South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival Sips Sweet Success
An indulgent event for many great causes
sponsored report
photo courtesy of south walton beach wine and food festival More than 5,000 attendees sipped, swirled and savored at the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival, which took place April 26-29 at Grand Boulevard’s Town Center. |
The largest crowd yet was wined, dined, educated and entertained through the tasting of over 800 wines and spirits poured by industry insiders, meeting celebrity winemakers, attending tasting seminars and live entertainment.
New this year was the RoseĢ All Day Garden, which proved to be very popular. The scrumptious Savor South Walton Culinary Village served up noshable dishes and informative culinary seminars.
The star of the show was the 13th annual Destin Charity Wine Auction, held April 28, which raised more than $2.8 million for children in need throughout Northwest Florida.
The sold out event was attended by over 600 wine enthusiasts that participated in 50 unique live lots, 32 super silent offerings and 161 silent lots.
Top auction items included a 2008 Tesla Roadster, a stay at Watersound Origins, an eight-day African Safari and wine experience, a trip to Santorini, a trip to Italy, a private dinner for 12 with celebrity chef John Currence and more.
The funds raised were distributed amongst 15 local nonprofits including: Children in Crisis, Children’s Volunteer Health Network, Emerald Coast Autism Center, the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, Food for Thought, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County, The Arc of the Emerald Coast, Opportunity Inc., Pathways for Change, Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast, Shelter House of Northwest Florida, AMIkids Emerald Coast, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, Mental Health Association of Okaloosa and Walton Counties and Youth Village.
To learn more about the festival, visit sowalwine.com.
