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The little things in your day out or big celebration are what make the difference, and one of those things is the transportation you utilize to get from place to place. At Norm’s Executive Transportation, we take your transportation seriously to make sure you have a great experience for whatever occasion you are celebrating. Whether you are taking a Virginia wine tour or celebrating a big event in your life, here are four things that set us apart from other transportation companies in Virginia. To schedule your day of transportation, contact us today!

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Why You Should Hire a Chauffeur to Get You Around in Charlottesville

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The Central Virginia region and especially in and around Charlottesville have been known, for sometime now, to house some of the states best vineyards/wineries. However, there are many more vineyards/wineries, in the area, that are off the beaten path and in their own unique ways, fabulous and worth the drive!! All around the areas of Madison and Culpeper you can find at least 14 hidden gems that are sure to wow, aww, shock, amaze and satisfy even the finickiest of wine lovers!!

Here, in no particular order, are 14 hidden gems that we'd love to introduce you to! Give us a call today to schedule your Culpeper or Madison County tour!!

Whether you’re visiting Charlottesville, or you are a lifetime resident, one thing you should know is about the plethora of amazing breweries. Charlottesville has plenty of craft breweries to quench your thirst and keep your taste buds entertained with the different flavors. At Norm’s Executive Transportation, we have narrowed down some of our favorite breweries to take you on a brewery tour of a lifetime! With us, the only thing you have to worry about is tasting amazing beer. Read to learn more about our beer tour and then hop on down to Charlottesville to taste it yourself!

Booking a Charlottesville wine tour is exciting! You can finally get some much-needed relaxation and enjoy time with the ones you love most. Our team at Norm’s Executive Transportation is here to provide you with some tips on how to make your trip unforgettable. Learn more about how to make the most out of your wine tour and book your Monticello Wine Trail tour in Charlottesville today!

Merrie Mill Farm and Vineyard is one of the newer wineries to open up in the Keswick area and we are here to tell you that it's out of this world wonderful!! From it's beautiful views, meticulously designed interior, plenty of outdoor and indoor space and the most important feature of all, the wine, which is delicious, this place has it all!! The staff is above and beyond accommodating, friendly, professional and always have smiles on their faces. If you're looking for a place that you can easily spend an entire afternoon relaxing and enjoying some great wine, fantastic food, awesome views and super staff, this IS the place!

About UsThe Merrie Mill Farm Story

History

In researching the home’s history, the Pellys were moved to discover a heritage for community events, stemming in particular from John Armstrong “Archie” Chaloner. In the 1920s, Chaloner was known for welcoming the community to his home and property to make use of the dance pavilion and first public pool and first movie theater in the region. The main house at Merrie Mill Farm was built in 1857.

Charlottesville is right in the heart of the world-renowned Monticello Wine Trail, and an essential stop when touring the trail is Brent Manor Vineyards. At Norm’s Executive Transportation, we provide Charlottesville winery tour transportation to all of the best wineries, including Brent Manor. If you are planning an upcoming trip to Brent Manor, reach out to our team and we’ll help make it an outing for the books!

Book your winery tour now, or read on to learn more about Brent Manor Vineyards!

About Brent Manor Vineyards

Brent Manor Vineyard describes themselves as, “where the New World meets the Old World.” This is an ode to their “New World” wines made at their Virginia winery as well as bringing in wines from their favorite Portuguese wineries, the “Old World.” The area that is now Portugal has been making wine for thousands of years. Old World wines offer soft, elegant flavors and are produced by vineyards that may be centuries old. On the other side, New World wines are typically bold, intense, and approachable and refer to wines from vineyards across North America, Australia, South Africa, and parts of Europe, Asia, and South America.

Charlottesville, Virginia — sometimes called “C’Ville” — is the former home of two of our nation’s most influential and respected presidents, the gateway to the Shenandoah National Park, and nestled near the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s also home to some of the most creative and delectable wineries, vineyards, and breweries in the entire state of Virginia, including the Tasting Room & Taphouse at Mount Ida Reserve.

In today’s blog from Norm’s Executive Transportation — the leading Charlottesville winery tour transportation company — we will take you to Mount Ida Reserve, south of Charlottesville, to introduce you to everything that makes this place one of our — and our clients’ — personal favorites.

Continue reading to learn all about what makes Mount Ida Farm and Vineyard so special, or get in touch with Norm’s Executive Transportation today to schedule your Charlottesville winery tour.

A Charlottesville Gem

Charlottesville is already well known for its stunning scenery, friendly people, and historic places such as Monticello, third President of the United States Thomas Jefferson’s former residence, and Highland, the home of former President James Monroe. However, just 15 miles south of Charlottesville in the middle of Virginia wine country is the Mount Ida Reserve.

Norm's Executive Transportation

Born and raised in Texas, Norm grew up farming and ranching with his father on their family owned and run farm/ranch but, he wanted more out of life so, at the age of 18 he joined the United States Marine Corps where he served for 6 years, reaching the rank of Sergeant. Unfortunately, due to a knee injury, Norm couldn't finish out his 20 years of service that he wanted to do. After some physical therapy and rehabilitation on his knee, Norm was back to 100% and he started a career in Law Enforcement. After serving his community as a Law Enforcement Officer for 10 years in the capacities of Road Deputy, Shift Supervisor, Undercover Narcotics Officer and Lead Investigator, Norm decided it was time for a change and knew there was something better out there for him and his family. After driving part time for a limousine company and part time for a taxi service in the Charlottesville area, he decided to combine the best of the two services and opened his own company in January of 2010, thus, Norm's Taxi Service was born. For 7 years, Norm built up a long list of satisfied clientele operating as a "Taxi Service" but, providing more of a limousine quality experience where he specialized in wine tours in the Charlottesville and surrounding areas. During those 7 years, Norm added 3 additional drivers, one of which was his wife, Heather, to help him out with his growing list of satisfied customers. He then began to expand his executive transportation services for airport transportation, covering Charlottesville Airport, Dulles Airport, Richmond Airport, Reagan Airport and Baltimore Washington Airport. In 2017, Norm retired the "Taxi Service" and became Norm's Executive Transportation, LLC. With an already expansive list of repeat and satisfied customers, Norm, with the extraordinary aid of Heather, really began to focus on the Executive Airport Transportation and the Winery, Brewery and Distillery Tour services that his company already offered. A part of that focus was in fine tuning their services for Bachelor and Bachelorette parties, girls or guys weekend getaways, friends and family weekends and bride and groom wedding transportation. With Norm & Heather working side-by-side, hand-in-hand, they have grown the company to employee 22 part time drivers and countless, happy customers, both new & returning, they have cultivated personal, long lasting relationships with different professional/executive businesses, vineyards, breweries, hard cider and distillery companies in and around the Charlottesville area. In 2020, Norm's Executive Transportation hopes to continue it's growth by adding more drivers and more new customers. We would love it if you were one of them.

Nestled quietly & cozily at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains⛰️ , in the picturesque setting of Nelson County, Virginia, just a short drive from Charlottesville, Virginia, is the one of a kind, Silverback Ridge Weddings 👰🏼🤵. With it's outstanding views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, an unparalleled dedication to professionalism and customer service, you just can't go wrong having your "Big Day" here. From Whiskey Favors to 🪓 Axe throwing and 🍸Custom Cocktails, there's no other place that brings it all together like Silverback Ridge Weddings. Have a look for yourself!

— ABOUT SILVERBACK RIDGE —

Welcome to the quaint, unique Americana experience of Silverback Ridge: A wedding venue that will make your special day feel like a breath of fresh mountain air. Silverback Ridge is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia next to Silverback Distillery, producers of genuine American Bourbon. Incredible views of the old mountains and the Barrel Barn stacked with aging Bourbon and Rye barrels can be the unique backdrop of your photos. Like whiskey, your wedding will be bold and smooth. You’ll have the option of specialty cocktails and even private label whiskey filled with your favorite Silverback Distillery spirit designed just for you. With such remarkable and unique offerings surrounded by beautiful natural scenery, your day will be enjoyed by all in attendance and your photos will capture the moments you will never forget.

Traveling can be a nightmare, extremely stressful and chaotic, even for the most experienced traveler. What, with all the packing, double checking the suitcases, confirming your flight is on schedule, making sure you have your passport/ID, along with countless other factors that go into, what should be a pleasurable experience. Why add to this stress and chaos by wondering if you filled up the car with gas, what the parking rates at the airport are going to be, are you leaving in enough time to get to the airport and make it through security/customs and are you going to feel like driving or even be alert enough to drive when you return from your trip? Wouldn't you rather just sit back, relax, take a nap, catch up on a work project and leave the driving to us?! This is where Norm's Transportation can be your lifesaver! Book your pick up from the airport you're flying into you or to the airport you're flying out of and then take a breath, we'll make sure all the travel details are taken care of. We'll make sure we are leaving in enough time to get you through security/customs without panicking and we'll track your inbound flight to make sure we are at the airport waiting for you, not you waiting for us! Give us a call today (434-202-4431) and we will schedule your pick up(s) or feel free to book your trips from our website. We handle airport runs of all types: individuals, corporate groups, and multiple-person transfers. We’ll take you there in style and get you back safe and sound! We only use late model (2019/2020) full or mid-sized SUVs, luxury sedans and large vans. We can accommodate up to 14 passengers in one of our stylish, roomy and comfortable vans. We serve Charlottesville and its surrounding area. We offer transportation to or from the following airports: Charlottesville (CHO), Richmond (RIC), Dulles (IAD), Reagan (DCA) and Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI). See our PRICING tab for rates. If you need a ride to or from Charlottesville’s airport, please contact us directly for a rate.

With the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak affecting travel plans, Norm’s Executive Transportation is doing our very best to help ensure your convenience and safety during these difficult times. If you are in need of a car service or have to reschedule your tour due to unforeseen troubles, read on for how Norm’s Executive Transportation is tackling the coronavirus crisis.

Norm’s COVID-19 Booking Policy

Due to the travel bans and need for social distancing, Norm’s is currently offering reservation changes at no additional charge. Please do not feel like you have to cancel your tour; contact us and we can help you move the date of your tour without a change or cancellation fee.

Last Minute Airport Transportation To and From Charlottesville

We are taking every precaution necessary to make sure our vehicles are sanitized and safe to travel in for those who have to rely heavily on transportation services at the moment. Flight plans are changing rapidly, and some of you may need immediate help getting to and from the various Airports to be with your loved ones at this time.

Norm’s continues to offer executive transportation to anyone who finds themselves in need of car services in a pinch. We are a private company who can easily manage cleaning our vehicles after every customer to protect you from the risk of coronavirus infection.

This is the amazing story of the King Family Vineyards! Not just an amazing vineyard with some of the best wines around but, a truly fantastic family owned and run vineyard. The entire family is exceptional as well and you never know, you could be getting your tasting poured by Ellen King herself, as she is always in the tasting rooms helping out in any manner she can!! Just a short drive from Charlottesville, VA and located in the Crozet, area lies this picturesque vineyard with it's impeccably kept grounds, warm and cozy tasting rooms and of course, the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. Oh and did we mention that from Memorial Day Weekend to mid-October, on Sundays, they have polo matches? Well, they do! This is definitely one of our most recommended and visited vineyards due in part to the outstanding, above and beyond customer service they provide. Here's their story.

OUR STORY

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

After moving to Charlottesville from Houston, Texas, in 1995, we purchased the original 327 acre farm in 1996. In late 1998, a young man named Tom Vandenberg, knocked on our door and asked if he could lease ten acres for a vineyard. Sparked by his curiosity and research, we did our homework, and soon hired a vineyard consultant. A nursery in California had a few extra vines, so six months of hard work later, our first eight acres of vines had been planted.

Welcome to Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards

This majestic location is not your average vineyard. With it's breathtaking views, award winning wines and a food menu that is out of this world delicious, you absolutely can not go wrong with a visit here. Even though they, like all vineyards in this area, are closed and or partially closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and with everyone practicing social distancing, they have found a way to persevere!

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards is doing a fantastic job by offering Hillside Take-Out and Online Wine Orders. Plus, they are doing virtual cooking classes! How cool is that?!?! Now you can sit back with a bottle of your favorite Pippin Hill wine and learn how to make some delicious dishes!! Pierogis with Caper Brown Butter Sauce is just one example. Let the classes begin!

THE PIPPIN HILL STORY

It’s a love story, really. Which is how all good stories begin. And so it is with Pippin Hill—the lovechild of proprietors, and husband and wife team, Lynn Easton and Dean Andrews. Lynn and Dean (as you’ll read below) have a combined wealth of professional experience in luxury properties and bespoke events, and Pippin Hill represents the marrying of their complementary talents, in a place they love—the undulating green hills of Virginia’s wine country. Here they have brought together a team of hospitality pros who share their love of this place. A farm family. A vineyard ripe with people who love people and love what they do—ready to welcome you.

With a slogan of "grapes don't grow in ugly places" you are bound to be surrounded by beauty at Afton Mountain Vineyards! Sitting high atop Afton Mountain in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains you'll find this one of a kind, breathtakingly beautiful Vineyard. With views of a rolling valley, large pond, vineyard and the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop what else could you ask for? How about adding some award winning wines to that list! Yes, they have those too. Making Afton Mountain Vineyards, truly, one of a kind!

ABOUT AFTON

OUR STORY

We both grew up in Charlottesville, attended Albemarle High School and University of Virginia & Davidson College and were married at the UVa Chapel. With lifelong ties here to UVa, friends and family, we are happy to be back in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains again after several years working and raising a family in coastal VA. Our search for the perfect vineyard site in the area lead us to purchase Afton Mountain Vineyards in 2009.

~Elizabeth & Tony Smith

OUR VINEYARD

Our beautiful vineyard site is located on the sunrise side of Afton Mountain. Here the vines are protected from frost by our elevation of nearly 1000 feet, shielded from excessive rain by the mountain’s rain shadow, and dried by the prevailing breezes flowing through the nearby Rockfish and Humpback gaps.

It's Beer O'Clock somewhere!!

And that somewhere couldn't get any better than here at Blue Mountain Brewery!! Talk about a place that has EVERYTHING from great brews, amazing food, fantastic views, awesome staff and of course, cornhole. Can you even call yourself a brewery if you don't have cornhole? Probably not!

GREAT BEER BEGINS WITH AN INSPIRED TEAM

Founders Taylor and Mandi Smack and Matt Nucci opened Blue Mountain Brewery in 2007, with a vision to bring the brewery experience out of the normal hustle and bustle of an urban environment. With a relaxed vibe and stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we invite you to enjoy our varied range of beers and farm-to-table food in Nelson County, where life is a little slower and a lot more fun.

Taylor Smack began his brewing career interning at South Street Brewery in late 1999 before moving to Chicago and attending the Siebel Institute of Technology, the country’s oldest school for brewing. He became the head brewer for the Goose Island brewpubs in Chicago and eventually moved back home to Virginia to man the helm as head brewer of South Street, where he stayed for five years before leaving to found Blue Mountain.

After just one sip of their award winning spirits you'll be thumping on your chest like a Silverback gorilla!!

Silverback Distillery is, without any doubts, one of the most top notched and just down right awesome places on this planet! Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and with the tastiest spirits around, once you're here you'll never want to leave. Owned and operated by a fascinating mother/daughter duo, with some of the friendliest and knowledgeable staff around are just a couple reasons Silverback Distillery stands out above the rest. Another reason they stand out is this: When the pandemic started and everyone was running out of hand sanitizer, the crew at Silverback Distillery quickly switched gears and began to make hand sanitizer for first responders and medical personnel, for FREE! They were the first distillery in Virginia to do this and although other distilleries followed suit, they were the original trailblazers and they did it out of the kindness of their hearts, as their way to help in this uneasy and uncertain time.

Let's meet the "Troop"

Christine Riggleman (Hooch Mama)

Christine Riggleman (@HoochMamaDistiller) is the CEO and Master Distiller of Silverback Distillery. Born and raised in Manassas, Virginia, Christine married her high school sweetheart, Denver, at the age of 19. Shortly after, Denver joined the Air Force and their journey across the United States and far-off lands began. Christine earned a scholarship from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in 2000 but due to her husband's military career, she turned down the offer. Christine’s passion for culinary delights never wavered and eventually veered into the world of extraordinary spirits. She became fascinated with distilling on a tour of Ben Nevis Distillery in Scotland in 2012, and shortly after began researching distillation and maturation processes with Denver. In 2014, after a year and a half of strenuous planning, research and construction, Silverback Distillery opened its doors. Although Silverback has only been open since August of 2014, Christine’s spirits have racked up accolades, earning 16 international awards among numerous local and statewide awards. In 2014, she was named one of the top gin distillers in the United States through MSN.com, and in 2017 became the first person inducted into the ABV Network's Bourbon Hall of Fame.

Welcome to Veritas Vineyards & Winery where LOVE is in the air, literally!With it's award winning wines, beautiful scenery, fabulous staff, super tasty food and being pet friendly, who wouldn't want to visit this wonderful place!

Our Story

Veritas Vineyards and Winery began in 1999 when Andrew and Patricia Hodson planted 5 acres of grapes as a passion project. Over the past two decades, Veritas has grown to include over 50 acres of vineyards and has succeeded in consistently producing a range of complex and elegant wines.

Andrew & Patricia

Andrew and Patricia met and fell in love in Nottingham, England while Andrew was a young Neurologist and Patricia was a nurse. Their careers brought them to the east coast of the U.S. in the early 1970s, where they stayed until settling in Florida in the 1990’s. After successfully raising their three children and and at the height of their careers they decided to take a leap of faith and pursue their passion, wine. In 1999 they bought Saddleback Farm, which at the time was a simple horse and cattle farm. Patricia saw the potential in the land and planted several acres of grapes with a wish and prayer.

Located in the heart of Charlottesville, in the Rose Hill area, is the unique, quaint and absolutely delightful Vitae Spirits Distillery!

WELCOME TO VITAE SPIRITS

Vitae Spirits is a family owned and run craft distillery in Charlottesville, Virginia that produces small batch spirits made from molasses to glass with a focus on quality and hands-on artisanal values. Our customer connoisseurs drive us to innovate and provide exciting new tastes as well as deliver products that we believe someday will be called classics. We focus on authenticity and transparency and welcome our customers to visit behind the scenes as frequently as possible so that they recognize their central role in our mission.

PRODUCTION

OUR PROCESS

Vitae Spirits Distillery prides itself on taking basic raw ingredients and turning them into faithful expressions of their botanical origins. To do this we rely on our custom built copper pot still from Vendome Copper & Brass Works in Louisville, Kentucky and custom built temperature-controlled fermentation tanks from Custom Metalcraft of Springfield, Missouri. Additionally, we do not pass our spirits through fine filters or activated carbon that can strip delicate flavors nor are the spirits ever stored in plastic, only stainless steel, wood, and glass.

Who has a tropical greenhouse inside their winery / tasting room? Glass House Winery, that's who!!

This one of a kind, off the beaten path, winery is truly a site to see and taste! Glass House Winery was founded in 2006 when Jeff and Michelle Sanders decided to bring a tropical flair to the Monticello Wine Trail. The vineyard features carefully grown and cultivated grapes that reflect the best of the terroir in central Virginia. From artisan wines to handcrafted chocolates, Glass House offers a unique experience to those wishing to experience the Virginia wine culture. They also have their very own Bed & Breakfast, located right by the winery, that you really need to check out! Sundays also feature popular live music events with local artists. Come get a taste of the Glass House experience.

ABOUT GLASS HOUSE WINERY

Glass House Winery is a boutique winery in the heart of Monticello Wine Trail in central Virginia. At our vineyard we craft artisan wines made solely from grapes grown on our property and in our region of Virginia. We now have 12 acres under vine on our vineyard (the most recent 6 acres planted in April 2012) and have chosen grapes that bring out the best of the terroir in our region of Virginia. We cultivate these grapes with meticulous care at our winery, while striving to treat the Earth of Virginia as respectfully and gently as possible in the process.

There's a different level of commitment when your name's on the product you're selling! Being family owned and operated means one thing...they care about every customer and every bottle of wine they produce!! That's what you'll get when you visit Stinson Vineyards

About Us

Stinson Vineyards is a family-owned estate winery in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains specializing in small lot wines with a distinct French influence. The father/daughter team of Scott Stinson and Rachel Stinson Vrooman was joined by Rachel’s husband Nathan Vrooman in 2015. They take inspiration from “garagiste” wineries of France, in both their winemaking techniques and the winery itself, which is built into an old three car garage. The wines of Stinson Vineyards are enjoying growing critical acclaim, and the winery has become a visitor destination for its fine wines, stunning views, and artisan farm store.

Winemaking

Wines are made on premises by husband/wife winemaking team of Nathan Vrooman and Rachel Stinson Vrooman. The Stinsons are devotees of French wines, especially those from the Bordeaux and Loire Valley regions. Traditional French winemaking methods are employed under the guidance of winemaking consultant Matthieu Finot, including whole berry fermentation for reds and sur lie aging (on the spent yeast lees) for whites. Focus is placed on European-style wines that emphasize subtlety and complexity rather than power and super-ripeness of West Coast wines.

Nestled in a valley of rolling farmland and surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, just east of Charlottesville, you'll discover the quaint, beautiful and exceptional Keswick Vineyards!

Al and Cindy Schornberg: Owners

After six years of searching the country, Al and Cindy Schornberg finally settled on the Edgewood Estate in Keswick, Virginia as their new residence. “Since we didn’t move because of a job relocation, the entire country was open to us,” says Cindy. In moving from Holly, Michigan, the Schornbergs sought a desirable place to raise their children and a milder climate, particularly one that was well suited to grape growing.

When Al Schornberg moved to Virginia, he left behind the hi-tech corporate world he created in Michigan and traded it for the lifestyle he had dreamed of since childhood – as a vineyard owner. Having been an entrepreneur most of his adult life, Al was looking for an area that offered the excitement of a burgeoning wine industry. He found that potential in Virginia. Al recalls his grandfather’s stories of working at his family’s winery, Massena Cellars in France, and like his predecessor, his goal was straightforward: “ I just wanted to be able to enjoy a really good wine that I made. There’s something very natural and satisfying about that.”

Pro Re Nata, what is that? A bird, a plane, a speeding bullet?? NO, it's Super Brewery!! Well, what does it mean? It means super brews, wines and ciders, super staff and super good times!! Oh and it also means, doctors prescribe...take as needed!

OUR STORY

John Schoeb • Andrew Messina Founding Owners

John Schoeb was searching for a place to relax and to spend time with friends and family, all while enjoying a cold beer with a view.

He teamed up with long time friend and fraternity brother, Andrew Messina, and together they purchased the former Crozet Moose Lodge and opened Pro Re Nata Brewing Co. in 2015. Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Crozet, VA, Pro Re Nata found what it needed: the perfect spot.

Today, along with new partners, PRN has expanded its offerings to include seasonal brews; cider; wine; Hops Kitchen™; live, local music every week; and so much more. All the while . . .

The beer keeps getting better and the view hasn't changed.

Brad Hulewicz • Head Brewer

Growing up in San Diego, Brad got his start in the craft beer industry by volunteering at a few of the many local breweries.

This Summer and so far, this Fall, we have been fortunate enough to have had numerous, wonderful, happy and satisfied customers use our service to visit the vineyards, breweries, distilleries and the hard cider establishments!! Here's just a few of all the happy groups/couples! Book your tour today, slots are filling up fast!! Enjoy