We’ve almost made it through our abbreviated winter — which didn’t feel so abbreviated this year — and it's time to begin preparing for one of the highlights of the island’s festival scene: the 2010 Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival, or WineFest, as it’s called by locals.
The festival – now in its 25th year – officially begins at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at Red Fish, 8 Archer Road, with Uncork the Festival, a gathering of the people who first put the shindig together and helped it expand over the years, plus their really big fans.
For $30 a person, the restaurant is serving an array of wines paired with entrees. Because it’s being held at Red Fish, a south-end establishment with quite a wine selection, expectations are high. The menu for the evening includes grilled lamb lollipops, smoked salmon blini with crème fraiche, roasted tomato and tapenade bruschetta, Cajun shrimp and lobster sliders, assorted sushi and, of course, an international cheese plate. Call 843-686-3388 to reserve your space.
Those who attend are also asked to consider bringing that special bottle of wine that’s been in the liquor cabinet or wine cellar while you’ve waited for the perfect occasion to open it. “Last year we began the tradition of having people share memorable stories about wine,” said Ann-Marie Adams, executive director of the Hilton Head Area Hospitality Association, which puts on the wine festival.
Don’t worry if you can’t make the kickoff evening. There are plenty of wine-related events all the way up to the giant public tasting, conveniently scheduled for precisely the time of year when our New Year’s resolutions have expired, when we cast aside the long, boring diet and reach for some of the best wines from around the world.
Wine + Spa Treatment + Gourmet Food = A Happy Woman
Guys, if you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day gift that’s guaranteed to please, consider the festival’s Wine Centered Women weekend ticket package.
For $225, your special lady will be pampered with a luxurious spa treatment on March 11 at All about Me, 32 Palmetto Bay Road, then wined and dined for lunch at a private chef demonstration March 12 at a Sea Pines home followed by access to the grand tasting at the Sea Pines Country Club that evening. Then, on March 13, she’ll get premium admission to the public tasting, WineFest at Honey Horn, which allows her to get in an hour earlier than the general public. A passion-filled evening is bound to follow.
WineFest at a glance
Here’s a roundup of what’s to come:
- Feb. 4-7: International Wine Judging & Competition; Hilton Oceanfront Resort, Palmetto Dunes. By invitation.
- March 11-15: Great Chefs of the South Island chefs have created a unique menu of food experiences. Choose to attend a wine and food pairing dinner at a private home; enjoy a traditional Gullah story-telling feast at the Coastal Discovery Museum; or spend time learning about wine while attending a cooking class. Details will be available at www.hiltonheadhospitalityassociation.com.
- March 12: Chef demonstration at a private Sea Pines home ($110)
- March 12: Grand Tasting at the Sea Pines Country Club ($100)
- March 13, noon-4 p.m.: Public Tasting & Auction at Honey Horn ($40 general admission/$60 premium admission)
For more information, visit www.hiltonheadhospitalityassociation.com or check out next month’s Hilton Head Monthly.
