Wine Label with a Story: Artist Marcus Thomas Paints by Mouth

Written by

The stunning artwork gracing the label of Biltmore’s 2013 spring seasonal wine is the work of gifted artist Marcus Thomas of Weaverville, NC. His interpretation of Biltmore during spring has been turning so many heads that we have invited Marcus to Biltmore Winery for a public meet & greet and label signing.

What:  Taste Biltmore’s Rosé of Pinot Grigio and meet painter Marcus Thomas; Artist will autograph wine bottles bearing his artwork

When:  Saturday, May 4 from 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Where: Biltmore Winery

Inspirational Artist Trimphs Over Adversity

In addition to the talent evident in Marcus’s artistry, he has an extraordinary personal story. Marcus is quadriplegic, paralyzed below the neck, and uses his mouth to paint incredible works of art.

Marcus survived a skiing accident when he was 26 which left him paralyzed from the neck down. As a recreation major in college and an athlete, his life dramatically changed course in an instant. As he was learning to negotiate his new life as a quadriplegic six months into recovery, Marcus picked up a paintbrush and started to create art. Twenty-five years later, he continues his beautiful work.

This is the second stunning wine label design Marcus has created for Biltmore Wines. Check out ‘Biltmore Winter,’ the people’s choice in our annual wine label design contest and the design graced the 2012 Christmas at Biltmore Wine.

Learn more about Marcus at MarcusThomasArtist.com.

 

The Painter's Spring Vision

In regard to his design, Marcus stated:

“The tulips are definitely the stars of the design. I wanted the flowers to be elevated in the landscape, reigning above the house, creating good depth and inviting the eye to journey within the painting towards the magic of the estate, and beyond to the mountains and spring sky. Flower power prevails!”

Watch the progression of Marcus’s wine label design, “Biltmore in Bloom.”

Where to Get Biltmore's Spring Seasonal Wine

Each year, Biltmore makes a limited-edition semi-sweet rosé wine in honor of spring at Biltmore. Breaking free from tradition this year, we crafted a Rosé of Pinot Grigio. Though Pinot Grigio is usually a white wine, the grape skins actually have a pink–purple hue that can be imparted during pressing.

Look for the wine for sale in stores in select locations, as well as online. The spring seasonal is also available to taste and purchase at Biltmore Winery while supplies last. Don’t forget to join us for a tasting and label signing at Biltmore Winery Saturday, May 4 from 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

 

Shop all Biltmore wines.

The Lovely Azaleas

Written by

Strolling through our 15-acre Azalea Garden in May is a rite of spring, with thousands of bright blossoms lining the stone stairs and masses of vivid flowers cascading throughout the area. In fact, we expect peak azalea color this week.

We have Chauncey Beadle to thank for all of that gorgeous color. Chauncey, a Canadian horticulturalist hired in 1890 by Frederick Law Olmsted for his encyclopedic knowledge of plants, served as estate superintendent from 1909 until his death in 1950.

“Beadle loved all plants, but he had a special fondness for native deciduous azaleas,” said Bill Alexander, Landscape & Forest Historian. “He and two close friends became known as ‘the azalea hunters’ collecting virtually every form and color variation.”

Beadle and his colleagues kept detailed notes about their forays, writing down when and where they collected plants on travels throughout the Southeast. Native azaleas were Beadle’s passion, and he called them the finest American shrubs.

In 1940, he gave his entire collection of azaleas (which he fondly referred to as “his children”) to Biltmore, planting them in the valley below the Conservatory known as the Glen. Edith Vanderbilt changed the garden’s name to the Azalea Garden to honor Beadle and his lifelong work on his 50th anniversary with Biltmore.

Today, gardeners Bob Smart and Charles Harris, members of the estate’s Historic Gardens landscaping crew, are responsible for maintaining Beadle’s legacy and the never-ending upkeep of the Azalea Garden.

“Chauncey Beadle planted several thousand azaleas originally,” said Bob. “We try to keep as many old plants as possible, replacing them when needed with old types and species, but we also bring in new ones to keep the garden thriving.”

Last year, they replanted several hundred azaleas—mostly evergreens—lining the stone stairs at the Azalea Garden’s entrance and added nearly 400 more in the rest of the garden. Charles explains that the eye-catching evergreen varieties have heavier, more prolific blooms and some even re-bloom. They also planted many native deciduous azaleas that display delicate orange, yellow and pink flowers in late spring.

Not all their time is spent planting; they devote hours researching and collecting additional azaleas to keep the garden beautiful. They find plants at trade shows, through the North Carolina Nursery Notes bi-monthly magazine, nurseries, and growers who visit here.

“Sometimes growers we know will visit the garden and suggest a particular addition,” said Charles. “They recognize that it’s an honor to have plants here.”

 

Learn more about our gardens and grounds.

A Unique Pair of Hounds

Written by

Dogs are often called “man’s best friend,” and with good reason. Dogs are always happy to see you, glad to spend time with you, and eager to be by your side.

Our partner Unique Stone has captured the faithful spirit of the dog with a lifelike interpretation of canine devotion in their Biltmore Stoneybrook Hounds Collection. Each realistic hound statue features the soulful expressions and stance of man’s best friend at his finest. 

  • Stoneybrook Hound with Bird waits attentively for the praise that accompanies his fine birding and retrieval skills (above, left) 
  • Stoneybrook Hound with Collar is relaxed, caught in a playful moment with his collar between his front paws (above, right)

Each Stoneybrook Hound statue is approximately 35 inches in height and weighs around 300 pounds. Place this sturdy pair of sentinels at the entrance to your home or property, or use them to highlight your lawn, patio, or garden. (Each hound sold separately.) Unique Stone creates all their statuary with a subtle finish that gives an aged and weathered appearance.

Find the Stoneybrook Hounds here.

Biltmore’s Canine History

The Vanderbilts had many pets including a Borzoi and Cedric, a smooth-coated Saint Bernard whose likeness graces Cedric’s Tavern today. George Vanderbilt also maintained a kennel of Collies before his death in 1914, and Cornelia Vanderbilt developed a kennel of Llewellin Setters in 1921.

After Cornelia married the Honorable John Amherst Francis Cecil in 1925, the Biltmore Kennels invested in the Saluki Gazelle Hound—a sight hound known for its beauty, speed, and endurance. After the Biltmore Kennels closed, John and Cornelia kept one Saluki named Haffief as a pet.

The Stoneybrook Hounds resemble the grace and style of this handsome hound who made America’s largest home his home, as well.

It's All About the Pampering

Written by

women gathering herbs with handsWhen you stay at a four-star inn known for its legendary hospitality, you expect every aspect of your stay to be superb. The spa at our inn lives up to that reputation, and one huge reason is Judy Cody, one of our nail technicians.

 Judy’s been giving manicures and pedicures for years, and she’s been a nail technician at the spa for three years.  She’s an expert at what she does, and she couples that expertise with a true desire to be of service.

“I know that many of our guests are only here one time, so I try extra hard to give them the best experience they’ve ever had,” she said. “I love helping people, making them feel special and pretty.”

Judy says when guests arrive she makes sure they are comfortable, offering hot and cold drinks—guests can even sip a glass of wine delivered from the bar.

She encourages her clients to pick a nail polish if they want before she begins either a manicure or pedicure. Judy notes the spa only uses vegan polish; it’s all organic and natural.

For a pedicure she begins by asking about her guests’ feet to discover anything she should know about before the pampering begins. Judy cuts toenails, removes calluses and applies lotion to massage not just the feet but everything from the knee down. After the massage both feet are placed in warm booties. Guests can also take advantage of hot stone massage and/or paraffin on the feet.

“I want each guest to relax and feel pampered, so I take my time,” she says. “And all our manicures and pedicures are a full 50 minutes.”

Guests who receive a manicure get a similar treatment, including using a scrub that she massages into the hand, helping remove dead skin. After this she wraps steam towels from the elbow down. An arm and hand massage with lotion follows, then cleans the nails with acetone and adds polish as requested.

While the majority of her clients are women, 20 to 30 percent are men. She even provides service to children under 16 with parental permission. She fondly remembers doing a manicure for a 4-year old girl, noting the child really wanted to be girly!

She knows that many men feel hesitant to receive manicures or pedicures so she goes the extra mile to make them feel comfortable. One man who loved pedicures wouldn’t get them in his hometown because he didn’t want to “get caught,” but he thoroughly enjoyed getting one at the spa. Another man came in for a pedicure because his wife made the appointment—he told Judy his wife said his toenails were poking her in bed and needed to be cut!

An Asheville native, Judy knows the area intimately. She always asks guests about their visit, recommends places both on and off the estate, and makes sure they know about the inn’s concierge, who is a wealth of information. It’s all part of her desire to provide the best customer service all the time.

“I love what I do, and I think God gave me a big heart so I could love people,” she reflected.

Our Spring Rosé And Salad Pairing

Written by

A different way to make rosé

Although you probably know Pinot Grigio best as a white varietal, we’ve crafted a Rosé of Pinot Grigio with a pink hue that hints at the promise of spring.

This rosé is pleasantly sweet, crisp, and refreshing—but also offers balanced acidity that makes it a good fit with a wide range of dishes. You’re going to enjoy it with everything from classic pasta, tuna, and chicken salad pairings to zestier choices such as pizza and spicy Asian food. Make sure you take it along on your next spring picnic!”

Wake up the flavor

Go for the zest! Panko bread crumbs are the secret to keeping this fried chicken lighter than most traditional recipes, and the Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette adds just enough heat and spice to pair perfectly with our newly released Rosé of Pinot Grigio.

Fried Chicken Salad with Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette

4 servings

Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette

1 cup prepared salsa
½ cup water
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1½ cups canola or olive oil

Place all ingredients except oil in a blender. With the blender on medium, add the oil in a steady stream until thickened.

Fried Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to ½-inch thickness
Seasoning salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with seasoning salt.

Place the flour, egg, and panko crumbs into separate shallow dishes.

Coat chicken breasts in flour, shaking off any excess.

Dip them into the egg, and then press into the panko crumbs until well coated on both sides.

Heat ¼-inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the hot oil, and cook 3–4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  Let dry on paper towels and keep warm.

Mixed Greens Salad

6 cups mixed greens
6 slices of lean bacon, chopped fine
2 ripe avocados
16 small cherry or pear tomatoes, sliced
1 cup fresh corn kernels, cooked
½ cup goat cheese
Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette (above)
Fried Chicken (above)

To assemble salad

Place greens in a large salad bowl.

Cook bacon in a skillet over moderate heat, stirring until crisp; then transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Halve, pit, and peel the avocados and cut them into ½ -inches pieces.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl.

Toss with some of the Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette (about ½ cup)

Slice the chicken, add it to the salad and serve.

The Details Matter

Written by

Kelly Brown loves cleaning. She says people may think that’s crazy, but it’s her thing. As one of 26 room attendants at the Inn, she makes sure her 12 rooms (549-565) are cleaned from top to bottom daily, and that’s not a figure of speech! From dusting in those hard-to-reach high places to working on her hands and knees cleaning the bathroom floor, she gets the job done exactly as you would expect.

“When I walk out of a room, it’s a room I would stay in,” she says. “I make sure of it.”

A self-inspect attendant, Kelly checks her own work. Kelly earned this designation after several months of earning a score of 90 or above on inspect sheets the Inn uses to assure quality. Kelly must maintain that rating to keep her self-inspect designation, but she says so far, so good. She is exactly where she wants to be.

“I love working where I am. All the employees are great; it really feels like family,” she says. “But it’s also a hard job physically, in my opinion it’s the hardest job at the Inn.”

Kelly squats dozens of times each day making beds, cleaning bathrooms and picking up – she jokes her best friend is her heating pad. And sometimes there’s a time crunch to get it all done, depending on when guests leave their room. Each attendant has 12 rooms to clean between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

“We never want to disturb our guests, so sometimes it’s 10 a.m. or so before we can get into a room. When that happens it can be challenging to finish in time,” she explains.

And yes, Kelly does make beds every day. She keeps bedding tucked in using the hospital-corners technique and makes sure each bed is finished with the sheet folded over the duvet at the top.

Kelly makes it her business to know the names of guests staying in her rooms and she speaks to them by name. She always asks about their stay and if they need anything, continuing Biltmore’s signature hospitality.

“Hospitality is the culture and legacy of Biltmore, and I’m proud to continue that tradition. It’s wonderful to work in a place where I can see Biltmore House from some of my rooms, and know I am part of this.”

About the photo

Kelly Brown inspects her work while putting the finishing touches on a guest bed at the Inn.

A Perfect Arrangement

Written by

For Your Home, From Our Gardens

The Biltmore Floral Team created a pair of stunning floral arrangements to brighten up our For Your Home  booth at a recent wedding show. The talented team members crafted the arrangements to feature greenery from Biltmore’s historic gardens as well as gorgeous flowers.

The results were so beautiful that we asked Biltmore Floral Design Manager Cathy Barnhardt to share her expert “how-to” tips and suggestions for bringing the outdoors indoors with a similar arrangement for your own home.

Bring the outdoors in

“First of all,” Cathy said, “these arrangements showcase a great mix of ‘florist flowers’ as well as greens cut straight from our gardens.”

To highlight the feeling and the fragrance of spring, Cathy and her team chose blue delphinium, deliciously-scented white stock, some lovely cream ‘Virginia’ roses, and a handful of tulips. The greenery was all gathered from the gardens at Biltmore.

“If you have access to a garden or wooded area, this is a great way to bring the outdoors into your arrangements and your home, and it makes it even more personal that you provided the greenery yourself rather than choosing it from a flower shop.”

“To really highlight the outdoor feeling,” said Cathy, “we used long tendrils of ivy, snips of rosemary from the herb garden, a few fern fronds, and even some pieces of red twig dogwood. This mix of textures helps us create an arrangement that is both elegant and richly textured, much like the feel of a cottage garden.”

Ready to try it at home?

“The most helpful trick in this kind of arrangement is to remember how things grow naturally in the garden,” Cathy explained. “Place your flowers in groups or clusters rather than scattering them throughout the arrangement. That will give it style, but it will still feel organic and natural.”

Behind the scenes

“One of the most fun ‘perks’ my team enjoys,” Cathy told us, “is having cutting privileges in the historic gardens and natural areas around Biltmore. Any time of year, we can find something interesting to include in our arrangements that comes directly from the estate and reflects both the current season and elements of the original landscape design.”

Darren's favorite thing

Written by

For Darren Poupore, Chief Curator, trying to select just one thing as his favorite “is like picking your favorite child.”

His job involves researching and interpreting the history of Biltmore, including taking stock of the history of the home’s interiors, the collections, family history, and the history of the estate and land. He is also involved in planning and managing room restorations and development of new tours in Biltmore House.

That level of familiarity only makes it more difficult to identify one item as his personal favorite, but after much thought, he chose the architectural model of Biltmore House.

The model, located on the Fourth Floor in the appropriately-named Architectural Model Room, was commissioned by architect Richard Morris Hunt in 1889. Hunt wanted to show client George Vanderbilt how his home in the North Carolina mountains would appear—a structure inspired by French Renaissance châteaux in the Loire Valley that the two had previously visited.

The detailed model illustrates the steeply pitched roof, dramatic stair tower, and richly ornamented windows and doors that mark Biltmore’s distinctive design.

New York newspapers had speculated about what George Vanderbilt’s home might look like, so it’s not surprising the first public viewing of the model at Hunt’s offices was a media event. “The crowd feasted their eyes on its towers and turrets, its suggestion of magnificent distances and imposing proportions,” according to newspapers of the time.

For years, the model was displayed in Biltmore House’s Basement. In 2005, a large oak cabinet was discovered in storage that perfectly fit the model’s dimensions, indicating that Vanderbilt intended for it to be part of his furnishings. The model and its original base were reunited and moved to its present location, which you can see on the Behind-the-Scenes Rooftop Tour.

So is this an exact model of Biltmore House? For most of us, yes. But not for Darren.

“If you look closely, you can see subtle differences between it and the finished house,” he said. “I’ll leave it at that.”

Ready For Roses

Written by

Ready to welcome spring and summer with a garden full of glorious roses? Let’s start by preparing a new bed for your beautiful blooms, with great tips and helpful insight from Paul Zimmerman, exclusive Biltmore Rose Consultant:

Preparing a new rose bed

Raising great roses starts with great soil. The better the soil is, the healthier the plants will be. February and March (and even April, depending on your location) are good months to get new garden beds ready.

According to Zimmerman, the “life” of a soil is found in its microorganisms. Some microorganisms break up fallen debris like trees and leaves, others break it down even further, and some then help the plants take up the nutrients from the broken down material. Nutrients like fertilizer that you add to the soil get taken up, as well.

When preparing a new garden bed, Zimmerman follows these steps: compost.

  • First, till or break up the existing soil of the bed until it’s loosened.
  • Spread about 3–5 inches of compost across the bed and work it into the soil. (Many types of compost are suitable, such as compost you make yourself, last year’s leaf pile, horse manure, or mushroom compost.)
  • Add compost a few months before you plant roses so it can “stew” for a while. You won’t need to keep turning it—just let nature do its job.

Woman tilling a rose garden

TIP: If the area you are preparing has been part of a lawn or has never been worked at all, consider introducing some of those microorganisms in the form of a drench.

Preparing a site for the new rose

“Do I need to dig a 2 x 2 foot hole when planting roses?”

That’s one of the questions that Paul Zimmerman hears all the time.

“If you prepare the entire bed, you only need dig a hole big enough to fit the rose into. In the beginning, I followed the ‘2 x 2 foot hole’ rule, but after nearly 20 years of planting roses, I’ve stopped worrying about it because I can’t see any difference. By taking the time to prepare the entire bed and then following a regular regime of mulching and amending the soil, you will never have to dig a 2 x 2-foot hole to plant a rose again. Your back will thank you!

The most reliable indicator to know when to prune roses

For gardeners who live in an area with a true winter, pruning roses can be tricky due to the freeze/thaw cycles experienced during the coldest season. Prune too early, and a sudden warm spell may stimulate new growth that could be harmed in the next freeze. Prune too late and you run the risk of cutting off the spring flowering.

To prune roses at the right time for your region, books and articles often advise you to find out when your area receives its last frost of winter, count back a certain number of days, and prune then.

Woman pruning a rose bush

“There’s nothing wrong with this method except that lately it seems there is no ‘normal’ when it comes to weather,” said Lucas Jack, Biltmore’s rosarian. Last year, our roses reached peak spring flowering at least three weeks early.”

The most reliable indicator? Forsythia

No scientific instruments, no estimated frost date, and there isn’t even an app for it– just nature sensing the elements and doing what it does best, with perfect timing.

The forsythia knows when winter is coming to a close and spring is just around the corner. If it’s a long winter, forsythia blooms later. During a short winter, it blooms sooner. Keep an eye on the forsythia and when its cheerful yellow blooms begin to appear, get ready to prune your roses.

A Beautiful Inspiration

Written by

The Whitney Collection  

Blooming with fresh, stylized flowers and warm colors, the lovely Whitney Quilt Collection adds a charming feminine note to any bedroom. The playful floral designs are inspired by the beds in the Watson Room in Biltmore House—a guest bedroom that was often occupied by one of George Vanderbilt’s nieces, like the elegant Miss Gertrude Vanderbilt (Whitney) for whom this collection is named.

The Whitney Quilt Collection and other pieces are available from our partner Belk and our For Your Home Collection. See them here.

Gertrude’s Visit

George Vanderbilt opened Biltmore House to his family and friends for the first time on Christmas Eve in 1895. It was a merry house party by all accounts, and included his mother and many of his nieces and nephews—some of whom were close to George Vanderbilt in age.

Gertrude Vanderbilt was one of George Vanderbilt’s nieces, and she was 18 years old when she made that first Christmas visit to Biltmore in 1895. As a very fashionable young lady from New York, she was not too keen on spending the holidays at her uncle’s new home in North Carolina, far away from her friends and all the parties of the season.

Happily for Gertrude, the trip to Biltmore turned out to be much more interesting than she anticipated when George Vanderbilt’s close friend William Osgood Field arrived several days after Christmas. The dashing young bachelor captured Gertrude’s attention and kept her and the other young ladies entertained for several days.

An Inspiring Woman

Although another of George’s nieces eventually married the charming Willy Field, Gertrude married Harry Payne Whitney, a noted sportsman from a distinguished family, less than a year after her visit to Biltmore. During a trip to Europe in 1901, Gertrude rediscovered her passion for art, embarked on serious study, and became a sculptress as well as a patron of women in the arts. In 1930, the Whitney’s founded the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City, which remains one of the country’s finest institutions focused on new and contemporary artists.

To see our entire line of For Your Home bedding available at Belk, click here.