Time for a Toast at the Ninth Annual Jersey Shore Wine Festival

Whether you’re an expert wine drinker, someone who’s interested in finding something new to enjoy, or simply looking for a great way to spend a June weekend, the Ninth Annual Jersey Shore Wine Festival is sure to please your palate!

New Jersey wineries have been growing more in popularity each year and many vineyards are producing an array of award-winning wines. Scheduled this year on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2 from 12 to 5 p.m., the Jersey Shore Wine Festival offers a terrific opportunity to sample a variety of them while enjoying a summer day. The festival takes place at FirstEnergy Park, 2 Stadium Way in Lakewood, home of the Lakewood BlueClaws baseball team, and will be set up on the grassy grounds outside the stadium, with easy access to sit inside and enjoy the view across the baseball field.

At the festival, you’ll find tents and tables staffed by friendly and knowledgeable representatives from participating wineries offering free tastings of more than 100 wines they will have on hand, including several specially featured labels presented by each winery. Once you’re done perusing the tents and finished sipping the samples that intrigue you, you can circle back and make your purchases right on the spot, to be shared later with family and friends at home or at your next BYOB restaurant dinner.

Popular participating wineries for 2019 will include Auburn Road Vineyards and Winery, Cedar Rose Winery, DiMatteo Vineyards, Four Sisters Winery, Plagido’s Winery, Valenzano Winery, Villari Vineyards, and Wagonhouse Winery.

The Jersey Shore Wine Festival, held rain or shine, will also feature live musical entertainment by the Crabdaddy Band and guitarist Astronaut Jones, so bring a chair to sit back and take in the sounds of summer. No outside food or beverages are permitted, but there will be a bounty of food vendors serving up a tasty assortment of items from which to choose. And if you enjoy shopping, check out the crafters and vendors that will also be on hand throughout the weekend. Upon entry, each guest will be entered in a drawing for a basket filled with Cabot Creamery cheeses, and there will be platters of tasty cheeses in each of the winery tents that you may sample.

Advance tickets for the Jersey Shore Wine Festival are $20 per person (over 21 years of age only); tickets at the festival are $30. Tickets for designated drivers and festival attendees not sampling the wines are $5 per person. Individual day tickets can be used on either Saturday or Sunday, and each wine sampling ticket comes with a commemorative glass. Tickets may be ordered through www.Eventbrite.com.

All of the net proceeds from the Jersey Shore Wine Festival go to benefit Sylvia’s Children, a Holmdel-based non-profit organization that has been working for more than 15 years to improve the living conditions for more than 1,000 children – 25% of whom are orphans – in the village of Mbiriizi in Uganda, Africa.

For all of the latest information, look for updates at Jersey Shore Wine Festival on Facebook, visit www.jerseyshorewinefestival.com, call 732-946-2711 or email Sylvia.Allen@AllenConsulting.com.