Twin City Toasts
Sample, swish, and savor your way to a sensational wine festival experience. By Bill Cissna  Our neighboring Yadkin Valley may be the go-to region for grape growers, but wine enthusiasts need not look farther than Forsyth County for festivals boasting a wide vino variety. The local wine festival season kicks off in style on May 10 with Salute! The North Carolina Wine Celebration. Organized by the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership, Salute! will host more than 30 wineries and vineyards offering samples of their whites, pinks, and reds, along with related vendors, music, food, and learning sessions. "Since Salute! began, we've included an education aspect in the festival," notes Justin Gomez, marketing and projects manager with the Partnership. He says that this year, during the tasting on Saturday, Salute! will have an N.C. Wine University, an interactive area featuring staff members from Southern Living magazine, cooking demonstrations by the chef at Twin City Quarter, and 'Professor' Nora, a wine educator. That educational approach will be bolstered with special events on Friday night. "We thought we would like to expand the program to make the festival more of a destination weekend for travelers," Gomez says. "So we have added a gathering with Southern Living at the Henry Shaffner House, and a wide range of winemaker dinners at area restaurants." Hot on the heels of Salute!, the eighth annual North Carolina Wine Festival comes to Tanglewood Park on May 31. Similar to Salute!, this festival will feature more than 30 winemaking facilities, as well as arts, crafts, and all-day music that includes the popular band Chairmen of the Board. 
"After holding the festival in June, we found that we were competing with a variety of graduation weekends," says Julie McMinn, operations manager for the festival as well as promotions and marketing director for WSJS and WMFR radio stations, who are the lead sponsors. "It made sense for us to move to the Saturday after Memorial Day, which should also be a little bit cooler." Also of significance to past attendees is that parking will be free in 2008. "It's probably a good idea to show up early," McMinn notes. "Many folks bring their own lawn chairs and stake out a space that they will use all day." Both events have returning veterans from previous years, as well as wineries coming in for the first time. In fact, at the rate of growth of North Carolina wineries and vineyards, some of them may not have even existed a year ago. (For novices, a vineyard grows wine grapes, while a winery also has the legally approved equipment and staff to convert grapes into bottled wine. Wineries can also make and bottle wine for vineyards.) Winemakers have their own reasons for playing along with what is essentially a free hand-out of their products. "The first reason we like being involved in wine festivals is that our 'P-1' customers are there, and you're right in front of them," says Sid Proctor of Weathervane Winery, just over the border in Davidson County. " 'P-1' is a radio term for 'primary customers,' and it's safe to say that nearly everyone who attends a festival has at least some interest in wine." But in addition to sophisticated tasters and even some established customers, Proctor says he is also pleased to greet new wine drinkers. "Tastings often also give us a chance to explain what we make and do a little teaching," he adds. "It's a great way to look for some new customers who might become regulars." Tasting Tips TICKETS. "It's a tough decision for me whether or not to buy advance tickets," Heye notes. "You will certainly save a few dollars, but equally, with our changeable schedules, you might want to wait until the day of the event." DRESS. "It's important to dress comfortably - especially shoes - and wear a hat. Remember, you'll be outdoors pretty much the entire time you're there." CHAIRS. Heye says he's divided on this point. "It's great to have a place to sit, but you're still stuck with the chair for the whole day." DON'T MISS. A festival is a great place to experiment with styles you've never tried before, Heye says, and he suggests that you can learn more by visiting the lesser-known or newer exhibitors. "The lines will be shorter, and they can take more time to teach you something, too." ETC. Heye encourages walking around between tastings (it helps you absorb the wine), using dump buckets for anything you don't like (out of sight of the winemaker, if possible), and taking advantage of food vendors, which will also improve your capability for consuming more varieties. Enjoy the entertainment as a break in the tasting action, "and most importantly, enjoy the opportunity to socialize and spend time with friends and people you know," Heye concludes. "It's a casual event, and you can have fun while you're learning." For more information, go to bruceheyethewineguy.com. Wine and Dine "I'm particularly impressed with the Camel City Café on Fourth Street, in the Stevens Center. They do a very nice job, and though I'm slightly biased, I like that they include a North Carolina wine on their list each month," Proctor says. "The River Birch Lodge on Robinhood Road is good for wine, too, and the staff at West End Café, especially behind the bar, is very knowledgeable about its wines and other beverages." If you go THE EIGHTH ANNUAL NORTH CAROLINA WINE FESTIVAL is May 31 from noon to 6:30 p.m. at Tanglewood Park. Admission - $20 in advance or $25 at the gate - includes a glass for each attendee and a tasting card to note samplings. Tickets are available at Harris Teeter or ticketmaster.com. For more information, go to ncwinefestival.com. Feeling Festive? MAY 17 MAY 24 JUNE 7 AUGUST 9 AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 1 AUGUST 30 For more wine happenings, go to visitnc.com and click "what to do." |
