We had no problems booking one of the 2 B&B rooms offered by the Vineyards online. Husband & wife team Glen & Sherry Sowers run & own the vineyard and opened up their first B&B unit, the Chardonnay Suite about a year ago. They recently finished their 2nd B&B room, the Merlot Room where my husband & I stayed in May. Glen promptly contacted me via phone and then email (as was my preference) to inquire about food likes & dislikes, and coordinate arrival. I was at first very impressed.

However, when my husband & I arrived at the B&B it was Sherry's mother Elizabeth who greeted us and informed us that Glen & Sherry were out of town during our stay (no mention of their absence to me prior to our arrival). Don't get me wrong, Elizabeth was a dear and she tried her best to run the show but it was obvious that she didn't know the business (she actually drove up from her home in Raleigh, NC to run the property while Glen & Sherry were gone).

The Merlot Room is an old smoke house - we loved the history as other patrons might also appreciate authentic digs but it was not a very comfortable stay. The room is basically an attic with narrow and crooked steps leading up to it, rough plank flooring (you will want to keep your shoes on), and the wood still has lots of original stains - and dust. Beware of dropping small things like jewelry - you could easily lose it in the cracks of the floor. They have a "king" bed but it is really two old twin mattresses (noted each sunk in the middle) with one of those uncomfortable hard pieces to connect the two. There is a ceiling fan in the room and only one small window opens but does not stay open on its own. We used our free bottle of wine to prop it open. The private bathroom is downstairs - nothing special about it as it has a modern tub. One benefit of this B&B is that the Merlot Room and bathroom have a private entrance. Note for asthmatics such as myself - the Merlot Room still smells of smoke and my asthma did act up during our stay. The Merlot Room was not super-clean (hair in bedding & hair in shower upon arrival). Note that being that this room is essentially an attic, it has heating & cooling issues so staying in it during extreme weather might be uncomfortable.

The Chardonnay Suite might be a better bet for lodging. It is slightly more expensive but it is a free standing "cottage" that used to be the old wine tasting room before Glen & Sherry built the new bigger one in the back of the property. The guests who were staying in the Chardonnay Suite let us check it out and it's decent, with a queen bed, bathroom, a small sitting area, and what appear to be some antique furniture pieces. There is a small porch area and adriondak chairs on the lawn for use. Nice and private.

You meet for breakfast in the "lodge." The lodge is beautifully done with stone fireplace and a huge big tree growing indoors - the owners preserved it and built around it. Our breakfasts were mediocre and far from gourmet. Somewhat disappointing. I have a feeling that Elizabeth doesn't normally cook. We had scrambled eggs, Wonder bread toast, and I kid you not, it must have been pre-cooked bacon made for the microwave - unless she was nuking our scrambled eggs... OJ out of the carton. A side of yogurt, granola (had to be from a box), and some fruit. I'm hoping that Glen & Sherry put on better breakfasts when they run the show.

We wanted to take advantage of our free wine tasting included with our stay - Glen even asked us via email before our arrival what day and time we were planning on taking advantage of this. Once we arrived to the B&B Elizabeth informed us that one of the part-time wine tasting employees was taking the day off during our stay. In lieu of a wine tasting Elizabeth found a bottle of white wine for us (which we did have to pay for) and we were allowed to enjoy it with our free bottle of red wine that came with our room stay on the outdoor porch in front of the wine tasting room. Elizabeth was nice enough to call the employee at home to find out where the wine was kept, where the cheese and crackers samples were kept and she put out a plate of each for us and our family to enjoy.

I would like to think that Glen & Sherry run a smoother operation when they are around. However, it appears they have had their challenges in the business and they certainly lack staff. I would still consider staying at this B&B again as there are not many lodging options in the Kennett Square area but at least next time I would be prepared for the less-than-stellar service and ammenities. However, if you like your privacy, own B&B entrance, appreciate history and the underground railroad connection (the home's living room used to hide runaway slaves back in the day via trap door in the floor and the old run-down barn on site was also used as another hiding spot), and want a beautiful place to lounge around and maybe enjoy some wine, then this might just be the B&B for you.