Country life is diametrically opposed to city life in many ways: quiet vs. noise; slow vs. fast; crowds vs. privacy; and relaxed vs. frenetic.  Yet those are only superficial differences and sometimes not even wholly accurate.  The city on a Sunday afternoon can often be a lot quieter than a country meadow buzzing with insect and bird life.  Still, life in the country does provide a certainly laid-back quality that allows one to shed one’s urban defensive armor and take time to smell the roses.

Not all countryside was created equally, however.  There are a few select places in the world were scenery, people, and climate come together to create a special place – something more than just an agricultural counterpoint to city life.  These places have forged their own identity independently of the urban areas that surround them.   These destinations often revolve around the food and wine and country pursuits that are found there.  Napa Valley, Tuscany, the Cotswolds, and Virginia’s Hunt Country come to mind.   In an increasing homogenized world, these rural retreats, with a strong sense of ‘place’ become even more valuable as a place apart, with their own style of life that is often a needed antidote to the stress of city living.

If you are contemplating a country retreat in Virginia’s Hunt and Wine Country, I can help you find not only the antidote to city living you crave, but also a variety of country lifestyles, from rustic to sophisticated, to suit your nature.   Each year I hold a series of seminars in Washington, DC on what to expect and what to anticipate before you start your search for a country property.  If you’d like to sign up for my next seminar, you can do so here.

While Virginia’s northern Piedmont reaches from the Maryland border in the north, down to Charlottesville in the South, the core of Hunt and Wine country is concentrated in Northern Fauquier County and Rappahannock County only an hour or so away from downtown DC, and then further south in Orange and Albemarle Counties.  Additional opportunities to enjoy country living at its finest exist in Clarke, Loudoun, Culpeper, Madison, and Warren Counties as well.  Each of these counties has its own particular character, so be sure to click the links to each jurisdiction for more specific information.