This year’s Charlotte Wine & Food Week is the first to return the event to its full form since before the pandemic, with a grand tasting event scheduled for Friday, April 29. Along with the Grand Tasting, the festival made a shift away from local vineyards back to recognizable names now that travel has opened back up. One change that has stuck around is the opening of the wine auction to the public, with bottles and experiences available for bidding online. The rosé brunch, another recent addition, will take place on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Poplar Tapas.

The vintner dinners will take place throughout the week of April 25, kicking off with Cattleya wines served with a meal at Counter-. Wednesday brings a Sake dinner at Fin & Fino as well as a dinner with Vineyard 29 at Porcupine Provisions. Thursday’s schedule is the most packed, with The Spire Collection (the portfolio includes Lokoya, Hickinbotham, and Penner Ash) featured at Angeline’s and Rewa Vineyards at The Fig Tree among the seven options that night. The annual 1,000-point dinner, hosted this year at the Innovation Barn, will be hosted by Laura Catena of Bodega Catena Zapata and Wine Enthusiast editor Lauren Mowery. The $500 ticket includes dinner by L’Ostrica and 10 wines that have scored 100 points.

This year’s grand tasting will take place Friday night, and include more than 100 wines to sample, food provided by Charlotte restaurants, and its own silent auction. Guests will be required to show either a fully completed vaccine card or a negative Covid-19 test to attend.

New this year is a Saturday blind tasting hosted by two local wine experts, Sara Guterbock and Sarah Malik. Guests will be able to score four sets of wines in the price range of $10 to $100, with prizes going to the most accurate guesses, as well as ask questions throughout the event. The event takes place at 3:30 p.m., with cheese and charcuterie provided during the tasting. The event will wrap up with another new event, a Smoke + Grapes event featuring Jon G.’s barbecue and Andis Wines.

Tickets for all events go on sale Thursday, March 10 at noon.

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