Chaos, I mean Wine in the Woods
Saturday's picture perfect weather drew thousands of people from the DC/Baltimore area (and beyond) to Columbia's Wine in the Woods. Here are some new lessons learned.
1) Get there around 11 a.m. before the gates open at noon... even if you purchased a ticket in advance! Lines start forming around this time - early birds get the best places to set up shop (e.g., in the shade near the stage).
Coolers are allowed! Chairs and a table are encouraged.
2) Bring a picnic lunch. The lines for food become insane and don't move very quickly.
Our spread.
3) Start samplin' as soon as they start pourin'. Find a wine you like, buy a bottle (or two), and go back to your personal oasis to relax and enjoy the day. By 1:30, the booths were packed with people [im]patiently waiting for a taste.
Elk Run's festival sangria was a huge hit! Here is the recipe:
- Two parts Sweet Katherine
- Two parts tonic water
- One part orange juice
4) Don't expect all volunteers to be knowledgeable about the wines. Most of them are just there pour. If you want to chat with people who know all about the wines they are selling, check out Mt. Vernon's wine festival in the spring or fall.
5) Roll out early to avoid parking lot mayhem and traffic jams. Cops were already doing random sobriety checks when we left around 3:30.
What a great day!
Susan
