~It is a theatre that spreads as far as the eye can see. Marked by tall flags bearing the mark of each artisan, it is a stage like no other. The Grassland Wine Festival was graced with sunny skies and free-flowing fun for all revelers.
The weekend began with a Connoisseur’s Evening on Friday, hosted on land graciously lent to the Festival committee by the incomparable Mother Dor. Her small farm was transformed for one weekend into an exquisite venue for tasting of rare specimens from all reaches of the land. There was also an art exhibit and a feature performance by Claflin Dwindlekik in memory of his uncle Jasper Drundlesput, who passed away some weeks ago.
Saturday and Sunday saw the grounds come alive with activity. Several vintners brought their best for tasting and judging. We even saw a small dwarf contingent, a rare entry in the Festival to be sure. A few small distractions on Saturday were quickly addressed, and a fun time was had by most.
We had the chance to interview several vintners throughout the weekend. Those interviews, as well as many other topics of interest, will be included in a new feature book entitled “The Fairer Side of Food: A Trip Around the Rim of Good Taste”. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the book will go to assisting families of Cauldron rebuild from the recent goblin attacks.