Sarah Grueneberg (Photo by Galdones Photography)
The Naples Winter Wine Festival has released its epicurean lineup for its 20th anniversary event January 24-26, 2020, and it’s no surprise it’s one for the already much-decorated event’s history books.
The chef de cuisine will be none other than the James Beard decorated (and Top Chef finalist) Sarah Grueneberg of Chicago’s Monteverde—who some of you may remember spent a year early in her career at Angelina’s Ristorante in Bonita Springs. The honored vintner is Saskia de Rothschild of Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite.
Sprinkled in for good measure is one of the most revered fine-dining chefs of his generation, Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Per Se—need I say more?), “Bam!” Cajun king chef Emeril Lagasse, and chef Ludo Lefebvre, who has proven on TV he also has personality plus. Vintners, who like Rothschild of Lafite come from generations of wine royalty, include Marchese Piero Antinori (for the uninitiated, his title is roughly equivalent to that of a marquis or count in Italy and he’s been a frequent visitor to Naples, FL, over the years) and French champagne king Olivier Krug. Some new names on the roster are also notable, such as Neapolitan freshman congressman Francis Rooney, who will be more than just a patron this time around with the debut of his family’s Bodega 202 from Spain as one of the represented vintners.
The full list is below, so you can be on the lookout for these celebrity chefs and their wine-focused counterparts once their private planes start arriving in town next January.
Celebrity chefs:
● Angelo Auriana of The Factory Kitchen in Los Angeles
● Ashley Christensen of Poole’s Diner in Raleigh, North Carolina
● Dean Fearing of Fearing’s Restaurant in Dallas
● Chef de Cuisine: Sarah Grueneberg of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago
● Lee Hefter of Spago Beverly Hills in Los Angeles with Ari Rosenson of CUT, Beverly Hills in Los Angeles
● Gavin Kaysen of Spoon and Stable in Minneapolis
● Thomas Keller of The Surf Club Restaurant in Miami
● Gerry Klaskala of Aria with Kevin Rathbun of Kevin Rathbun Steak in Atlanta
● Emeril Lagasse of Emeril’s Restaurant in New Orleans
● Mike Lata with Jason Stanhope of FIG in Charleston, South Carolina
● Ludo Lefebvre of Trois Mec in Los Angeles
● Donald Link of Herbsaint Restaurant in New Orleans
● Tony Mantuano of Spiaggia in Chicago
● Carrie Nahabedian of Brindille in Chicago
● Nancy Oakes of Boulevard Restaurant in San Francisco
● Charlie Palmer of Aureole in New York
● Richard Reddington of REDD in Rochester, New York
● Bill Telepan of Oceana in New York
● Rick Tramonto of Tramonto Cuisine in Chicago
● Dustin Valette of Valette in Healdsburg, California
Festival vintners:
● Daphne & Bart Araujo of Accendo Cellars in California
● Marilisa Allegrini of Allegrini in Italy
● The Francis Rooney Family of Bodega 202 in Spain
● Jean-Charles Boisset of Boisset Collection in California
● Elisabetta Gnudi of Borgo Scopeto & Caparzo in Italy
● Barbara Banke and Chris Carpenter of Cardinale & Lokoya Winery in California
● Laura Catena of Catena Zapata in Argentina
● Blakesley & Cyril Chappellet of Chappellet Vineyards in California
● Nicolas Glumineau of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in France
● Alfred Tesseron of Château Pontet-Canet in France
● Cliff Lede of Cliff Lede Vineyards in California
● Ann Colgin of Colgin Cellars in California
● Raphaël Reybier of Cos d’Estournel of France
● Honored Vintner: Saskia de Rothschild ofDomaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite in Bordeaux, France
● Eve & Erwan Faiveley of Domaine Faiveley in France
● Jean-Nicolas Méo of Domaine Méo-Camuzet in France
● Grace & Ken Evenstad of Domaine Serene in Oregon and Château de la Crée in France
● Valerie Boyd & Jeff Gargiulo of Gargiulo Vineyards in California
● Olivier Krug of Krug Champagne in France
● Laurent Ponsot of Laurent Ponsot SAS in France
● Gilles de Larouzière of Maisons & Domaines Henriot in France
● Piero Antinori of Marchesi Antinori in Italy
● Jay Boberg of Nicolas-Jay in Oregon
● Emily & Paul Michael of Peter Michael Wineryin California
● David Powell of Powell & Son in Australia
● Will Harlan of PROMONTORY in California
● David Duncan of Silver Oak Cellars in California
● Shannon Staglin of Staglin Family Vineyard in California
Meet the Kids Day luncheon vintners:
● Vanessa & Henry Cornell of Cornell Vineyards in California
● The Lunelli Family of Ferrari Trento in Italy
● Kathryn & Jeremy Green of Grace Family Vineyards in California
● Christopher Strieter of Senses in California