After a wildly successful inaugural year, Harvest Wine & Food Festival is returning to South Walton October 25-27 for three eventful days that are sure to delight wine and food aficionados alike. Produced by Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF), Harvest Wine & Food Festival has been labeled one of the premier fall festivals in the southeast that provides patrons the opportunity to sip and savor over 250 world-class wines paired with the best in regional Gulf Coast cuisine, all while enjoying the beautiful beach town of WaterColor.
“We are thrilled to bring Harvest Wine & Food Festival back to the South Walton community,” said DCWAF President, John Russell. “We felt that our first year was a huge success, and are excited to continue to grow the event in an effort to offer our patrons the perfect experience to compliment a beautiful fall weekend at the beach. We’re thankful for the continued support of our friends at WaterColor as venue and lodging sponsors for this extraordinary event benefiting children in need in Northwest Florida.”
Ticket prices vary based upon event day and can be purchased online at www.HarvestWineandFood.com. Weekend passes and lodging packages are also available through the WaterColor Inn and 360 Blue.
Harvest Wine & Food Festival features some of the world’s premier vintners, proprietors, and award-winning chefs showcased throughout three separate days of events. The festival kicks off Thursday evening with several highly anticipated wine dinners held throughout South Walton, each featuring a celebrity winemaker (See below).
On Friday, October 26, the Al Fresco Reserve Tasting held on WaterColor’s Butterfly Lawn will offer festival-goers a selection of library wines that feature rare vintages not easily accessible in the marketplace. An array of perfectly paired hors d’oeuvres and live music all set to a breathtaking star-filled sky will make for a memorable and elegant evening.
The Grand Tasting, held from 1 to 4 pm Saturday, October 27 in Cerulean Park is the main event and is designed to highlight harvest season at the beach. Large seafood, barbeque, and provisional stations manned by celebrity chefs from throughout the southeast and complimented by the best restaurants along the Emerald Coast are combined with tasting stations featuring over 250 wines from around the world. Craft beer and spirit tents and an exclusive VIP experience will also be available.
“We’ve created a new tradition for festival-goers along the Emerald Coast,” Russell said. “Guests should be prepared to taste their way through every staple of coastal cuisine ranging from freshly caught seafood to farm fresh vegetables and cheeses all the way to traditional smoked barbeque prepared by the south’s finest pit masters.”
It wouldn’t be a DCWAF event without the opportunity to bid high and bid often. A silent auction featuring a variety of rare wines, staycations and unique experiences will open Friday, October 26 and will run through Sunday, October 28 at noon. The opportunity to purchase wine and other merchandise on-site will also be available throughout the duration of the festival.
Harvest Wine & Food Festival has been labeled one of the premier fall festivals in the southeast that provides patrons the opportunity to sip and savor over 250 world-class wines paired with the best in regional Gulf Coast cuisine, all while enjoying the beautiful beach town of WaterColor.
Cuisine:
Just check out the line up of the top Gulf Coast Restaurants in the area that will be at this year’s Harvest Wine & Food: Cuvee Kitchen + Wine Bar, Brotulas, Jackacudas, Destin Ice 30a, Slick Lips, Back Beach BBQ, Mano’s Hummus, Honey Hutch, Kaley Laird from The Rhu in Asheville, Oysters XO, Clean Juice and Charleston Mix Bloody Mary bar to name a few!
Ever wondered how to build the perfect holiday cheese board? The 2nd Annual Harvest Wine & Food Festival has some incredible culinary demonstrations lined up this year! Be sure to stop by the the Culinary Stage in the center of Cerulean Park for a variety of demonstrations throughout the day hosted by our accomplished celebrities.
1:30 p.m. – Busy Corner Cheese and Provisions
Building the Perfect Holiday or Game Day Cheese Board
2:00 p.m.- Fox Bros Bar-B-Q
Smokin’ with The Brothers Fox
2:45 p.m. – Busy Corner Cheese & Provisions
Pairing Old World Wines with New World Cheese
3:15 p.m. – Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi
The Art of Sushi
Winemaker Dinners: ( Sold Out!)
Producers of Harvest Wine & Food Festival, Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF), announced that Domaine Serene will join the line-up of winery headliners showcased at this year’s festival! The Domaine Serene Celebrity Winemaker Dinner will be held at the newly renovated FOOW in WaterColor on Thursday, October 25 from 6pm – 9pm.
Tickets to each Celebrity Winemaker Dinners are $150 and are available online with all other announced festival events at HarvestWineandFood.com.
Domaine Serene joins VGS Chateau Potelle and Robert Craig Winery to complete the list of winery headliners that will be hosting private dinners throughout South Walton to kick off three days of festival events.
VGS Chateau Potelle will host a dinner at Seagar’s Prime Steaks and Seafood presented by Krueger, Fosdyck and Associates – Merrill Lynch while Robert Craig Winery hosts a dinner at Vin’tij Food and Wine’s new location in Grand Boulevard presented by Crystal Collins Spencer, Attorney at Law, Spencer Law PA.
Currently ranked number three “Top Charity Wine Auction in the US” by Wine Spectator Magazine for the second year in a row, DCWAF is one of the nation’s leading fundraising organizations, raising money for 16 Northwest Florida children’s charities that assist at-risk youth in the local community by tackling a variety of issues including homelessness, food insecurity, mental health, education, medical care, and much more.
Hurricane Michael Relief Efforts:
In light of the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Michael, the team at Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF) is breaking from tradition to raise funds in support of the Florida Disaster Fund via a virtual paddle raise during Harvest Wine & Food Festival October 25-27. The paddle raise will be available throughout the festival through DCWAF’s official mobile bidding platform, Give Smart.
Bidders do not need to have a ticket to the festival to participate in the virtual paddle raise or the silent auction. Registration is available at https://HWFF.givesmart.com. DCWAF serves 16 children’s charities in Northwest Florida, many of whom are actively engaged in relief efforts with their sister organizations in Bay and Gulf counties. In addition to the virtual paddle raise, DCWAF will continue to be a resource for those searching for ways to get involved while standing in support of each charity’s efforts.
“There is incredible need for our friends and neighbors in Bay, Gulf, and the surrounding eastern counties who have a long journey on the road to recovery,” said Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation President, John Russell. “It is incumbent upon DCWAF to take advantage of the opportunity of Harvest Wine & Food Festival to offer assistance in that journey.”
Ticket prices for Harvest Wine & Food Festival are $150 for Thursday, $200 for Friday, and $150 for General Admission and $300 for VIP on Saturday and are available online at HarvestWineandFood.com. Tickets will be available Friday and Saturday at the door, and prices will increase $15 on the day of each respective event.
