St. Michaels Celebrates WineFest in Style

The fourth annual WineFest at St. Michaels drew crowds all weekend long to Talbot County, with two full days of wine tasting, music and fun in St. Michaels on Saturday and Sunday. With a picture perfect spring weekend, the event couldn’t have taken place at a better time.

By Friday noon, the St. Michaels Marina was completely booked, and by late afternoon, yachts were lining up in the St. Michaels harbor. Visitors walked the streets and filled local inns and restaurants throughout the weekend.

The event, winding through the entire commercial district in St. Michaels along Talbot St., introduced visitors to every business in the town. With various tents set up for tastings and food, visitors wandered every street of the town, shopping, eating and tasting. Pourings were held under tents in parking lots, in backyards, inside businesses, even on a Patriot Cruise.

Eighteen different St. Michaels venues offered a wide range of wines from far and wide – plenty of Maryland wines were represented, as were wines from around the world. Even Pol Roger Champagne, served at the wedding reception of Prince William and Katherine, was available for sale.

“This is my third year, and I’ve finally figured out how to do it”, said Christina Rummel from Frederick. She sat next to two large rolling crates filled with jackets, handbags, cameras and wine. “We get a two day pass and stay in town. Last year everybody made fun of my plastic rolling crate, until I carried their wine in it. This year I graduated to 2 carts. Each one can hold 18 bottles”. She smiled with the look of a woman who knows the value of never again carrying large bags with wine down the length of Talbot St.

Each pouring venue offered specific information about the wines represented. There was something for everyone to learn – from the general public to collectors. Photographs of Tuscan hillsides, ancient caves, individual grapevines and generations of winemakers added a sense of the individuality of each vineyard, and their specific offerings were described in elaborate detail. Every wine enthusiast went away with new information and some new favorite wines.

“This is exhausting” said Rose Tayman from Laurel Md. Along with Cathy and Peter Kreyling from Washington, VA, Tayman was keeping notes about the 30 different wines at the Key Lime Café tent, which included sparkling varieties. Kreyling and his wife anchored out in the harbor for the weekend – “this is our first WineFest by boat”, he said.

The Events at St. Michaels Charity holds the WineFest at St. Michaels event for the purpose of bringing visitors to the town of St. Michaels during the last weekend of April. In addition to bringing the community together during this event, WineFest at St Michaels also generates monies donated by event sponsors to be given out to local charities. The charities include the Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence, St. Michaels Community Food Pantry, Project Healing Waters and El Hogar Projects in Honduras.

Event sponsors included Pohanka Toyota and Automotive Group, The Jordan Group, Calico Toys and Games, The Inn at Perry Cabin, Chesapeake Bay Outfitters, WCEM-AM, Eastern Shore Vacation Rentals, 107.1 The Duck, Community Bank of Tri-County, St/ Michaels Running Festival, The Star Democrat, Town Dock Restaurant, Blackthorn Irish Pub, 106.3 the Heat, Keepers of St. Michaels, and 100.9 FM.

 

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