MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival and Presenting Sponsor Bank of America Announce 2014 Events
At a launch event on October 29, 2013, it was announced that Bank of America had become the Presenting Sponsor of the 2014 MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival ™. 42 food, wine, beer and spirits events will take place from May 14–18, 2014, with nine events in Sussex County, Delaware, four events in Kent County, Delaware and 29 events in or around New Castle County, Delaware. Tickets for all 42 events will go on sale to the general public on November 11 at 11:11 a.m. at www.mawff.org.
Chip Rossi, Delaware market president for Bank of America said, “The MidAtlantic Wine and Food Festival serves as an economic driver and has a great deal of growth potential for our area. Not only does it help increase tourism and increase awareness of our cultural assets, but it also provides an unparalleled experience for the high school, college and other culinary students who are being tapped to support the Festival chefs during the course of all 42 events.”
Speaking to the crowd, which included Wine Guild members, chefs and sponsors, Festival founder and Board President Ajit Mathew George described the Festival’s intentions:
“Our purpose is to be the premier food and wine event of the MidAtlantic featuring international vintners and chefs in collaboration with our local talent, to bring tourism to Delaware and to increase awareness of our cultural assets.”
The Festival organizers expressed their pride in offering something for every taste, from the most discerning wine enthusiasts and gastronomes to those just starting to explore the world of gourmet food, fine wines, premium spirits and craft beers.
George said that what makes this Festival different from most other wine and food festivals in the United States is its international nature, featuring collaborations between over a dozen chefs from around the world and those from the MidAtlantic region. He added that visiting personalities, which include chefs, vintners, brewers, distillers and other experts, would likely come from six continents. 46 local and regional chefs, as well as local culinary students, will share kitchens with the visiting chefs. Winemakers will be on hand at the majority of the events to talk about their wines’ unique attributes. Regional products, such as craft beer, small batch spirits, seafood and seasonal produce, will also be featured at a number of events.
In addition to many new events in and around the Brandywine Valley, and central and coastal Delaware, popular events have reappeared on the 2014 schedule. Returning marquee events include the Sunday Gospel Brunch, black-tie Gala Winemakers Dinner and Live Wine Auction, 1000 Point Wine Tastings and the Festival’s signature, sell-out events, Bacon & Bourbon and Scrapplegasm.
Describing the variety of locations chosen for this year’s lunches, dinners, tastings and educational courses, Executive Producer Kelly-Ayn McKay said,
“We have formal and casual events planned in private homes of distinction, stately hotels, historic venues, award-winning restaurants, elegant barns and dramatic public spaces rarely used for events.”
George Fiorile, Vice President and General Manager of the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino and Chairman of the Delaware Tourism Advisory Board, enthusiastically supported the idea of high-end culinary tourism. He said,
“This vast array of culinary creations with some of the finest chefs in the country, including those from Delaware, is an outstanding opportunity to showcase Delaware’s finest restaurants and destinations. Marrying culinary and wine events with interesting venues creates a great opportunity to drive tourism to Delaware.”
Another major supporter of the Festival is Sarah Willoughby, Executive Director of the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, who said,
“The MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival is a wonderful opportunity for out-of-town visitors to spend three days or more in Delaware and discover our many treasures. The gardens will be in full bloom!”
The MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival is organized by the MidAtlantic Wine and Food Festival, Limited. The Festival is led by a Board of Directors: Ajit Mathew George, Vance Kershner, Chip Rossi, Helen Stimson and Sarah Willoughby. The annual Festival is produced by Strongpoint Events Marketing, LLC, on behalf of MidAtlantic Wine and Food Festival, Limited.
A designated portion of the net 2014 proceeds will benefit five arts-related beneficiaries throughout Delaware. The beneficiaries are: CAMP Rehoboth, Christina Cultural Arts Center, Joshua M. Freeman Foundation (which operates the Freeman Stage in Fenwick Island), OperaDelaware, and the Smyrna-Clayton Heritage Association (which manages the historic Smyrna Opera House). Beneficiaries will also receive board governance consulting services from the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA).
Following is a brief overview of the 34 events announced:
· Interactive Sushi & Sake Lunch, Wilmington Library, Wilmington, Delaware, Thursday, May 15, 2014
· Festival Brew Lunch, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Delaware, Thursday, May 15, 2014
· Tequila Pairing Lunch, University & Whist Club, Wilmington, Delaware, Thursday, May 15, 2014
· Taste of Sonoma Lunch, Buckley’s Tavern, Centreville, Delaware, Thursday, May 15, 2014
· Soft Shell Crab Nouveau, Buena Vista House, New Castle, Delaware, Thursday, May 15, 2014
· Winemakers Dinner: Women, Wine & Song, Home of Vance Kershner, Wilmington, Delaware, Thursday, May 15, 2014
· Champagne Dinner, Home of Drs. Laurie Jacobs and Barry Roseman, Hockessin, Delaware, Thursday, May 15, 2014
· Bacon & Bourbon Dinner, House of William & Merry, Hockessin, Delaware, Thursday, May 15, 2014
· Progressive Winemakers Dinner, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino Lobby, Libertie Suite, Michele’s Restaurant and Toppers Spa, Dover, Delaware, Thursday, May 15, 2014
· Farm-to-Table Dinner, The Barn at Historic Penn Farm, New Castle, Delaware, Thursday, May 15, 2014
· Scotch & Cigars Dinner, Hilton at Christiana Courtyard, Christiana, Delaware, Thursday, May 15, 2014
· Interactive Pasta Making Lunch, Harry’s Savoy Grill, Wilmington, Delaware, Friday, May 16, 2014
· Taste of the Cape Lunch, Domaine Hudson, Wilmington, Delaware, Friday, May 16, 2014
· Taste of Willamette Valley Lunch, Skipjack, Newark, Delaware, Friday, May 16, 2014
· Tapas and Rioja Lunch, Ivy Restaurant, Dewey Beach, Delaware, Friday, May 16, 2014
· I’ll Have What She’s Having Lunch Adventure, a(MUSE.), Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Friday, May 16, 2014
· 937 Point Wine Tasting, OperaDelaware, Wilmington, Delaware, Friday, May 16, 2014
· Bouchées Provençales dans le Jardin, Centreville Café, Centreville, Delaware, Friday, May 16, 2014
· Pop-Up Restaurant, David Finney Inn, New Castle, Delaware, Friday, May 16, 2014
· Winemakers Dinner in Historic Smyrna, Sister Historic Mansions, Smyrna, Delaware, Friday, May 16, 2014
· Winemakers Dinner at Oberod Estate, Centreville, Delaware, Friday, May 16, 2014
· Winemakers Dinner: Barefoot Black Tie, Home of Alex Pires, Dewey Beach, Delaware, Friday, May 16, 2014
· Scrapplegasm at Michele’s, Michele’s Restaurant, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, Dover, Delaware, Saturday, May 17, 2014
· Scrapplegasm at The Green Room, Hotel du Pont, Wilmington, Delaware, Saturday, May 17, 2014
· A Spirited Lunch in Smyrna, Painted Stave Distilling, Smyrna, Delaware, Saturday, May 17, 2014
· Comfort Food Revisited, a Craft Beer Lunch, Krazy Kat’s Restaurant, Montchanin, Delaware, Saturday, May 17, 2014
· Winemakers Lunch in Rehoboth, Eden Restaurant, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Saturday, May 17, 2014
· 1000 Point Wine Tasting – North, Hotel du Pont Green Room, Wilmington, Delaware, Saturday, May 17, 2014
· 1000 Point Wine Tasting – South, Eden Restaurant, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Saturday, May 17, 2014
· Sweet & Sticky, Pizza By Elizabeths, Greenville, Delaware, Saturday, May 17, 2014
· Gala Winemakers Dinner and Live Wine Auction, Hotel du Pont Gold Ballroom, Wilmington, Delaware, Saturday, May 17, 2014
· The Farmer Meets the Fisherman: A Pop-Up Dinner, Mystery Location, Sussex County, Delaware, Saturday, May 17, 2014
· Sunday Gospel Brunch, World Café Live at The Queen, Wilmington, Delaware, Sunday, May 18, 2014
· Sunday Jazz Brunch, Nassau Valley Vineyards, Lewes, Delaware, Sunday, May 18, 2014
An additional eight events will be announced on or before November 11, 2013, when tickets will go on sale to the general public. Complete event descriptions can be found on www.mawff.org. For additional information about the Festival, call Laura Stimson at 302.660.2200 extension 105.
About the MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival
The MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival ™ began as an independent festival in 2013. The Festival’s purpose is to be the premier food and wine event of the MidAtlantic featuring international vintners and chefs in collaboration with our local talent, to bring tourism to Delaware and to increase awareness of our cultural assets. The Festival’s inaugural year included 42 events, chefs and winemakers from five continents, and attracted 4,328 ticketholders from 16 states and eight countries. The Festival is the beneficiary of a generous two-year capacity-building grant from the Longwood Foundation. MidAtlantic Wine and Food Festival, Limited, is a Delaware nonprofit.
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