Uniquely West Virginia

Saturday will be a good day to visit Berkeley Springs.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV -- The 15th annual Uniquely West Virginia wine and food festival from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, April 19 offers a free opportunity to sample dozens of state-grown products including more than 30 vintages from six wineries. By locating at the north end of the Old Factory Antique Mall, more than 75 antique vendors extend festival shopping further. More than two dozen owner-operated shops fan out for several blocks from the festival location guaranteeing countless individually selected items for browsing.

" This is a colorful event," said Jeanne Mozier, one of the event organizers. "We have the yellow food group represented by beeswax and honey from newcomer Healthberry Farm, the green food group with pickles from Uncle Bunk's, and the red food group with Flamin' Reds barbecue sauces and many of the wines." Mozier went on with her color analysis mentioning the blazing pinks of roadsides decked out for Redbud Weekend.

" One of the most popular parts of the weekend is getting a free redbud seedling at Nature Niche," said Mozier. "Folks need to go there before coming to the festival Saturday morning because those seedlings go quickly." Self-guided driving maps for a redbud tour are also available. Mother Nature even has a place at the wine and food show. "Our favorite shiitake mushroom guy will be back with his logs and growing kits," said Mozier.

The weekend's main event on Saturday marks a return of award-winning Fisher Ridge Winery whose vintner, Dr. Wilson Ward, provided the inspiration for the first Uniquely West Virginia event in 1994. Other award-winning wineries are Potomac Highland of Keyser and Forks of Cheat from Morgantown. "You could bring a group of friends and stage your own wine tasting at the festival," said Laura Smith, event coordinator. "There is plenty of free parking at Old Factory to load up those cases of wine easily," she said.

Balancing the wine tastings, there are edible products to sample. Healthberry Farm has handmade chocolates. Tari's Premier Cafe satisfies with an assortment of baked goods, salsa and fruit butters as well as Tari's very own West Virginia trout cakes and pepperoni braids. Lot 12 is serving both ramp soup and morels at both the festival and all weekend long at the restaurant. Lot 12's owner-chef, Damien Heath, is the only West Virginian on the James Beard best chef regional finalist list.

Later in the evening, Tari's Cafe features a four-course West Virginia food tasting dinner. Highlawn Inn has a limited seating Meet the WV Winemaster five-course meal with matched wines on Saturday at 7pm. The Country Inn outdoes them all with West Virginia food specials including ramps for breakfast, lunch and dinner and gifts of jam or apple butter with dinner. Heath Studio Gallery offers West Virginia wine tastings all weekend as well as discounts on original art featuring wine or food.

Environmental activities over the weekend at Cacapon State Park include a birdsong expert speaking on Friday at 7pm and black snake touching and box turtle touching on Saturday. Sleepy Creek Children's Choir performs "Voices from the Earth" at Union Chapel at 7pm on Saturday.

" Our most exotic new activity is a daylong bellydancing workshop," said Mozier. Jensuya introduces the art, mechanics and mystique on Sunday in a workshop from 10am to 3pm at the Ice House. Creekside Creamery has a jewelry-making demonstration on Saturday afternoon.

Uniquely West Virginia is produced by Travel Berkeley Springs, with support from the Division of Culture and History. For more information and a free Celebration Guide with all the details on both festival vendors and related activities throughout the county call 800-447-8797 or check online at www.berkeleysprings.com.

2008 UNIQUELY WEST VIRGINIA VENDORS

Including awards and other interesting information

WINERIES
FISHER RIDGE WINE CO.-Charleston- Wilson Ward.

FORKS OF CHEAT - Morgantown - Jerry & Susan Deal 304-599-8660
Variety of award-winning West Virginia wines.

JONES CABIN RUN VINEYARDS-Alan & Elaine Wolfe. 2007 Gold, Silver & Bronze State & International award winners.

KENCO FARMS HONEY-WINES - Sutton - John & Barbara Kennen 304-765-7980. Honey wine (mead) as well as candy, jams & jellies.

LAMBERT'S VINTAGE WINES - Weston - Jim & Debbie Lambert 304-269-4903.

POTOMAC HIGHLAND WINERY - Keyser - Charles Whitehill 304-788-3066. "Best of Show" in state competition for their '98 Chardonnay, '99 Meritage and 2000 Seyval Blanc.

WEST-WHITEHILL WINERY LTD. - Moorefield - Joe Worzala 304-738-9208.

SPECIALTY FOODS

LOT 12 - Berkeley Springs - Damien & Betsy Heath 304-258-6264. Ramp soup, morels.

TARI'S PREMIER CAFÉ - Berkeley Springs - Tari Hampe 304-258-1196. Baked goods, West Virginia trout cakes, pepperoni braids. Wild Woman salsas and fruit butters.

CONDIMENTS

FLAMIN REDS - Parkersburg - Kelly Quinn 304-424-7062
Smooth Comfort Mild, Slow Burnin Hot BBQ Sauces and Sweet Yellow Honey Mustard

HEALTHBERRY FARM - Dryfork- Ben McKean 304-227-4414 Honey and beeswax products and handmade chocolates

UNCLE BUNK'S - Rose Young- 304-652-1920
Mustard spread, Pepper sauce and Sweet Pickles.

OTHER PRODUCTS
WEST VIRGINIA SOAPCRAFT - Berkeley Springs - Carolyn Randall. Handmade soaps, bath products and gift baskets.
HARDSCRABBLE ENTERPRISES - Franklin - Paul Goland. 304-358-2921. Shitake Mushroom Logs & Growing Kits.