New shoulder season event has more taste
Cape May Wine Festival attracts state’s award-winning wineries
CAPE
MAY – This could be huge. This could be an event that complements
shoulder season events and takes them to a classier level the southern
end of the county deserves. Irish Weekend is fun, bikers and monsters
trucks and speed boats are loud, and Victorian Week is quaint. But the
Cape May Wine Festival could turn into a family-friendly, educational
experience that showcases all that is fun in Cape May County, with its
beautiful seascapes, diverse dining experiences and history. “That’s what we’re hoping for,” said Toby Craig, owner of Cape May Winery and patriarch of the Craig family that helps move the southern Cape food industry forward with restaurants, shops and instructional classes on food and wine.
“This will be a good first step, and if we’re successful, we’ll add to the options available this time of year,” he said. “There’s the (Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts’) Victorian Week and (West Cape May’s) Lima Bean Festival, and there are always things going on in the Wildwoods, and this will give people an option that’s different.”
The first of what Craig hopes in many Cape May Wine Festivals, is this Saturday and Sunday, and is being held at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal at the southern-most tip of the county, a tranquil and appropriate location for strolling, wine tasting, food sampling and enjoying the fall weather on the Jersey Cape.
Award-winning state vineyards, including Alba (the state’s “Winery of the Year”), Bellview, Cape May and Tomasello, will be offering samples and selling their products. And restaurants, including Cape May’s Lucky Bones Backwater Grille, will be offering food samples.
“It’s an alternative day, a fun day, a day in which people can enjoy the afternoon, the food, the wine, the music and just have a great experience,” Craig said. “It’s a really exciting event, and people can bring their kids because they’ll be things for children to do; it’s open to everyone.”
And here’s an aside as we begin to roller-coaster into the holiday season: How cool would it be to give/receive a holiday gift basket of award-winning wines from New Jersey mixed in with artisan cheeses and gift certificates from BYOBs in the area?
“It’s a perfect gift,” Craig said.
Down the road, the festival could grow to include workshops, and to the food vendors and 20-some wine vendors that will be on hand.
“Oh, absolutely. That’s what we aspire to. This is the first of what we hope becomes an annual event and it will evolve from this,” Craig said. “We hope to add educational classes on wine making and mixing food and wine, but we just didn’t have the time to put it all together for this first one. Hopefully we get it started with this and go from there.”
The Garden State Wine Growers Association (GSWGA) used to hold the festival at an Historic Cold Spring Village-like entity in Central Jersey.
Craig wooed the association to bring the festival here, with the support and help of the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Delaware River and Bay Authority. He chose the Columbus Day Weekend to ensure the best turnout possible.
“We’re unique at the Jersey Shore because some visitors leave on Saturday, but this is a three-day weekend so they’ll be more people around on Sunday,” said Craig, who has improved the output at Cape May Winery and Vineyard from 3,000 gallons to more than 20,000 gallons over the four years he has owned it.
“There are more and more vineyards growing around the state. There are many more than what will be represented here this weekend,” Craig said.
There are 28 wineries in the GSWGA, and there are many more that are starting up but their production isn’t as high as those in the association.
“But they’re out there. It’s a growing market so there should be more options and an improving product statewide,” Craig said. “I think people will be surprised with the quality and the flavor when they taste our wines. It could be a great weekend for everybody.”
Admission is $20 and includes tastings of as many as 200 varieties of top–quality wines. Gates open at 11:30 and wine tasting will be available from noon until 5 p.m. both days, rain or shine. The festival will also feature live music by Simon Apple and Kato.
Artisan vendors and crafters will be selling handmade products, wine-related items and other quality goods. There will be kids activities including arts & crafts, face painting and games. Discount advance sale tickets are available online at (www.newjerseywines.com) and group discounts are available by calling Kathy Bullock, Festival Manager at 758-5400.
Rob Seitzinger can be e-mailed
at seitz[at]catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by
calling 624-8900, ext. 250.
Check out his Cape Cuisine food blog