VFN Annual Forum Celebrates 21 Years

The Vermont Fresh Network's annual dinner turns 21 -- the tour of Vermont’s finest foods and creative beverages returns to Shelburne Farms on Sunday, August 6th

Every year, Vermont’s chefs and farmers gather on the shores of Lake Champlain to prepare an annual dinner celebrating the delicious food Vermont has to offer. This year, the Vermont Fresh Network’s Annual Forum dinner is turning 21, and gearing up for another spectacular tour through some of Vermont’s finest food and beverages.

The annual tasting dinner, hosted in the Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms, includes a cocktail hour with dozens of food and beverage tastings, a grazing dinner for sampling small dishes prepared by twenty Vermont Fresh Network chefs, and a closing Ice Cream Social sponsored by Strafford Organic Ice Cream.

This year there will be a particular emphasis on creative beverages. The courtyard cocktail hour samplings will include a unique pairing of beans and wines / ciders. Joe Bossen of Vermont Bean Crafters is designing original bean based dishes in complementary pairings with a half dozen Vermont wines and hard ciders. There will be samples of historic beverages and a chance to talk to their producers about how they’re created, including single-farm distilled whiskey, old fashioned ciders, naturally sparkling wine, switchel, and gruit. The Vermont Fresh Network is launching a Vermont wine market development project later this year, and there will be samples and information about tasting, and appreciating, wines made from cold climate grapes. And, of course, Vermont’s great restaurants also have great bartenders - who will be partnering with local distillers to add cocktail sips into the sampling mix. The people’s choice “Best Bite” prize will be joined this year by a “Best Sip” vote as well.

The evening is both an unforgettable dining experience and a chance to learn about Vermont foods. Tickets are available online, and linked from VermontFresh.net. They are $60 for VFN members and $75 for non-members. Diners are asked to pre-purchase their tickets, there are no ticket sales at the door. For more information, please e-mail info@vermontfresh.net or call 802-434-2000.

We thank our generous sponsors who make this event possible, including Shelburne Farms, Farrell Distributing, Hotel Vermont, Dinse Knapp and McAndrew, Reinhart / Black River Produce, Foley Services, VPR, Vermont First, Dealer.com, Addison Independent, VT Ski + Ride, Citizen Cider, Zero Gravity Craft Brewery, and Vermont Tent Company. Our full sponsor list is found at http://vermontfresh.net/programs/annual-forum/