The New York Times > Travel > Escapes > Journeys: A Taste of Vintage Virginia

The New York Times > Travel > Escapes > Journeys: A Taste of Vintage Virginia.

JOURNEYS

A Taste of Vintage Virginia
By JESSICA MERRILL, Published: May 20, 2005

Carol T. Powers for The New York Times
WINE TOUR Throughout central and northern Virginia, wineries like Barboursville Vineyards combine tasting and history. [photo caption]

ON a hazy morning glimmering with the early warmth of spring, the fog rises from a valley pond, and a flock of geese cries out a morning wakeup call. It is the day's first greeting at Barboursville, the site of a historic landmark in central Virginia, the ruins of one of only five homes designed by Thomas Jefferson.

Later, at a Colonial-era estate called Waverly, the end of the day is just as tranquil, with the sun descending behind the trees, cascading a golden glow over more hills, another pasture and a different pond.