Vermont Business Magazine Last weekend’s 10th Annual Wine and Food Fest Benefit for the Food Shelf turned up a big bounty for the Chittenden Emergency organization that provides supplemental food supplies those in our community who are in need. For the event Shelburne Vineyard waived their usual Tasting Fee for attendees who brought non-perishable food donations or who made a cash contribution to the Food Shelf. In turn contributors were enrolled in an hourly raffle that netted a different gift each hour donated by the ten participating Vermont food and beverage vendors. The hourly clang of two wine bottles brought silence to the room as winners were drawn and there were whoops of surprise and delight as the raffle winners were announced.
Anna McMahon collects donations from Wine & Food Fest Benefit attendees.
Anna McMahon, who collected the donations on behalf of the Food Shelf, shared the results of the donations that collected, noting how imp
ortant it is to have this “ongoing support each year as we work to feed families in Chittenden County.”
She added that this year’s donations totaled:$1,005 in cash along with an additional 468 pounds of food items. As in past years, much of the cash contributed will serve to help the Food Shelf supplement their typical supplies and provide special items like turkeys for their clients during the holiday season. “That’s a great start to our holiday food and fund drive season!", she said.
The event, held at Shelburne Vineyard where VT Tent Company helped supplement the Tasting Room space with a heated patio tent, welcomed visitors from across VT and farther afield who tasted samples, took part in the raffle and purchased locally produced wines from Shelburne Vineyard, Artesano Mead and Eden Ice Cider, Caramel sauces from Fat Toad Farm, Cheese from Fairy Tale Farm, Pierogis from Luiza’s Homemade With Love, syrups from Run Amok Maple, and for the holiday table, Winter veggies and Jams from LaLumiere Greenhouse, Kombucha from Living Water, meats from Snug Valley Farm and an array of sauces from It’s Arthur’s Fault.
According to Vineyard owner, Gail Albert, among the close to 400 attendees on Saturday were not just locals who spoke to how much they look forward to this annual celebration of community, but also surprised out-of-towners who came expecting a simple tasting and discovered a sampling of Vermont’s diverse localvore culture and generosity—a win-win for everyone.
Source:Shelburne Vineyard www.shelburnevineyard.com