Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival Celebrates 10 Years

I love Martha’s Vineyard and although I didn’t get there as often as I wanted to when I lived in Boston, it was always a great getaway in the summer and fall, especially if you’re a nature lover. We used to ride our bikes often during our visits, lounge about on hammocks, play board games on the front porch looking out at the sea and eating.

It should be no secret for avid travelers that Martha’s Vineyard does food and wine well and their annual Food & Wine Festival is celebrating ten years on October 19-22, 2017.

The four-day grand anniversary celebration of the senses provides memorable experiences that showcase the tastes and talents of skilled winemakers, sommeliers, chefs and culinary artisans from the Island and all over the world.

Set against the breathtaking backdrops of the island, Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival features a weekend of exclusive and savory events, dinners, tastings and seminars that will draw over 2,000 wine lovers and foodies.

A few of the fun featured events of the weekend include:

• Fresh Off The Farm – A delicious, community gathering and weekend kick-off combining Island farms and chefs with wine tastings and the music of the Vineyard’s “Good Night Louise;”
• Somm Throw Down – A face-off of three wine personalities – Joseph Carr, Sam Decker of Atria, and Heather Lynch of Bar Mezzana – to battle for the ultimate pairing of wine and food, prepared by Colin Lynch of Bar Mezzana;
• Joseph Carr Dinner – Sommelier-turned-producer Joseph Carr joins The Terrace at the Charlotte Inn for a delicious, local-as-local-gets dinner paired with selections from Dylan’s Ghost Winery and Joseph Carr Wines;
• Sweet Tooth – An indulgence in the richness of Murdick’s Fudge paired with port wines;
• Jean Trimbach Wine Dinner with O Ya / Nathan Gould – An intersection of flavor between one of Boston’s best restaurants, O Ya, great selections from Trimbach Estate’s Alsace wines, and a stunning architectural setting, the Grey Barn;
• Boston chef Jeremy Sewall Dinner at Harbor View Hotel’s Lighthouse Grill – Jeremy Sewall of Boston’s Island Creek Oyster Bar, Les Sablons and Row 34, joins Lighthouse Grill Executive Chef Richard Doucette to prepare an unforgettable dinner paired with specially selected wines;
• Woodford Reserve Bourbon Dinner – An exclusive prix fixe dinner hosted in a private home, paired perfectly with specially crafted Woodford Reserve cocktail recipes to draw out the best flavors in both dish and drink;
• Ahearn Seminar – A walking tour and discussion with renowned architect Patrick Ahearn on the history of Martha’s Vineyard architecture and how the town of Edgartown developed into what it is today;
• Oh Shucks! – Oysters fresh from the Vineyard’s highest quality oyster farms, paired with perfect pours overlooking incredible water views at the exclusive Edgartown Yacht Club;
• Grand Tasting – Located on the Great Lawn of the Harbor View Hotel, the Grand Tasting is the culmination of the weekend’s celebration of Sea, Farm & Vine, showcasing winemakers, spirits, breweries, gourmet foods, and restaurants;
• Champy Brunch – Brunch and bubbly with Jenny Johnson – founder of Champy champagne and tv personality from NESN’s Dining Playbook

Presented by the Edgartown Board of Trade, a portion of the proceeds go to two local organizations dedicated to helping the community thrive:  Island Grown Schools and the Agricultural Society’s Farmers Program.

For more information, roster of participating chefs, schedule of events or tickets to the Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival visit mvfoodandwine.com.

Getting There:

They are two hours by car or bus from Boston and another 45 minutes by ferry, Martha’s Vineyard is just far enough out in the Atlantic to make it interesting, but close enough to the mainland that you can get back and forth when you want.

The Steamship Authority provides year-round passenger and auto (the only ferry that accommodates autos) ferry service from Woods Hole on Cape Cod virtually all day long.

The Island is home to two airports – one for private planes, the other serviced by Cape Air year-round from Boston and additional seasonal locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. If you are coming from New York or Washington D.C. or the West Coast for the October Festival, you will need to find your way to Boston, then hop a Cape Air flight.

Other useful links you may love to browse:

• WBTW’s Food & Wine Section
• WBTW’s Festival Section
• Napa Masters and Makers
• 10 Boston Restaurant Greats
• Unusual Places to Drink Wine  Around the World
• Massachusetts Page
• Wine and Art Festivals in Northern California

Renee Blodgett

Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.

She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.

Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.

Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.