The Ashby Inn & Restaurant
Hunt Country Hideaway With Serious Wine Cred
Paris · Paris · American, French · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 9, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You're an hour outside DC, sitting in a 200-year-old inn surrounded by Virginia horse country, and then the wine list lands on the table. It's a genuinely unexpected level of seriousness — the kind of list that makes you slow down, order another round of bread, and rethink your plans for the evening. This isn't a hotel wine list phoning it in; someone cared.
Selection Deep Dive
The 200-300 bottle list punches well above its pastoral weight class, anchored by California and Burgundy with real depth in Bordeaux and an admirable commitment to Virginia producers. You'll find Ridge Monte Bello and Kistler Chardonnay sharing space with Château Lynch-Bages and Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin — that's not a random wine distributor dump, that's a curated point of view. The Virginia section is a genuine highlight: RdV Vineyards and Barboursville both make the cut, which signals that whoever built this list actually believes in the region, not just the marketing. The top end reaches into DRC territory, which feels almost surreal given the zip code, but here we are.
By the Glass
With 12-20 pours available, the by-the-glass program is solid for an inn of this size — you won't feel stuck choosing between two generic options while your bottle-ordering tablemates have all the fun. We'd love to see more rotation and a dedicated Virginia pour front and center, but what's here covers the bases without embarrassing anyone.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — $40–$60 range
Jordan consistently overdelivers relative to its bottle price, and in a list that reaches into the hundreds, it's the move for a table that wants something recognizably excellent without the sticker shock. Classic Sonoma structure, the kind of wine that works hard all night.
RdV Vineyards (Virginia)
Most tables will scan past the Virginia section to find their Burgundy comfort zone, but RdV is one of the most serious Bordeaux-style programs on the East Coast — full stop. Drinking it an hour from where it was grown, with rack of lamb on the table, is a genuinely special experience that most guests leave on the table.
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Look, DRC on any list is a flex, and we respect it. But unless you're specifically planning a grand occasion around it, the markup on trophy wine at a romantic inn is steep and the occasion can feel forced. The money goes a lot further — and the story gets a lot better — pointing it toward Burgundy options further down the list.
Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin + Pan-seared duck breast
Gevrey-Chambertin's earthy, dark-fruited Pinot Noir structure is basically engineered for duck — the richness of the sear matches the wine's weight, and the herbal notes from the Côte de Nuits cut right through the fat. It's a classic pairing done right in a setting that earns it.
🎲 The Bottom Line
The Ashby Inn has no business having a wine list this good for a 15-building hamlet in the Virginia hills — and that's exactly why you should go. A Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence in hunt country is a wild card situation in the best possible way, and the Virginia selection alone makes it worth the drive.
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