The inaugural Food & Wine Classic in Charleston heads to town next week, held
at various locations around town from Sept. 27 through Sept. 29.
The Food & Wine Classic is hosted by Food & Wine, Southern Living and Travel + Leisure and presented by Explore Charleston. The festival features more than 40 celebrity chef cooking demos, wine and cocktail seminars and a marquee Grand Tasting Pavilion where attendees can mingle with hundreds of winemakers, distillers and culinary experts.
We bemoaned the original price of passes ($2,450) when organizers announced ticket sales in May. The festival dropped the price to $1,950 in July and, as of press time, that same $500 discount still applies.
The talent lineup includes big names in the culinary world, such as Tyler Florence, Al Roker, Maneet Chauhan, Sean Brock, Tamron Hall and Andrew Zimmern. In addition to the celebrity-tier foodies, there are a number of local participants, including the Cocktail Bandits, The Tippling House’s Matt Conway, FIG’s Mike Lata, Graft’s Femi Oyediran and Miles White, BBQ star Rodney Scott and more.
Each weekend pass gets you access to the Grand Tasting Pavilion — which is open in two-hour sessions four times throughout the weekend — and admission to five additional events, including cooking demos, wine tastings or panel discussions.
Locally focused seminars spotlight the Lowcountry’s diverse food culture and traditions, with talks from Vivian Howard (Lenoir) with “Flip the Dish: How to Make Vegetables the Star of the Show;” James London (Chubby Fish) with “Wild Shrimpin’ Ain’t Easy: The Journey From Catch to Cuisine; Bethany Heinze (Vern’s) with “Super Summer Sippers: The World of Low ABV & Wine-Based Cocktails;” and John Lewis (Lewis Barbecue) and Rodney Scott (Rodney Scott’s BBQ) with “The Barbecue Sides Smackdown.”
You can view the full schedule of events online now.
Updates, good news for locals
During similar festivals in the past, only VIPs and designated passholders could participate in additional “experiences,” such as a Dine Around series of multi-course dinners at local restaurants. Now, though, anyone who is interested (and quick enough on the mouse) can purchase an individual ticket and secure a seat at the table (prices range from $65-$400).
Folks looking for a special night out can choose from dinners at Sorelle, Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Zero George, Indaco, Wild Common, 82 Queen and Florence’s Lowcountry Kitchen. There are also still tickets available to a Southern All-Star Breakfast ($75) at High Wire Distilling Co. Check out the full lineup, with dates, times and prices, online.
Kick things off before the official start of the festival with the Rice & Peas Party ($125) on Sept. 26, also at High Wire. Guests can enjoy food from chefs Cheetie Kumar, Rhonda Mitchell and Charleston’s Bintou N’Daw, as well as wines curated by Graft Wine Shop and signature cocktails featuring housemade spirits. DJ PaulyEster will be spinning “dope jams.”
Individual passes ($250) are now available for the Lowcountry tailgate at The Dunlin on Kiawah River on Sept. 28. The event features chef Tyler Florence, pitmasters John Lewis and Rodney Scott and a special musical guest, Boy Named Banjo. There are also still tickets ($250) for a style stroll down King Street led by Travel + Leisure editor in chief, Jacqui Gifford.
Learn more about the festival online at foodandwineclassicincharleston.com.
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