Asheville in Winter

Asheville, NC, is a pleasant little town in the Rocky Mountains with plenty to do for all ages. There is a thriving young arts community, as well as historic sights and activities for the entire family. If you've never been to "America's Mansion" or experienced a time-warp to Renaissance France, the Biltmore Estate is a sight to behold anytime of the year, but is especially breathtaking at Christmastime. We enjoyed our visit during the Candlelight Christmas Evenings at the estate, which takes place annually from the beginning of November to the end of the year. This is an extravagant display of holiday decorations and warm light. Enjoy walking the extensive grounds of gardens, green houses, and nature trails, or visiting the winery, Stable Cafe, or the various tours. The Acorn Cottage Bed & Breakfast is an excellent hideaway just off the Biltmore grounds.

Quick Tips:

Be sure to book your tickets to many Asheville winter events months in advance, especially the Biltmore Christmas Candlelight tours. To save some money, you can reserve tickets for the evening tour tickets for the interior and a next-day pass for the grounds and winery, instead of the full admission ticket, which also includes a ticket to see the interior in the daytime as well. To save even more, just order the evening interior ticket, and explore partial-access to the grounds free during the day! There is so much to see around Asheville without spending much, including the Biltmore Village and historic downtown Asheville district with shopping, museums, live music, and festivals!

Best Way To Get Around:

Since sights are spread out throughout the Asheville area, private transportation (rental car) works best vs. public transportation. Of course, you can enjoy creative rides such as horse-drawn carriage rides throughout the Biltmore Estate, and historic trolley rides in downtown Ashville. Don’t leave the Rocky Mountains without driving at least several miles on America’s most scenic highway: the469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Acorn Cottage is a delightful, private hideaway located just off the Biltmore Estate grounds. Run by Sharon Tabor, this bed & breakfast is a nice place to stay near the popular Asheville sights, without having to spend an arm and a leg on lodging. Built in a quaint, residential neighborhood which sits on land that used to belong to John A. Roebling (son of the builder of the Brooklyn Bridge), this bungalow overlooks the Biltmore forest and offers four cozy, color-themed rooms to choose from.

Sharon is a delight, and makes a tasty, southern breakfast each morning which is served in the dining room. She makes delicious homemade pastries along with eggs, meat, fruit, juice, and coffee (and will also accommodate any dietary restrictions). Rates vary from $90-130/night with multiple night specials offered seasonally.

We enjoyed our stay in the "Green Room" with the four-poster bed and old wooden furniture. There are private bathrooms for each room and lovely common areas including the living room with fireplace, sun room and porches. Also, don't miss the fresh beverages and pastry treats supplied each afternoon after a long day of exploring!

Ever dined in a refurbished horse stall from the turn of last century? Well here's your chance: make a stop at the Stable Cafe at the Biltmore Estate and enjoy fine fare near old troughs. This dining experience will match any of your favorites, if extremely fresh ingredients and simple southern flair are what you look for. Most all the ingredients from potatoes, herbs, and peas, to beef, wine, and berries are grown right on the estate—you can't get much fresher than that—and it shows in the exquisite taste! The servers will be more than happy to explain to you the "field-to-table" philosophy observed by the Stable Cafe, and will also recommend any specials that Chef Don Spear has creatively prepared.

The daily menu includes a variety of dishes from farm-raised beef brisket, homemade potato soup, field greens salad, and world-class buttermilk pie. Even a vegetarian can find several options to fill their appetite, including vegetable soups, a mix of salads, vegetarian quiche and spinach pie. The standard operating times are from 11am to 4pm and is a nice, moderately-priced stop at around $10 per plate for exceptional food. If you visit during the Christmas Candlelight nights, the Stable also serves a dinner menu (complete with candlelight as well) with reservations required!

The Bistro at the Biltmore Estate is a wonderful dining experience with fresh ingredients grown on the estate. Located next to the famous Biltmore Winery, the Bistro offers continental cuisine that, along with the atmosphere, take you to a European world of fine linens, continental cuisine, and sweet wines with a dining area surrounding the open kitchen. We enjoyed a nice lunch after touring the winery and were greeted with wonderful service and a tasty meal. I ate the best French onion soup I've ever had, with a thick crouton topping and melted cheese over the clay pot. The wood-fired pizzas and homemade pastas are popular choices as well—and rightfully so! The bread and fresh olive oil with herbs that are served per table are melt-in-your-mouth good! If you have room for dessert, sit back and take in creme brule or chocolate torte and enjoy the sights and sounds of this rustic and bustling restaurant!

Of course, you can't visit Asheville without a stop at the Biltmore Estate. This was the reason we visited the area, and we planned to go during the annual winter Candlelight Christmas Evenings at the Biltmore. What a sight to behold...luminaries lining the extensive driveway and hundreds of Christmas trees, wreaths, and decorations throughout the estate. The evening tours are romantic and breathtaking with thousands of candles and Christmas lights and warmed by fires in almost each room. Tickets range from $35 to 65 for adults ($17.50-32.50 children) depending on the dates and package you choose. We opted for the middle package which includes the evening house tour, and a daytime grounds visit. We used the day to explore the gardens, winery, restaurants, and farm village which can be an all day affair. We had enough time to go to our bed and breakfast to change and come back for our scheduled entry time to the house. Be sure to book tickets in advance, because this event does sell out—and don't forget to include a dinner reservation at one of the world-renowned Estate restaurants for after your tour! We enjoyed a wonderful meal at the Stable Cafe, a lunch cafe which opens for dinner during the Candlelight tours, and offers upscale cuisine at a reasonable price.

There is much to say about the grounds of the estate as well. We enjoyed hours of exploring the gardens, greenhouse, orchid room, lakes, nature trails, and fields. Be sure to look for wildlife including deer, birds, raccoons, and the occasional wildcat. Even though it was winter when we visited, and most of the plants and trees were bare, the vines and branches had an artful look among the statues and gargoyles that watch over the house. If you have a chance to go in the spring, I've heard the blooms are amazing!

During our visit to the Biltmore Estate, we stopped in for a tour of the Biltmore Winery and were pleasantly surprised at the extensive overview of the wine-making process. There was about an half-hour wait to start the tour, and we began in a small theatre to watch an overview of the winery's history, including interesting facts about the vineyards and winery building. Most of the grapes that go into making the 15 varieties of wines are picked right on the estate property—over 200 tons of grapes and 75,000 cases of wine a year. We then walked through the winery at our own pace and saw the wine barrels, storage cellar, and watched the production line where the wine is bottled and corked. It was interesting to read the informational signs throughout the facility to learn about the art of winemaking. At the end of the tour, we were led to the tasting room where we sampled many of the wine varieties they offered and recorded our thoughts on the sample sheet. The hosts that pour at the many bars are very happy to explain the proper way to experience the wine and offer tips of how to best sample the layers of flavors. Our favorites were the Pinot Noir (which we ended up bringing home from the wine shop) and the Riesling. A definite stop while visiting the Biltmore Estate!