Naples Winter Wine Festival Has Done It Again

This year’s chef-vintner-master sommelier pairings don’t disappoint, with another round of culinary celebrities arriving January.

For a town of our size, the pull here for gastronomic celebrities of every stripe and color is large—and that’s mostly thanks to the Naples Winter Wine Festival. In its nearly two decades of existence, the weekend-long extravaganza has become the biggest philanthropic event in all of Southwest Florida (raising money for local children’s charities), and its auction is now one of the most important wine auctions in the entire world.

The organizer’s of the 2018 festival, to be held Jan. 26-28, have just unleashed the full roster of chefs, vintners and master sommeliers who will make the trek to the Gulfshore for the weekend of Premier Crus and white truffles. For people who care deeply about food and wine, its unveiling carries a similar sense of anticipation as the NFL draft. This year’s is lighter on household names (such as last year’s honored chef, Wolfgang Puck) and heavier on people who are quietly pushing the boundaries of modern fine dining and have the Michelin stars and James Beard awards to prove it (like 2018’s honored chef, Gary Danko).

Read on below for how they’ve been combined to create the final vintner dinner lineup. The soirees, held on Friday night, are where festival ticket holders are divided into small groups of roughly 30 people, and they’re assigned to attend one of the various blockbuster affairs. (In addition to the chefs, vintners and master sommeliers donating their time and effort on Friday, the spirit of giving continues throughout the weekend, with many donating wines, items for auction packages and their services under the tent.)

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