Wine and Jazz
Went to the wine and jazz festival at Longwood Gardens on Saturday. It was a LOT of fun. I actually wasn't sure what to expect or how it might go, but it was REALLY neat!
I got up early, so as to be able to leave early, and... get there early. At least that was the idea when my alarm went off. I had a list of chores I wanted to accomplish before heading out. I also had a quick prep list as well for the wine and jazz event.
-Make meals to bring with me since they allowed us to pack a cooler and bring food to the event.
-Pack sunscreen. LOTS of sunscreen. I burn and crisp like nobody's bizznisp.
-Pack poncho and umbrella in case of rain, it was a 30 percent chance.
-Find lazy creek chair. Or whatever it's called. It's one of those sit on the grass loungy chairs that you can lean back and put your feet out and it holds your back up with the front. Came in handy during the final concert.
-Throw together extra clothing in case of rain, or major wine spill catastrophe.
With my food and items all packed I set off. Unfortunately I had forgot that I needed to get gas as well, and visit the ATM for extra cash. So I did those two. I ran into some traffic on the drive there, it was only about an hour or so away and on a Saturday as well, but there were plenty of cars also driving my way.
I arrived and parked in the sticks. I was directed to an overflow field type of parking lot WAY off away from the main Longwood Gardens parking lot.
When I FINALLY got to the entrance it was almost 45 minutes after 2. The event began at 2pm. Drats. That's okay though, plenty of time to enjoy wine tastings and music. I pulled out my phone and member card along with driver's license. They scanned all three and I was on my way into the gardens and festival.
My first stop was the table containing all the wine tasting glasses. I picked up a complimentary glass and headed to the first tasting tent. The tents stretched on as far as the eye could see! There were LOTS of wineries/vineyards present. Each one had a very nice selection of wines.
A full list of the wineries along with links to each one can be found on this page, it's on the left side of the page in the gray box "2016 Wineries"...
http://longwoodgardens.org/events-and-performances/events/wine-jazz-festival
They had 4 different stages setup with music cycling through at different times. Each artist had a couple set times so if you missed one, you could get them again at the next show. I managed to get to three, I missed the 4th stage, or I at least walked by it, but didn't really get to sit and watch. So I spent my time wandering around chatting with different folks, tasting different wines, and taking in the tunes.
I bought two bottles of wine. One was just a cabernet sauvignon--or as this one girl standing near me kept calling it "cab sav"--that I really liked. The other was an interesting port wine. The second was my "wild card" purchase. I decided to purchase one good normal one and then go for something different or interesting for my second bottle. A red wine that was infused with grape brandy and espresso beans. Oh gosh. So good. It's called The Raven's Roast, after Edgar Allen Poe's poem.
http://www.sevenmountainswinecellars.com/index.php/wine-shop/product/41-ravens-roast
The wine tasting and 3 of the jazz stages ended around 7pm. At that time the 4th stage, or main stage, became the place to be. The final act was hoppin'. People were dancing. Lots of people that had purchased bottles were opening their bottles and sharing with neighbors, friends, strangers. Wine = love. Lots of love happening.
The main act was a fellow by the name of Arturo Sandoval. A trumpet master from Cuba. He put on quite the show. Everyone laughed and enjoyed the music.
Here's the blurb from the website:
"The dynamic and vivacious Cuban jazz trumpeter, Arturo Sandoval, will provide an electrifying Wine & Jazz finale on our Orchard Stage.
Arturo Sandoval has been seen by millions at the Oscars, the Grammy Awards, and the Billboard Awards. A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences to American Jazz. Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer."
For that final show I linked up with some new friends that I'd started chatting with a short while earlier on the way down to the Orchard Stage, Kyle and Chelsea. We sat on the grass chatting and sharing wine and making jokes. It was a fun time for sure. Sadly I didn't manage to swap any contact information with the couple so... They went their way with their wine, and I went mine.
Well, a lot of people, myself included just kind of waited around a little while for the traffic to trickle out. I munched on some of my food that I still had remaining and listened to some music in my car.
Guilty pleasure: I may have listened to Justin Timberlake's new single maybe 2 or 3 times before listening to my usual playlist.
So, that was the wine and jazz festival recap. I'll be back next year. I had a LOT of fun! And I ended up purchasing two nice bottles of wine as well to have at home and enjoy at a later time.
Related Instagrams:
Jazz music at its finest. #WelcomeMyCubanFriend #MuchLove #ArturoSandoval #LetsBeBestFriends #wineandjazz A photo posted by Kenny (@kennywest82) on
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