Historic Pre-Festival Vintage Cellar Event for 2027 Naples Winter Wine Festival

Château Latour CEO Frédéric Engerer and Leading Wine Critic James Suckling to
Headline Historic Pre-Festival Vintage Cellar Event for 2027 Naples Winter Wine Festival

Intimate wine tasting and luncheon on Thursday, January 28, 2027 to feature rare and highly sought-after First Growth wines of Château Latour with expert analysis by James Suckling

The Naples Children Foundation (NCF), the founding organization of the Naples Winter Wine Festival (NWWF), is proud to announce an extraordinary opportunity for wine enthusiasts to experience Château Latour, one of Bordeaux’s five First Growth estates, at its exclusive pre-festival Vintage Cellar event on Thursday, January 28, 2027.

Frederic Engerer

This historic wine tasting and luncheon held at the esteemed, family-owned French restaurant Bleu Provence will pair Frédéric Engerer, CEO of Artémis Domaines, which owns Château Latour, with internationally renowned wine critic James Suckling, CEO and editor of JamesSuckling.com.

One of the most prestigious names in French wine, Château Latour was classified as a Premier Cru (First Growth) in the historic 1855 Classification of Bordeaux wines. Located in Pauillac in the Médoc, the estate is renowned for wines of extraordinary depth, structure and longevity. The 2027 Vintage Cellar will offer guests a rare opportunity to explore the estate through a vertical tasting of seven vintages of Château Latour Grand Vin and three vintages of Les Forts de Latour, providing a comprehensive look at the estate across its distinguished wines and vintages. The tasting will be followed by a luncheon featuring two vintages of Les Forts de Latour and a Large Format vintage of Château Latour Grand Vin.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Château Latour to Naples for our exclusive Vintage Cellar wine tasting and luncheon to kick off the 2027 Naples Winter Wine Festival,” said Bill Cary, NCF Trustee and 2027 Vintner Committee Chair. “The opportunity to experience such an extraordinary collection of vintages from one of Bordeaux’s legendary First Growth estates is exceptionally rare. With Château Latour’s wines taking center stage, this tasting offers our guests a remarkable journey through the history and character of one of France’s most celebrated estates.”

Adding to the experience, renowned wine critic James Suckling (FEATURED PHOTO) will bring his extensive knowledge of French wine and decades of experience tasting and evaluating the world’s greatest wines. Described by Forbes as “one of the world’s most powerful wine critics,” Suckling began his career in 1981 as an assistant editor at Wine Spectator. Four years later, he moved to Paris to establish Wine Spectator’s European bureau, placing him at the center of European wine production and deepening his relationships with winemakers and viticulturists. After nearly 30 years at Wine Spectator as a senior editor and European bureau chief, he left to launch JamesSuckling.com, reflecting his belief that wine needed to be communicated in a more modern way.

Through his global wine media platform and events company, Suckling has built a global audience around his extensive tasting expertise and independent wine criticism. His decades of evaluating wines from the world’s leading regions, including Bordeaux, make him uniquely positioned to provide perspective on the exceptional Château Latour vintages featured at Vintage Cellar.

That critical expertise will be complemented by the firsthand knowledge of Engerer, whose association with Château Latour dates back to François Pinault’s acquisition of the estate in 1993. Today, he oversees Château Latour along with a collection of distinguished estates in France and the United States. His longstanding leadership at Château Latour has spanned more than three decades, providing him with an unparalleled understanding on the estate, its historic terroir and its wines.

In addition to sharing Château Latour at Vintage Cellar, Engerer will serve as the Naples Winter Wine Festival’s 2027 Honored Vintner, recognizing his decades of leadership in the wine industry.

“Our 2027 Vintage Cellar will be truly notable with one of the world’s most celebrated wine leaders and one of today’s most respected wine critics coming together to share their insights on Château Latour,” said Jeff Gargiulo, NCF Founding Trustee and Vintner Committee Member. “Frédéric Engerer brings decades of firsthand knowledge and leadership of this legendary First Growth, while James Suckling brings his extraordinary depth of experience tasting and evaluating the world’s greatest wines. Their combined perspectives will make for an exceptional experience.”

The Vintage Cellar wine tasting and luncheon is a separate, pre-festival event and seating is limited to 40 guests. Tickets will be available in late October for $5,000 per person. The 27th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival will take place on January 29-31, 2027, at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón. With three days of activities, the Festival will once again showcase exceptional fine wines, amazing cuisine and unique, one-of-a-kind auction lots benefiting its founding organization, the Naples Children Foundation (NCF), in support of its mission of making a profound and sustaining difference in the lives of the most vulnerable children in Collier County.

The 2027 NWWF comes following the successful celebration earlier this year at which over $30 million was raised. Spanning three days, the Festival will showcase dozens of award-winning chefs, acclaimed vintners and talented sommeliers who generously donate their time and talents at intimate private dinners across Naples, plus an amazing live auction with one-of-a-kind lots.

Ticket packages for the Naples Winter Wine Festival are sold for the entire weekend and start at $17,500 per couple for a Double Magnum package and $40,000 for two couples to experience a Jeroboam package. For further details, please visit https://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 more information on the Naples Children Foundation, please contact Madison Blasco, Community Engagement & Marketing Manager, at madison@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 additional information on the Naples Winter Wine Festival, please contact Lisa Juliano,
SVP, NWWF & Event Production, at lisa@napleswinefestival.com or 239-325-2972.