Eat, drink and be mesmerized by spectacular fall foliage at the 7th Annual Vermont Life Wine and Harvest Festival. This year’s celebration of Vermont producers is projected to draw some 2,500 visitors to Wilmington and Dover for a long weekend of tastings, dinners, culinary demonstrations, shopping, and entertainment.
Dover, Vermont, July 16, 2014 – At nearly three-thousand six-hundred feet above sea level, Mount Snow in West Dover, Vermont is among the most notable peaks in southern Vermont. The valley and the mountains, the country villages and the easy rural lifestyle blend to create the most perfect setting imaginable every year in late September for one of the northeast region’s premier wine and culinary events, the Vermont Wine and Harvest Festival.
Attracting winemakers, distillers, brewers and food and craft artisans from all over Vermont, the 2014 Vermont Wine and Harvest Festival has become one of the Mount Snow Valley’s most popular and entertaining gatherings. This year’s celebration of Vermont producers is projected to draw some 2,500 visitors to Wilmington and Dover for a long weekend of tastings, dinners, culinary demonstrations, shopping, and entertainment.
The festival begins on Friday, September 19th with a welcome evening event in the village of Wilmington. This opening event features wine and cheese tastings, the great Vermont Soup Contest showcasing soups from area restaurants and live entertainment throughout shops in the downtown area.
On Saturday and Sunday, September 20 and 21, the Festival events shift to nearby West Dover, where a huge tented area is located next to the landmark clock-tower building at Mount Snow, nestled under the ridgelines of the Green Mountain National Forest. In addition to wine and spirits samplings, attendees will be delighted to discover Vermont specialty foods and crafts. Lunch is available from Vermont restaurants. Children’s activities provided. At night, wine dinners take place in area restaurants.
“Attendees have the pleasure of being able to go from tasting excellent local wines and regional cuisines to enjoying the Vermont fall foliage all in one locale,” says Cheryl LaFlamme, one of the event coordinators and president of the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce. Now in its seventh year, The Vermont Wine and Harvest Festival has earned a coveted designation as one of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce’s Top Ten Fall Events and is listed as a U.S. Top 100 Event by the American Bus Association.
Event committee member Adam Grinold says, “The recognition and accolades that the Vermont Wine and Harvest Festival has already received is exciting. Being listed as a ‘Top Ten Fall Event’ by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce brings so much attention to the fact that the Festival is a significant draw for out-of-state visitors as well as a quality, community-organized event with a long-standing commitment to continue it for years to come.”
Steve Cook, deputy commissioner of Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, says, “I’ve been to many wine festivals throughout New England and the northeast region, and I can tell you that the setting at Mount Snow is unlike any others I’ve seen. Wine tasting events are usually held in beautiful locations, but at Mount Snow, there’s not only the festival, but easy access to outdoor recreation, historic sites, the arts, and beautiful Vermont villages right in the same place.”
Festival attendees will find ample free parking directly at the Festival sites, as well as many opportunities for fun. There are chairlift rides to view the foliage surrounding the Festival location and easy access to hiking trails, fishing and kayaking sites. Pre-ski season lodging rates and packages are being widely promoted at many accommodations within walking distance of the Festival events. A great bonus to festival attendees, the events are served by the Mount Snow Valley’s free shuttle bus service called “the MOOver.”
Festival attendees will attest that at the Vermont Wine & Harvest Festival, there is no way to know ahead of time what wines they will like. There’s only one way to learn about the many outstanding new as well as traditional wines and spirits that are being produced in Vermont: taste, contemplate, taste again. Another reminder: everyone needs to bring identification: the legal drinking age in Vermont is 21. The Festival staff, beverage servers and gate volunteers are “Vermont Professional Server Certified” to ensure responsible service, sale, and consumption of alcohol. In addition to wine tastings, visitors can sample and purchase Vermont artisanal foods and products including cheese, chocolate, crafts and more.
On Friday evening, September 19, in Wilmington village, the Wine and Harvest welcome event is free including the mouth-watering Vermont Soup Contest. The wine tasting portion of the night, including a wine glass, is $10 per person. On Saturday and Sunday, September 20 and 21, at Mount Snow resort in West Dover, admission is $15 per person, or $26 for a two-day pass. The tickets include the official Festival wine glass and a specified number of tastings. Most of the Festival events require no advance purchase of tickets or reservations; however, reservations are recommended for the Wine Pairings Dinners.
For full Vermont Wine & Harvest Festival details, call 802-464-8092; email info@VisitVermont.com, or visit www.TheVermontFestival.com. The Vermont Wine & Harvest Festival is owned and managed by the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce. Proceeds from the Festival benefit the Chamber, a nonprofit 501c6 organization serving Southern Vermont’s Deerfield Valley towns and business community.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Adam Grinold, PR Consultant, Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce
Email: adam@wilmingtonworksvt.com
Phone: 802-464-8092
Media Visits: Complimentary media visits for journalists on assignment or with approved credentials. If you are unable to accept a courtesy visit, a press rate can be negotiated.
Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce
21 West Main Street, Wilmington, Vermont, 05363
Web: www.thevermontfestival.com
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Maralyn D. Hill
Maralyn D. Hill, M.Ed., The Epicurean Explorer
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