By Linda Tancs

Biltmore House, that glorious French Renaissance chateau in Asheville, North Carolina, was opened to friends by George Washington Vanderbilt in 1895.  For those of you with champagne wishes and caviar dreams, you can experience the grandiosity of a Christmas at Biltmore by visiting the seasonal attraction, now in its 35th year.  Daytime tours include a walk about Biltmore House, seranaded all the while with music of the season.  The event also includes a tour of the Gardens, the Winery with complimentary wine tasting, River Bend Farm and Barnyard.  Of course, the illumination of the house and grounds is a must-see as well.  For the past 26 years, therefore, Biltmore has offered Candlelight Christmas Evenings, a separate ticketed event.  Guests tour through rooms lit by twinkling lights and firelight, reflected in thousands of ornaments.  Live entertainment inside Biltmore House is included.  New this year is the restoration and preservation of the magnificent Louis XV Suite in Biltmore House, the birthplace of two generations of the Vanderbilt family.  Buy your tickets online and print them at home.  Meet the season in high style!