Wine-tastings are free with admission to the estate, and the lively Bistro restaurant next to the winery provides an opportunity to pair estate wines with meats and vegetables grown on the estate.
The house, designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, is maintained to perfection, displaying treasures Vanderbilt collected in years of travel abroad. There are paintings by Renoir, Sargent, Whistler, Pellegrini and Boldini; furniture by Sheraton and Chippendale; Chinese goldfish bowls from the Ming Dynasty; and a chess set belonging to Napoleon.
The building itself is a masterpiece of engineering, with a massive steam furnace and extensive electrical panels to light and heat the mansion's four acres of floor space. All the modern amenities of the time were incorporated into Biltmore House, including an indoor swimming pool, bowling alley and gymnasium. Surrounding the mansion are acres of gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture in America.
A visit to Biltmore House and the gardens is reason enough to make the trip to Asheville; if you take your horse along, it becomes a unique riding holiday. Almost any route you choose--there are five different ten- to 30-mile loops--will rise 3,000 feet through forests of hemlock, poplars and oak and offer scenic overlooks of Biltmore House and the surrounding countryside. In the summer, mature trees provide a cool canopy, and many trails crisscross streams or follow the sandy fringe of the French Broad River. In the fall, the mixed hardwoods put on a dramatic color show for riders. And in the winter there's the possibility of a snowy ride.
On horseback, viewing the Biltmore House from a distant trail, it's easy to imagine the clock has spun back a century and you're a Vanderbilt guest returning to a sumptuous meal and a luxurious room. In March 2001, that became possible (after a fashion) when the Inn on Biltmore Estate opened its doors. The 213-room hotel offers views of the mountains and Biltmore House, and comforts worthy of the estate.
For information on Biltmore House tours, lodging at the Inn or riding opportunities, call 828-274-6333 or 800-543-2961 or visit www.biltmore.com.
