Photo: Josh Bannen Photo
Fine wine, culinary talent, and a little friendly competition were all on the menu when Charlotte Wine + Food hosted its 13th Annual Wells Fargo Kickoff on October 15th.
Held at the Foundation For The Carolinas, the evening marked the beginning of another fundraising season benefiting local nonprofits working to improve upward mobility for children. This year's beneficiaries are Beds for Kids, Digi-Bridge, Families Forward Charlotte, and Wayfinders.
Guests began the evening with a cocktail reception featuring wines alongside cocktails crafted by Brittany Kellum, Beverage Director of Rare Roots Hospitality, and Ashley Sarkis, Beverage Director of Yunta Nikkei.
A three-course wine-pairing dinner followed, prepared by chefs Bruce and Leslie Schlernitzauer of Porcupine Provisions. The featured wine was Viña Don Melchor, with special guest Sebastián Lopez, Vice President of Trade Development USA for Viña Concha y Toro, bringing his expertise on Chile's wine industry to the evening.
The evening's live auction brought another round of excitement as auctioneer Dan Lyles took the floor. Among the offerings were an exclusive Don Melchor experience in Chile for two and six highly sought-after bottles of W.L. Weller Bourbon. By the end of the evening, the event had raised more than $135,000 in support of its charitable mission.
And I even got in on the bidding! Yours truly walked away with a Bentley for the Weekend experience courtesy of Bentley Charlotte, and needless to say, I'm looking forward to that weekend!
