UNIQUELY WEST VIRGINIA 2010
Saturday, April 24
Plus events all weekend

 

 

UNIQUELY WEST VIRGINIA HIGHLIGHTS WINE, FOOD, QUILTS AND REDBUD
BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV -- For the 17th year, Berkeley Springs hosts the annual Uniquely West Virginia wine and food festival on Saturday, April 24 from 10am to 5pm. The show offers a free opportunity for the public to sample and buy dozens of state-grown products including more than 50 vintages from ten wineries. By locating at the north end of the Old Factory Antique Mall, more than 75 antique vendors extend festival shopping further.

" This is a colorful event," said Jeanne Mozier, one of the event organizers. "We have the yellow food group represented by beeswax and honey from Healthberry Farm, the green food group with pickles from Uncle Bunk's, and the red food group with many of the wines." Mozier went on with her color analysis mentioning the blazing pinks of roadsides decked out for Redbud Weekend and an entire rainbow of colors and patterns from the Yard Square Quilts hanging in businesses throughout the historic town.

" One of the most popular parts of the weekend is getting a free dogwood seedling at Nature Niche," said Mozier. "Folks need to go there before coming to the festival Saturday morning because those seedlings go quickly." Self-guided driving maps for a redbud tour are also available. Mother Nature even has a place at the wine and food show. "Our favorite shiitake mushroom guy will be back with his logs and growing kits," said Mozier.

Three new wineries are making an appearance at this year's event: WineTree Vineyards from Vienna, Cascarelli's Old Country Wine from Salem and Vu Ja De Vineyards from Spencer. Each has a special spin on the ancient art of winemaking and are ready to let you taste their vintages ranging from true Italian concord to light white Riesling. Each has a story to tell as you sip their wines. "Regulars know that most West Virginia wines are hard to find except by visiting the winery or at events like this," says Laura Smith, Administrator of Travel Berkeley Springs which produces the event. "That's why people buy their favorites by the case. Fortunately, there is plenty of free parking at Old Factory to load up."

Ramps and mushrooms dominate the food section of the festival, and both can be foraged in the West Virginia woods. Lot 12 Public House is at the festival with ramp soup, ramp corn muffins, fried morel sandwiches, fresh morels and ramps packaged individually. The noted restaurant of Chef Damien Heath, the only West Virginian on the James Beard best chef regional finalist list, will also be serving specials with local morels and ramps all weekend. The Country Inn is having a “Ramp Feast” all weekend with ramps at tapas, ramps in the West Virginia Room and ramps for breakfast.

Tari's Premier Cafe satisfies at the festival event with an assortment of baked goods, salsa and fruit butters as well as Tari's very own West Virginia trout cakes and pepperoni braids. Later in the evening, Tari's Cafe features a four-course West Virginia food tasting dinner. Highlawn Inn has a limited seating Meet the WV Winemaster five-course meal with matched wines on Saturday at 7pm. Panorama at the Peak is highlighting local food specials all weekend including Mock's watercress, pork and eggs from Rare Breed Farms and apples from Glascock Orchard.


Environmental activities are part of Redbud Weekend and include Star parties at the Morgan County Observatory on Friday and Saturday nights. Sleepy Creek Children's Choir performs "The Song That Nature Sings" at Union Chapel at 3pm on Sunday.

Related activities around town include a sale on West Virginia books and those by West Virginia authors as well as nature and ecology books at Recycling Works.

Uniquely West Virginia is produced by Travel Berkeley Springs, with support from the Division of Culture and History Fairs and Festivals. For more information and a free Celebration Guide with all the details on both festival vendors and related activities throughout the county call 800-447-8797 or check online at www.berkeleysprings.com.

 

2009 UNIQUELY WEST VIRGINIA VENDORS

WINERIES

CASCARELLI'S OLD COUNTRY WINE - Salem - John Cascarelli 304-782-2768

FISHER RIDGE WINE CO.-Charleston- Wilson Ward.

FORKS OF CHEAT - Morgantown - Jerry & Susan Deal 304-599-8660 Variety of award-winning West Virginia wines.

JONES CABIN RUN VINEYARDS-Alan & Elaine Wolfe. 2007 Gold, Silver & Bronze State & International award winners.

KENCO FARMS HONEY-WINES - Sutton - John & Barbara Kennen 304-765-7980. Honey wine (mead) as well as candy, jams & jellies.

LAMBERT'S VINTAGE WINES - Weston - Jim & Debbie Lambert 304-269-4903.

POTOMAC HIGHLAND WINERY - Keyser - Charles Whitehill 304-788-3066. "Best of Show" in state competition for their '98 Chardonnay, '99 Meritage and 2000 Seyval Blanc.

VU JA DE VINEYARDS - Spencer - Bryan George 304-377-1404

WEST-WHITEHILL WINERY LTD. - Moorefield - Joe Worzala 304-738-9208.

WINETREE VINEYARDS - Vienna - Craig & Candice Bandy 304-865-0507 New York style wines.

SPECIALTY FOODS

LOT 12 - Berkeley Springs - Damien & Betsy Heath 304-258-6264. Ramp soup, morels.

TARI'S PREMIER CAFÉ - Berkeley Springs - Tari Hampe 304-258-1196. Baked goods, West Virginia trout cakes, pepperoni braids. Wild Woman salsas and fruit butters.

CONDIMENTS

HEALTHBERRY FARM - Dryfork- Ben McKean 304-227-4414 Honey and beeswax products and handmade chocolates

UNCLE BUNK'S - Rose Young- 304-652-1920 Mustard spread, Pepper sauce and Sweet Pickles.

OTHER PRODUCTS

HARDSCRABBLE ENTERPRISES - Franklin - Paul Goland. 304-358-2921. Shitake Mushroom Logs & Growing Kits.