Click through to rediscover Virginia's old-world charm, beyond the former plantations and foxhunting season.
Sweater; Polo shirt; Skirt; Boots, all price upon request, TOMMY HILFIGER, 212-223-1824. Flapbag, $4,900, CHANEL, 800-550-0005.
The Legacy
Fewer than 700 residents live in Middleburg, Virginia, but the town is rich with heritage. For instance, take Welbourne, once the private home of Colonel Richard Henry Dulany, a Civil War veteran who founded both the oldest horse show and the oldest foxhunting organization in the U.S. The estate is now a bed-and-breakfast owned by Dulany’s great-great-grandson, Nat Morison. (That’s him on the left, seated in the white rocking chair; behind him stands his son Josh and daughter-in-law, representing the eighth generation of the family to live on this particular plot of land.) Portions of the house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, were built as far back as 1770, and the surrounding grounds are composed of acres of green pastures extending to Goose Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River.
Cable-knit sweater, $2,800; Cable-knit skirt, $5,500; Sandals, $870, CHRISTIAN DIOR, 800-929-3467. Sabbia 18-karat rose-gold and white-diamond pavé earrings (worn throughout), $7,300; Tango Knot Ring in 18-karat rose gold and diamond pavé, price upon request, POMELLATO, 800-254-6020. Knee-high socks (worn throughout), $80, MARNI, saks.com.
Sleeveless coat, $28,900; Short-sleeve pullover, $770; Skirt, $5,550; Belt, $940; Sandals, $1,775, HERMÈS, hermes.com. Sabbia 18-karat rose-gold and white-diamond pavé earrings, $7,300, POMELLATO, 800-254-6020. Labyrinth bracelet in 18-karat gold, price upon request, DAVID YURMAN, davidyurman.com. Knee High socks, $80, MARNI, saks.com.
The Landscape
Some things have changed since Thomas Jefferson's day: The state where he failed, season after season, to grow enough grapes to make a European-style wine can now be considered a destination for oenophiles. Just a short drive from Welbourne is RdV, a smallish vineyard (pictured above) located on a hillside in Delaplane that, in recent years, has begun producing two of the region’s most well-regarded wines. The owner, a Dutch-born former marine named Rutger de Vink—who sleeps in a silver Airstream trailer parked on the grounds—requires reservations from would-be visitors. But advance planning is rewarded with a blind tasting experience in which he pits his own blends, Lost Mountain and Rendezvous, against world-class fine wines from Napa and Bordeaux. If the success of de Vink's sold-out 2009 vintage—in addition to the state’s 227 wineries—is any indication, Virginia is quietly proving it can hold its own against wine regions of longer standing.
Jacket, $3,698; Turtleneck sweater, $1,598; Shirt, $698; Pants, $1,098; Fisherman’s cap, $195, RALPH LAUREN COLLECTION, ralphlauren.com.
Top, $7,630; Skirt, $2,900; Bug brooch, $1,890; Chain necklace, $1,990; Hot necklace, $2,790, LANVIN, 646-439-0380. Oval Pearl brooch, $120; Bead brooch, $120, BEN AMUN, ben-amun.com. Safety Pin cuff, $650, JENNIFER FISHER, jenniferfisherjewelry.com. Labyrinth bracelet in 18-karat gold, price upon request, DAVID YURMAN, davidyurman.com. Mary Jane pumps, $995, DOLCE & GABBANA, dolcegabbana.it. On lips: Rich Lip Color in Crimson, $25, BOBBI BROWN, bobbibrowncosmetics.com. On eyes: So Intense Mascara in black, $66, SISLEY-PARIS, saks.com.
The House
Much of the area's considerable charm comes from accommodations that appear to be almost entirely untouched by the 21st century. At Welbourne, modern-day visitors feel (often rightly) that they are sitting upon the identical settees employed by distinguished previous guests such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe. Both writers came to Welbourne in the 1930s at the behest of their mutual editor, Max Perkins, who was a longtime friend of then-owner Elizabeth Lemmon. (The current proprietor’s great-aunt, Lemmon was a fascinating woman in her own right: Letters from the socialite's decades-long correspondence with Perkins, who also edited Zora Neale Hurston and Ernest Hemingway, were collected in a 2003 book.) It’s said the editor's hope was that, at the private inn, Wolfe would finish a novel-in-progress, while Fitzgerald was sent to dry out. Instead, each of the writers (who visited separately) subsequently wrote a short story that used Welbourne as a setting. Today, the five guest rooms still contain wood-burning fireplaces, and, in keeping with a Fitzgerald-approved tradition, cocktails are served each evening.
Jacket, $1,445; Structured top, $925; Bloomer, $675; Mary Jane pumps, $995, DOLCE & GABBANA, dolcegabbana.it. Wild Serenade earrings, $61,600, JUDY GEIB PLUS ALPHA, Barneys, 212-826-8900. Spike Safety Pin brooch, $120, BEN AMUN, ben-amun.com. Bracelets, each $1,300, CHANEL, 800-550-0005. Tango Knot Ring in 18-karat rose gold and diamond pavé, price upon request, POMELLATO, 800-254-6020.
The Hospitality
Elsewhere in the city, charm abounds. The Goodstone Inn, located on the site of an 18th-century plantation, offers an unspoiled environment—265 acres of verdant fields and woodlands (opposite), crisscrossed by walking trails and a babbling creek—but with contemporary amenities, including a spa, a restaurant and a heated swimming pool. Visitors with an eye to buy could look to a historic Civil War–era estate like The Maples, seen above, a 60-acre property on the market last year for $5.3 million.
Coat, $3,700; Dress, price upon request, LOUIS VUITTON, louisvuitton.com. Necklace in 18-karat rose gold with rock crystal pyrite, $8,700, POMELLATO, 800-254-6020. Victorian Plaza Pendant necklace, $288, LULU FROST, lulufrost.com. Oval Pearl brooch, $120; Crystal Twist brooch, $230, BEN AMUN, ben-amun.com.
The Pastime
When in Middleburg, foxhunting is the main sport on the agenda. Founded in 1840 by Welbourne's Col. Dulany, the Piedmont Hunt is the oldest foxhunting club in the country. Highly trained hounds pursue their vulpine quarry, attended by horse-riding hunters, until the fox goes to ground. (Of course, back then, the fox was usually killed. The spectators, also known as hilltoppers, keep pace in their cars, another modern alteration.) The current huntsman, Spencer Allen (pictured at right with some of his 98 hounds), wasn’t born into the job—he came from out west, working cattle and riding broncos, and served as a marine in Iraq before discovering the sport. Participation tends to run in families, and it’s not uncommon to find several generations riding together every fall, continuing a tradition that's changed little over the past century and a half.
Top, $915; Sweater, $770; Skirt, $855, PRADA, prada.com. Earrings, $760, CHANEL, 800-550-0005. Necklace, $1,150, MIRIAM HASKELL, miriamhaskell.com. Bracelet, $495, OSCAR DE LA RENTA, 212-288-5810. Labyrinth bracelet in 18-karat gold, price upon request, DAVID YURMAN, davidyurman.com. Taken cuff, $425; Buckle cuff, $680, JENNIFER FISHER, jenniferfisherjewelry.com.
Jacket, $3,990; Tunic dress with fringe, $3,990, AKRIS, 212-717-1170. Classique Fringe necklace, $250, FALLON, fallonjewelry.com. Tango Knot Ring in 18-karat rose gold and diamond pavé, price upon request, POMELLATO, 800-254-6020. Sandals, $1,775, HERMÈS, hermes.com.
Hair: Andre Gunn at The Wall Group. Makeup: Maki H at The Wall Group using Koh Gen Doh. Model: Dorothea Barth-Jorgensen at Elite. Casting: Oliver Ress at artforum group. Produced by Stormy Stokes-Hood.
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