Offering guided winery, brewery, cidery, & distillery tours, Cville Hop On Tours takes the guesswork out of planning your next boozy tour of the Charlottesville, Virginia area...
This post was created in partnership with Visit Charlottesville & Cville Hop On Tours. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.
This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.
Oops, I did it again... ;) I planned, hosted, & attended my second ever local bloggers retreat in Charlottesville, Virginia last month. Some of you all may recall my first Sip, Dine, & Shine retreat in Charles Town, West Virginia back in 2016. This year's venue may have changed, but it was awesome to get the ole gang back together again (Erin from Delightful E Made, Brianne from Cupcakes & Kale Chips, & Karyn from Pint Sized Baker). Nicole from Mediavine & Or Whatever You Do joined us as well on this year's retreat, and boy we were glad to have her!
We all stayed in a restored 1790 cabin tucked away at the end of a long gravel driveway about 45 minutes outside of Charlottesville. And while we certainly loved the seclusion & peacefulness of our rental home, it definitely made us all appreciate the fact that we had decided to book a winery tour with Cville Hop On Tours even more! It was definitely a much better choice than trying to pile all of us into one of our cars & winging it on our own to try & explore the local winery scene. ;)
Our tour got underway when our driver, Jon (who also happens to be a co-owner of Cville Hop On) arrived to pick us all up to whisk us away on a 4 hour tour of some of the best local wineries that the Charlottesville area has to offer.
Insider Tip #1: Cville Hop On tours can pick you and your group up from wherever you are staying- a hotel, bed & breakfast, an Airbnb. You don't have to come to them!
Stop #1: King Family Vineyards (6550 Roseland Farm, Crozet)
Our first stop on our tour was the King Family Vineyards located in Crozet which is about 25 minutes west of Charlottesville. This wasn't my first foray with King Family. Some of you all may recall that I made a stop here last August during my very first visit to Cville.
We were treated to a private tasting by James King, the Tasting Room Manager & a member of the King family, in the winery's climate controlled Wine Library room.
The breathtaking views of the Virginia farmland & mountains are reason enough alone to add a stop at King Family Vineyards to your Cville Hop On tour itinerary.
Insider Tip #2: Your Cville Hop On guide is not only your driver, but he (or she) also makes sure that you & your group stay on schedule & will even carry your boozy souvenirs back to the bus for you! No heavy lifting for you, my friends. ;)
Insider Tip #3: All of Cville Hop On's 14 passenger tour buses come well stocked with snacks & water. It's important to stay fueled & hydrated while sampling some of the best wines, beers, & ciders that central Virginia has to offer.
Stop #2: Jefferson Vineyards (1353 Thomas Jefferson Parkway, Charlottesville)
Our second stop on our private winery tour with Cville Hop On was at Jefferson Vineyards in Charlottesville. The winery is located on property that was once a part of Thomas Jefferson's vast 5,000 acre estate. Although Jefferson himself never produced his own wine (his attempt at growing grape vines for wine was a huge flop), his dream of making wine from vines grown on his property has now been realized hundreds of years later by the folks at Jefferson Vineyards.
Jefferson Vineyards has several beautiful outdoor spaces on the winery's property, so be sure to grab a glass (or a bottle) & head outside to enjoy the impressive views of the Virginia foothills.
Insider Tip #4: If you are finding that the light snacks on the tour bus are just not cutting it for you, then take note that many of the wineries offer charcuterie boards, cheese plates, etc. We all shared & enjoyed a meat & cheese board at Jefferson Vineyards.
Stop #3: Bold Rock Hard Cider Cellar & Prince Michel Wine Shop at Carter Mountain Orchard (1435 Carters Mountain Trail, Charlottesville)
We got a buy one get one free deal by adding a stop to Carter Mountain Orchard to our itinerary. Carter Mountain is not only home to the Prince Michel wine tasting room, but it also happens to have a Bold Rock Hard Cider tap room as well.
Head to the lower deck around back for a flight of crisp hard ciders made from locally sourced apples from Carter Mountain's orchards. Sample seasonal favorites like their Blackberry & Pear ciders while enjoying amazing views of Charlottesville from the top of the mountain.
Head up to the Prince Michel tasting room after wards & be sure to order one of their tasty wine slushies.
Insider Tip #5: Whether you choose one of Cville Hop On's public or private tours, you can totally customize your own experience. Cville Hop On offers brewery, winery, cidery, & distillery tours, but you can certainly mix up it a little depending on which tour you choose. Tours start as a cheap as just $39 per person!
Have you ever taken a winery or brewery tour with Cville Hop On before?
If so, what would be your insider tip that you would share? ;)
Planning your trip to Charlottesville & looking for a home away from home?
If you loved this travel post, then you might also like my...
