Distinguished Group of Sommeliers will Participate in the 24th Annual Naples Winter Wine Festival

Distinguished Group of Featured Sommeliers from Across the United States
and Canada to Participate in the 24th Annual Naples Winter Wine Festival

Julie Dalton

The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) has unveiled its lineup of Featured Sommeliers headlining the 2024 Festival on January 25-28, 2024. With the theme “Generosity in Full Bloom,” the NWWF returns to The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, featuring the finest wines, exquisite cuisine and incredible auction lots benefitting local children.

The NWWF, the annual fundraiser of the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), marks its 24th anniversary,  impacting close to 90 of the most effective nonprofit organizations in the local community. Since the Festival’s inception, over 300,000 at-risk and underprivileged children in Collier County have been impacted with the essential services and resources they need to excel.

Fernando Beteta

During the Festival, Featured Sommeliers will share their intimate knowledge of wine vintage, terroir and styles with Festival patrons, enhancing appreciation for the unique and rare wines that will be tasted at Thursday’s special pre-Festival Vintage Cellar event, Friday night’s exclusive Vintner Dinners in intimate settings throughout Naples and at Saturday’s signature Live Auction.

The lineup of Featured Sommeliers includes many Master Sommeliers and other top wine professionals who have participated in the NWWF for years as well as several new participants.

“We are delighted to welcome such an esteemed group of Featured Sommeliers to the 2024 Naples Winter Wine Festival,” said NCEF Honorary Trustee and 2024 sommelier liaison Bruce Nichols. “These sommeliers will be pouring some of the world’s top wines alongside many of the world’s best-known vintners and celebrity chefs, setting the stage for an exhilarating weekend.”

Here is the complete list of the 2024 NWWF Featured Sommeliers, in alphabetical order:

 Fernando Beteta, MS of High Road Wine & Spirits in Chicago, Illinois
James Bube, MS of Hogsalt in Chicago, Illinois
Andy Chabot of Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee
Craig Collins, MS of VINTUS in New York, New York
Julie Dalton, MS of Stella’s Wine Bar at The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston in Houston, Texas
Erik Elliott, MS of Heitz Cellar in St. Helena, California
Lindsey Fern of The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia
Peter Granoff, MS of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in San Francisco, California; Oxbow Cheese & Wine Merchant in Napa, California; and Mission Bay Wine & Cheese in San Francisco, California

Logan Griffin of Blackberry Mountain in Walland, Tennessee                                                                             Morgan Harris, MS of Angler in San Francisco, California
Élyse Lambert, MS of The Ritz-Carlton in Montréal, Canada
Michael McNeill, MS of Georgia Crown Distributing Co. in McDonough, Georgia
George Miliotes, MS of Wine Bar George in Orlando, Florida
Chris Miller, MS of Seabold Cellars in Napa, California
Vincent Morrow, MS of PRESS in St. Helena, California
Amy Racine of JF Restaurants in New York, New York and Lilac in Tampa, Florida
Scott Turnbull, MS of Fine+Rare and Vinfolio in Napa, California

Featured Photo: Erik Elliott 

Ticket packages for the 24th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival start at $17,500 per couple for a Double Magnum package and $40,000 for two couples to experience aJeroboam Package. For additional information, please visit: napleswinefestival.com/about-the-festival.

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 throughout 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 approximately $269 million, making a profound difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in Collier County.

About Naples Children & Education Foundation
The Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, is improving the educational, emotional and health outcomes of underprivileged and at-risk children. Through its annual grants and strategic initiatives, NCEF has impacted close to 90 of the most effective nonprofits in the local community, providing more than 300,000 children with the services and resources they need to excel. NCEF’s unique approach, which emphasizes collaboration between organizations and 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 & Education Foundation or the Naples Winter Wine Festival, contact Lisa Juliano at lisa@napleswinefestival.com or 239-514-2239.