Old Town, wine mean relaxed fun

Winchester — A lot of people “kissed the devil” this weekend in Old Town.

The “devil” in this case was an extra spicy cooking wine available at the booth of Bedford-based Peaks of Otter Winery at the Wine and Fine Arts Festival, which took place Friday and Saturday on Loudoun Street Mall.

“It’s made with 30 different chili peppers,” said Lisa Nelson, who wore a sticker on her blouse that said she had “kissed the devil.” 
 
 
Nelson came to the festival this weekend, the kick-off event of the 82nd Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, to taste the wines and relax in the sun.

She brought her old college friend Jamie Calcagno from Harrisonburg with her.

The two sat under a tent and talked about which wines they liked the best. They both loved the merlot from Mattaponi Winery, a Native American establishment in Spotsylvania County. But they also found the chili pepper wine fascinating.

The wine is actually a cooking wine, but people were downing whole shots of the stuff Saturday.

“We just dipped our fingers in it,” Calcagno said. “We’re working our way up to being connoisseurs.”

Others already had reached that level, including Ed and Deb Gilkey from Johnstown, Pa.

The Wine and Fine Arts Festival gave them a chance to sample wines from nearly 20 different wineries and check out crafts from more than 30 artists and vendors.

The husband and wife already have about 100 bottles of wine in their basement back home, but they came to try and find some more favorites.

“If it tastes good, we like it,” Ed said, adding that they like to give bottles of the chili pepper wine to the employees at their favorite Mexican restaurant.

“I don’t think they cook with it, though,” Deb said with a grin.

The two visit wineries and festivals all year, but say they like the slower pace and charm of the event in Old Town.

“Here, it’s more relaxed,” Ed said.

He and his wife are staying in The George Washington Hotel and will be back this weekend for more of the Bloom.

For a complete list of this year’s Apple Blossom Festival events, visit www.thebloom.com.