Belle Grove Plantation will host its annual Wine Festival on Saturday, August 24, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. celebrating local beverages and food. Tickets are on sale now at www.bellegrove.org or in the Belle Grove Museum Shop. This year’s event features wineries and distilleries that have never attended the festival before.
Guests with tasting tickets will receive a souvenir glass and can sample from 18 beverage providers including Chateau O’Brien at Northpoint (Markham), Mattaponi Winery (Spotsylvania Courthouse), Narmada Winery (Amissville), North Mountain Vineyard & Winery (Maurertown), Notaviva Farm Brewery & Winery (Hillsboro), Philip Carter Winery of Virginia (Hume), Star in the Valley Estate Winery (Strasburg), Third Hill Winery at DeMello Vineyards (Quicksburg), Wolf Gap Vineyard (Edinburg), and Zoll Vineyard (Dutton). In addition to wine, there will be tastings from Honey and Hops Brew Works (Front Royal), Saga Meadery (Front Royal), Cobbler Mountain Cidery (Delaplane), Box Office Brewery (Strasburg), Falls Church Distillery (Manassas), MurLarky Distilled Spirits (Bristow), Springfield Distillery (Halifax), and Copper Fox Distillery (Sperryville), maker of Belle Grove 1797 Whiskey.
The tasting ticket also allows guests to purchase products by the glass, bottle, or case. There will be a tent where guests may check bags with their purchases, so that they may enjoy all the activities at the event, such as tours of the historic Manor House and chef demonstrations.
The festival features live music all day. From 11:15 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Meisha Herron and her band will take the stage performing acoustic blues, soul, and rock. From 3:00-5:30 p.m. Mojo Mothership will be playing their “funky Southern fried” rhythm and blues. While the bands switch between 2-3 p.m., Wine Fest attendees will have a chance to see a sheepherding demonstration. Belle Grove will be the site of U.S. Border Collie Handler Association’s National Sheepdog Finals, September 30-October 6, 2024.
Food trucks participating in Wine Fest are Daily Buzz Café (Stephens City and Middletown) selling mac and cheese, nachos, hot dogs, iced coffee, and smoothies, Happy Family Ranch with farm to table tacos, burgers, and quesadillas, Rick’s Jerk Pit serving authentic Caribbean and soul food, Roaming Bistro (Winchester) preparing street food from around the world, and Sugar Creek Snowy and Sweet Company (Woodstock) vending their popular ice cream, snoballs, and lemonade.
Local food and culinary traditions will also be highlighted in four chef demonstrations at Wine Fest. At noon, Chef Kari Rushing will dish up one of her elevated, vintage style Appalachian meals made noteworthy at her restaurant Vault & Cellar. At 1 p.m. Personal Chef Rachael Wood of Indulgence by Rachael will prepare apple dumplings. At 3 p.m. Beekeepers of the Northern Shenandoah (BONS) will discuss the importance of bees to the food chain. At 4 p.m. Belle Grove volunteer historic recipe interpreter and tester, Valerie Haddox, will prepare Blackberry Vinegar from a Hite family cookbook. Belle Grove’s Wine Fest is one of the first events of Hungry for History, a ten-day celebration of local history as seen through food (https://visitwinchesterva.com/hungry-for-history-food-event/).
There will be more than 30 artisan and merchandise vendors at Wine Fest that highlight local food, products, and businesses. A full list is available on the event website. The Belle Grove Museum Shop in the Beverley B. Shoemaker Welcome Center will be open during the festival, and it is the perfect place to find local history books and unique items made by area artists and producers.
Advanced tasting tickets are on sale now for $30 at www.bellegrove.org or in the Belle Grove Museum Shop. On the day of the event, tasting tickets may be purchased for $35 at the gate (cash and credit cards accepted). Admission includes a souvenir tasting glass, all tastings, access to all vendors, performances, demonstrations, and tours of the historic Manor House. General admission is $15 for visitors who do not wish to do tastings, are designated drivers, or who are under age 21. The designated driver ticket includes two complementary non-alcoholic beverages but does not permit purchase of alcoholic beverages. Wine Fest is a rain or shine event.