The ninth annual Kentucky Wine and Vine Festival will take over downtown Nicholasville May 18-19.
As in years past, the event will feature a Kentucky Wine Country Bus Tour on Friday, May 18. For $65, tour attendees can travel to area wineries, including Elk Creek Vineyards in Owenton, Capital Sellers in downtown Frankfort and Prodigy Winery in Versailles, Nicholasville Now executive director Tonya Coleman said.
The bus tour will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude around 5 p.m.
“(Elk Creek) is the largest winery in the state,” Coleman said. “And lunch will be at Elk Creek, along with wine tastings there and at the other stops.”
The weekend will also feature the amateur wine competition, Coleman said, on Friday at 10 a.m. at Central Bank on Main Street.
“Last year, we had 110 amateur wines submitted for the competition from across the commonwealth,” Coleman said. “It’s a popular event. We award medals: gold, silver and bronze.”
The competition typically draws more than 100 bottles of wine made by amateurs.
Saturday’s event is highlighted by the wine tents, Coleman said. Saturday will feature tents for Kentucky wines and domestic and international wines.
For $25, festivalgoers over the legal drinking age will be able to sample the many different wines available.
The wine tents will open at noon and remain open until 7 p.m.
Saturday’s event will also feature arts and crafts vendors, with those tents opening at 10 a.m. and remaining open until 7 p.m.
The event will feature Kentucky Proud vendors, arts and crafts, the run for the merlot and the grape stomp.
“The grape stomp will be between 1 and 3, and the run for the merlot will be around 4 p.m.,” Coleman said.
The Wine and Vine Festival wouldn’t be complete without the music, and this year’s entertainers include the Tom Senff Trio, who will perform during Friday night’s wine gala.
The Saturday lineup includes The Kentuckians Barbershop Quartet, The Downtown County Band, The Honey Creek Stompers and Dixieland Jazz.
Coleman said the event is expected to attract more than 3,000 visitors to Jessamine County.
For more information on the 2012 Kentucky Wine and Vine Festival, visit www.kywineandvine.com.
