On Saturday, April 14, 2007, the Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend hosted their 2008 Weekend Kick-Off celebration benefiting the Allegro Foundation, Charlotte Symphony, Hospitality House of Charlotte, a scholarship fund at Johnson & Wales University and KinderMourn. Presented by University Volvo and sponsored by Bank of America along with Goodrich Corporation, the event raised over $100,000 for these community organizations, a record total that far surpasses any previous Kick-Off Event. This landmark sets a positive precedent leading into the 2008 Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend, which represents CWFW'S most ambitious philanthropic endeavor in its nearly 20-year history.

In addition to launching the fundraising campaign, the April 14 Kick-Off Event provided guests with a preview of the high caliber wine and food in store for the 2008 Weekend. The evening's festivities included a casual wine tasting reception at Taverna 100 and a formal black-tie dinner in the lobby of the Bank of America Corporate Center. Guests at both venues enjoyed menus prepared by Chef Tim Groody of Taverna 100 and Sonoma Modern American as well as wines from vintners including Eric Solomon Selections, Robert Foley Vineyards, Saintsbury Wines, Silver Oak, and Veuve Clicquot, the official champagne of Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend 2008.

At 9:00 p.m., the two groups convened in Founders Hall for a live auction moderated by guest auctioneer Michael Davis. On the auction block were a magnificent array of rare and top-scoring wines from around the world in bottles, magnums and cases along with a number of unique lifestyle items. By far the most hotly contested of the latter was a "Fantasy Race Experience" package including pit passes and garage passes to the Coca-Cola 600 as well as helicopter transportation to and from Lowe's Motor Speedway. Auctioneer Michael Davis prefaced the bidding for this NASCAR-themed lot by noting that it marked a career first for him.

Another true highlight of the evening was the lavish dessert display. Throughout the auction, guests indulged in a variety of petit fours, handmade truffles and cookies crafted by pastry students from Johnson & Wales University.

The Kick-Off Event at Founders Hall heralds the return of the Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend 2008 to Uptown Charlotte. With the advent of Johnson & Wales University along with a number of new fine dining restaurants, the culinary landscape of Uptown has expanded significantly over the past few years, making it the natural choice to serve as the hub of activities for a wine and food event of CWFW's caliber. Tickets for next May's Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend, which is presented by University Volvo and sponsored by Bank of America, will be available for purchase later this year at www.charlottewineandfood.com.

Click Here to view a slideshow of the event

Click Here to view Kickoff Auction Lots

Click Here to view Participating Wineries

Special Thanks to our Kickoff Sponsors: