlottesville native Dave Matthews.

Sadly, Dave Matthews was nowhere to be found. It was a lovely property though.

Our last stop on the wine trail was Pippin Hill. Apparently it's rated as one of the top wedding venues in the country. And I could see why; it's just breathtaking. 

After a full day of drinking wine, we hung out in downtown Charlottesville and had dinner before driving back to Richmond. The next day turned out to be rather cold and rainy, but we didn't let that slow us down. We had quite the adventure planned! Richmond is currently embarking on a public arts project in which artists from all over the world create murals around the city. Most of these murals are hidden from plain sight - in alleys and on backs of buildings - so our plan was to go on a scavenger hunt and find as many as we could. It was a mural safari! Here are a few of my favorites:

This one is inspired by the John Smith statue in Jamestown.

It seems we found one in-progress!

It's always a treat going to Richmond and seeing my darling Kara, and this trip was no exception. I hope to be back again soon!