by TM Petaccia

For the 38th year, Charlotte’s wine and food lovers turn their passion into philanthropy as Charlotte Wine + Food Week launches its annual week-long celebration, April 15-19.

A total of 15 public wine-pairing events will take place at some of Charlotte’s top restaurants and venues throughout the week, culminating in the already sold-out Collector’s Gala (waitlist available) and the organization’s signature Grand Tasting wine-and-food showcase.

Tickets went on sale this morning for this year’s series of tastings, dinners, and auctions to support the nonprofit’s mission to ensure that every child in the Charlotte region has access to a full and proper education, regardless of economic circumstances.

“All of our recipients support upward mobility in one way or another,” says Lauren Deese, Executive Director of Charlotte Wine + Food. “That could be educational opportunity, mentorship, housing and home stability, and social capital. They are very different causes, but collectively, they support a similar population.”

To date, the organization has raised just under $8 million for area charities, with nearly $1 million raised over the last two years combined. “We’re on a really nice trajectory,” Deese says.

Charlotte Wine + Food selects its beneficiaries for four-year recipient rotations to help bring funds to a wider range of charities. Returning recipients this year are Digi-Bridge and Wayfinders, with Beds for Kids and Families Forward/Charlotte being this year’s new add-ons.

Deese says the rotation helps ensure the fundraiser can support a range of community needs over time, while still building long-term partnerships with each group. “What’s cool is that they all sometimes work together and support each other,” she says. “There’s a real connectivity between our charities, and they’re all supporting the same goal.”

Beds for Kids provides beds and essential furniture to children and families in need who are rising out of poverty and moving toward self-sufficiency. Digi-Bridge stimulates interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM), giving middle school children opportunities and skills by fostering curiosity, creativity, exploration, persistence, and resilience. Currently supporting 100 Charlotte-area families including nearly 300 children annually, Families Forward Charlotte partners with families to help overcome barriers such as job loss, lack of affordable housing, or childcare challenges through educational opportunities, essential support, and individualized mentoring. Wayfinders conducts year-round enrichment programs and summer camps to spur self-motivation in underserved students.

---

Restaurant Tastings

The core of Charlotte Wine + Food is the exclusive winery tastings held at the area’s notable restaurants, along with some unique new venues. Fifteen dining events will occur over five days, April 15-19.

One of the new hosts this year is the recently Michelin Recommended Omakase by Prime Fish in Cotswold. Two seatings (5 and 8 p.m.) on April 16 will showcase chef Robin Anthony’s tasting menu, paired with wines from California’s Skipstone and Sphaerics wineries. This is the week’s most expensive dinner at $750/person.

In a rare opening to non-members, Uptown’s Charlotte City Club will host a dinner on on April 16 showcasing wines from Melka Estates & Winery, which covers vineyards in California and Washington. Proprietor Cherie Melka is flying in to participate that evening plus at CW+F’s Gala and Grand Tasting. “She told us they were only doing four events all year, and we’re one of them,” Deese says. Tickets for this event are $250/person.

SouthPark’s Peppervine is another first-time participant with a dinner on April 16 ($250) by chef Will Stephenson and a “Tour du Monde” of wines from Jackson Family Wines, which has holdings throughout California as well as Oregon, Australia, Chile, France, Italy, and South Africa. The Fig Tree in Elizabeth returns after missing last year with a dinner on April 16 ($250) featuring wines from the noted Stags’ Leap with food prepared by chef/owner Greg Zanitsch.

After a year’s absence, sake returns to Charlotte Wine + Food with two events, both at South End cocktail lounge Blue Door. The April 15 event ($300) will be a formal dinner with food by Michael Le of Hello Uncle with sake from Kikusui Sake Brewery, a family-run business for six generations. Designated “future president” of Kikusui, Shunsuke Takasawa, is flying in from Japan to take part in the week’s activities. On April 16, Blue Door will host a “Sake 101” tasting ($125) where Takasawa will also appear with food supplied by Yume Ramen Sushi & Bar.

For the first time, CW+F is offering two brunch events. Chapter 6 in South End will host a Moët champagne brunch on Saturday, April 18 ($195) with food by chef Bernard Crate — along with the event’s annual rosé brunch taking place Sunday, April 19 ($195) at a new location, Forest Kitchen Design on Pecan Avenue with food by chef Edwin Cruz of Edwin’s Organix. Forest Kitchen and Cruz will also host a dinner on April 16 featuring wines from Anomaly Vineyards and Compris Vineyard. “It’s a really cool space,” says Deese. “I think it will offer a different, unique experience.”

Also returning to the CW+F Week lineup will be dinners at Customshop, L’Ostrica, Napa on Providence, Petit Philippe (with food by Ft. Mill’s The Speckled Pear ), and Porcupine Provisions (two events, April 15 and April 16). Ticket costs for these are $250/person, except for L’Ostrica, which is $500.

Additional details and menus can be found at the CW+F website.

---

C W+F Main Events

Along with the dining showcases are the week’s centerpiece fundraisers.

The Collector’s Gala & Auction, Charlotte Wine + Food’s signature event, will be at Quail Hollow Club. Already pre-sold out (waitlist available), the $500 event features tastings from over 20 renowned wineries along with dishes prepared by the chef Troy Guard of the TAG Restaurant Group as well as Hello Uncle’s Michael Le, and chef Shaun King of the soon-to-open Uchi and Uchibā. Desserts will be provided by Hannah Neville of HoneyBear Bake Shop. The auction will be conducted by nationally known auctioneer Dan Lyles. This event highlights ultra-premium bottles with each table getting its own wine rep. Sake is also making an appearance at the gala in a big way. One of the auction items is a very rare sake, 2017 Kuramitsu Junmai Daiginjo Platinum Niigata, made from a recently repopulated rice variety and polished to 23%. Only 300 bottles were produced and have only been sold directly at the brewery at Niigata, Japan. Takasawa is personally escorting a single bottle to the U.S. for Charlotte Wine + Food.

The annual Grand Tasting returns to The Union at Station West for the third year. A “street fair for fine wine,” the event features more than 100 curated wines from around the world with a number of food participants, including DŌZO, Honeybear Bake Shop, Peppervine, Sea Level NC, Seasoned Provisions, Sun Raised Foods, Taco Boy, and Uchibā. More are expected to be added. The event will also feature local breweries, cocktails, live jazz, and a mobile auction emceed by WBTV personalities Nia Harden and Alex Giles. Tickets are $150 ($175 for early entry). “We even have the Barbados Tourism Board coming to do some fun rum cocktails, which I think will be a lot of fun,” Deese says.

---

CW+F also includes a number of private, invitation-only events hosted by CW+F board members or sponsors to supplement the public fundraising, as well as an online raffle and online auction which will span the entirety of the fundraiser week. “The online auction and raffle allows people to participate and support our mission, whether they come to an event or not,” Deese says.

The event has been named one of the top five wine events in the United States by Forbes Travel Guide (2014) and was recently named a “must-attend wine event” by the Sommeliers Choice Awards.

“We want to shine a light on these charities and hope the community will come support us in the most tasty, palate-pleasing way,” Deese says. “We want to give as much money as possible to those who are doing a lot of hard work in our community.”

Full details can be found at the Charlotte Wine + Food website.