Great tastes were in abundance at the Florence Wine Fest held Aug. 16-17 in historic downtown Florence, Ala., with unique wines from around the globe paired with local food favorites from some of The Shoals’ best chefs. This annual celebration of wine, food, and community attracts hundreds of foodies and oenophiles to The Shoals for a culture rich weekend experiencing the area’s natural beauty, Southern cooking, and unique architecture.
Bringing Together The Community For 10 Years
With this year’s festival celebrating ten years, Florence Wine Fest has earned a stellar reputation in the wine loving community resulting in hundreds of winemakers, food and beverage professionals, and wine connoisseurs flocking to The Shoals to partake in the event.
Established in 2016 by Jason Allen and Caleb Banks of The Carriage Wine & Market, the festival features many events over its two days with a VIP Wine Dinner, a Truman Capote inspired Black & White Wine Ball, a Grand Tasting and Wine Fest Block Party with live music by The Funk Brotherhood.
“When we established the festival in 2016, we did it on a wing, prayer, and a glass or two of good Champagne,” says festival co-founder Caleb Banks. “We had no idea if the community would respond to it, and plenty of people thought we were crazy, I’m sure.”
Black And White Ball
To kick off Florence Wine Fest 2024, there was an epic Black & White Wine Ball paying homage to Truman Capote’s legendary 1966 Black and White Ball. Complete with fabulous live music, plenty of libations, decadent passed hors d’oeuvres from Odette, a floral art installation by Hart Floristry, and an art exhibition by Heather Fleming. Attendees wore their finest black and white evening attire and donned masks to walk the black carpet and raise a toast to 10 years of great wine and good times.
VIP Wine Dinner
One of the highlights of the weekend was the VIP wine dinner Friday evening featuring wines from world-renown winery Clos Pissarra, cuisine from acclaimed chef Josh Quick, and the expertise of master sommelier Emmanuel Kimiji.
Grand Tasting
The main event of Florence Wine Fest is the Grand Tasting featuring an array of hand-selected wines from around the globe. Attendees also enjoy meeting and talking with special guest wine pros as well as snacking on delicious bites from Jack’s Place Bistro.
Wine Fest Block Party
Whether or not they are wine enthusiasts, people from all around the Shoals turn out for a rollicking good time at the Wine Fest Block Party in Florence’s Mobile Plaza. The crowd danced to live music by the Funk Brotherhood and enjoyed to-go bites & beverages from Lost Pizza Company, The Chicago Café, Wildwood Tavern, Jack’s Place, and Lava Room.
Photos by Abraham Rowe Photography
