Overview: A weekend in Virginia’s Shenandoah County highlights a growing agritourism trend, featuring farm-centric travel experiences and local wine tastings. Recent data indicates a significant surge in interest for stays on or near farms, with VRBO’s Unpack ’26 report showing a 300% year-over-year increase in farm-related travel experiences.
The Full Story
The region offers a series of small towns packed into the Shenandoah Valley, providing access to local food and drink scenes. In Strasburg, Virginia, visitors can explore historic architecture at Box Office Brewery, where the original building permit dates to 1921. The venue began life as a movie theater opened in the early 1900s by a German immigrant who settled in town. A family-run brewery hosts events like Music Bingo Night and offers ciders served in film-reel-style presentations.
Further exploration leads to Woodstock, Virginia, where scenes include local products at Woodstock Cafe and rescued farm animals at Birdwood Farm. Muse Vineyards is located next to Seven Bends State Park, requiring a short drive across the Shenandoah River for mountainous scenery. At Muse, owner Sally Cowal explains that the valley narrows where the vineyard sits, with surrounding mountains protecting the hillside from rain. The property slopes downward into a river bank and sits atop quick-draining shale soil, which prevents water accumulation.
Star in the Valley Winery hosts Wine Under the Stars events running from 6 to 10 p.m., bringing together local wine and stargazing. Members of the Shenandoah Astronomical Society set up telescopes on the property for guests to view constellations like Cygnus and Draco. The owners work the tasting bar themselves most nights, pouring alongside guests and talking through the lineup between pours.
Production & Profile
Muse Vineyards produces about 10,000 bottles a year, with grapes hand-picked by a four-person crew over a harvest season of roughly six weeks. Because it is a small operation, the team can wait until each variety is ready instead of picking everything on a fixed schedule. The staff pours Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay made in both oak and steel.
Specific releases include the Erato, a fruit-forward white with bright acidity, and the Fume, a Sauvignon Blanc aged in fresh oak for two years. For those debating the great Chardonnay question, Muse lets visitors taste its Chardonnay aged in oak and steel side by side to decide between mineral or butter notes.
Brand & Industry History
Agritourism is having a moment, starting last year when regenerative farming was en vogue as described by Vogue magazine. The fashion magazine described farm-centric travel experiences placing people closer to where their food comes from as one of the top trends of 2025. This trend has continued into 2026, with VRBO’s Unpack ’26 travel trends report showing that farm-related experiences have increased 300% year-over-year. Some 84% of travelers now want to stay on or near a farm.
What This Means
Agritourism allows visitors to learn about where food traditions come from and gain knowledge about the surrounding environment. There is an opportunity to know what minerals are in the soil or how often rain blows through, connecting intimately to nature and food sources. Farmers, wine growers, chefs and business owners are often thrilled to share the secrets behind their magic with guests.
Consumer Takeaway
This experience offers the drinker access to local wine grown just steps away in the valley, eating local food and meeting the people who make this rural corner of Virginia one of the prettiest escapes from D.C. The offering includes tasting wines grown in a specific patch of Virginia where the valley narrows to its smallest nook, providing an escape from the sprawling I-95 highway system.
Source: Read the original article
