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Blenheim Vineyards

Located ideally just 20 minutes south of historic Charlottesville, Blenheim Vineyards was established in 2000 by Dave Matthews. Family-owned and operated, Blenheim is dedicated to making wines that reflect in each sip the beauty of their birthplace.

The three vineyard sites grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, and Chardonnay. Part of the Monticello Wine Trail, Blenheim does not disappoint visitors who have become accustomed to the high quality of central Virginia wine.

The facility itself was designed by Dave Matthews and master craftsman William Johnson to have a minimal impact on the environment. The unique timber frame tasting room combines Jeffersonian simplicity and grace with clean, modern surprises, most notably the paneled glass floors through which visitors can peer into the wine production facilities below.

There is no shortage of visual stimulation for visitors who find themselves with a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the wine they sip as they gaze out over the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains.

Those interested in history will find Blenheim a most satisfying afternoon getaway. Nominated to both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places, Blenheim has many significant historical and political associations.

In 1730, John Carter, Secretary of the Colony of Virginia, obtained a patent for about 9,000 acres in what is now Albemarle County. His son Edward built the first Blenheim house in 1799. Later, Thomas and Martha Jefferson rested in Blenheim before borrowing horses from Edward Carter in order to continue to nearby Monticello.

Andrew Stevenson, who served as Speaker of the House, Ambassador to Great Britain, and rector of the University of Virginia, built the current Blenheim house in the mid-19th century. A variety of 18th and 19th century buildings exist on the property, and it is thought that the Claim House (built in the 1730s) is the oldest house in all of Albemarle County.