Ventimiglia wine tasting a fundraiser for literacy volunteers program

Wantage — Ventimiglia Vineyard will host a wine tasting fundraiser on Saturday, June 4, from noon to 6 p.m. The $5 entrance fee plus 10 percent of the proceeds from the wine sales will go to Literacy Volunteers of Sussex County. The wines will be European-style reds and whites. Ventimiglia’s 2008 Cabernet Franc won the bronze medal at the Finger Lake International Competition. The entrance fee includes the tasting plus a cellar tour, guidance in wines and wine-tasting by the owner. A special attraction will be music (guitar, banjo) by Chris Brune, who presented the one-man New Chautauqua music/story-telling performance at the Sussex County Community College in fall 2010 Added attractions will be the vineyard surroundings, picnic tables, walk to sheep meadow and upper vineyard, with scenery from the high point. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic lunch. Vineyard owners are Anne and Gene Ventimiglia. Gene’s grandfather brought European wine-making traditions to this country in the early 1900s. Gene has been making wines for over 30 years. His son, Anthony, continues the family’s dedication to the vines. Just for fun, there will be signs bearing wine-related limericks scattered throughout the property for this day. Sample: If wine education you’re craving Make June 4 a date you’ll be saving For talk and a tour Wine-tasting and more Of Wantage’s wines you’ll be raving. Ventimiglia Vinyard is located at 101 Layton Road, in Wantage. Directions: 23 north out of Sussex, turn right onto Ryan Road at Tractor Supply Company, left onto Layton. For more information visit www.VentiVines.com.

Literacy volunteers
The 100 volunteers of Literacy Volunteers of Sussex County (LVSC) tutor adults in English and related skills. The tutoring is free, one-on-one, and confidential. These adults may be born in the U.S. or born abroad, now learning how to function in English. The students have a range of goals: driver license, better job, citizenship, ability to communicate. The benefits of this tutoring to the students is obvious, but there are substantial benefits to the entire community: employees better able to read the company manuals, reduction in welfare expense as someone goes from welfare to paid work, easier communications with doctors and teachers—and so forth.
LVSC receives no government funds. Its expenses — small office, telephone, three part-time employees — are paid through fund-raising events like this one and from donations.