I was informed earlier this week that the Charlottesville Food and Wine Experience has been moved to the weekend of July 31st. We didn’t receive any information explaining the rescheduling other than the quote from the festival’s president, Tim O’Brien which read:
The rescheduling of this event will further enhance this world-class gathering for wine connoisseurs and food enthusiasts right here in Charlottesville.
I imagine this has something to do with the ticket prices and the economy. I understand this is a high-end event, but we had a fair number of complaints about ticket prices from foodies on our site. 30-something downtown hoo explained it best in a comment:
So, this could have been a great event (especially to showcase VA wine), but the organizers have forgot one major artifact: the end customer. Everyone who enjoys wine, would love to attend this festival, but the cost for events is so prohibitive that it is bound to fail. The costs are so crazy, especially a few weeks after the holidays and in the current fiscal atmosphere. If you are uber weathy, then this event is for you, but you will probably be disappointed. For the normal chap, the prices are at least double what they should/could be.
With combined costs rivaling than the Miami event, Spectator’s tasting in New York, and Food and Wine’s in Colorado, with few “great” wineries, what were the organizors thinking? The website touts “over 100 world class wineries.” No offense to the supremely good wineries that are booked to attend, there are only a handful of true “world” class amazing producers attending to justify the price.
Seriously, “Individual tickets prices range from $35.00 to $229.00, depending on the seminar or event chosen. The Grand Tickets continue on sale and include the choice of 3 seminars, a champagne breakfast, the Grand Tasting, the Blind Tasting, the Gala Dinner, and the Sunday Brunch. While supply lasts, the cost of the Grand Ticket will be $559.00.”
So the cheapest ticket is 35.00, really?
…
Now i appreciate and commend what the organizers are attempting to do, showing the great potential of this relatively new wine region and the amazing, dedicated work of the local winemakers. I just fear that this event will fail horribly, costing the wineries time, money and exposure. I feel that unless the event is changed up, the industry (outside of charlottesville) will never attend the festival again.
At least we can hope that ticket prices come down, can’t we?
Related posts:
- Charlottesville Food and Wine Festival: International Food and Wine Experience!
- cVillain’s Non-Elitist Wine Party @ Crush, Thursday January 24th at 6:30PM
- Taste This: Food, Wine and Beer Tasting Event
weak.
Yeah weak unless they significantly lower the cost of the tickets.
The rescheduling of this event will further enhance this world-class gathering for wine connoisseurs and food enthusiasts right here in Charlottesville.
By “enhance”, I assume they mean “will be able to sell more than six tickets”. You just know this is being run as a pass-time by someone from the gratuitously horsey garth road set. I guess this as I cannot believe anyone else could be more woefully out of touch with their demographic. Sad, really.
Epic. Promotion. Fail.
I used to live on Garth Road. Are you picking a fucking fight?
Flooze, garth road is just lovely. However, cellphones get zerooooooo reception out there, so i can still classify it as hicksville.
kisseznhugz!
Were you gratuitously horsey? Somehow I tend to doubt it.
Dont want no fights.
No I wasn’t… that’s why we moved.
I will miss the “Processo Breakfast” at Sal’s if this event somehow does not come off as scheduled.
the siips website says it’s the weekend of july 24th. that is my birthday. mark your calendars.
well… SI Tapas (former Starr Hill, 709 West Main) is having a wine dinner on Wedn Feb 11th hosted by no other than yours truly. ALthough not a festival…(hmm thinking of a bunch of Villains on Cava)… ok not THE wine festival, it is a seven (7) course dinner paired with seven (7) different wines. Commentary will be provided by Fine Wine Expert CArol Colby from RNDC. The price is $45 which is all inclusive… (food, wine, gratuity, and tax). so be sure to book early. Cava reception begins at 7:30 and dinner starts at 8. Oh yeah did I mention that I was hosting? anything could happen = )
l’etoile is doing a cava dinner on February 4th. Must be something in the water over there on West Main.
Sparkling Wines of Spain
Join us at 6:30PM on Wednesday, February 4th for an evening celebrating
the sparkling wines of Spain. A selection of four Cavas from a prominent
producer in Catalonia will be paired with the cuisine of restaurateur
and local food proponent Chef Mark Gresge.
The price is $45 per person, excluding tax and gratuity.
Call (434)979-7957 to make a reservation.
to continue the trend, there’s another italian wine dinner at maya on the 25th. $60++
Sounds like Si Tapas is the better bargain! Too bad we’ll be out of town
Is it bad of me to be VERY happy that the F&W experience is advertising at http://www.edibleblueridge.com/content/
Is it?
@10 oh yeah call SI TAPAS @ 434.202.0234 for reservations or questions. = ) “the good stuffs right here.”