Featured Sommeliers to Showcase World’s Exceptional Wines at 2026 Naples Winter Wine Festival

Revered Group of Featured Sommeliers to Showcase Their Talents with Some

of the World’s Most Exceptional Wines at 2026 Naples Winter Wine Festival

The Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF) has released the full list of Featured Sommeliers headlining the 2026 Festival. With the theme “Picture This,” the NWWF returns to The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón on January 30, 2026 through February 1, 2026, featuring the best wines, amazing cuisine and unique auction lots benefitting local children.

The NWWF, the signature fundraiser of the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), marks its 26th anniversary, so far raising more than $336 million which through annual grants and collaborative strategic initiatives have impacted close to 90 of the community’s most effective nonprofit organizations and the lives of 385,000 of the most vulnerable children in Collier County.

The Featured Sommeliers will travel from all across the United States to 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 Friday night’s intimate Vintner Dinners in elegant, private homes and other landmark settings throughout Naples and during Saturday’s signature Live Auction. Throughout the weekend, they will pour distinguished selections while imparting their expertise, further elevating the patrons’ understanding and enjoyment of each exceptional wine. Their role is integral to the Festival experience, ensuring that every pour is accompanied by insight and context that deepens both appreciation and connection.

“We are excited to have assembled another amazing lineup featuring many of the nation’s most gifted sommeliers for this year’s Naples Winter Wine Festival,” said NCEF Honorary Trustee and 2026 Sommelier Liaison Bruce Nichols. “We are especially excited to welcome so many new names to the list of those who will be pouring the world’s top wines throughout the weekend.”

Here is the complete list of the 2026 NWWF Featured Sommeliers, in alphabetical order:

Fernando Beteta, MS of High Road Wine & Spirits in Chicago, Illinois
Pablo Braida, MS of Pret-a-Vin Consulting in Augusta, Georgia
Mark Bright of Saison Hospitality in San Francisco, California
Jacob Brown of Lazy Bear in San Francisco, California
Ian Cauble, MS of theCaubleist.com in Napa, California
Andy Chabot of Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee
Marie Cheslik of Slik Wines in Chicago, Illinois
Jonathan Eichholz, MS of Aftergold in New York, New York
Erik Elliott, MS of Lawrence Wine Estates in St. Helena, California
Lindsey Fern of Nemacolin in Farmington, Pennsylvania
Sarah Foote of Castle Hot Springs in Morristown, Arizona
Logan Griffin of Blackberry Mountain in Walland, Tennessee
Max Kast, MS of BOND in Oakville, California
Jon McCarthy of The Matheson in Healdsburg, California
George Miliotes, MS of Wine Bar George in Orlando, Florida
Cedric Nicaise of The Noortwyck in New York, New York
Derek Stevenson of Four Seasons Napa Valley in Calistoga, California

Ticket packages for the 26th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival start at $17,500 per couple for a Double Magnum package and $40,000 for two couples to experience a Jeroboam Package. For additional information, please visit: napleswinefestival.com/about-the-festival.

About Naples Winter Wine Festival
One of the world’s most prestigious charity wine auctions, the Naples Winter Wine Festival 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 more than $336 million, making a profound and sustaining 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 385,000 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