Imagine Covid doesn’t exist and you have a day off from work. You are free to spend the day doing exactly as you please. Inspired by U2’s It’s a Beautiful Day – “It’s a beautiful day, don’t let it get away” – we asked Kristy Aurand to describe her perfect Lancaster County day.
About Kristy
Born and raised in Lancaster, Kristy is a graduate of Manheim Township High School. She earned a degree in government and political affairs from Millersville University. Her career path has taken her from LNP (Lancaster Newspapers) as an editorial clerk, reporter and marketing coordinator to sales positions with the Lancaster Barnstormers and the Lancaster Chamber. Today, she is the chief development officer at Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County (CAP), where she leads fundraising and friendraising efforts.
Kristy is married to Adam Aurand and is mom to daughter Kylar, and the family dogs, Sally (mutt) and Lucy (corgi). She is also an avowed wine enthusiast!
Loving Wine!
Kristy credits her love of wine to Adam. “When I met him in my early 20s, my Sunday afternoon ritual included eating Pizza Hut pizza paired with white zinfandel in a coffee mug,” she recalls. “He had gone to Ithaca College in the Finger Lakes region and encouraged me to branch out and try new wines.” The Aurands have continued to branch out where wine is concerned. “We love trying wines that are local to wherever we’re traveling – some of which are better than others,” Kristy says. “Virginia wine, for example, is much better than Georgia wine. Texas wine is surprisingly good. Some of my very favorite New World wines come from Oregon, Washington and South Africa. Nothing beats France in the Old World!”
Red, White or Rosé?
“If I’m drinking wine with a meal, it all depends on the food pairing! If I’m enjoying a glass by itself, and it’s between the months of May and September, it will always be rosé,” Kristy reports. “Outside of rosé season, I generally prefer red over white, although I believe I’ve developed a touch of an allergy to red – it sometimes gives me a headache if I enjoy too much.”
Most Interesting Wine Event She’s Attended
“That would have to be the Harrisburg Wine Festival, no question,” says Kristy. “It is put together by the state system – Fine Wine & Good Spirits. There are more than 100 winemakers who pour more than 600 wines from all over the world. In 2018, I had the chance to taste a Penfolds Grange, which retails for $800/bottle! Due to the pandemic, the event was canceled in both 2020 and 2021, but I’m super hopeful it will be back in 2022.”
Bucket List Winery
For Kristy, it would be Chateau Miraval in the southern French region of Provence. “Not only do they produce one of my favorite rosés, but there’s always the chance that Brad [Pitt] or Angelina [Jolie] will be there,” she says of the winery’s celebrity owners. (Kristy better hurry: Jolie has initiated legal proceedings to sell it.)
What Role Does CAP Play in the Community?
“CAP works to transform generational poverty into economic prosperity so that all can thrive,” Kristy explains. “Best known for the individual programs we administer – Head Start, WIC, Domestic Violence Services, among others – CAP annually serves 40,000 people in Lancaster County, as they work to attain economic empowerment. On a systems level, we partner across sectors to dismantle policies and practices that work against the economic prosperity the families we serve are looking to achieve. As chief development officer, I am responsible for setting organizational fundraising strategy to ensure our customers have access to the resources they need.”
In her Own Words: Kristy’s Perfect Lancaster County Day
My perfect Lancaster County day would start with sleeping in and enjoying a leisurely amount of time to wake up. Then Adam, Kylar and I would head to Central Market for a smoothie at Lancaster Juice Company and a treat from Shady Maple Bakery (they have a gluten-free section now!). We’d buy some cheese from S. Clyde Weaver and then drive to Manheim to visit Waltz Vineyards. We’re wine club members, so we get free tastings any time we want!
After a tasting, we’d buy a bottle of wine – preferably rosé – and take our cheese from market out to Waltz’s beautiful lawn area, which seems to overlook basically all of Lancaster County! We’d enjoy our wine, our daughter would play with Lucy, the resident border collie, and we’d take lots of pictures.
Next, we’d treat our dogs to an adventure. Both Sally (a complete mutt and the sweetest dog) and Lucy (purebred corgi and exceptionally sassy) love to go to the Manheim Township Dog Park, so we’d take them there to play with their friends.
Back at home, we’d “get fancy” (as my daughter would say), and head to one of my favorite Lancaster County restaurants. It’s simply too hard to choose, but it would either be Citronnelle, C’est La Vie or El Toro Barbacoa. All have delightful options for outdoor dining, as well as some of the most delicious options for gluten-free food around, a lot of which is sourced locally. Oh, and we’d drink wine!
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