The Charlotte Wine & Food Festival opens its gates Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Backyard at Ballantyne with more than 100 wines, craft beers and spirits available for tasting.
General admission runs from 1 to 5 p.m. VIP entry begins at noon. Walk-up entry-only tickets are available on-site for $25, according to WBTV.
All guests must be 21 or older to sample alcohol.
The festival, organized by Drink. Eat. Relax. Events, fills the Backyard amphitheater at 11611 N. Community House Road with an all-you-care-to-taste format, live music, food trucks and chef demonstrations throughout the afternoon.
Who's cooking
The festival's official schedule lines up four demonstrations:
- 1 p.m.: Chef Odhie Fields of Postino Ballantyne prepares a Postino Bruschetta Bite.
- 2 p.m.: Napa Bistro & Wine Bar presents Ahi Tuna Tartare.
- 3 p.m.: WBTV QCLife hosts Jorge Andres and Jana Angel cook with guests.
- 4 p.m.: Festival founder Greg Nivens leads a vertical tasting of Alto Moncayo wines, limited to the first 25 guests.
Tickets
Tickets are still available.
General admission costs $45 plus fees and includes beverage samples and a souvenir tasting glass. VIP tickets cost $75 plus fees and add a bottle of wine, a wine bag, bottled water and access to a champagne lounge. The festival's website showed fewer than 100 VIP tickets remaining as of the morning of Sept. 26.
Walk-up entry-only tickets at $25 do not include tasting samples or extras.
What's next
The Wine & Food Festival is one of five Drink. Eat. Relax. Events festivals at the Backyard this year, according to goBallantyne.com. The next one, the Whiskey, Wine & Fire Festival, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4 to 9 p.m., with tickets ranging from $39 to $75.
