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April 25, 2008

A Celebration of Wine at Festival

By Leslie Perales Observer Staff Writer

Wine will be flowing at the Reston Town Center this weekend for the Great Grapes! Wine, Arts and Food Festival. Visitors will be able to sample more than 100 wines from a variety of Virginia wineries, and the weekend also will feature wine seminars, live gourmet cooking demonstrations and art displays.

Festival hours are from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and about 6,000 to 7,000 people are expected to attend the two-day event, according to Greg Nivens, president of Moorea Marketing. Nivens said last year the event brought in about 4,000 people in one day. "It's a great time, it's a good family, fun time," Nivens said.

On Saturday festival-goers can listen to the sounds of Falls Church-based band Judo Chop Rock and 1980s tribute band The Reagan Years. Sunday's entertainment will feature a disc jockey, swing and rockabilly group King Teddy and the Jack Diamond-Jim Steed Band. Nivens said The Reagan Years are a popular D.C. group and are great to see on stage.

At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, visitors can watch media personalities, local celebrities and festival attendees face off against each other in the "Grape Stomp Off." Competitors will be given five minutes to stomp on grapes and the team that creates the most juice will win a free festival shirt, wine opener and a bottle of wine. Entry for the Stomp Off is $25 and will be donated to a local charity. Nivens said visitors will be able to sign up and join a team on site.

Throughout the weekend demonstrations will teach visitors all about wine. Seminars will provide information on food and wine pairing, how to properly serve wine, ways to store and keep wine fresh, wine glasses and shapes, and why not to buy expensive wine.

"There are fantastic wineries in Virginia, so we've got about 15 wineries from Virginia that are there," Nivens said. "It comes out to be about 150 plus wines that you can try." Nivens said festival attendees can have unlimited samples, and participating wineries include Lake Anna Winery, Vino Curioso, Rebec Vineyards and Loudoun Valley Vineyards, among others.

"There's all kinds of fun things for kids to do," Nivens said. "There's a whole kids section with kids activities." Children will be able to enjoy the Great Kid's Area with arcade games, pony rides, face painting, a Wild West show, crafts and other entertainment.

More than 60 vendors will be on hand during the festival including Virginia Wine of the Month Club, Tastefully Simple, Royal Tea, Starbucks, Ice Jewelry, Lighthouse Creations, Dinner Zen and BMW of Fairfax.

Tickets for the festival are $25 for onsite general admission for one day or $20 in advance if purchased online or over the phone. A special two-day ticket can be purchased in advance for $30 and designated drivers pay only $15. Children younger than 12 do not have to pay to attend. General admission includes a souvenir wine glass, unlimited samples and admittance to all performances and cooking demonstrations.

Proceeds from the festival go to Sister Slippers, an organization that collects new shoes for children in need. "It's a great organization," Nivens said. "They provide shoes for needy children and these are going to go to folks in the D.C. area." Anyone who donates a pair of new children's shoes at the festival will receive $2 off the price of admission.

Visit www.uncorkthefun.com. "Live music, great wine, great fun for the whole family — it's awesome," Nivens said. "If you can't afford to go to wine country, you can definitely afford to come to the Reston Town Center. For 20 to 25 dollars, you can see it all."