I almost hesitate to tell you this, because almost every time I tell you I’m going to one of South Jersey’s wonderful winery events, something comes up and I don’t make it. But, my men are planning to take me to Amalthea Cellars in Atco this Sunday for Mother’s Day. Plus, we have reservations a local BYOB in the evening. I won’t tell you which one yet. If it’s worth telling you about, I’ll write about it next week.

Amalthea is just one of the state’s wineries participating in  the Garden State Wine Grower’s Association Mother’s Day Wine Trail Weekend. Participating wineries will have specials for moms, wine and food pairings, and plenty of other activities. Here’s what Amalthea told me they’ll be doing this weekend.

We will be participating in the Mothers Day wine trail weekend! We’ll be open from 11-5 both Saturday and Sunday. Along with our complimentary tastings we will be having our special VIP tastings which include wines from award winning vintages, barrel samples and a gourmet cheese platter for $10 per person.

For specific information on what other wineries are doing, pop over to Eating in South Jersey. John did all the legwork in tracking down the information. Thanks, John!

Last year on Mother’s Day, the men took me to Sharrott Winery, and I fell in love with the place – so much so that I’ve even volunteered there once over the past year to help them bottle their wonderful Pino Grigio. We’re going to Amalthea this year because I’ve never been to their vineyard or tasting room, although I’ve had their wines at festivals and I like them very much.

Sharrott Winery - Brian and the boys took me there for a Mother’s Day tasting. I’ll have a full report later in the week, but I just have to say how much I loved the wines and the owners.

Tutti Toscani - It’s been about a year since I last visited this restaurant that supports local producers and grows some of its own food in the beds surrounding the outdoor patio. I had lunch there last week with my mom (had the vegetarian panini for the first time – YUM). I wanted to remind you about this little gem of a BYO in Cherry Hill. Anna Maria told me the awnings for the patio would be up in the next couple of days and the gardens would be planted. If you’re heading out for a special dinner, consider Tutti Toscani and it’s outdoor patio. See my original thoughts on Tutti Toscani, here.

Haddonfield Farmers Market - I had a hectic Saturday so I ran quickly to the Haddonfield Farmers market to grab a few things instead heading to Collingswood where I would have spent much more. I got local strawberries. They are amazing. Haddonfield is a small market, but it’s good for a quick trip for fresh, local produce.

Springdale Farms Market – I told my mom I’d pick her up a pie to take to my brother’s for Mother’s Day. After the pies I’ve enjoyed from Springdale lately, I couldn’t even imagine grabbing a pie from the grocery store for her. I had thought I’d hit the Springdale table at the Collingswood Farmers Market Saturday morning, but since I didn’t have the time to get there, I made the time after church on Sunday to stop by Springdale Farm Market to get a strawberry rhubarb pie. So, so, so good.

I was thinking last night about how being committed to supporting local really makes a difference in the choices I make, and that I end up having some really great experiences because of those choices. Where did you end up this past week that you really enjoyed because you decided to support local?

• Dates for the 2010′s East Coast Food & Wine Festival have been released – June 26&27. Last year, I really enjoyed the festival, and I plan on going this summer.
• Winslow Township’s Sharrott Winery made the front page of the print version of The Philadelphia Inquirer this week. Their food and drink writer Craig LeBan showed our South Jersey wineries lots of love with his piece Wines of S. Jersey draw fans. The article talks about the increasingly quality wines our region is producing. It highlighted Sharrott Winery but mentions some others, too.
• Treehugger has an interesting piece on canned beer’s 75th Anniversary. Know which state introduced the container that makes beer taste worse? Yep, good ‘ol NJ. There’s a lot of good information about refillable vs recyclable containers in the piece.
• The Northeast Organic Farming Association of NJ is having a winter conference this Saturday, Jan 30th at Rutgers in New Brunswick. The sessions are open to anyone and in addition to the sessions you can stop by the vendors and exhibitors sharing information and selling locally produced foods.  Their website says, “You will find products such as amazing cheeses from Cherry Grove Farm, Heirloom Tomato Ketchup from the Purple Dragon, Popcorn from Farmer Steve, Fresh bread from Village Bakery, and books from Rodale Press and Bountiful Gardens, as well as information on topics such as 
Soil Testing and Raw Milk.”
• The High Street Grill in Mount Holly will have its 2nd Annual Winter Beer Fest this Saturday, Jan 30th. Lots of craft breweries, including several in our region, will have their beers there to sample. Dress warmly – the event is outside!
• John and Lisa are Eating in South Jersey continues its series on interviews with our local chefs. This time it’s Chef Geoff Johnson from Copper Fish in Cape May.
• A couple of weeks ago I wrote about New Jersey’s local maple syrup. On Saturday, February 6, The Mercer County Park Commission will mark the beginning of the maple sugaring season with tree tapping workshops and a tape sale at Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell Township.  Other activities are planned, also.

Enjoy your weekend. I’ll be spending some time in DC’s Wine Country this weekend and checking out the small, local wineries in that region, and I’ve got a few restaurants that support that regions local farmers on my radar. Just because I’m traveling doesn’t mean I stop supporting local.