T
here’s an opportunity to get a taste of
what the Cleburne Counthy community is cooking at the East Alabama
Wine, Art and Cheese festival, where local
wineries are putting their best bordeaux
forward.
“We have all these local wineries here, they
may have wine tastings once a month,” said
Rodger Turner, owner of Heflin food and wine
specialty store Smith Farms. “There’s no kind
of event to bring them all together.”
The event centers around wine-tasting, with
samples from local vendors like Smith Farms,
White Oak and other vintners who have
joined forces to form the Southern Appalachian Wine Trail, stretching from southern
Cleburne County up to Hokes Bluff. Gathering all members of the wine-crawl together
for one tasting event is a great way to reintroduce the community to Cleburne’s rich history of creating wines.
“It’s a revival of the wine industry in our area,”
said Tanya Maloney, executive director of the
Cleburne County Chamber of Commerce.
“This was one of the largest growing regions
before Prohibition, and it’s making it’s way
back.”
Wine-tasting requires a $15 ticket, but the
rest of the event is free and focuses on art,
music and community goods from area vendors. Artists will be free to show off their photographs, paintings and handmade goods
like jewelry and handbags, while kids can find
their own style at an art corner especially for
them, and adults can win door prizes through
the night.
Also available and free is a variety of foods
from Smith Farms to sample, which includes
cheese, preserves, vegetables and more.
“Just the experience of Smith Farms is awesome,” said Maloney. “It’s worth coming there
just to see and taste everything they’re offering.”
The East Alabama Wine, Art & Cheese Festival is May 30 from 11 AM - 6 PM at Smith
Farms, 350 Spirit Drive in Heflin (Exit 205
from I-20). Tickets for wine-tasting are $15;
must be 21 and over. All other activities free/
individually priced and open to all ages. Call
256-463-4400 for more information. ❉
May 2015
INSIGHT