CAPE MAY – For people who love food and wine, Cape May’s most flavorful season has arrived.
Residents and visitors can sample the local harvest, taste the area’s award-winning wines, meet master chefs, learn from beer and wine experts, and discover the flavors that make Cape May enowned for its culinary delights at the 15th annual Cape May Food and Wine Celebration Friday, Sept. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 25.
Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities, the 10-day celebration includes winery tours, tastings, chefs’ dine-arounds, a beer tasting dinner, a scotch tasting dinner, a cape may wine school class, gourmet lunches and more. It was named one of the top 100 events in North America by the American Bus Association.
A Harvest Food and Wine Tasting will celebrate the local harvest with a sampling dinner menu inspired by local products. Co-sponsored by the Seaside Cheese Company in West Cape May and the Cape May Winery in North Cape May, it will take place 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Carriage House Tearoom and Café at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May. Representatives from both sponsors will discuss their products and suggest appropriate pairings.
The evening begins with hors d’oeuvres and cheese sampling, followed by a salad course, three dinner entrée samplings and two desserts. Each course is paired with wine from the Cape May Winery. Admission is $85; adults only.
Beer aficionados can learn about choosing beers that complement the meal at a Beer Tasting Dinner 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20. Beer authority Gary Monterosso, formerly of “Beer Radio” on Sirius Radio and current host of "Still Crazy After All These Beers," will discuss pairings at Aleathea’s Restaurant at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St. Guests will learn what beer styles suit certain flavors over a four-course dinner, with each course matched to a different style beer. Cost is $65 (gratuity included).
Three-course Gourmet Lunches at various restaurants will be offered 12:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Lunch will be served at a different restaurant each day. Admission is $25 per meal.
The Gourmet Brunch Walk 10 a.m. Wednesday consists of a guided walking tour through part of Cape May’s historic district followed by a stop at the Mad Batter restaurant, 19 Jackson St., for a gourmet brunch. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children 3-12.
A Scotch Tasting Dinner 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 at Aleathea’s Restaurant will feature native Scotsman David Blackmore, leader of the Glenmorangie USA educational program discussing the nuances of Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch and pairings during a four-course meal. Admission is $75.
Cape May Wine Weekend combines a wine tasting dinner, winery cellar tour and wine tasting class for a weekend of total indulgence beginning 6 p.m. Friday with a four-course dinner at the Washington Inn, 801 Washington St., featuring wines themed to the Sunday Wine School Class. At 3 p.m. Saturday Tours of Cape May Winery will offer an introduction to the winemaker’s art and a barrel tasting with cheese and fruit.
At the Wine School Class 1 p.m. Sunday at the Washington Inn, wine from California will be the topic for discussion and tasting. Guests will learn to sip, swirl and sniff as they discover how to discern and appreciate the region’s wines. The complete package is $135. The wine class can be purchased separately for $30.
Guests can spend an afternoon visiting two Cape May County wineries, Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery and Natali Vineyards, and sampling the unique flavors of each on the self-guided Wine Trail. Tours run daily from noon-3 p.m. Admission is $8 and includes a map and tasting glass.
Winery Cellar Tours and Tastings are offered 3 p.m. daily at the award-winning Cape May Winery in North Cape May. Spend an afternoon touring the vineyard to see how the grapes are grown and then visit the winery for an introduction to the winemaker’s art and a barrel tasting accompanied by cheese and fruit. Admission is $20 and includes a tasting glass.
Learn how seafood gets from the sea to the table during Fisherman’s Wharf Tours 11 a.m. both Saturdays and 10 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday on Fisherman’s Wharf at the Lobster House Restaurant. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children 3-12.
Show house dinner packages will be available for the Cape May Designer Show House at Osprey Landing, 109 Roseman’s Lane. For information call (609) 884-5404 or (800) 275-4278 or see www.capemaymac.org.
The second annual Cape May Forum Chautauqua at the Shore “Guess What’s Coming for Dinner? The Politics of Food in the 21st Century” features a host of food-related events offered at various venues around Cape May Sept. 15-25, exploring subjects such as organic food movements, nutrition, hunger and new food harvesting frontiers in the farming and fishing industries. For information visit www.capemayforum.org.
