The Orlando Wine Festival and Auction, the annual food and wine event benefitting the Orlando magic Youth Foundation, will be March 1 through 3 at its new home, the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. As in past years, the event begins with a series of dinners in private homes on Friday, each headed by one of the featured chefs, then continues on Saturday afternoon with an outdoors grand tasting paired with foods from those same chefs.
Things move inside at 5 p.m. for the live auction, featuring vacations, winery tours, sporting events and other high-ticket items. Then a sit-down dinner and entertainment. Things wrap up on Sunday with a Magic home game (that’s played at Kia Arena, not at the Four Seasons.
This is where I would normally tell you how much it costs and give you a link to purchase tickets, but there’s no need to do that.
“The exciting thing is we’re already completely sold out,” said Alex Martins, Orlando Magic CEO. “It promises to be the most successful one yet.”
And it’s not like they give these tickets away. Packages cost in the thousands of dollars, which is one of the reasons this event has become a major fundraiser for Orlando Magic Youth Foundation, the team’s charity “committed to helping children in Central Florida realize their full potential by supporting nonprofit organizations offering youth-based programs in the areas of education, health and wellness, homelessness and the arts.”
Over 33 years, more than $28 million has been distributed to local nonprofit community organizations. Last year, the Orlando Wine Festival and Auction brought in half a million dollars, according to Martins. “We’re hoping to get close to a million this year,” he said in a phone interview Monday morning.
If you’re not one of the 600 people scheduled to attend, you’ll be missing out on food from such chefs as: Malyna Si, Capa (featured chef); ; Greg Richie, Soco; Rick Bayless, Frontera Cocina Mexicana; Ray Cominsky, Seasons 52; Fabrizio, Four Seasons; Matthew Gallagher, Yard House; Scott Hunnel, Disney Culinary Director; Michael LaDuke, Eddie V’s and The Capital Grille; Lordfer Lalicon, Kaya; Jamie McFadden, Cuisiniers; Brandon McGlamery, Prato; and Renauld Washington, Hawkers.
Wineries pouring at the grand tasting on Saturday include: Knights Bridge Winery (featured winery), Adobe Road Winery, Archery Summit Winery, Banfi, Brewer-Clifton, Bricoleur Vineyards, Caymus, Chateau Palmer, Cliff Lede Winery, Clos Solene Winery, Constellation Brands, Delicato, Duckhorn, Enriquez Estate Wines, Fulldraw Vineyard, Heitz Cellar
Hope Family Wines, Jackson Family Wines, Kobrand, Maze Row, Michael David Winery, Moet Hennessey, Opici Wines, Pahlmeyer, Palm Bay, Peter Michael Winery, Rudd Estate, Santa Margherita USA, The Estates Group, TOR, VGS Chateau Potelle, Vintus Wines, and Vokel Cellars.
But you don’t have to feel completely left out. You can participate in the auction digitally and e-bid on the array of items, which include several Orlando Magic packages and tickets to a Taylor Swift concert in Tampa.
To sign up to bid, visit the Orlando Wine Festival and Auction website.
