Not every vineyard hotel manages to feel both amazingly scenic and genuinely useful, but
Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards gets that balance right. Set on more than 450 acres in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, it combines a 28-room boutique inn with vineyard views, an infinity pool, hot tub and one of the strongest food-and-wine programs in the region. The estate’s own vineyard spans 13 acres, and the wines are made on site, from Viognier and Chardonnay to Cab Franc, Merlot, sparkling and dessert wines.
Among the many other highlights are the wine tasting in the Tasting Room, refined Appalachian dining at Hickory, a 1,700-plus-bottle wine cellar, social hour on Fridays and Saturdays, yoga, target sports, and even luxury yurts if you want something more memorable than a standard room. The inn itself ranges from simple vineyard-view rooms to suites and a penthouse, many with kitchenettes, rainfall showers and balconies.
So yes, there are plenty of vineyard stays in the US - but this one has range. Nicewonder works if you want a romantic weekend, a Blue Ridge food-and-wine escape, or just a place where the setting, the service and the wine all feel like part of the same idea. Highly recommended.
10.0 exceptional
