FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2004

MOUNT VERNON, Va. – Mount Vernon’s Wine Festival & Sunset Tour celebrates the history of wine in Virginia with exclusive evening tours of the Mansion and wine cellar, an appearance by “General Washington” himself, and blues music by Bruce Evan and the Solid Senders on the east lawn of George Washington's Mount Vernon home overlooking the scenic Potomac River. Visitors can bring a blanket and relax on the lawn as they sample wines from sixteen Virginia wineries on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 1, 2 & 3 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and are available at Mount Vernon’s Main Gate or through Ticketmaster.

To accompany the wine tasting, Fruit & Cheese boxes are available by advance purchase only ($22 each). A variety of hot and cold food and desserts including baguettes, gourmet sandwiches, and specialty sweets will be available on site from the Mount Vernon Inn and Firehook Bakery concessions. Outside food and beverages are not allowed.

The Mansion will be open for candlelight tours. Historic interpreters will discuss Washington’s attempts at creating a vineyard and highlight various wine-related items inside the Mansion, such as Washington’s spirits case, as well as the cellar where Washington stored his wine - an area of the Mansion open exclusively for the Wine Festival & Sunset Tour.

Throughout each evening, guests can sample wines from sixteen award-winning Virginia wineries: Afton Mountain Vineyards, Breaux Vineyards, Ingleside Plantations Vineyards, Shenandoah Vineyards, Swedenburg Estate Vineyard, Gray Ghost Vineyards, Valhalla Vineyards, Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, Tomahawk Mill Winery, Chrysalis Vineyards, Farfelu Vineyards, Gabriele Rausse Winery, Unicorn Winery, Keswick Vineyards & Winery, Hartwood Winery and Oasis Winery.

Guests must be prepared to show identification for wine service. Designated drivers will receive free Coca-Cola soft drinks.

Guests can take home a remembrance of Mount Vernon’s Wine Festival & Sunset Tour from The Shops at Mount Vernon, open until 9:30 p.m. each evening. Cases of wine purchased at the Festival can be transported by wine valets to The Shops for easy pick up at the end of the evening.

Mount Vernon’s Wine Festival & Sunset Tour takes place rain or shine, tickets are limited and all sales are final. Early ticket purchase is suggested for this popular event. Admission tickets ($25 per person) and reserved Fruit & Cheese boxes ($22) may be purchased through Ticketmaster at 703-573-SEAT or www.ticketmaster.com or at Mount Vernon’s Main Gate starting September 1.

All proceeds benefit the ongoing preservation and restoration of Mount Vernon and its educational programs.

Events, programs, and activities are subject to change.

Public Information: 703-780-2000; 703-799-8697 (TDD); www.mountvernon.org

George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, open to the public since 1860, communicates the character and leadership of Washington to millions of Americans each year through a variety of interpretive programs on the Estate and in classrooms across the nation. Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, founded in 1853, making it America’s oldest national preservation organization. Mount Vernon is located at the southern end of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, just 16 miles from Washington, D.C.