Old Town Food & Wine Festival

This time of year we attempt to travel to NYC for that city's Wine and Food Festival; but this year we found a similar event closer to home: The Old Town Food & Wine Festival. This two day event (October 10th & 11th) is held in various locations in historic Alexandria Virginia and includes tastings of Virginia made wine as well as food seminars, demonstrations and wine dinners.

The festival provides the all important grand tasting (from 11AM to 6PM both days); but prudently at two different locations: Holiday Inn, 625 First Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 and Crowne Plaza Hotel, 901 North Fairfax, Alexandria VA 22314. This is a great idea, provide two locations to thin out the crowd and give greater access to the wines. And look who's pouring; the list includes some new wineries that we have not had a chance to visit:

• Democracy Vineyards
• Mountfair Vineyards
• DuCard Vineyards
• Loudoun Valley Vineyards
• Barren Ridge Vineyards
• DelFosse Vineyards & Winery
• Athena Vineyards & Winery
• Horton Vineyards
• Holly Grove Vineyards
• Narmada Winery
• Fabbioli Cellars
• Chateau Morrisette
• Davis Valley Winery and Vineyard
• White Fences Vineyard & Winery
• Tarara Vineyard & Winery
• North Mountain Vineyards
• Potomac Point Winery
• Prince Michel Winery
• Philip Carter Winery of Virginia

There are also plenty of seminars. Each day starts with a Wine 101 seminar at the Grape and Bean Wine Bar. On the 10th, this follows with Joe David, Author of Gourmet Getaways; Andrew Stover on "ABCs-Emerging U.S. Wine Regions & Their Regional Delights" and Lauren DeSantis, "Cooking With Wine". Stover's seminar should be quite interesting since he's bringing wines from across the United States: Oregon, Idaho, Texas, Ohio, Michigan. We will not miss this one. The 11th includes both Joe David and Lauren DeSantis again, as well as Laurie Forster "East vs West: The Smackdown". If that's not enough several area restaurants are pairing Virginia made wine with their entries throughout the entire weekend.

This should be a fun and entertaining event. Thankfully it helps us avoid the hassles of traveling to New York and provides an enjoyable alternative in our own backyard.