Warm Up Your Winter Visit to Cape May with These Food and Wine Tours and Events

CAPE MAY – Cape May is appreciated by food and wine lovers for its flourishing vineyards and award-winning local wines and talented chefs and vibrant restaurant scene. The cold months are the ideal time to settle in beside a warm, toasty fire as you sip and swirl, taste and learn about fine regional, national and international wines during events sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC).

Spend the day visiting Cape May County’s wineries and sampling the unique flavors of each during Cape May Wine Trails on Saturdays, Feb. 18 and March 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., including lunch at Willow Creek Winery. Board the MAC trolley at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., which will take you to Willow Creek Winery and Natali Vineyards (with the addition of Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery on March 25). Admission is $60 on Feb. 18 and $75 on March 25. Admission includes lunch and wine tastings at each vineyard. This is a limited event, so reserve early.

It’s a bountiful feast for chocolate lovers during the Chocolate Lover’s Feast on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. Enjoy seven plated courses of chocolate desserts and hear how each was created from the chef who prepared it at The Blue Rose Inn. Admission is $40.

There are few more enjoyable ways to warm up during winter than by tasting and appreciating fine wines. Expand your knowledge of wine as you learn to discern and appreciate specially selected wines during the Cape May Wine School – “Hidden Wine Treasures From France — Great Off-the Radar Reds and Whites That Will Amaze” at the renowned Washington Inn, with help from a wine expert. The class on Saturday, Feb. 18 takes place at 1 p.m. at the Washington Inn, 801 Washington St., and admission is $40 per person. To purchase tickets call the Washington Inn directly at (609) 884-5697.

The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) is a multifaceted not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors. MAC membership is open to all. For information about MAC’s year-round schedule of tours, festivals and special events, call (609) 884-5404 or (800) 275-4278, or visit MAC’s website at www.capemaymac.org. For information about restaurants, accommodations and shopping, call the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May at (609) 884-5508 or visit www.capemaychamber.com. For information about historic accommodations, contact Cape May Historic Accommodations at www.capemaylodging.com.