Yes, I did just quote Mr. Rogers to start off a wine post.
Saturday, June 17th was a beautiful, beautiful day to hang out with a little wine and a little food at North Beach for Eat Drink Go Local. A sizable crowd turned out for the Maryland Wine Association’s latest shindig in this little town just south of the county line into Calvert County. If you’ve never been – and Matt and I hadn’t been before Saturday – go. It’s a gorgeous little town right on the Chesapeake Bay, south of Annapolis and across from Tilghman’s Island. Saturday was warm and sunny, but we had a breeze off the water that kept it comfortable.
Disclaimer: We were lucky enough to receive admission from the MWA for this festival, although food and wine were on us. Thank you!
The festival’s tents were set up on the streets right next to the beach, and festival goers enjoyed the views between tastings. Like Eat Drink Go Local Silver Spring last year, winery tents were interspersed with vendor tents and with the four tasting tents, where local restauranteurs paired dishes with three local wines each.
The pairings were amazing, and pretty educational for someone who doesn’t really think through pairings (Beef? A sturdy white? Sure!). I highly recommend taking notes, since there are so many tents, and getting bottles of whatever you about an hour before closing (so you don’t miss anything that’s sold out!).
I post about this six weeks later, mostly because grad school intervened, but also because MWA usually coordinates Eat Drink Go Local in the fall, too. Also, with so many winery events going on right now in our state, I encourage you to go – even if it’s a small town you’ve never heard of before. You might just find a beautiful day.
