The St. Croix Food & Wine Experience is an annual fundraiser for the St. Croix Foundation which showcases the range of culinary talent on-island. Held every April, this week of events was named one of the Ten Best International Food and Wine Festivals by Forbes Travel. Started by local restaurateurs Katherine Pugliese (eat @ cane bay) and Kelly Odom (Tutto Bene) in 2000, the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience is a huge draw for locals, tourists, national media and celebrity chefs.
Cuisine on the Green
The week kicks-off with Cuisine on the Green at Carambola Golf Club. This event combines a golf tournament with stations on the course, offering hors d’oeuvres with beverage pairings. Foodies are welcome to ride along in a golf cart without partaking in the sport.
Gourmet Vintner Dinner
Held at Tutto Bene Italian restaurant just east of Christiansted, a celebrity chef teams with an experienced winemaker to create an unforgettable dining experience.
City Crawl
Walk through the town of Christiansted and experience cuisine at three different restaurants. An appetizer and wine at one, entree at a second and dessert at a third.
Food Fight on the Beach
For those who love Top Chef and similar culinary reality TV shows, this event pairs St. Croix chefs with celebrity chefs for a series of timed challenges. Taking place on the beach adjacent to eat @ cane bay restaurant on the north shore, attendees get to see chefs show off their expertise.
Galleon Wine Dinner
The Galleon restaurant at Green Cay Marina boasts an extensive wine list to facilitate this event. A guest vintner and special entertainment makes this a particularly remarkable evening at one of St. Croix’s finest restaurants.
Taste of St. Croix
The week’s signature and most anticipated event is held at Divi Carina Bay Resort on the east end. More than 50 St. Croix restaurants, caterers, chefs and farms are represented at booths providing samples of their culinary best. A variety of wines, rums and beers are available for tasting. The event is a competition in categories such as best appetizer, soup, drink, etc. The event ends with the Moet & Chandon champagne after party, with a DJ which has guests dancing into the morning hours.
Cork and Fork Dinners
Foodies seeking more intimate events will love these dinners, capped at 20 people each and hosted at impressive private residences. A celebrity chef will be in the kitchen while a guest vintner expertly pairs wines with the evening’s cuisine. Young aspiring chefs are invited to shadow the expert chefs, as pictured below at Estate Belvedere.
Sunset Barbecue
This casual event is held at Fort Frederik and pairs celebrity chefs with St. Croix culinary students for a high-end cookout. Enjoy an ideal ocean view for sunset on the west end, followed by dancing in the historic open-air venue.
Wine in the Warehouse
The week comes to a close with Wine in the Warehouse at Bellows International mid-island. Enjoy light bites with wine and cocktails. A semi- formal event with dancing in this temporarily converted warehouse is a unique experience.
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