Next to the Historic Horse Barn is the ever-popular Winery at Biltmore Estate.  The Winery looks like a village all to itself. Richard Morris Hunt designed the 96,500 square foot, tutor styled pebbledash building, as part of the self-sufficient plan George Vanderbilt developed for the economic purpose and use of his estate lands.  The Winery was originally created and used as a dairy facility with all of the state of the art technology of its time.  The dairy was a largely successful enterprise from the beginning, the estate's dairy was to provide eggs, milk, butter and cheese that were sold in neighboring Asheville as well as throughout the South East.  The dairy barn had an ice cream bar next to the main building; the dairy business lasted until 1958. 

The Winery at Biltmore Estate began with a three-year renovation of the dairy barn and opened in 1985.  In the Winery’s first decade it received 100 awards, although quite young, the Winery is considered the most acclaimed and visited winery in America.   The large open barn space was perfect for production and was complimented by the year-round 54-degree stonewalled cellar where dairy products were originally stored.  Today Biltmore's wines are stored in the cellar for aging.

The Vineyards were planted in 1971 (it takes five years for vines to mature) 48,000 vines cover 70 acres of sloping land in the western portion of the estate, one of the largest vineyards planted east of the Mississippi River.  North Carolina has had vineyards since the colonial times which made the Biltmore Estate's location ideal.  A lake was created to insure a more favorable microclimate.  The annual vineyard harvest at Biltmore Estate reaps 200-tons of grapes, only a fraction of the Winery’s production capacity.  Old World technique and superior technology produces 130,000 cases of wine annually with 20 varieties to choose from their wine list with more added as they are created.

The tour of the Winery and Cellar bring visitors full circle to the Tasting Room. With its large scissor trusses and clerestory ceiling this beautifully designed room once housed 80 cows.  For many, capping off a day of touring at the Winery's Tasting Room is quite a delight and included as part of your visitor's pass.  The Wine Shop and Gift Shop are adjacent to the Tasting Room.  This sizable shopping area offers all the Biltmore Estate Wines along with wine glasses, gourmet foods, cookbooks, a café, apparel shop, etc along with numerous gifts depicting images of Biltmore House and the Estate. 

With all the eloquence and opulence of your day’s visit, you can now settle back and enjoy fine dining on Biltmore Estate.  Next door to the gift shop is the Bistro, open for lunch and dinner, with a menu fitting the estate’s proud reputation.  Then there’s the more secluded Deerpark Restaurant located between Biltmore House and the Winery offering a buffet of Southern family-style dishes and Appalachian specialties. 

Click to read more about George W. Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate...

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