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William Shakespeare noted in “Romeo and Juliet,” “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Sunday, only three days after autumn has replaced summer, the 14th Annual Vendemmia Festival will address the sweet aspects of watching the new supplant the old.
With a reputation as the region’s largest and oldest event dedicated to the art of home winemaking, the festival has solidified the Vendemmia Foundation’s quest to advance and preserve Italian culture and heritage.
The festival debuted in 1997, drawing, according to the foundation’s website, about 300 people to the courtyard of St. Agnes Medical Center, 1900 S. Broad St. Following one gathering there and nine at Girard Park, 21st and Shunk streets, organizers in 2007 gave the fall fete its current residence at Vendemmia Square, 20th Street and Pattison Avenue.
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The celebration now greets about 6,000 guests at its new locale, inspiring founder Dr. Gerard Vernose to reward those for whom grapes are a juicy topic. Vernose, an otolaryngologist and a resident of The Reserve at Packer Park, designed the afternoon as an homage to the winemaking faculties of his grandfather and father and as a test of the boasts he has heard through the years.
“So many patients used to tell me ‘I make the best homemade wine’ that I wanted to give them a chance to compete,” Vernose, whose foundation also oversees a scholarship program, said.
“Vendemmia” refers to the autumnal harvesting of grapes. Sunday’s roundup will catch a new season in its infancy, but will present wines aged for months.
Running from 2 to 6 p.m., Vernose’s brainchild will feature a buffet of Italian foods and treats. Entrants will battle for prizes in the wine competition’s 13 categories.
“We are going to be looking for complexity, clarity and longevity in the wines we taste,” Vincent Novello of 21st and Porter streets, said.
Novello, one of the festival’s organizers and winemaking judges, also relayed he and his fellow judges, who will travel from all over the country, as well as Mexico, will give their preference to potables that “stay with the palate.”
“We hope to find people who have given their wine a chance to mature,” Novello said. “We are also hoping to be able to teach young people to make wine.”
Young and old will sample homemade concoctions courtesy of the commemorative glasses their admission price will include. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 the day of the event.
Vernose and company will welcome two new elements to the proceedings. The first will have everyone eager to see who makes the best local biscotti, as employees of Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, N.J., will judge the large almond biscuits, which, in Italy, make a perfect drinking companion for dessert wine. The judges, who will provide dessert portions from a wine bottle-shaped cake, have become famous through their time on The Learning Channel’s “Cake Boss.”
“The inspiration for the biscotti contest also derives from hearing people bragging about their creations,” Vernose said. “So many people have told me, ‘Oh, my grandmother makes the best biscotti.’”
At least three scholarship winners also will add novelty to the festival.
“This will be the first year we have insisted that some of the children try to be present,” Vernose said.
Funds from the event assist the foundation’s annual scholarship programs, which support the educational needs of Italians in the area by endowing grade and high school students with financial assistance. To the former, the foundation bestows 10 $2,000 awards payable over four years. Students must maintain good academic standing to retain the aid.
To the high-school set, the foundation bequeaths 10 $4,000 scholarships payable over four years. Students must be advancing to accredited four-year colleges during the year they apply. Information on the scholarships is available at www.vendemmiafoundation.org/scholarship/index.html.
“Applications go through reviews by a committee,” Vernose said. “We are looking to reward academic excellence. This is the easiest, most efficient way to do so.”
Vernose’s comments came last Thursday at Procacci Brothers Grapes, 3655 S. Lawrence St., site of the festival’s kick-off. A staple of the winemaking community since 1948, the company hawks 25 varieties of grapes and all the necessary equipment for the creation of residential libations. Donning headkerchiefs and red wigs, three women reenacted the famous scene from “Lucy’s Italian Movie,” a 1956 episode of “I Love Lucy” in which star Lucille Ball stomps on grapes. Leasen Almquist, Karen Pucci and Lori Russo, all from New York, each had to crush two 36-pound crates of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes .
“Those are my biggest sellers,” Len Procacci said of the richly colored fruit.
The ladies’ slippery endeavor sparked laughs from onlookers and gripes about the grapes’ temperature.
“They are so cold!” Almquist said.
Freezing for photos while their feet froze, the three conducted a practice Procacci said still is somewhat common. With their work halfway done, he scooped a little juice from Almquist’s tub, declaring it ready for the elaborate process that will transform it from a beverage for all into a drink for the mature only.
“Well, we have crushing, fermenting, pressing, pulling, barreling, more fermenting and clarifying,” Procacci said of what becomes of the grapes.
Come Sunday, what has become of the contestants’ grapes will be at the mercy of noses and taste buds. Aside from the festival’s being a day for wine and food, Vernose lauds the event as a day for sustaining memories and creating friendships.
“We eat, drink, sing and dance together,” he said. “We celebrate as family. The day is a real party for the palate, giving us an opportunity to spend quality time with friends, both old and new, and family.” SPR
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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