A Biltmore Holiday

The last time Rup & I went to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC we loved it so much that we became Seasons Passholders and knew we would go back during the holidays to view the extravagant decor and once again for the Spring bloom of their gardens.  The first weekend in December we went back to enjoy the holiday decorations with our friends Chris & Kandi - they were with us last time too when I did their engagement pictures!  Our other friends Ashley & Adam met us for part of the weekend as well.  We stopped along the way to Asheville at a few wineries of course :) 

Here we are at Raffaldini Vineyards - one of our favorites in North Carolina!  They had a sparkling moscato to die for, I'm saving that bottle for New Years Eve ;) 

After checking into our hotel before heading to the Biltmore Estate, we decided to balance out our wine tasting with a brewery.  I don't consider myself much of a beer drinker but I did enjoy the beer that Highland Brewery had to offer. We loved the awesome glasses we had to wear during the tour too ;) 

Since our time to get into the house to do the tour wasn't until 9:45pm we had plenty of time to enjoy the Biltmore Winery and have dinner on the estate at Cedric's Tavern. Ashley & Adam joined us for this part of the evening. 

Biltmore Village all lit up with the moon shining and the Biltmore Inn in the background on the hill: 

The house was beautifully and extravagantly decorated with 65+ Christmas trees!!!! Sadly, photography was not allowed inside the mansion but we made sure to take several mental photos.   The tree outside in the front lawn area was massive and these photos don't do it justice.  

Kandi & Chris

Ashley & Adam

Rup & I :) 

On Sunday after enjoying a phenomenal breakfast of Chorizo hash at Sunny Point Cafe & Bakery (highly recommend it to anyone going to Asheville!!!) we made our way back to Charlotte but not before stopping at several more wineries along the way!

I took this picture mostly to emphasize how true the statement "Opposites Attract" can be.  Rup & I are like two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly and complement each other.  He is the peanut butter to my jelly :)     

We returned Sunday evening with enough wine bottles AND wine glasses to open a tasting room!  Please stop by Misra & Hogue/Gilliam Cellers at your earliest convenience for a taste of "you name it we got it!"