MONTEZUMA - For the past two weekends the prevailing accompaniment to local wines have been herbs, as all 16 wineries that comprise the Cayuga Wine Trail have taken part in the 17th annual Wine and Herb Festival.
Jill Connor / The Citizen
Barb Fethers, of Lansing, and her mother, Barb Woods, of King Ferry, celebrate Fethers' birthday at the Wine and Herb Festival at Montezuma Winery Saturday.
Barb Fethers, of Lansing, and her mother, Barb Woods, of King Ferry, celebrate Fethers' birthday at the Wine and Herb Festival at Montezuma Winery Saturday.
Wine trail executive director Cathy Millspaugh said that origins of the idea were simple and led to a successful annual festival.
“People love wine,” Millspaugh said. “We always do this the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May. It is spring and it is a good way to bring more and more people to our wine trail.”
This strategy has paid off well.
Millspaugh said that about 3,500 people visit the wine trail each year for the wine and herb festival.
And this year has carried on with the tradition of drawing big numbers to the wineries.
Donna Lahr, program manger at the Montezuma Winery said that last weekend more than 1,200 guests visited the winery and that she was anticipating the same, if not more, this weekend.Montezuma was off to a strong start Saturday afternoon, with numerous guests passing through the winery's doors.
Crystal Stish, of Allentown, Pa., along with eight of her friends planned their spring vacation to coincide with the festival this year.
“We've been on Seneca Lake before,” Stish said. “but we've never been on Cayuga Lake before. It is a lot of fun.”
The festival gave the winery an opportunity to showcase some of its tried and true as well as some of its newer products.
Lahr said that alongside wine samples, the winery was also offer samples of spirits from its sister facility, Hidden Marsh Distillery, which creates vodka and brandy distilled from honey as well as apple brandy.
“It has been going great,” Lahr said. “We've had a lot of people interested in the brandy and vodka. It is something unique that the other wineries don't offer, and we have had a lot of people interested in sampling these.”
There have been two main staples of the festival, wine and herbs, but this year, a few changes were introduced. Millspaugh said this year's weekend events were expanded to include Friday afternoons as well and that King Ferry and Long Point wineries will be opening early, at 9 a.m., on Sunday for early bird specials.
While herbs are the namesake of the event, and in the past guests have received free herbs, this year it was decided to offer a new twist, giving each guest their own vegetable plants.
From Dickman Farms of Auburn, guests received various vegetables they could take home and plant.
Guests are encouraged to plant them in the late summer, and in the fall various wineries will be hosting special grow and show events.
Lahr said that in Montezuma there will be contests in September and October including and ugliest potato contest and potato bocce ball.
And while the wine was certainly the main attraction, many guests, like Melissa Brewer-Corash, of Lodi, were eager to get home and do some gardening.
“I came with my mother and grandmother,” Brewer-Corash said. “They were visiting and we all thought this would be fun. We are all gardeners; I just got my plants started. This is something a little different and we'll definitely be planting these.”
If You Go
What: Wine and Herb Festival
When: King Ferry and Long Point wineries open at 9 a.m. today, all others open regular business hours
For more information: Visit www.cayugawinetrail.com
“People love wine,” Millspaugh said. “We always do this the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May. It is spring and it is a good way to bring more and more people to our wine trail.”
This strategy has paid off well.
Millspaugh said that about 3,500 people visit the wine trail each year for the wine and herb festival.
And this year has carried on with the tradition of drawing big numbers to the wineries.
Donna Lahr, program manger at the Montezuma Winery said that last weekend more than 1,200 guests visited the winery and that she was anticipating the same, if not more, this weekend.Montezuma was off to a strong start Saturday afternoon, with numerous guests passing through the winery's doors.
Crystal Stish, of Allentown, Pa., along with eight of her friends planned their spring vacation to coincide with the festival this year.
“We've been on Seneca Lake before,” Stish said. “but we've never been on Cayuga Lake before. It is a lot of fun.”
The festival gave the winery an opportunity to showcase some of its tried and true as well as some of its newer products.
Lahr said that alongside wine samples, the winery was also offer samples of spirits from its sister facility, Hidden Marsh Distillery, which creates vodka and brandy distilled from honey as well as apple brandy.
“It has been going great,” Lahr said. “We've had a lot of people interested in the brandy and vodka. It is something unique that the other wineries don't offer, and we have had a lot of people interested in sampling these.”
There have been two main staples of the festival, wine and herbs, but this year, a few changes were introduced. Millspaugh said this year's weekend events were expanded to include Friday afternoons as well and that King Ferry and Long Point wineries will be opening early, at 9 a.m., on Sunday for early bird specials.
While herbs are the namesake of the event, and in the past guests have received free herbs, this year it was decided to offer a new twist, giving each guest their own vegetable plants.
From Dickman Farms of Auburn, guests received various vegetables they could take home and plant.
Guests are encouraged to plant them in the late summer, and in the fall various wineries will be hosting special grow and show events.
Lahr said that in Montezuma there will be contests in September and October including and ugliest potato contest and potato bocce ball.
And while the wine was certainly the main attraction, many guests, like Melissa Brewer-Corash, of Lodi, were eager to get home and do some gardening.
“I came with my mother and grandmother,” Brewer-Corash said. “They were visiting and we all thought this would be fun. We are all gardeners; I just got my plants started. This is something a little different and we'll definitely be planting these.”
If You Go
What: Wine and Herb Festival
When: King Ferry and Long Point wineries open at 9 a.m. today, all others open regular business hours
For more information: Visit www.cayugawinetrail.com
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