Winter Wine
Festivities
Have you heard about the Naples Winter Wine
Festival? Drink wine and celebrate to your heart’s
desire from January 26-28 th for a very good cause
indeed: “It’s all for the kids!”
The 2018 theme for this very well-known event is “All we
Need is Love.” As the festival takes place, in part with the
Naples Children & Education Foundation, the proceeds
go to children in need year-round. Since 2001, the festival
has raised more than 161 million dollars for children in
need.
With so much to do, it isn’t a surprise that this much
money has gone to such a great cause. The festival sets
up auction lots, private tastings, celebrity chef dinners
and workshops, a slew of sponsor/partner booths, and
of course, a wide variety of vintners that come together
to bring their best bottles forth. Past vineyard participation
includes 4 Winds Winery in California, Allegrini Estates in
Italy, Shea Wine Cellars in Oregon, Penfolds Wines in
Australia, and even Vega Sicilia in Spain.
14 | Winter 2017 | Food Traveler
Information on tickets and reservations is available on the
Naples Winter Wine Festival website. Many people fly from
all over the world to attend the event. The Double Magnum
package is a popular choice among couples, at $10,000, and
will get you a private car and driver, two reserved seats at a
vintner dinner, two invitations to the Meet the Kids Day Tour
& Luncheon, two invitations to the Wine Down event, and of
course, two additional invitations for both the Celebration
Lunch and the Check Presentation Ceremony.
It is the best of the best in winter wine festivities, but the
Naples Winter Wine Festival does come at a high price. If
you’re looking for something on a smaller scale in terms of
budget, check out the Winter Wine Fest in Bloomington, Min-
nesota.
Perhaps much more fitting as a winter celebration, the Winter
Wine Fest is organized by the Minnesota Grape Growers As-
sociation, which is a not-for-profit group that focuses on im-
proving grape-growing in colder climates. A true winter’s
bottle knows the hard work and dedication that goes in to
making sure those grapes turn into the shining stars of vino.
Proceeds for the Winter Wine Fest also go to education and
industry advancement, so there is a good cause behind this
event as well. Happening on Saturday, February 18 th , the Win-
ter Wine Fest will kick things off at 7pm. Festival goers will
enjoy discounted rooms at the DoubleTree by Hilton, and
there will be more than 30 different local wineries from the
area that will participate. These wineries are eager to pour
you a glass of their finest creations, and artisanal foods and
a background of live jazz music tie everything together into
the perfect holiday gift.