Head for The Litchfield Hills to celebrate a worldwide wine tradition
State's oldest winery hosts a traditional celebration of the grape harvest in the Western Connecticut Highlands wine producing region
From Bordeaux to Sonoma, wine lovers worldwide will head for the vineyards this month to celebrate the fall grape harvest.
In New England, this wine tradition will be celebrated at the 17th annual Litchfield Hills Harvest Festival, Connecticut's oldest viticulture harvest festival, on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20-21, 2008, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, at Haight-Brown Vineyard in Litchfield, Conn.
Since 1991, this two-day festival has annually attracted thousands of visitors to the grounds of Connecticut's oldest winery to enjoy wine served by the glass in an outdoor wine garden, plus a menu of hearty harvest fare.
In addition to food and wine, the festival offers guests up-scale shopping in an outdoor bazaar featuring not only artisans selling their handcrafted treasures, but also gourmet food purveyors offering free samples from cheese and granola to coffee and olive oil.
Festival guests will also enjoy guided tours of the winery, sampling in the tasting room, an old-fashioned hayride, plus romantic strolls on the vineyard walk. A traditional highlight of the annual festival is the children's grape stomping contest, which is held daily at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.
Covered table seating is available, plus guests are invited to bring blankets and lawn chairs for picnicking on the winery grounds. Free parking is provided. During the festival, guests may also purchase wine for their home wine racks and cellars.
Festival admission is $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors and children under age 12 are admitted free. The festival is sponsored by WTIC News/Talk 1080.
Just one mile west of historic Litchfield with its picturesque village green, quaint stores, stone walls and weathered barns, the Litchfield Hills Harvest Festival offers families an ideal day-trip or weekend adventure from anywhere in Connecticut, Massachusetts or metropolitan New York.