Rockville Ready to "Uncork" its Annual Wine Festival

Organizers expect 5,000 people to descend on today as the city’s Uncorked Wine and Music Festival returns for its sixth year.

The festival, which was canceled last year due to Hurricane Irene, includes wine tastings, free live music and cooking demonstrations throughout the day on the Town Square Plaza and along Maryland Avenue and Gibbs Street.

Attendees 21-and-older can sample offerings from 14 wineries for $15 (cash only). The first 3,000 to purchase a bracelet for the wine tastings will receive a commemorative glass.

Tastings and music begin at noon. The festival wraps up at 6 p.m. Highlights include:

Wine tastings

 These Maryland wineries will offer tastings:

• Basignani Winery
• Boordy Vineyards
• Cygnus Wine Cellars
• Elk Run Vineyard
• Far Eastern Shore Winery
• Frederick Cellars
• Knob Hall Winery
• Linganore Winecellars
• Orchid Cellar
• Running Hare Vineyard
• Solomons Island Winery
• Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard
• Terrapin Station Winery
• Woodhall Wine Cellars

Click here for more on each winery.

in Potomac Woods Plaza also will be offering its expertise to attendees looking for the perfect bottle, while pouring a selection of cabernets, chardonnays, pinots and more.

Cooking demos

New this year, Chef Jeff Eng from will cook crab cakes and watermelon gazpacho from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Returning favorite Chef Patrice Olivon, from L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, also will put his skills on display, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Music

The festival also includes two stages of musical entertainment.

On the Plaza Stage:

• Noon to 2 p.m.: Dixie Power Trio and the New Line Brass Band
• 2:30 to 4 p.m.:  Big Chimney Band
• 4:30 to 6 p.m.: Melodime

On the Maryland Stage:

• Noon to 1 p.m.: The Dirty Pints
• 1:30 to 3 p.m.:  Cletus & Lori
• 3:30 to 5 p.m.: The Bruce Swaim Quartet

“The musical acts are all local/regional,” Colleen McQuitty,
special events manager for the City of Rockville said in an email. “We try to get a mix of different genres so we have something for everyone.”

Click here for the full schedule.