The Perfect Gift

A stunning accompaniment to our Beaded Collection Serveware, these monogrammed trays by our partner Belk make a thoughtful wedding gift or special keepsake for college graduates, new homeowners, or anyone who appreciates classic design and décor.

Find Beaded Monogram Trays here.

Available from our partner Belk here.

Our Beaded Monogrammed Trays make a stylish accompaniment to the Serveware Collection. Perfect for wedding gifts or for anyone who appreciates the classic monogram style.

Take your culinary experience to the next level with our NEW Gourmet Series Cookware Set from our partner Belk. Enjoy exceptional features such as vented, tempered glass lids, easy-to-use double-pour spouts, and handles that stay cool while cooking. This set makes a perfect wedding gift or a thoughtful addition to any kitchen.

The stainless steel 10-piece set includes a 1.5-quart covered saucepan, 2-quart covered saucepan, 3.5-quart covered saute pan, 6-quart covered Dutch oven, 8-inch fry pan and 9.5-inch fry pan.

Purchase Gourmet Series Cookware now.

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.

Almost as sweet as your Valentine, Pas de Deux sparkling wine is perfect as an aperitif cocktail before dinner, or with desserts such as fresh fruit, cheesecake, or chocolate truffles. This wine could also serve as the perfect start to a night out with friends.

What to expect from this wine….Crafted in the classic Methode Champenoise, the lively bubbles offer a celebratory note, while its delicate sweet flavors and crisp finish are the perfect foil for the rich, creamy texture of chocolate confections and decadent Valentine’s Day fare.

Try one of these cocktail recipes along with the following easy chocolate truffle recipe this Valentine’s Day.

Pomegranate Pas de Deux Punch

Serves One
Ingredients:
• 1 ¼ ounces orange vodka
• 3/4 ounce triple sec
• 1 ounce pomegranate juice
• 1/2 ounce fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 2 ounces Biltmore Pas de Deux

Method:
Combine vodka, triple sec, pomegranate juice, and orange juice in a mixing glass over ice. Shake well and strain over ice in a tall glass. Top with Pas de Deux. Garnish with an orange wheel.

Sparkling Blackberry Punch

Serves One
Ingredients:

• 1 ounce light rum
• ¾ ounce blackberry brandy
• 2 ounces cranberry juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 1 ounce blackberry puree
• 3 ounces Biltmore Pas de Deux

Method:
Combine rum, brandy, cranberry juice, simple syrup and blackberry puree over ice in a mixing glass. Shake well and strain mixture over ice in a tall glass. Fill with Pas de Deux. Garnish with fresh blackberries and a mint sprig.

Decadent Biltmore Chocolate Truffles

Makes about 20 truffles.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Cocoa powder or semi-sweet chocolate, as needed for the finish
• Optional additions: 2-3 tablespoons liqueur, roasted chopped nuts, chopped dried fruit, toasted coconut, fruit jam, peanut butter, sweet potato, caramel topping, chopped toffee or cookie pieces, extracts or flavorings.

Method:

To make the ganache, place chocolate into a bowl. Bring the cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Stir together until all is combined and chocolate is melted. Mix in any additions (see above for suggestions) to the ganache you desire. Let the ganache set and scoop into portions and place onto parchment or wax paper. Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes then take out and round into balls. Roll into cocoa powder or coat in semi-sweet chocolate and serve.

The recipe calls for a food processor to make the Oreo crust. If you don’t have a food processor, Alicia has a trick:  Place the Oreos in a large sealable plastic bag. Press bag to remove excess air, then seal it. Use a rolling pin to crush cookies to form fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and squeeze the bag to evenly moisten the crumbs.

Inn on Biltmore Estate Chocolate Cheesecake

For Crust

3 tablespoons butter, melted

36 Oreo cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place cookies in food processor until finely ground.

Add butter and mix until moistened.

Press crumb mixture onto bottom of 9” x 13” pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool before filling.

For Filling

1 1/8 cups sugar

¼ tsp salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 pound, 14 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature (just under four 8-ounce packages from your grocer’s dairy case)

1 cup sour cream

1 cup chocolate syrup

4 large eggs

¾ cups whipping cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cream sugar, salt and butter until light and fluffy.

Add cream cheese, scraping sides of bowl frequently.

Add sour cream and chocolate syrup. Scrape bowl well.

Add eggs and cream in increments, scraping well between additions.

Pour into cooled Oreo crust-lined pan and bake for 1 hour. Test by lightly tapping on the top of the cake. It should be firm but slightly jiggly.

After the holidays have ended and the decorations are packed away, your home can feel downright dull and in need of a pick-me-up.

We went to the experts—our friends at Larson-Juhl—who have created several families of frames featuring a six step hand-finished process and inspired by objects within the estate’s collection.

They offered several simple, creative ideas to freshen up your décor while also showcasing a few of your favorite things that may have been overlooked for a while.

Frame and Function

Custom framing is a fantastic resource when working to freshen your space—not only do custom frames look beautiful, but they can provide needed functionality too!

• Transform your jewelry into art and organize it at the same time by working with your custom framer to create a beautiful jewelry holder
• Help your whole family stay organized all year long with a message center that includes a custom framed chalk board and memo board—perfect for creating lists and keeping those important items in one place
• Organize all of those family photos you have stashed away by having them custom framed in a photo collage, which will perfectly meld with your style and allow you to enjoy those memories out in the open

New Year, New Display

• Breathe new life into your favorite artworks by having them re-framed for the new year in a style you’ll enjoy for many years to come

• De-clutter your shelves and bookcases by removing all those collectables you tucked into different spaces. Carefully dust and clean them, then have them preserved and put back on display by custom framing them in shadowboxes. Whether elegant or whimsical, anything from seashells and figurines to pins, spoons, and postcards can be framed!

Click here to discover the Biltmore Collection at Larson-Juhl or find a store near you.

How can you get create the same feeling in your own home? We asked the experts at The Spa, located in the Inn on Biltmore Estate, for some do-it-yourself ideas that anyone can enjoy.

 Soak it up

A long soak in a hot tub can work miracles for tired muscles and a stressed mind. Treat yourself—or someone special—to a soothing experience with our Biltmore Bath & Body products. The clean, refreshing fragrances of this collection offer peace of mind and help relax your senses while moisturizing your skin. Try our Foaming Shower Gel for your home spa soak (or shower, if your time is limited). Follow up with Shea Butter Body Lotion and Hand Lotion to make the experience last even longer.

Indulge in the entire paraben-free Biltmore Bath & Body collection crafted with exceptional ingredients and featuring alluring scents such as Blood Orange, Black Orchid, The Gardens, Blackberries and Cream, and more.

Shop the complete Biltmore Bath & Body Collection at Belk.  

Spa Tip: to stay hydrated, be sure to drink plenty of tepid water while you are soaking.

Throw in the towel

 While enjoying your home-spa soak, you may want to roll up a towel to place behind your neck. This will cushion you from the harder surface of the tub and help keep your face dry.

Ready to unlock spa secrets to lush locks? While soaking or showering, apply a moisturizing treatment to your hair (try salon recommendations or make your own home-based version). Wrap hair in a towel and relax while the treatment does its work.

Enjoy our luxurious Biltmore For Your Home towels, available at Belk in four collections: Legacy, Century, Chateau, and Everyday Luxury.

Shop all Biltmore For Your Home Towels at Belk.  

Spa Tip: to enhance your home spa experience, use towels in calming colors such as greens and blues.

Wrap it up

Whether you’re opting for a luxurious spa soak, a rejuvenating shower, or simply trying to carve out a bit of time for yourself, go ahead and schedule those precious minutes each week. Otherwise, it’s easy to forego the time you need to relax your mind, recharge your spirits, and refresh your body!

Looking for a thoughtful gift that will be used all the time? Our Biltmore chefs have partnered with Belk to create quality cookware to delight the culinarians in your life. From novice to experienced cook, this 13-piece set of cookware will help ensure professional quality results from the kitchen!

Shop the collection at Belk here.

In 1901, George and Edith Vanderbilt invited a large party of friends and acquaintances to Biltmore to ring in the New Year. The house party—twenty guests in all—included diplomats, lawyers, authors, and military officers. One of the most notable was Joseph Hodges Choate, a prominent New York lawyer and the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain.

The house party stayed at Biltmore for about a week. Due to bad weather, the guests stayed inside for the first couple of days. Ambassador Choate made use of the Library, which appealed to him as “the most charming part of the house.” Others exercised in the Gymnasium and swam in the “vast swimming tank.” When the weather improved, they went hiking, hunting and horseback riding. They also took garden strolls and went on carriage drives to see “the farms and the wonderful stock.”

On New Year’s Eve, the party “sat up to greet the New Year and were very merry indeed,” Choate remarked in a letter to his wife. “There were games and dancing, hot punch served at the stroke of 12 and quite a revel even after that. Mrs. Vanderbilt fills her great place with the utmost fitness.”

A few years earlier, in 1895, George Vanderbilt hosted another grand affair. “The festivities began with dinner in the banquet hall at 8 o’clock,” a local newspaper reported. “At 9 o’clock the gathering repaired to the tapestry gallery, where the time was spent in cards… After 11 the call to dancing returned the guests to the banquet hall where merriest mirth reigned until the hour of 12 was suddenly announced by the Imperial Trio, who broke from a Strauss waltz into Auld Lang Syne. The loving cup was quaffed and a toast was offered to ‘Our Host.’ When the musical honor stilled, there was a short response by Mr. Vanderbilt, and dancing was resumed. The movements of the Virginia Reel, led by Mr. Vanderbilt and Mrs. Charles McNamee, concluded the pleasures and in genial good wishes the party retired.”

William B. Osgood Field was a guest at that party. He recalled, “We danced the old year out… This afternoon as the sun went down below Pisgah, I picked up a horseshoe full of nails. I trust it will bring us all the happiest of years in ’96.”

Happy New Year to you all!

About the photo: The Third Floor Living Hall in Biltmore House is interpreted as the site of a Vanderbilt-era New Year’s Eve party, complete with examples of the time period’s formal dress for ladies and gentlemen.