“What we are trying to achieve is to organically align the festival with local chefs and offer a ‘sense of place’ to our visitors that weekend,” states Nevette Previd, who, with Amy Foster Devore, is this year’s co-director for the 2015 Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival. The duo have worked arduously alongside local chefs, restaurants, purveyors, and artisans to create a unique Vineyard-inspired program for this year’s festival, which will take place Oct. 15 through 18 at various locations across the Island.
The theme of “sense of place” will be infused throughout most of their events, with a curated list of signature happenings and new programs. Island chefs were recruited to help design and create the schedule and develop collaborations that paired perfectly. Here’s an example of some of the unique events that are in store.
Crudo, Fresh Off the Boat, hosted by Michael Brisson from l’Etoile and Menemsha Fish House’s Michael Holtham, takes “fresh” to a whole new level.
Chowder Run, hosted by Daniel Sauer from the Island’s much loved 7a Foods, serves up a tasting of
chowders, from original Wampanoag recipes to old-school stews and wild-ingredient bisques.
Oh Shucks! hosted by the Port Hunter, features three oyster farmers with briny bivalves, paired with eight perfect pours.
Chef Mary Cleaver from the Cleaver Co. and the Green Table in New York City, a pioneer in the sustainable food movement, will host a Farm Breakfast & Conversation with local chefs and farmers in addition to a Green Table Pop-Up, with the Kitchen Porch’s Jan Buhrman, inspired by the bounty of the Vineyard, from oysters and farmstead cheeses to harvest fruits and vegetables.
In addition to great chef collaborations, it wouldn’t be a food and wine festival without the wine, made possible by Ruby Wines, a family-owned and operated fourth-generation company with a comprehensive portfolio of wines from around the world. They’ll be adding to the lineup with their own celebrated guest winemakers and personalities, like Joseph Carr and Bryan Page.
The Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival is presented by the Edgartown Board of Trade, which is “committed to supporting the four-day feast in order to increase off-season business in Edgartown and across the Island. A festival with a mission, MVF&W donates a portion of the proceeds to local charities, including its farm-to-school program Island Grown Schools, a program of Island Grown Initiative, serving to empower a new generation to make healthy choices, learn to grow food, and connect to local farms; and the Agricultural Society’s Farmers Program.”
For tickets and a complete schedule of events, visit mvfoodandwine.com. You can also follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @mvfoodandwine.