virginia

Win a VIP Trip to the Kentucky Derby with Woodford Reserve

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Art, Sports

Woodford Reserve, the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, is once again honoring the country's favorite horse race with the release of a Kentucky Derby commemorative bottle (pictured above) full of their celebrated whiskey. The 2011 limited edition design features the work of award-winning artist and Virginia native Brett Amory.

Amory showcases two horses racing in those final moments towards the finish line with the only splash of color on the bottle. "The build up to the Derby is unlike any other sporting event," Amory notes. "Louisville is absolutely transformed, and people from all over the world come to join the excitement. I wanted to capture on canvas that one key moment they all came to see."

The limited edition liter-size bottle will be available in early April in 42 US states at a suggested retail price of $42.99. In addition to purchasing a true collector's item, consumers can enter Woodford Reserve's Kentucky Derby Sweepstakes with a chance to win a VIP trip to the 2012 Derby. They can enter by either registering their bottle's unique number printed on the neck label, by entering any random five digit code at www.WellCraftedDerby.com, or by mail.

Upon registering, entrants will be given a randomly-generated post position, from 1-20, for the 2011 Kentucky Derby. If the horse that starts from their assigned post position wins, he/she will be entered in the grand prize trip drawing. Official Rules are available at www.WellCraftedDerby.com; no purchase is necessary but you must be 21 or older to participate.

Tags: art, bourbon, contests, equestrian, horse racing, horses, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby, Louisville, Virginia, whiskey, whisky, Woodford Reserve

Ledbury, the Better-Tailored Men's Shirt

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Ledbury, the Better-Tailored Men's Shirt

A couple of Oxford MBAs recently founded Ledbury, a new men's shirt brand dedicated to better tailoring at the intersection of Savile Row and Ivy Style. Paul Trible and Paul Watson (above) graduated with Oxford MBAs at the height of the economic crisis, literally the day before the Lehman Bros. collapse, and decided to turn their careers from finance to fine fabric. Taking advantage of their proximity to Jermyn Street, London's traditional home of fine haberdashery, the pair learned the art of English shirt-making from one of the street's top craftsman and then fused in their hometown Southern U.S. style to create a brand based in Virginia focusing on fit, quality and style.

"When I was living in London, I would come back to the States and have difficulty finding high quality shirts that provided a tailored look," the Virginia-born Trible explains. "The big name menswear retailers made formless, boxy clothes, while luxury brands charged exorbitant prices. It seemed like there was a real need for an American shirtmaker that offered European quality, English fit and American style, all at an attainable price. We want Ledbury shirts to fit better, feel better and last longer than anything else in your closet." The Classicist recently featured a natty Ledbury chambray creation in a column on seasonal style starring the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Tags: dress shirts, entrepreneur, Ledbury, London, mens clothing, mens style, menswear, Oxford, Savile Row, shirts, tailoring, Virginia

The Inn at Little Washington: Award-Winning Dining with Small Town Charm

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Washington, Va. doesn't have the sweeping vistas of the Napa Valley or the high-culture panache of New York City. But it has a small-town charm all its own, and nowhere is this more evident than The Inn at Little Washington, a Luxist nominee in the best romantic restaurant category.

Established in 1978 by Patrick O'Connell, the restaurant and attached inn are contained by a modest building on the corner of Middle and Main streets. George Washington himself named those thoroughfares-and the rest of the roads in Washington, Va.---back in 1749. Thanks to a delicious menu, an unusually courteous staff, and a quaint set of guest rooms, The Inn at Little Washington has earned some of the most prestigious awards in the travel world; it's the first establishment to earn AAA's highest acknowledgement, the Five Diamond Award, in both the food and accommodation categories.

Gallery: The Inn at Little Washington

Tags: awards-main, Best Romantic Restaurant, Little Washington, luxist-awards, most romantic meals, most romantic places, Most Romantic Restaurant, The Inn at Little Washington, Virginia

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Kingsmill Resort Sold

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Kingsmill golf resort in Virginia has a new owner. The Virginia Gazette reports that Xanterra Parks & Resorts, a Denver-based company that also operates Grand Canyon Railway Central and Williams Depot in Arizona, has bought Kingsmill Resort & Spa. Xanterra manages resorts, restaurants, tours and other concessions in national parks, state parks and other locations around the country. Kingsmill is a popular resort in Virginia and has 422 rooms, six restaurants, a spa, marina, and 15-court tennis center. Kingsmill is most famous for its golf with courses designed by Pete Dye, Arnold Palmer, Tom Clark and two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange.

"Kingsmill is one of the country's premier resorts, and we are very excited to acquire such a high-caliber resort that complements our existing portfolio of properties and is consistent with the expansion of our company," said Xanterra President Andrew Todd in a press release. "We are very excited about the future of the resort and the community." The sale is expected to be completed in August with Xanterra assuming ownership and management of the resort immediately after closing. No word on how much they paid.

Tags: golf, golf resort, golf resorts, kingsmill, luxury resorts, virginia, xanterra

Fine Dining In Virginia: Town House's Culinary Getaway Package

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Some of the best restaurants can be off the beaten path but are worth the trip (the French Laundry being the example that springs immediately to mind). Foodies might want to make their way to bucolic Chilhowie, Virginia where at Town House Executive Chefs Karen Urie Shields and John B. Shields, a 2010 Food & Wine Best New Chef, create food that is nothing short of extraordinary. To get a sample of what you might be in for you need only take a trip to the Town House blog which showcases some of the latest creations. After looks at white asparagus wrapped in pork belly, aerated parmesan cheese puffs, softshel crabs with brown butter and lime, caramelized onions, smoked coconut, and mint fresh from the garden, you might be ready for a culinary getaway. Luckily Town House and their sister property Riverstead, are offering a package that allows guests to step inside the kitchen at Town House and have a nearby place to relax after having your taste buds thoroughly massaged.

The "Best New Chef" Package includes a 15-course tasting menu for two at Town House, access inside the Town House kitchen with the Chefs as they prepare the evening's dinner, an area farmers' markets guide, accommodations for one night at Riverstead and use of Riverstead's luxury farm kitchen complete with snacks and breakfast items prepared by the Town House chefs. The packages starts at $550 per night based on double occupancy for stays Tuesday-Saturday night stays through July 31, 2010.

Tags: best chef, chef, john b shields, riverstead, town house, virginia

The Classicist: America's Finest Equestrian Architecture

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Sports, The Classicist, Wealth

Kathryn Masson, author of the book on Hunt Country Style which we wrote about back in 2008, has returned with another brilliant exposition on equestrian style for our enjoyment. Stables: Beautiful Paddocks, Horse Barns, and Tack Rooms takes us on an alluring journey through America's horse country. Collaborating once again with Hunt Country photographer Paul Rocheleau, Masson visits some of the most notable stables and equestrian centers from coast to coast. Ranging from private to historic to state-of-the-art, from homes for retired racehorses to lodgings for polo ponies, thoroughbreds and world champions, 25 distinctive examples of equestrian architecture and interiors are profiled, showcasing their design, construction, and landscaping.

Each of the featured buildings evokes its distinctive regional heritage, from an enormous 1830s English-style barn near the Saratoga Springs Racetrack, to the Mediterranean aesthetic of one of the world's leading Arabian breeding farms, Om El Arab International in California's Santa Ynez Valley. Also highlighted are the world-famous racing stable Newstead Farm in Upperville, Virginia, home of Kentucky Derby winner Genuine Risk, and the quintessential Western working ranch Centennial Ranch in Ridgeway, Colorado. Three historic Vanderbilt family stables are featured: The Breakers in Newport, Sandy Point Stables in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and the newly restored project of Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Maryland.

Avid equestrienne and professor Dr. Perky Beisel explores the history of the American stable and the long tradition of horsemanship in this United States in an informative preface. "For some Americans, horse ownership and participation in horse sports became a lifestyle and, for others, a way to join the upper class," She notes. "Families who reaped the benefits of 19th-century expansion in industries such as railroads and manufacturing had seemingly unlimited wealth with which to satisfy their desires. While some became notable art collectors, yachtsmen, or horticulturalists, others became active participants in horse sports. In so doing, not only did they create a new upper class, but they also transformed the physical landscape of equestrian recreation and leisure."

Gallery: Great American Stables

U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Center, Gladstone, NJ

Tags: architecture, book, California, coffee table book, coffee table books, Colorado, equestrian, foxhunting, horseracing, horses, hunt country, Kathryn Masson, Kentucky Derby, luxury book, Maryland, polo, Rhode Island, Saratoga Springs, stables, The Breakers, upper class, Vanderbilt, Virginia

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$100 Million Estate Gets A Major Price Chop

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

It's been a hard time for the big estates in the country. Candy Spelling can't sell her $150 million Los Angeles home. Leona Helmsley's Dunellen Hall in Greenwich Connecticut has fallen in price from $125 million to $60 million. Now Patricia Kluge has dropped the price on her home, Albemarle in Charlottesville, Virginia. The 300-acre English country estate hit the market at $100 million last October but has had one hell of a price chop, down by 52 percent. The Wall Street Journal's Hot Properties column reports that the property is now listed at just $48 million.

The estate is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland. On the grounds there are three ponds, a pool as well as a pool house, log cabin, a greenhouse and several staff cottages. The main house was completed in 1985 and spans over 25,000 square feet with 45 rooms. The home was designed by architect David Easton and his team and includes a theater, library, recreation room with spa and sauna, a card room and an Islamic gallery featuring an antique Syrian fountain. Should you have some leftover cash after buying the home you can turn the front grounds into an 18-hole golf course. Arnold Palmer has already designed it or you can buy some of the furnishings. Antiques, art and furniture will go on sale at Sotheby's in June.

For more on Patricia Kluge, check out Carrie Culpepper's interview with her on her winery.

Gallery: Albemarle

Tags: albemarle house, AlbemarleHouse, biggest price drops, BiggestPriceDrops, Charlottesville, patricia kluge, PatriciaKluge, Virginia

Alberto Gonzales Lists Virginia Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Former U.S. attorney general Alberto Gonzales is finally officially leaving Washington behind for good. He and his wife are selling their five-bedroom home in the McLean Hamlet area of McLean, Virginia. The Washington Post reports that Gonzales is moving his family closer to his job at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

The home was bought in 2005 through a trust for $1.05 million. The center-entrance Colonial home has hardwood floors, a kitchen with granite countertops and a fully finished walk-out basement. What makes this home distinctive is the security. It has a video security system with four separate cameras. There is also a safe room behind a secure metal door off the master bedroom. The home is listed at $1.075 million meaning that Gonzales isn't making any money off this deal.

[via Berg Properties Big TIme Listings]

Gallery: Alberto Gonzales In McLean

Tags: alberto gonzales, AlbertoGonzales, mclean, real estate, RealEstate, virginia

Basil Road, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Four years ago, Washington Life Magazine reported that 1015 Basil Road in McLean, Virginia sold for $9,895,000, the highest price ever for a non-waterfront property in the area at the time. (Washington Fine Properties has the sale listed at $8,727,327).

Now the 16,000 square-foot four-bedroom residence is back on the market for a far greater price, $17,777,777. The Eaglecrest compound is located on three and a half acres which are security fenced and gated. The property includes a swimming pool, gardens and an indoor tennis court as well as a butler house with a separate residence. The home, which was built in 1999 includes a wine cellar and home theater, exercise room, double-islanded gourmet kitchen, music room, children's playroom and a large wood-paneled library.

Gallery: Basil Road

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, mclean, virginia

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Patrick Henry Hotel Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

All across the U.S. historic hotels are getting sold off. Up next is the Patrick Henry Hotel in Roanoke, Virginia. The Roanoke Times says that the 125-room hotel is set for auction at the city courthouse on Wednesday. The sale is the end of a long journey that began when the owner of the 89-year-old building, Affirmative Equities Co., a New York real estate investment and development company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Later the company converted to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy because it was unable to reorganize enough to begin paying off its debts.

The company does not have enough income to pay the necessary expenses for the Patrick Henry and so the lender Potomac Realty Capital of Delaware, is moving forward with a foreclosure sale. No sale price has been set but at the time of the sale a deposit of $275,000 or 10 percent of the price, whichever amount is lower, is required with a 30-day closing. The building and its land are assessed at about $3.7 million, according to city real estate records. Affirmative Equities bought the hotel in 1990 for $3 million with plans to turn it into senior housing.

What will become of the historic property? Many Roanoke residents are hoping that the property can be turned into some kind of business. In the past the building has held retail businesses and a restaurant in addition to a hotel. It is in need of major renovation named one of the Roanoke Valley's endangered sites and a neglected property by the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation.

UPDATE: The property has sold for $2 million to Kristin Duffy of Potomac Realty Capital who was the only bidder.

Gallery: Hotels and Inns for Sale

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Tags: patrick henry hotel, PatrickHenryHotel, roanoke, virginia

Lorien Hotel To Open In Virginia

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Kimpton Hotels is opening a new luxury hotel in Alexandria, Virginia. The Lorien has 107 guestrooms and suites, designed by Vincente Wolfe. The rooms include custom-made furnishings, such as wingchairs and trellis-style headboards in soothing gray and white tones. Suites and specialty spa rooms also have bathrooms with claw foot tubs and rainfall showers. All rooms have 42" flat panel televisions, a spacious work area, wireless and wired high-speed Internet access, an iHome clock radio, laptop safe, plush robes, and an honor bar with organic and healthy options.

The Terrace suites include couches and seating for hosting gatherings for up to 30 people and the hotel offers a "Terrace Menu" with choices that range from private wine tasting and alfresco dining to dance lessons and such as sleeping bags, blankets, telescopes for outdoor stargazing.

The Lorien Hotel will also have a full-service spa with five treatment rooms and be home to a restaurant, tasting room and a retail cheese shop. The restaurant is overseen by chef Robert Wiedmaier and will serve Belgian cuisine with American inspiration. The hotel opens this month and grand opening rates start at $139.

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Tags: alexandria, hotel opening, HotelOpening, lorien, virginia

Glen Love Cottage, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

A year ago I wrote about the Vineyard Estates real estate project in Charlottesville, Virginia on the grounds of the Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard. Vineyard Estates is a joint venture between winemaker Patricia Kluge and First Colony Resorts on 511 acres of the 2,000 acre vineyard property on Carter's Mountain near Monticello. The first house to be built in Vineyard Estates at Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard is Glen Love Cottage. It is located in Meadow Estates, the first of Vineyard Estates' three phases. The house was created to set the standard for Vineyard Estates. The five-bedroom home has 6500 feet of indoor living space with clean, classic country estate lines. Outside there is a swimming pool, covered porch, formal flower gardens and a half-acre vineyard. It is listed at $6.8 million.
Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: Glen Love Cottage

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Tags: charlottesville, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, kluge, vineyard estates, VineyardEstates, virginia

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Edge Wood, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

I wondered back in 2006, when I first saw today's estate listed, if it was a bit overpriced. It turns out I may have been right, it has gone through a major price reduction since then. Luxist reader Ryan reminded me of Edge Wood in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is a large six bedroom home which was built in 2002 and sits on the waterfront. It has two docks, three boat lifts and a sandy beach. The compound is over three acres and has more than 21,000 total square feet of space including a large guest house. The home includes details such as a billiards room with a bar, a large art studio and a master suite with a wet bar. It is listed at $16 million, which is less than two-thirds the price it was two years ago when it was listed at $24.5 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: Edge Wood

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, luxury real estate, LuxuryRealEstate, virginia, virginia beach

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Ospralia, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

In case you might be feeling a little sad for the end of summer as you head back to work, let's check out a home with nothing but beach and marshes all around. Today's home is located in Painter, Virginia and boasts some of the best Chesapeake Bay shorelines to be found anywhere. The property is 450 acres and is totally secluded from the outside world. Ospralia was built in 1992 and has four bedrooms. The 3500 square-foot home has two wings with a bridge connecting them. There are two full kitchens, one gas and one electric and four decks. The home is listed at $3.5 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: Virginia Beach House

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Tags: chesapeake bay, ChesapeakeBay, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, ospralia, painter virginia, PainterVirginia, virginia

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Lioncrest, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

I've got a fun one to show you today. Lioncrest is a 30,000 square foot English Tudor manor home overlooking the James River in Maidens, Virginia. The castle-like home is on over 56 acres that include formal English gardens as well as more rustic space. It looks old but the MLS says it was built in 1995. It certainly aspires to a different age with its large stone fireplaces, stone arches, use of shields and crests and a huge beamed grand hall that could easily be a setting for a scene in Harry Potter. Some of the wood and stone dates back to the 1600s and there is a concrete tiled roof. The huge house includes a tavern area, elevator, library, multi-car garages and a full apartment. The lower terrace level is home to woodworking shop, garden shop, morning room, pub, three wine cellars, rec room, sauna and more. The listing pics don't show much of the private spaces (the listing says there are nine bedrooms and 10.5 baths) and some are a bit blurry but I bet this is one fun house to tour. It is listed at $15 million.

For more prime properties and lush locations, see Luxury Homes and Mansions.

Gallery: Lioncrest