The Vermont Life Wine and Harvest Festival create the most perfect setting imaginable every year in late September for one of the northeast region’s premier wine and culinary events. The valley and the mountains, the country villages and the easy rural lifestyle blend to create the perfect atmosphere for the festival.
At nearly three-thousand six-hundred feet above sea level, Mount Snow in West Dover, Vermont is among the most notable peaks in southern Vermont. In autumn, the splash of dazzling fall foliage in all its full glory tumbles down all sides of the mountain, edging the miles of ski runs and hiking trails that crisscross the terrain. The blaze of red, orange and yellow from millions of sugar maples, yellow birches, and beech trees spills onto the fields, farms, and small towns that dot a long, winding valley created by the scenic Deerfield River.
Attracting winemakers, distillers, brewers and food and craft artisans from all over Vermont, the 2013 Vermont Life Wine and Harvest Festival has become one of the Mount Snow Valley’s most popular and entertaining gatherings. This year’s celebration of Vermont producers is projected to draw some 2,500 visitors to Wilmington and Dover for a long weekend of tastings, dinners, culinary demonstrations, shopping, and entertainment.
The festival begins on Friday, September 20th with a welcome evening event in the village of Wilmington. This opening event features wine and cheese tastings, the great Vermont Soup Contest showcasing soups from area restaurants and live entertainment throughout shops in the downtown.
On Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22, the Festival events shift to nearby West Dover, where a huge tented area is located next to the landmark clock-tower building at Mount Snow, nestled under the ridge lines of the Green Mountain National Forest. In addition to wine and spirits samplings, attendees will be delighted to discover Vermont specialty foods and crafts. Lunch is available from Vermont restaurants. Children’s activities provided. At night, wine dinners take place in area restaurants.
Cheryl La Flamme, one of the event coordinators and president of the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce says that attendees have the pleasure of being able to go from tasting excellent local wines and regional cuisines to enjoying the Vermont fall foliage all in one locale. In its sixth year The Vermont Life Wine and Harvest Festival has earned a coveted designation as one of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce’s Top Ten Fall Events and is listed as a U.S. Top 100 Event by the American Bus Association.
Event organizer and Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Adam Grinold say that the recognition and accolades that the Vermont Life Wine and Harvest Festival has already received is exciting. Being listed as a ‘Top Ten Fall Event’ by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce brings so much attention to the fact that the Festival is a significant draw for out-of-state visitors as well as a quality, community-organized event with a long-standing commitment to continue it for years to come. The national recognition as a ‘U.S. Top 100’ event is important because it’s something that will attract American and Canadian motor coach tour operators to the Mount Snow Valley.
Steve Cook, deputy commissioner of Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing said that he has been to many wine festivals throughout New England and the northeast region, and he feels that the setting at Mount Snow is unlike any others he’s seen before. Wine tasting events are usually held in beautiful locations, but at Mount Snow, there’s not only the festival, but easy access to outdoor recreation, historic sites, the arts, and beautiful Vermont villages right in the same place.
Festival attendees will find ample free parking directly at the Festival sites, as well as many opportunities for fun. There are chairlift rides to view the foliage surrounding the Festival location and easy access to hiking trails, fishing and kayaking sites. Pre-ski season lodging rates and packages are being widely promoted at many accommodations within walking distance of the Festival events. A great bonus to festival attendees, the events are served by the Mount Snow Valley’s free shuttle bus service called “the MOOver.”
Festival attendees will attest that at the Vermont Life Wine & Harvest Festival, there is no way to know ahead of time what wines they will like. There’s only one way to learn about the many outstanding new as well as traditional wines and spirits that are being produced in Vermont: taste, contemplate, and taste again. Another reminder: everyone needs to bring identification:
the legal drinking age in Vermont is 21. The Festival staff, beverage servers and gate volunteers are “Vermont Professional Server Certified” to ensure responsible service, sale, and consumption of alcohol. In addition to wine tastings, sample and purchase Vermont artisanal foods and products including cheese, chocolate, crafts and more.
On Friday evening, September 20, in Wilmington village, the Wine and Harvest welcome event is free including the mouth-watering Vermont Soup Contest. The wine tasting portion of the night, including a wine glass, is $8 per person. On Saturday and Sunday, September 21 and 22, at Mount Snow resort in West Dover, admission is $15 per person, or $26 for a two-day pass. The tickets include the official Festival wine glass and a specified number of tastings. Most of the Festival events require no advance purchase of tickets or reservations;
however, reservations are recommended for the Wine Pairings Dinners.
Wilmington village is located at the junction of Vermont State Routes 9 and 100. Both are scenic byways. The village of West Dover is located on Vermont State Route 100, just 10 minutes north of Wilmington. From Connecticut and Massachusetts:
the Festival events are about 20 miles from Exit 2 off Interstate 91N. From western New York: the Festival events are reached via Interstate 787N; continue east on NY Route 7E and VT Route 9E.
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