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Discover Fair Play!
Discover
the treasures awaiting you year-round along the scenic country
roads of Fair Play, a visitor-friendly agricultural community
located well above the fog line amongst lush hills and gentle
ridge tops. You’ll find family-owned farms, wineries, restaurants
and bed and breakfasts offering warm hospitality to everyone.
When you drive the country roads that lead past these picturesque
vineyards and pastures you can admire the view or stop in
for a visit. Many of the farms are open to visitors when their
crops are in season.
On Fair Play Road, a field filled with
vibrant color appears. It’s the acres of row-cultivated irises
grown by BlueBird Haven Iris Garden, a Victorian show garden
and picnic-perfect place featuring bearded iris, daffodils,
wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. For the best view of the blooms
and to order bulbs, stop by BlueBird Haven Iris Garden in
May. BlueBird Haven also offers living history programs on
the Colonial, Civil War and Gold Rush eras.
Just one mile down the road, you’ll see
Noël Christmas Tree Ranch and Pumpkin Patch. In October,
you can pick the perfect pumpkins from over twenty heirloom
and traditional varieties, take family photos with panoramic
views of the Fair Play wine country, and enjoy a picnic. Noël
also hosts Fair Play’s annual Cowboy Poetry BBQ during the
first two weekends in October. During the holiday season,
Noël Christmas Tree Ranch and the other Fair Play area
Christmas tree growers welcome you and your family for a day
of winter fun and tradition. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving,
you can choose and cut your own special Christmas trees, find
a fresh wreath, and enjoy hot cider and hot chocolate by the
campfire.
Fair Play is also dotted with horse farms
and small herds of cattle. On Omo Ranch Road, you can visit
Ascension Arabian Farms, Chateau Routon Winery and Foothill
Weddings all owned and operated by two generations of the
Routon family. On eighty-five acres of rolling hills, the
Routons’ breed beautiful Arabian horses, grow grapes, and
make fine port and wine while maintaining the perfect natural
setting for exchanging wedding vows. You can also schedule
a horseback riding class with Ascension’s own horse whisperer.
Around the corner on Mt. Aukum Road,
you’ll find Retiredice Alpacas welcoming visitors for tours
of their ranch and to meet and learn about their prized alpacas.
In May, you can stop by and watch the sheering of the alpaca
herd. Their Ranch Store is open year-round and offers raw
fiber and yarn for sale and handmade alpaca gloves, hats,
sweaters, and more. Or you can stop just to purchase fresh
eggs laid by the free-to-range chickens.
Fair Play’s fresh air and plentitude
of activities is bound to make you hungry so you’ll want to
explore the gourmet offerings at area restaurants including
Gold Vine Grill, Shenandoah Valley Café and Cantiga
Winework’s Deli & BBQ.
Gold Vine Grill offers gourmet lunch,
dinner and picnic boxes. You can catch local winemakers pouring
wine at the Gold Vine Wine Bar or hosting a winemaker dinner.
Shenandoah Valley Café serves breakfast, lunch and
dinner. Their breakfast menu includes pancakes that cover
your plate and the dinner menu features steak and seafood.
Cantiga Winework’s Deli & BBQ pairs its own wines with
a tasty assortment of appetizers and hot and cold lunch entrees.
You can also enjoy local musicians, along with wine and tapas
on the patio every 1st & 3rd Friday evenings at Cantiga’s
“Weekend Wine Down” from spring through fall.
The people of Fair Play love to entertain
and host visitors. So come spend the day or stay the night
at one of several local Bed and Breakfasts. You’ll find comfort
at Lucinda’s Country Inn, a new Bed and Breakfast that offers
morning breakfast buffets and an afternoon wine and cheese
hour. Four unique, luxury suites and a private cottage, all
with decks, let you relax and enjoy your time away from home.
7Up Ranch has been offering a place for
guests to stay since 1937. Located on 145 idyllic acres, 7Up
Ranch features western-style cabin rooms with old-fashioned
wooden porches, a sun-room where breakfast is served, a large
covered redwood deck and a fully-restored pole barn.
You can also stay at the Barkley Historic
Homestead located on 67 acres of vineyards, seasonal streams,
ponds, and hiking trails. The Main House, built in 1915 and
listed on the National Register of Historic Places, provides
turn-of-the-century charm.
Another favorite Bed and Breakfast is
Fitzpatrick Winery and Lodge. The Fitzpatrick Lodge, handcrafted
from massive logs, sits atop a hill at 2500’ elevation and
provides spectacular 360-degree views. The lodge includes
an underground wine cellar, wine tasting room, and five guest
rooms. Every Friday night during the spring and summer months,
the Fitzpatricks’ fire up their outdoor wood-fired oven located
on the lodge deck and serve pizza, salad, and their award-winning
wines made from organicallygrown grapes.
The wineries of the Fair Play Winery
Association invite you to stop and taste for yourself the
award-winning wines created in Fair Play’s unique grape-growing
region. During the first two weekends in June, the Annual
Fair Play Wine Festival showcases the local wineries located
within a three-mile radius.
Most of the Fair Play farms, ranches,
wineries, and bed & breakfasts are located on estates
that are perfect for weddings, company picnics, business meetings,
retreats and family reunions. And the restaurants offer gourmet
catering for your special events.
For directions and more information about
Fair Play’s wineries, ranches, farms, lodging, restaurants,
and events, please visit www.DiscoverFairPlay.com
and www.FairPlayWine.com.
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