Historic Downtown North Wilkesboro’s “Shine to Wine, the second annual Grape Escape” will add five new wineries to the six returning from last year for a total of eleven. For $10 in advance or $15 at the gate, festival goers may sample wines from all eleven wineries and also buy wine by the glass and/or bottle. The number of wineries is up from last year’s nine with three of those from last year unable to attend this year’s festival due to scheduling conflicts. The festivities will last from 11 am until 5 pm on May 6 in downtown North Wilkesboro on Tenth Street between Main and C Streets. The festival’s gold medal and presenting sponsors are Suntrust Bank and Wilkes Regional Medical Center, Tyson Foods is the silver medal sponsor, and GoWilkes is the bronze medal sponsor.
The new wineries this year are Ginger Creek, Thistle Meadow, Uwharrie, Garden Gate, and Weathervane. The new wineries will add diversity to the offerings with wines not strictly from the Yadkin Valley wine region. Some of the wines produced include pinot grigio, bergamais, vieux chateau du roi, chianti, chardonnay semillion, reisling, and various blended wines particular to the wineries, as well as the more familiar chardonnays, cabernets, and merlots. The returning wineries are Buck Shoals, Cerminaro, Chateau Laurinda, RagApple Lassie, Round Peak, and Stony Knoll.
Also, making its first appearance at the festival is the band “Mel Jones and His Bag of Bones.” The band will be performing a free concert beginning at 1 pm and will feature Donny Story, a familiar local favorite. Beginning at 11 am, the Wilkes Acoustic Folk Society will be entertaining festival goers while they partake of the great wine, food, and festival shopping. General admission to the festival is free.
Historic Downtown North Wilkesboro’s booth will have photographs from moonshine days on display and sell “Shine Balls,” sweets made from legal “lightning.” Also, Flossie Smith will be on hand to autograph and sell copies of her cookbook. The Wilkes Art Gallery will be hosting free lectures on both ‘shine and wine.
Tickets are available at Ivy Ridge Traditions, the Wilkes Art Gallery, and on line at DowntownNorthWilkesboro.com. A 20% discount is available to those purchasing tickets for both Saturday’s festival and the Wilkes Art Gallery’s Friday night wine tasting reception with a combination price of $24.
Click here for information on the latest Shine to Wine Festival
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Wilkes County Cruisers
