3 for 30a- 30a Wine Festival Edition
By Natalie Haddock
As we all get ready for spring by moving our clocks forward, the Alys Foundation and the community of Alys Beach is kicking off the season with their fourth annual 30A Wine Festival this March 6, 7, and 8. Single day Saturday tickets are available as well as weekend passes to attend the majority of the festival activities. Additional tickets are also available for Friday’s Bourbon, Beer, and Butts event and for Saturday’s Tasting Workshop. Proceeds will help benefit the Children’s Volunteer Health Network.
Friday March 6 – The Alys Beach Wine festival kicks off on Friday with a night of bourbon, beer, and barbecue tastings at Kelly Green from 6-9 p.m. Local food truck favorite Barefoot BBQ is one of the featured vendors will be serving up delicious smoked hormone, steroid and antibiotic free meats. Listen to the soulful stylings of blues artist Eric Lindell as you sample some of the 25 fine bourbon options or sip on one of the refreshing craft brews from either Grayton Beer, Idyll Hounds, Oyster City, Props, Sweetwater, or Proof Brewing Company. Tickets are available separate from the Wine Festival or may be bought in conjunction with a weekend pass. For more information about this portion of the event visit http://www.30awinefestival.com/b3/
Saturday, March 7 – Grand Tasting will begin on Saturday starting at 3:30 and will run until 6:00 p.m. at the North Garden Sea Walk. Attendees are invited to mingle along the Alys Beach corridors to sample featured wines from over 20 vintner’s stations. The festival’s official after party, “Wine Under the Stars”, will then commence at Fire Pit Park from 6-8 p.m. with live music from the groove band Fearless Heights. Light food fare will be also provided throughout the day by local restaurants such as Bud & Alley’s, Charlie’s Donuts, and Seagars.
Looking to delve in a little deeper? This Saturday morning also starts with a Riedel Tasting Workshop at Arboleda Park. This workshop will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is to demonstrate the usage of a Riedel glass in identifying aromas and flavor profiles. Tickets for this workshop are available separate from the festival’s weekend pass.
Sunday, March 8 – Be sure to wear your best whites as the festivities will wind down with the third annual Croquet Tournament from 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Kelly Green. Caliza chef Kevin Korman and Café Thirty-A chef Ken Duenas will be serving an impressive seafood lunch, complete with Sancerre wine pairings, and acoustic rock singer Kyle LaMonica will be on site to play out the afternoon.
For more information about the festival and for details about the work done through the Children’s Volunteer Health Network visit http://www.30awinefestival.com/
