2027 Naples Winter Wine Festival to Showcase Celebrity Chefs World-Renowned Vintners

2027 Naples Winter Wine Festival to Showcase Stellar Ensemble of Award-Winning Celebrity Chefs and World-Renowned Vintners on January 29-31, 2027

This year’s Festival features an extraordinary line-up of acclaimed celebrity chefs and winemakers from across the United States and around the world, including 2027 Chef de Cuisine Charlie Palmer and chefs Cassidee Dabney, Rogelio Garcia, Ryan Pollnow, Cedric Vongerichten and Dustin Valette, along with vintners Marilisa Allegrini, Barbara Banke, Bruno Borie, Frédéric Engerer, Grace Evenstad and Alberto Tasca

The Naples Children Foundation (NCF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF), today unveiled a star-studded roster of award-winning celebrity chefs and world-renowned vintners who will be participating in the 27th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón on January 29-31, 2027.

Shari & Garen Stagin

With the theme “Hope Sings: A Brighter Tomorrow Takes the Stage”, the 2027 NWWF returns showcasing the finest wines, exquisite cuisine and incredible auction lots, all to benefit the most vulnerable children in Collier County. Vintners, chefs and sommeliers hailing from five different countries will set the stage for a weekend of unique, one-of-a-kind wine and culinary experiences.

Heading the distinguished culinary lineup is celebrated American Chef Charlie Palmer, who will serve as the 2027 NWWF Chef de Cuisine. A pioneer of Progressive American cooking, Palmer has earned international acclaim throughout his career, including multiple Michelin Stars and two James Beard Awards for his flagship restaurant, Aureole. Today, he continues to shape the culinary landscape through his award-winning restaurants and as co-founder and CEO of Appellation Hotels, a culinary-focused luxury hospitality brand.

Kelly & Jim Bailey

Joining Palmer is an exceptional roster of acclaimed chefs representing some of the country’s most celebrated restaurants and culinary destinations. The lineup features Michelin-starred chefs, James Beard Award winners and nominees and nationally recognized innovators whose diverse culinary styles span contemporary American, Italian, French, California and global cuisines.

This year’s other participating chefs include:

• Angelo Auriana of The Factory Kitchen in Los Angeles, California
• Gianluca Cossu of Maxime’s Club in New York, New York
• Cassidee Dabney of The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee (FEATURED PHOTO)
• Dean Fearing of Fearing’s Restaurant in Dallas, Texas
• Serena & David Fisher of 7 Adams in San Francisco, California
• Rogelio Garcia of Aduenam in Angwin, California
• David Nayfeld of Che Fico and Via Aurelia in San Francisco, California
• Evan Neumann of Auro in Calistoga, California
• Nancy Oakes of Boulevard in San Francisco, California
• Ryan Pollnow of Flour+Water in San Francisco, California
• Andrew Quinn of The Noortwyck and Oriana in New York, New York
• Michael Reed of Poppy & Seed in Anaheim, California
• Adam Ritter of Bûcheron in Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Dustin Valette of Valette and The Matheson in Healdsburg, California
• Cedric Vongerichten of Wayan Restaurants in New York, New York

Cedric Vongerichten

The 2027 NWWF proudly features many longtime chef supporters whose talent and generosity have helped make the Festival a premier culinary event, including Auriana, Dabney, Fearing, Oakes and Valette, among others. The Festival also is pleased to introduce several distinguished chefs who are making their NWWF debut, including Cossu, the Fishers, Neumann, Ritter and Vongerichten, further expanding an already exceptional culinary lineup.

“This ensemble of award-winning celebrity chefs represents some of the nation’s most revered talents from coast-to-coast across the United States,” said Kelley Bailey, 2027 Festival Co-Chair and Chef Committee Co-Chair. “We are thrilled to welcome back many of our popular chefs who have generously volunteered in the past as well as several first-time participants in the Festival.”

Adam Ritter

Also participating in the 2027 NWWF are featured dinner vintners representing more than two dozen world-renowned wine estates from around the globe, who will be pouring their world-class wines. With generations of winemaking excellence, these distinguished vintners bring together legendary estates, acclaimed producers and some of the world’s most sought-after wines.

This year’s featured dinner vintners include:

• Denise Adams of ADAMVS in Angwin, California and Château Fonplégade in Saint-Émilion, France
• Elisabetta Gnudi of Altesino, Borgo Scopeto e Caparzo in Siena, Italy
• Frédéric Engerer of Artémis Domaines in Pauillac, France
• Bettina Bryant of Bryant Estate in St. Helena, California
• Tancredi Biondi Santi of Castello di Montepò di Jacopo Biondi Santi in Tuscany, Italy
• Roberta Ceretto of Ceretto in Piedmont, Italy
• Blakesley & Cyril Chappellet of Chappellet Vineyard & Winery in St. Helena, California
• Grace Evenstad of Château de la Crée in Burgundy, France and Domaine Serene in Willamette Valley, Oregon
• Bruno Borie of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou in Saint-Julien, France
• Noé Tesseron of Château Pontet-Canet in Pauillac, France and Pym-Rae in Napa, California
• Cliff Lede of Cliff Lede Vineyards in Yountville, California
• Valerie Boyd & Jeff Gargiulo of Gargiulo Vineyards in Oakville, California
• Kelley & Jim Bailey of Knights Bridge Winery in Sonoma, California
• Marilisa Allegrini of Marilisa Allegrini in Verona, Italy
• Maud Rabin of Rare Champagne in Champagne, France
• José Ramón Urtasun of Remírez de Ganuza in Rioja Alavesa, Spain
• Barbara Sandrone of Sandrone Luciano in Barolo, Italy
• David R. Duncan of Silver Oak in Oakville, California
• Shari & Garen Staglin of Staglin Family Vineyard in Rutherford, California
• Alberto Tasca of Tasca d’Almerita in Sicily, Italy
• Lucas Löwi of Terrazas de los Andes in Mendoza, Argentina
• Barbara Banke of Vérité in Healdsburg, California

The NWWF is delighted to welcome back many longtime vintner partners whose generosity and commitment over the years have helped shape the Festival’s legacy, including the Chappellets, Duncan, Gnudi, Lede, Löwi and the Staglins, among others. The Festival also is pleased to welcome several first-time participating vintners, including Biondi Santi, Borie, Sandrone and Urtasun, further enriching an already exceptional lineup of wine estates and winemakers.

Tancredi Biondi Santi

“Our featured dinner vintners hail from some of the world’s most prestigious wine regions, including Bordeaux, Burgundy, Mendoza, Napa Valley, Piedmont, Rioja, Tuscany and the Willamette Valley,” said Bill Cary, 2027 Vintner Committee Chair. “Our patrons will enjoy the unique opportunity to meet these renowned winemakers and sample rare and outstanding wines, setting the stage for what we anticipate will be another extraordinary weekend of generosity.”

The three-day Festival officially kicks off with the annual Meet the Kids Day on Friday morning, when guests will have a chance to hear from some of the children who have received support from NCF funds and see how their generosity has positively impacted the community. Following the presentations, guests will meet vintners and taste their exceptional wines at a luncheon.

This year’s Meet the Kids Day luncheon vintners include:

• Caren & Nick Orum of Arborum Napa Valley in Napa, California
• Alessio Bocelli of Bocelli 1831 in Tuscany, Italy
• Cecilia & Xavier Cervantes of Cervantes Family Vineyards in St. Helena, California
• Angelica de Vere-Mabray of The Donum Estate in Sonoma, California

On Friday evening, guests will enjoy one of 16 intimate Vintner Dinners hosted by NCF Trustees in elegant, private homes and other landmark settings throughout Naples where guests will experience beautifully curated multi-course dinners and wine pairings under the careful direction of the award-winning chefs and legendary winemakers and poured by featured sommeliers.

Following Friday’s opening festivities, guests will flock to the Festival’s main event–Saturday’s famed live auction, featuring some of the most incredible, one-of-a-kind wine, travel and culinary experiences in the world. All proceeds from the live auction will benefit charities that improve the physical, emotional and educational lives of the most vulnerable children in Collier County.

The unforgettable weekend will conclude on Sunday morning with the perfect ending to a perfect experience—a sumptuous Champagne Brunch featuring Festival chefs, vintners and sponsors.

Ticket packages for the 27th annual NWWF start at $17,500 per couple for a Double Magnum package and $40,000 for two couples to experience a Jeroboam package. Tickets are sold for the entire Festival only. For more information, visit: napleswinefestival.com/ticket-inquiry.

About Naples Children Foundation
The Naples Children Foundation (NCF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, creates transformational change and improves educational, emotional and health outcomes for vulnerable children in Collier County. Through its annual grants and strategic initiatives, NCF has impacted nearly 90 of the most effective nonprofits in the local community, providing 420,000 children with the services and resources they need to succeed. Through bold investments, collaborative partnerships, and data-driven solutions, NCF supports programs that ensure every child can thrive. NCF’s unique approach, which bridges public and private resources, has become a blueprint for how to transform a community—one issue at a time.

For additional information on the Naples Children Foundation, please contact Madison Blasco, Community Engagement & Marketing Manager, at m.blasco@napleschildrenfoundation.org or 239-325-2975.

About Naples Winter Wine Festival

The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF), one of the world’s most prestigious charity wine auctions, offers a weekend of unforgettable memories. Guests enjoy world-class food and wine during intimate dinners in elegant, private homes and other landmark settings across Naples and are invited to bid on once-in-a-lifetime travel and wine experiences during an electrifying live auction. Since its inaugural event in 2001, the NWWF has raised more than $366 million, making a profound difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in Collier County.

For more information on the Naples Winter Wine Festival, please contact Lisa Juliano, SVP, NWWF & Event Production, at lisa@napleswinefestival.com or 239-514-2239.