Between apple and pumpkin picking  at  Chiles Orchard,  The Blue Ridge Home Builders Association Parade of Homes and wine tasting during Virginia Wine Month,  there aren’t enough weekends in October!  Couple that with lapis blue  skies and the early changes in fall foliage and you have the makings of a fabulous day!

We settled on a brief stop at the crowded Chiles Peach Orchard where we selected an incredibly delicious jar of Five Pepper Jelly!  Armed with our jelly, we drove  around the corner to Half Mile Branch Rd.  and the King Family Vineyard.

Anticipating a large group of visitors in the tasting room,  we decided to pass on sampling and immediately headed to the stocked refrigerator for a chilled bottle of the 2009 Viognier!  Tasters were three rows deep and we found  it virtually impossible to make our purchase.  Fortunately for us, Judy Bowers enthusiastically came to our aid, guided us over to a satellite register and even provided us with an ice bucket plus two warm baguettes of bread!

You could not pick a more beautiful place to bring guests or just enjoy a romantic afternoon with your loved one! The jelly on the warm baguette was fantastic and paired well with the Viognier. In our haste we forgot a knife thus  improvising our own spreader!

Strolling  towards the manicured tiff grass polo field, we couldn’t help but admire the beauty of  our surroundings. Sadly enough, directly in front of us a polo match had been interrupted by a player sustaining injuries who was immediately  whisked off by ambulance to the emergency room. The match was converted to a friendly practice session and was more in keeping with the leisurely atmosphere of the day. 

When you come be sure to take a walk over to the stables for a close up view of the horses and the smell of fresh hay.  We call that straw on the nose!

 

 

You will not be disappointed by your visit to King Family. The wine, the scenery and horses add up to a royal outing in the Fall in Virginia!

Take Rt. 250 West past Western Albemarle High School. Turn right onto Rt. 797 (Hillsboro Lane). Turn right onto Rt. 684 (Half Mile Branch). Go one mile, entrance on the left. OR, take I-64 West to Exit 107 (Crozet), turn right onto Rt. 250 East. Go 1/2 mile, turn left onto Rt. 797 (Hillsboro Lane) and then as above.