Since 1895, Biltmore has combined the natural beauty of the mountains and the majestic house and gardens to beguile, inspire, and allow guests to escape from the everyday. The luxurious family home of George and Edith Vanderbilt is a marvel of elegance and charm, as magnificent today as it was more than a century ago. Faithfully preserved and filled with original furnishings and masterpieces of art, no other residence in America offers a more authentic and inspiring view of Gilded Age life while suggesting that the Vanderbilts and their guests are still at home.
Vanderbilt’s 250-room French Renaissance chateau is a true marvel, the largest undertaking in residential architecture. Over a six-year period, an entire community of craftsmen came together to create America’s premier home and the environmental wonderland that surrounds it.
In 1971, George Vanderbilt’s grandson William A.V. Cecil first experimented with vineyards and winemaking at Biltmore. From a harvest of French-American hybrid grapes planted within sight of Biltmore House, the inaugural vintage was bottled in the estate’s Conservatory.
In the decades since, Biltmore has grown and tested numerous varietals. Six of them–Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, and Viognier–have proven to be well-suited for Blue Ridge Mountain terroir. Biltmore continues to evaluate other varietals in a special test vineyard near the Winery. In an effort to expand their portfolio and consistently craft the highest quality wines, they also partner with select growers in North Carolina, California, and Washington.