Where to Sip
Charlottesville and the Monticello American Viticultural Area (AVA) were recently named Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Region of the Year. The Charlottesville area is home to more than 40 wineries located along the Monticello Wine Trail, with more wineries opening each year, in addition to craft breweries, artisanal cideries, and distilleries.
Wineries
Barrels and Tanks Winemaker Incubator (Opening in 2024)
Eastwood Farm and Winery will be launching its new Barrels and Tanks winemaker incubator in 2024 (exact date to be determined). This collaborative and innovative facility will include five winemaker suites in its main production area. The suites will provide a space where independent winemakers can secure a license and make their own wines at a more affordable price.
Jake Busching, Eastwood Farm and Winery’s head winemaker, will oversee the rollout of the new facility. Barrels and Tanks will also feature a public tasting room, with the capacity to hold around 100 guests.
Fallen Tree Vineyard (Opening spring 2024)
Fallen Tree Vineyard is set to open its doors in spring 2024 in the western portion of Albemarle County, just 15 minutes from downtown Charlottesville. Varietals being produced at the region’s newest vineyard are set to include Chardonnay, Petit Manseng, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.
Southwest Mountains Vineyards
Southwest Mountains Vineyards officially opened its doors in September 2023, with its tasting room and production facilities located in the Keswick area of Albemarle County, just a short drive east of downtown Charlottesville. The tasting room is located in a converted historic barn dating back to 1903, which offers sweeping views of the Southwest Mountains range in the distance.
Tipsy Wagen Tours
Tipsy Wagen Tours began offering a unique way to explore the wineries surrounding the Charlottesville area in the summer of 2023. Guests can relax in their vintage Volkswagen Bus named Mable which cruises to great views and wines along the Monticello Wine Trail. Tipsy Wagen Tours adds yet another tour option for visitors interested in exploring our historic and acclaimed wine region.
Craft Breweries
Not a wine drinker? No need to worry. Several new craft breweries opened in the second half of 2023, making great additions to our region's craft beer scene and the Charlottesville Ale Trail passport.
Devils Backbone Brewing Company: The Backyard
Virginia-based Devils Backbone Brewing Company opened a Charlottesville location in 2023. Located within walking distance from both the Downtown Mall and UVA, the Backyard is a great spot to enjoy a beer, watch a game, play some trivia, or jam to some live music.
Högwaller Brewing
Located right next to the Rivanna River Company, Högwaller Brewing serves up delicious draft beers, rotating cans, and one of the best smash burgers in town. Helmed by head beermaker Mark Fulton (formerly of Reason Beer and Maine Beer Co.), Högwaller is open six days a week and releases a new beer every Thursday.
SuperFly Brewing Company
SuperFly Brewing Company is quickly becoming a mainstay for Charlottesville beer and music lovers alike. With its 70's-retro interior and live music schedule, this "small, funky" brewery opened in fall 2023 with a lot of heart and some truly great beers on tap.
Selvedge Brewing (Opening early 2024)
Same great beer, fun new location. Selvedge Brewing has moved from its former location at The Wool Factory to a new tasting room in the Bellair area of Charlottesville not far from Boar's Head Resort. The tasting room is slated to open in early 2024.
Where to Stay
The Little Mod Hotel
The Little Mod is a mid-century hotel located in the heart of Grounds at the University of Virginia. Featuring 15 guest rooms and five apartments, the retro decor takes visitors back to the 1960s. The Mod Pod, an on-site food truck, serves up tacos and other delicious bites each day for breakfast and lunch.
Renovations at The Omni Charlottesville Hotel
The Omni Charlottesville Hotel, located on the historic pedestrian Downtown Mall, unveiled the results of its extensive renovations in fall 2023. These renovations included modern furniture upgrades in the guestrooms, new state-of-the-art technology in meeting spaces, upgrades to the hotel’s lobby and common areas, and enhanced dining and entertainment options for guests and visitors.
Where to Eat
The Dairy Market
The Dairy Market is Central Virginia’s first food hall, featuring more than a dozen food and retail merchants in a historic location between the Downtown Mall and the University of Virginia. Recent additions to the Dairy Market include:
- Al Basha: Homemade, family-style Mediterranean food including shawarma, gyros, falafel, and Iraqi kebab.
- Krissy Cakes: A bakery specializing in sweet treats and custom cakes for special events.
- 434th Street: A Caribbean food stall featuring classic dishes with a Virginia twist, such as braised ox-tail, authentic Caribbean jerked chicken, and coconut curry goat.
Crozet
Located just twenty minutes from downtown Charlottesville in Albemarle County, the town of Crozet is known for its award-winning wineries and mountain views.These new restaurants are great for picking up fare on your way to a favorite hike or vineyard.
- Praha Bohemian Bakery and Café: A bakery located in the heart of Crozet, serving up Prague-inspired classics like Koláče, Klobásník, and Rohlíky.
- CroZeli Sandwich Shop: A signature sandwich shop located in the Piedmont Place building in Crozet. Order a takeaway sandwich or dine-in and explore their neighboring businesses like Crozet Creamery, Horse & Hen, and Blue Ridge Bottle House (which re-opens spring 2024).
Downtown Charlottesville
There are always new restaurants and spots to explore in Downtown Charlottesville, including along the historic pedestrian Downtown Mall. Some new additions in 2024 include:
- Bonny and Read Seafood: A new Mid-Atlantic seafood restaurant located on the Downtown Mall, Bonny and Read is named after a historic duo of female pirates. Choose from a range of seafood dishes or opt for one of their land-based options like a steak or rabbit pot pie.
- Cumbre Bakery: An Argentinian bakery and coffee shop serving up delicious empanadas. They also offer alfajores, croissants and other sweets born from Italian and Argentinian inspiration.
- The Wich Lab: The Wich Lab is the perfect place to grab a quick but filling bite on the Downtown Mall. Helmed by chef Aris Cuadra, visitors can order everything from a Reuben to a Cubano to the vegetarian special featuring charred broccoli and potato chips.
What to Do
If you're looking to explore a new historical site, outdoor adventure, or local shop on your next trip, don't miss these new additions.
History & Family-Friendly
New Exhibits at James Monroe’s Highland
Visitors can now explore a new exhibit at James Monroe's Highland. The Window to a New America exhibit shares the stories of the people who lived at Highland, as well as the stories of historic events that occurred during Monroe's lifetime. New exhibits also show how the nineteenth century impacted the twentieth century from the period of Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era, to Civil Rights and school integration.
The Contemplative Site at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
The Contemplative Site is a space designed to reflect upon the lives and legacies of those who were enslaved at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. The site’s 60-foot long steel wall lists known names, along with blank spaces to ensure that new names can be added as more details are learned. The Contemplative Site is located in an area Jefferson designed as a wooded, ornamental landscape called the “Grove,” at the western end of the Monticello mountaintop.
New Escape Room at Unlocked History Escape Rooms (Opening spring 2024)
A new escape room will open at Unlocked History Escape Rooms in spring 2024. This room, dedicated to exploring the mysteries behind Leonardo Da Vinci’s paintings and inventions, will complement the three escape rooms that are currently open to the public. The new escape room will strive to be as historically accurate as possible and will feature important characters such as Machiavelli and Cesare Borgia as key elements of the story.
Outdoor Adventures
Sauna at Rivanna River Company
A new sauna experience is now available at the Rivanna River Company. The sauna features a 7’x10′ hot room paneled in Eastern White Cedar wood from North Carolina, heated by a Kuuma sauna wood stove built in northern Minnesota. Couple the sauna experience with a cold water plunge in the nearby Rivanna River for an invigorating and rejuvenating winter experience.
James River Batteau Company “Farm to Batteau” Tour
The James River Batteau Company is now offering a new “Farm to Batteau” tour experience. This tour features local chef Sarah Rennie of Two Fire Table and includes an open fire and farm-to-table dinner on the James River in a flat-bottom boat known as a batteau. The experience showcases the agricultural and historical richness of the Scottsville area, against the backdrop of the golden hour on the historic James River.
Local Shopping
The Beautiful Idea
The Beautiful Idea is a new queer-maker's market and radical bookstore on the Downtown Mall. The store features books, artwork, jewelry, apparel, and other goods from more than two dozen local queer vendors. Stop in to find a new favorite read, the perfect gift, or just a safe, friendly place to relax!
Horse and Hen
Horse & Hen is a charming flower shop and farm store and another recent addition to the Piedmont Place building in Crozet. Owner Brittany Barnett exclusively sources her fresh cut flowers from local farms, which you can assemble into your own bouquet or have her create a custom arrangement for you.
While you're in the store, shop locally-made gifts and food products such as honey, hot sauce, goat milk soaps, artwork and prints, and so much more.
Shop Made in Virginia
Shop Made in Virginia opened a Charlottesville satellite location in 2023 within the Brigid & Bess store at the Dairy Market. The space is home to 40 featured artists from all around VA including paper goods, home goods, packaged food & beverage, apparel, jewelry, furniture, and art.
The space houses weekly signature programming including Wine & Watercolors, Sip + Paints, and Crafternoons as well as maker-taught classes in hand lettering, painting, candle making, punch needle, wreath making, collage classes, macramé, embroidery, and more.
Explore More & Plan Your Stay
There's so much to discover in our area’s attractions, wineries, restaurants, lodging options, arts, outdoor recreation, and more! Check out our Things to Do page for even more ideas during your stay in Charlottesville.
Don't wait to book! Take a look at Places to Stay to find the best hotel, B&B, or cottage to stay in during your next trip to Charlottesville and Albemarle County in 2024.