Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend

Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend is an annual food and wine festival held in Charlotte, North Carolina — an event that has grown since its founding in 1989 to feature more than 100 wineries and 40 local restaurants under one roof. The festival is held at The Park Expo and Conference Center and typically draws over 2,000 attendees across the weekend. Dates and ticket prices for the current edition have not yet been announced.

The centerpiece of Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend is a Grand Tasting Tent where guests can sample wines ranging from sparkling to bold reds while live jazz performances from local musicians play throughout the event. A Reserve Tasting Lounge offers access to rare and limited-production wines for those seeking smaller-production pours. A "Best of the Fest" competition invites attendees to vote for their favorite food and wine pairings, adding a participatory element that runs alongside the tastings. Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend features more than 100 wineries and 40 local restaurants, held annually in Charlotte, North Carolina, with over 2,000 attendees expected.

On the culinary side, the festival brings together Charlotte-area restaurants — including Midwood Smokehouse, Fin & Fino, and Barrington's Restaurant — alongside visiting chefs from restaurants across the country. Beyond the Grand Tasting Tent, the weekend schedule includes chef demonstrations, educational seminars, and exclusive wine dinners, giving attendees multiple ways to engage with both food and wine over the course of the event. Those interested in structured learning will find the seminars and demonstrations a practical complement to open tasting.

Charlotte sits in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, a state that has developed a notable wine industry since the 1970s. North Carolina's Yadkin Valley AVA, located roughly 90 miles northwest of Charlotte, is the state's first federally recognized wine appellation and produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Viognier among other varieties. While Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend draws wines from around the world rather than focusing exclusively on regional producers, the festival's location places it within reach of one of the Southeast's more established wine-growing regions.