VIRGINIA CULINARY TRAILS

there are dozens of restaurants in which to experience a true taste of the region.

As any food lover knows, one of the best ways to experience the true, of-the-moment flavors of a place is by visiting farmers markets. The Virginia Farmers Market Lovers Trail, a collaboration between the Virginia Farmers Market Association, Virginia Tourism Corporation and Virginia State University, lets you eat like a local, whether it’s Hanover tomatoes, Virginia peanuts or apples from the Shenandoah Valley. Added to the tasty experience is the opportunity to meet with the farmers, chefs, bakers, cheese makers and more who unite at the markets.

Virginia’s original beer trail, the Brew Ridge Trail is a self-guided tour that features some of the nation’s best craft breweries and cideries with plenty of awards to prove it. Combine that with the stunning sights and sounds of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and it’s truly an experience not to be missed. For first-time visitors as well as long-time locals, the trail offers a range of activities and entertainment, from foods trucks and live music to special events. In Nelson County, be sure to visit Blue Mountain Brewery, Devils Backbone Brewing Company and Blue Mountain Barrel House. Newest on the scene breweries include Brewing Tree Bear Company and Wild Man Dan’s Beer Centric Brewery in Lovingston and

Afton, respectively. Hard-cider lovers will appreciate the current American cider revival in Virginia, with many styles of the beloved beverage available at places such as Bryant’s Cider and Bold Rock Hard Cider.

With nearly 300 wineries and dozens of scenic wine trails Virginia truly is a wine destination. Conveniently, if you plan a stop along any of the food trails, you’ll inevitably find a wine trail stop overlapping. Even the Brew Ridge Trail runs past wineries on the Nelson 151 and the Monticello Wine Trails. Live music and festivals are important parts of Virginia’s wine culture and there are multiple events taking place almost every weekend. 1