W3 returns to Jekyll Island Feb. 3

Jan. 19—Like many annual events, Jekyll Island's Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife took a hiatus in 2021.

"It was originally scheduled for February 2021, and we knew that was not a safe time for everyone, so we postponed it until September," said Jan Gourley, co-organizer of the food, drink and ecology fest. "Then the delta variant (of COVID-19) arrived in Glynn County."

That meant that the multi-day festival would have to be pushed back again. And that, Gourley said, meant moving it back to its original February date. But now that is fast-approaching.

Kicking off Feb. 3, the oceanfront event will feature beverage tastings, coastal cooking demonstrations and wildlife education opportunities. This year's event, the sixth if one excludes the canceled 2021 function, is shaping up to be a special one for several reasons, not the least of which is the wide array of offerings.

"We have a record number of beverage participants. We believe it's going to be close to 400 varieties of tastings," Gourley said. "They're very small pours, but it's a lot of variety and new brands that are trying to make their mark on the market."

It's also a high point for the number of Golden Isles dining establishments.

"Certified Burgers, Del Sur, Holiday Inn Beach House, Matthew Raiford, a lot of local folks will be doing a cooking demo on the cooking stage," Gourley said. "It's a good mix. It seems like we have a lot of spirits and wines. We had some really solid local beers. It's really dependent on what your preference is, there's going to be a lot to taste."

Another reason this year is special, at least for the organizers, is that ticket sales were through the roof. Many of the events scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 3 to 6 are already sold out, including the Whiskey Inspired cooking demonstration.

"That one always sells out first. It's a real unique event, and it's all-inclusive, includes food and beverage. It's in The (Westin) hotel and is a really well-done event," Gourley said. "We really are almost sold out. We have a few tickets left for the master classes. We have some Saturday general admission, but that's selling out."

General admission tickets get one access to the festival proper, which will be spread across The Westin hotel and Jekyll's Beach Village.

"We have changed the layout a little bit for social distancing, taken precautions to keep everyone safe," Gourley said.

Master classes are cooking instruction demos from chefs with the various dining establishments that participate in W3. Among them are Philippe Feret with Hilton Head Social Bakery, who will show the uniqueness and variety one can achieve with pies, and Clayton Rollison with Callawassie Island with a demonstration of various salt-roasting techniques.

The weekend's Sunday brunch is still open, as are the educational ranger walks and dolphin cruises. Some events, like Whiskey Inspired, incorporate live animals and nature, but the ranger walks and the cruise focus more on nature and a little less on the food and drink.

"We're always looking for some interesting ways to incorporate wildlife," Gourley said. "Next year, I think we'll incorporate either the Sea Turtle Center or Mosaic (Jekyll Island Museum)."

All of the main events also include live music.

Part of the reason for the swift ticket sales is that fewer tickets were offered out of the gate, she said. The total available this year is about 20 percent less than in 2020, although more than the organizers had planned on offering in 2021, Gourley explained.

For tickets and information, visit whiskeywineandwildlife.com.