A Guide To Delaware's Brandywine Valley

We're usually too captivated by the liquid in our glass to explore wine's rich history. Fortunately, the Uncorked! exhibition currently on display at the Winterthur Museum in Delaware's scenic Brandywine Valley provides a trip-worthy education. So head out for an overnight excursion complete with farm-fresh eats, a scenic wine trail and the requisite long country roads (click to see the slide show).

1. Uncorked! Wine, Objects & Tradition at the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library: Drive two and a half hours to your destination. There, you'll tour a vast array of more than 300 objects from England and America between the 17th and 19th centuries, ranging from bottles, glassware and decanters to antique wine lists, song sheets and theater posters. 5105 Kennett Pike (Route 52), Winterthur, DE; 800-448-3883 

2. The Orchard Restaurant: Chef Gary Trevisani took a bucolic turn with this elegant farm-to-table spot. The daily-changing, French-inspired menu is reason enough to visit, and Pennsylvania's arcane liquor laws enforce a blessed BYO policy that make it the ideal spot for uncorking that special bottle. 503 Orchard Ave., Kennett Square, PA; 610-388-1100

3. Sweetwater Farm B&B: A renovated 18th-century Quaker farmhouse with original guest cottages, Sweetwater Farm doesn't just do lip service to its name. Visit the estate's friendly family of horses, sheep and goats after a fresh breakfast in the manor house's antique-laden dining room. 50 Sweetwater Rd., Glen Mills, PA; 610-459-4711

4. Grace Winery: Recently constructed on the property of Sweetwater Farm, this fully functioning winery is planted with five acres of vines and operates out of a malting barn that dates back to the 1750s. Although Grace's current releases are limited to two vintages of Chardonnay, plus a tangy, refreshing rosé, new bottlings of Pinot Gris and Merlot can be expected later this summer. 50 Sweetwater Rd., Glen Mills, PA; 610-459-4711