Holiday Food and Wine Events Celebrate the Season with Taste

CAPE MAY – There is more to Christmas than candy canes, sugar plums and eggnog. Expand your palate and enjoy gourmet meals, fine wines and much more this Christmas season in Cape May. The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) is offering holiday food and wine events and celebrating what the New York Times calls the “restaurant capital of New Jersey,” from Nov. 18 through Jan. 1, 2012.
The famous Mad Batter restaurant, 19 Jackson St., starts the celebrations early during Holiday Preview Weekend with the Mad Batter Wine Dinner on Fri., Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Kick off the holiday season with a five-course dinner paired with wine tastings from local vineyards as you learn about growing grapes locally. Dinner is limited to 60 and admission is $75 (tax and gratuity included).
The man in the red suit is in town and visiting the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St., for Breakfast with Santa. Enjoy a family-friendly breakfast buffet at the Inn of Cape May as children visit with Santa and hear a Christmas story. Children are encouraged to bring their Christmas lists. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children (ages-12) and includes a special treat for the kids. Breakfast with Santa is held every Saturday from Nov. 26 through Dec. 10 at 10 a.m.
Spend the afternoon visiting two of Cape May County’s wineries and sampling the unique flavors of each on the Cape May Wine Trail. First enjoy lunch at one of Cape May’s fine restaurants and then take the trolley shuttle to Natali Vineyards and Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery, where you’ll learn about viniculture and visit the tasting rooms. Admission is $60 per person and includes lunch, wine tastings at each vineyard and a wine tasting glass. Wine Trails are offered from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, lunch will be at Aleathea’s Restaurant at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St., and Sun., Dec. 30 lunch is at Lucky Bones Backwater Grille, 1200 Route 109.
New in 2011! C’mon girls … this is all about you! Leave the kids and your significant other behind and join us at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St., for Brunch, Bingo & Lace, a morning of brunch, bingo and a fashion show just for you from the lovely ladies at Cape May’s Lace Silhouettes and the Cotton Company. Brunch, Bingo & Lace is Sat., Dec. 10 at 9:30 a.m. Admission is $25 and includes a brunch buffet, free gift cards and eligibility for prizes.
A four-course Gala Dickensian Feast at the Inn of Cape May awaits you at the Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St., as part of the Dickens’ Christmas Extravaganza, Dec. 4-6. Come dressed as your favorite Dickens character or in Victorian dress Tue., Dec. 6 at 6 p.m., and join other Dickens’ enthusiasts as you enjoy a four-course Victorian feast. Admission to the Gala Dickensian Feast is $50. Admission to the complete Dickens Christmas Extravaganza is $150 per person and includes all lectures and performances, plus the Gala Dickensian Feast Tuesday evening.
Triple your holiday experience by attending the Cape May Wine Weekend offered Friday through Sunday, Dec. 9 to Dec. 11.
The weekend combines a Wine Tasting Dinner, a Winery Cellar Tour and a Wine Tasting Class for a weekend of total indulgence. The weekend begins on Friday evening with a four-course dinner at the Washington Inn featuring wines themed to the Sunday Wine School Class. Guests will be treated to individual attention from the wine steward. On Sat. at 3 p.m., visit the award-winning Cape May Winery, 711 Townbank Road, North Cape May, for a tour of the vineyard, an introduction to the winemaker’s art, and a barrel tasting with cheese and fruit. On Sunday at 1 p.m., learn the finer points of fine wines at a Wine School Class at the Washington Inn. The complete package is $135 per person.
The Cape May Wine School classes can be purchased separately from the Cape May Wine Weekend and are held at the Washington Inn, 801 Washington St. You will learn about the world of wine, food pairings, judging, stocking and more. Pick out the perfect wines for your holiday celebrations with “It’s All in the Bubbles: Sparkling Wines for the Holidays” on Sun., Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. Cost is $30.
There’s another Mad Batter Wine Dinner on Fri., Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Celebrate this holiday season with a festive five-course dinner paired with an interesting selection of wines from across the country at the Mad Batter Restaurant, 19 Jackson St. Dinner is limited to 60 and admission is $75 (tax and gratuity included).
The Holiday Chefs’ Dine-around on Thu., Dec. 29 is the ultimate foodie extravaganza. A trolley will shuttle you to five different Cape May restaurants, where you will be served a course paired with wine from the sponsoring winery. The five-course gourmet feast will feature appropriate wine pairings and a representative from the sponsoring winery on hand to explain the pairings. The dine-around begins at 6 p.m. and admission is $125 per person (gratuity included). Reserve early, limited to 34 people.
Winery Cellar Tours and Tastings at the award-winning Cape May Winery, 711 Townbank Rd., are offered at 3 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 25 through Dec. 16, and Dec. 30; Sat. Nov. 19 through Dec. 31, and Sun., Nov. 27. The tour and tastings are also offered Monday through Thursday, Dec. 26-29. Spend an afternoon touring the vineyard to see how the grapes are grown and then visit the winery, where you’ll be introduced to the winemaker’s art and enjoy a barrel tasting accompanied by cheese and fruit. Admission is $20 and includes a complimentary tasting glass.
If you’d rather taste, sip and swirl at your own pace then, you’ll love the Self-guided Wine Trail. Spend the afternoon touring Natali Vineyards and Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery in Cape May County and taste wines at each. Admission is $8 and includes a map with the wineries listed and a tasting glass. Tours are offered daily from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Not offered on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Schedules are subject to change. Please visit our website at www.capemaymac.org for the most current schedule.