Indholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2022 i Victoria

Dear Friends In my mind, autumn begins when my husband kindles the first flame in our hearth. The sound of a crackling blaze calls to me, and I can sit, transfixed, within its mesmerizing glow for hours on end. In the months that follow, cherished activities fill the calendar, leading to the highlight of the season: gathering with kith and kin to celebrate Thanksgiving. Watching my grandchildren soak up every hour of golden sunlight brings such joy. I share their wonder during this cherished time of year, grateful, after a day of feasting and festivities, to snuggle in close for an evening of togetherness before a fire that seems to burn brighter than ever. Within this issue, we showcase the radiance that brims from October and November. From the gilding…

It’s the intimate feeling of familiarity—the warmth and comfort that only a well-loved home can grant its owner—that James T. Farmer III cherishes as he anticipates the arrival of friends and family to Farmdale, his home in Perry, Georgia. “Celebrating isn’t always about big parties,” he says. “It’s often about being truly being content at home, which is my favorite place to be.” The interior designer is renowned for his classic Southern style, mingling traditional design elements with unexpected and eye-catching glimpses of whimsy and vibrant textiles. But those closest to the entrepreneur know him best as an incomparable host, one who appreciates collecting cherished memories alongside his impressive cache of blue-and-white porcelain, ages-old ironstone, and generations of sentimental tableware. When dreaming up plans for his next fête, James first…

Visit our website to read this issue’s online stories and to find more of the content you love. Take a closer look at some of our favorite October/November features: Haven on the Bluffs Traditionally elegant tastes meet casual and cozy Alpine style at a Blue Ridge vacation retreat that is dressed in hues echoing the chalet’s vast mountain vistas. A Thanksgiving Tea Quintessential flavors most often showcased in the harvest feast find favor at a teatime gathering, where gratitude for friendship is the sweetest gift on the menu. Host for the Holidays Esteemed interior designer and author Kathryn Greeley shares memories of past celebrations, as well as guidance for welcoming loved ones with grace and joy. Heritage Preserved Vintner Lauren Ackerman details her thoughtful restoration of the Victorian charmer that…

“AUTUMN CARRIES MORE GOLD IN ITS POCKETS THAN ALL THE OTHER SEASONS.”—Jim Bishop…

With every bend in the roads that wend their way toward the town of Cashiers, the views become more breathtaking, and the air is as crisp as the apples that grow in the area’s many orchards. There is a palpable freshness here—a sense of both vigor and calm that is as irresistible to visitors and part-time residents as it is to those who choose to make the mountains their full-time home. For Elizabeth and Price McGiffert, it was the panoramic vistas found in a residential community with a top-ranked golf course that prompted the decision to make this area their home away from home. After owning a cozy cabin nearby for several years, they purchased a larger stone–and–wood shingle chalet-style house that better suited their growing family. “I’VE ENJOYED THIS…

Three generations of Sarah Partyka’s family have lovingly tended a plot of flourishing acreage in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. The land was once home to The Berry Patch, her parent’s pick-your-own strawberry fields, then operated as a festive Christmas tree farm, but, finally, under Sarah’s practiced hands, transformed into a resplendent horticulture destination and unique garden shop, The Farmer’s Daughter, in 1998. The business had humble beginnings; a small farmstand consisting of just one greenhouse and a simple shack housing a cash register was the entrepreneur’s bid at continuing the rich traditions that her forebearers had established in the soil. Through the years, seven greenhouses were constructed as Sarah began offering her customers hard-to-find selections of perennials and annuals, trees, shrubs, and other unusual varieties of plants. A gift shop,…

“BELIEVE IT OR NOT, APPLES (GENUS MALUS) ARE RELATED TO ROSES.”—Andy Hamilton “THE THANKFUL HEART OPENS OUR EYES TO A MULTITUDE OF BLESSINGS THAT CONTINUALLY SURROUND US.”—James E. Faust Find our Thanksgiving tea recipes at victoriamag.com. SEE RECIPE INDEX, PAGE 103, FOR RECIPE INFORMATION.…

WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 13–14: Erica Bauermeister is The New York Times best-selling author of four novels, including The School of Essential Ingredients. Her most recent work is the memoir House Lessons: Renovating a Life. To learn more about Erica, visit ericabauermeister.com. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Pages 15–16: Lesley Holmes captures the Cornish countryside and coastline, along with scenes from the Cotswolds, in her idyllic paintings, such as the watercolor Snowshill. To learn more about her works, visit lesleyholmes.com or email the artist at lesley@lesleyholmes.com. IN THE FACE OF AUTUMN Pages 17–18: Juliska: Forest Walk Dinner Plate, $52, Forest Walk Berry Bowl, $42, Forest Walk Napkin, $18, Berry & Thread 5-Piece Setting in Bright Satin/Gold, $140; 843-974-8795, juliska.com. Vietri: Hibiscus Glass Clear Small Fluted Vase, $89, Optical Gold Stem Wine Glass, $28, Optical Gold Stem…

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It is a time to reflect, count our blessings, and be grateful. With anticipation, we look forward to the festive season ahead. Tradition is a gift handed down through the generations. My favorite is the one my daughter started years ago: My husband and I gather at her house on the eve of family celebrations and spend hours preparing. We all don shirts inscribed “Papa’s Turkey Team,” and each of us has special tasks to complete. I am greeted at the door by my grandson, whose small hand takes my own and leads me to the table. There await the construction paper, scissors, and crayons scattered across its surface. I trace my hand upon a page and, in each finger, must write something…

In the fertile farmland of Napa Valley, true paradise awaits, calling sojourners to come experience the region’s hospitable culture, balmy weather, natural beauty, and, of course, wine. Nestled in the renowned Stag’s Leap district of this famed destination, one of California’s oldest family wineries thrives beneath the faces of gentle, knowing hills. This rising ground has watched over centuries of agricultural bounty in the valley below, where Regusci Winerysits today in prosperity. From the Wappo tribes, a generous people who dwelt here before the foundation of the United States, to noted rancher T. L. Grigsby, who built the Occidental Winery here in 1878, those who tended this property from its earliest days knew that there was magic in the soil. In 1932, after Prohibition and other events shuttered the once-thriving…

When Lauren Ackerman first purchased property in the Coombsville American Viticultural Area of Napa Valley, her background in technology was of little help in the winemaking world. Undaunted, she learned by watching and absorbing every aspect of the viniculture process, and when the first two barrels rolled out in 1995, she was on her way to producing the acclaimed offerings that bear the Ackerman Family Vineyards name with pride. That same enthusiasm for immersing herself in the business held her in good stead when, in 2010, she discovered a tumbledown circa 1888 Queen Anne Victorian in the Napa historic district. “The house was painted pink and purple, and it was falling apart,” relates Lauren. “But when I walked in, I was immediately smitten because all the original details were there,…

On any given day in October, sweater-clad pedestrians weave in and out of the quaint shops and cafés along Main Street in the town of Highlands, North Carolina. At the corner of Main and Fourth stands Old Edwards Inn and Spa, its classic façade of red brick trimmed in gray stone a venerable presence in this community. The hostelry’s roots reach back to the late 1800s and include several name changes and property swaps. The heritage also boasts a long line of genial proprietors, as well as managers, such as David Norton and his wife, Martha “Mattie” Adams, who were affectionately called Uncle Dave and Aunt Mat. Then named Central House, the establishment was celebrated for its gracious hospitality and exuberant entertaining, with one patron noting that Aunt Mat was…

“Mama, tell me about the trees,” my five-year-old son would say as he played near the gently rolling rocker where I sat feeding his newborn brother. “Well,” I would stall, trying to think of a description I hadn’t given multiple times a day for the past several weeks, “the leaves will crunch under our feet as we hike, and when we stop for a snack in the forest, we’ll look up to a red, orange, and gold ceiling.” “When can we go?” Jake would ask, bouncing to his feet. “When Caleb is three months old.” Never before had our family planned a trip to see fall color, but after my well-traveled uncle told me about the views from Mount Magazine, the highest point in Arkansas, I couldn’t resist. A year…