Where To Wine And Dine In 2017

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It's almost time to kiss 2016 goodbye and say hello to a brand new year. What we're excited about most are the endless opportunities to indulge in wining and dining in wine country. Two of our favorite destinations for food and drink include Virginia's Shenandoah Valley and Northeast Ohio. Both of these areas are wine regions that offer a wealth of culinary experiences, and there are two inns where you can take it all in – on and offsite. Let's get started shall we?

The Iris Inn, located in Waynesboro, VA, is situated on 12 breathtaking acres on a Blue Ridge mountaintop. Here guests enjoy chic accommodations (including luxurious treehouse cabins with modern amenities), a complimentary evening wine and cheese hour, a "bottomless" cookie jar, daily breakfast, top-notch amenities and a prime location that's close to 28 wineries, 500 miles of hiking trails, and plenty of area attractions. The inn also boasts numerous specials including two of our favorites, the Sip & Simmer Cabin Dinner and Wine Weekends.

The Sip & Simmer Cabin Dinner is designed to provide a master chef experience to home cooks of any skill level. Inn Chef Caitie Maharg prepares a four-course dinner and pairs it with wine, then leaves it to guests to add the finishing touches. One decadent example includes a choice of either roasted fennel and orange chicken with a honey ale glaze or lemon garlic salmon, both served with garlic roasted potatoes and asparagus, paired with a Virginia blended red – the Lovingston Rotunda. Recipes, chef hats, and souvenir wine glasses are included. Dinner, wine pairings, informational sessions, Sensory Exploration, and more are what's in store during the inn's Wine Weekends, led by certified wine specialist Marc Supsic of Wine Living. Dates for 2017 are already in place for Wine 101 (January 6-8), Wine 201 (January 27-29), and Wine 301 (February 24-26, which includes an offsite winery tour). Other wine tasting packages that feature additional activities include Wine Therapy (cultural events), Spa & Sip (in-room massages), Sip & Slip on Your Boots (hiking), and Sip & Saddle Up (horseback riding).

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Between an idyllic location along the Ohio wine trail and its commitment to an elevated farm-to-table experience, Lakehouse Inn & Winery in Geneva on the Lake is a food and wine lover's paradise. Its onsite restaurant, Crosswinds Grille, pays tribute to all the Buckeye State has to offer with an ever-changing menu featuring items purchased from local farms and cheese makers, cocktails crafted with Ohio-made spirits and ingredients, and more than a dozen varieties of house-produced wine. At the center of it all is Chef Nate Fagnilli, who practices a seam butchery technique that enhances the dining experience by exposing guests to more unusual cuts of meat. There's also an impressive meat market that's stocked with local products, including house-butchered items, house-made charcuterie, and salumi. The restaurant also hosts events such as Hog Butchering & Sausage Making Weekends, Distiller Dinners, Dine in the Vines, and more.

The Inn offers a variety of accommodations, ranging from traditional guest rooms and suites to cottages and a private beach house. Select rooms offer stunning lake views and lavish amenities including Jacuzzis and fireplaces. Travelers can be pampered at the spa onsite or explore local area attractions. Options include nearly 20 wineries, hiking and biking trails, small shops, and a number of eateries. There are also special packages available including Wine Tastings & Touring, Wine Weekends, Whiskey & Wine Weekends, and even the occasional Work with the Winemaker event, a hands-on experience that provides an up-close-and-personal look at the process from bottling and racking to filtering and even blending.

For more info on Iris Inn's packages and pricing, head here.

Additional details on Lakehouse Inn & Winery's specials and rates are available here.