NEWS RELEASE/

 

In Wine We Trust

 

Florence Wine Fest Raises a Toast to Its 5th Year with Oregon vs. California Edition
 

[FLORENCE, AL – 5 March 2020] Florence Wine Fest returns to Mobile Plaza for its fifth year March 13-14, 2020. The annual festival held in downtown Florence showcases unique wines from around the globe, local food favorites, and live entertainment. A portion of 2020 festival proceeds will benefit Room in the Inn (homeless shelter/food/aid) and One to None (type 1 diabetes awareness/patient support). Attendees can select which charitable cause they want their ticket purchase to support.

“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.” Now entering its fifth year, Florence Wine Fest has established a reputable name for itself in the wine loving community attracting hundreds of winemakers, food & beverage professionals, and wine connoisseurs alike from around the world to The Shoals. Each year festival organizers work to bring a fresh perspective to the festival main tasting event featuring themes such as 2018’s “Let the Good Times FLO - Taste Around the Globe” which highlighted wines from some of the world’s top wine-making regions. Wine Fest 2020 “Oregon vs. California Edition” takes on new life as it explores the vast vinous offerings of two of the USA's most prolific wine-making regions, Oregon and California, and puts them head-to-head (or bottle-to-bottle) in an exclusive match up of winemaking prowess. Attendees will have the opportunity to taste wines with winemakers and representatives from 15+ Oregon and California wineries and learn why they each think their wines deserve to take home the gold.

 

• The Oregon Contingent*: Antiquum Farm, Brandborg, Brooks, Maysara, R. Stuart & Wine Co., Stoller, and more.

• The California Contingent*: Dutton & Goldfield, Failia, Elizabeth Spencer, Frank Family, Goldschmit, Halter Ranch, Neyers, Oberon, Talbott, and more.

Beyond the main tasting event scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, March 14th, festival attendees have the opportunity to attend an exclusive multi-course wine dinner Friday, March 13th with special guest winemaker Chris Williams of Oregon-based Brooks Winery and guest chefs Josh Quick (Odette) and John Cartwright (Rivertown) at 116 E. Mobile St. or raise a toast at the Wine Fest Kick-Off Party presented by Frank Family Vineyards on Mobile Plaza. The kick-off event will feature a red carpet, live entertainment by Athens, GA party band The Funk Brotherhood, and hors d’ oeuvres by Chef Jack White (Jack’s Place Bistro). “Friday night has grown to be my favorite part of Wine Fest,” says festival co-founder Caleb Banks. “There’s nothing better than seeing people dress their best, enjoy fabulous food and wine, live it up, and bust a move out the dance floor.”

As if all of this excitement isn’t enough, there are two more opportunities to celebrate the spirit of Florence Wine fest with a Pre-Game Wine Fest Brunch hosted by Jack’s Place Bistro on Saturday, March 14 and a Bubbles and Beer Recovery Brunch hosted by Odette on Sunday, March 15.

“We are humbled by the continued support the Shoals community has shown to the festival,” says co-founder Jason Allen. “We can hardly wait to open the gates this year and share all of the delicious things that are in store. It’s going to be absolutely fantastic!”

​Discounted lodging rates are available at Marriott Shoals.

Florence Wine Fest 2020 will take place March 13-14, 2020 on Mobile Plaza in downtown Flroence. Additional information, full event schedule, and tickets are available at www.florencewinefest.com.
*Scheduled appearances are subject to change.

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FLORENCE WINE FEST is a rain or shine annual celebration of wine, food, and community in downtown Florence, AL. Established in 2016 by Jason Allen and Caleb Banks of The Carriage Wine & Market, the festival attracts hundreds of attendees each March from around the nation to flock to downtown Florence for the opportunity to explore hundreds of fantastic wines from around the globe and local food pairings from some of the Shoals' best chefs. For further information, visit www.florencewinefest.com or contact Caleb Banks by email at cheers@carriagewine.com. Press photos available for download at www.florencewinefest.com/pressphotos. All photos used should credit “Abraham Rowe Photography”.

In 2018 Florence Wine Fest was named “Top Drink Festival in Alabama” by supercall.com, a cocktail-centric culture and lifestyle website.

ROOM IN THE INN SHOALS, INC. is an interfaith, community-based partnership that provides food and shelter to homeless during the winter months.  Room in the Inn Shoals does not and cannot fix homelessness, but it does change people. By offering hope and radical hospitality, it is their mission to serve everyone with care and dignity, making sure that everyone matters.

ONE TO NONE is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit organization with a mission to raise money for research for Type 1 Diabetes as well as provide financial assistance to those who are living with this chronic disease. With a focus on fashion, fitness, and food, they aim to raise awareness and to change the perception of Type 1 Diabetes.
Press Contacts: Edward Speaker or Caleb Banks, cheers@carriagewine.com

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FEATURE ARTICLE/

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Florence Wine Fest: "Let the Good Times FLO"

By: Monica Collier for The Times Daily

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Jazz played overhead as Jason Allen and Caleb Banks sat in The Carriage Wine & Market going over the details for the “Let the Good Times Flo” weekend.

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Banks vividly remembers Allen sharing his “spark of an idea” for a wine festival with him three and half years ago. Banks' initial response was, “that will never work.”

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With two sell-out events under their belts, Allen and Banks laughed as they recalled their modest expectations going into the first Florence Wine Fest in 2016.

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“The first year, we had 500 tickets,” Banks said. “We intentionally set it to a point where we thought, there’s no way we’ll get this many people, but if we do it’s manageable. Last year, we bumped it to 750 tickets to try and grow it at a reasonable pace.”

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The duo admitted it’s a nice problem to have but, logistically, the annual wine festival had reached the point of bursting at the seams. With what they felt like was a capacity crowd last year radiating from the market’s location on East Mobile Street, the proprietors put their heads together and formulated a new plan for 2018.

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Read more here.

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FEATURE ARTICLE/

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The Drinking Festival in Every State You Don't Want To Miss

By: Nickolaus Hines for Supercall.com

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In every state in America, a drinking-centric festival will be held in 2018. Some states celebrate beer best, some prefer whiskey, and others prefer to focus on anything and everything local. No matter where in the U.S. you are (or where you’re traveling to), there’s an event to put on your calendar to taste the best of the best and see what the country’s alcohol producers and bartenders have to offer.

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Alabama: Florence Wine Fest on March 9-10 in Florence

The 40,000-person town of Florence, Alabama, brings variety in a big way. More than 200 wines from around the world are poured at the Florence Wine Fest, and there are pairings with local food. It all starts with a red carpet, cocktail-attire-only Champagne event with live music, which rolls into a full day of wine tasting at event hubs like the Bubbly Tent and the full beer and cocktail bar.

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Read more here on Supercall.com.

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FEATURE ARTICLE/

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Join Fellow Oenophiles at this Northern Alabama Tasting Extravaganza

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By: Thomas Sholtz for Resorts and Lodges

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If your ideal getaway consists of natural beauty, southern cooking, and unique architecture, then Florence should be the launching point for your next Alabama vacation. Foodies will be enamored with the variety and selection of restaurants. A few must-visit locations include Odette and 360 Grille. From the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Rosenbaum Home to the Victorian-style homes on Wood Avenue, those with an eye for design will love this destination.

 

The Florence Wine Fest is one of the leading late winter wine events in Alabama, and it will take place March 9-10 at Wilson Park North. This year’s event will feature samples of more than 200 wines from across the world. Those looking to bolster their wine collection can preorder a variety of vintages from The Carriage Wine and Market at a 20% discount. The event will also have food pairings from five favorite local restaurants including The Factory at Alabama Chanin and Rivertown Coffee Co. Attendees in search of a full glass of wine, or a craft beer should stop by the Equator Bar, and the Bubbly Tent will showcase a spectrum of champagne for sampling. Christopher-Joel Carter and Co. featuring Trevor Dodson will provide the live music throughout the event. Purchase of a VIP ticket includes access to the VIP Tasting Room and the VIP First Class Bar, as well as early access to tastings and pop-up eateries in the Main Tent. All paid entries will have the chance to enjoy special deals and events at local establishments. A portion of the event's proceeds will go to Raising the Bar, a community fund that provides professional experiences to students of the University of North Alabama. We interviewed Event Representative, Caleb Banks, to learn more about this annual celebration of wines from around the world.

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Read more here on ResortsandLodges.com. 

 

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NEWS RELEASE/

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29 December, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Florence Wine Fest Returns to the Shoals in 2018!
Tickets Available January First

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FLORENCE, AL - Florence Wine Fest returns to The Shoals on Saturday, March 10, 2018. The annual festival held in downtown Florence showcases unique wines from around the globe, local food favorites, and live entertainment. Festival proceeds benefit Raising the Bar: A Community Fund for UNA, a program designed to assist University of North Alabama students pursuing careers in creative fields.

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Florence Wine Fest grows and gains momentum each year, and in 2018 (the event’s third installment) organizers are excited to offer a new opportunity for revelry with the addition of a Friday evening Champagne Kick-Off Party presented by Jean-Noël Haton Champagne House. Organizer Jason Allen says that the new event promises to be an “exciting evening filled with beautiful wine, tasty nibbles, and live entertainment. Plus, it’s the perfect way to welcome the festival’s out-of-town guests to the Shoals.” Commenting on the cocktail attire of the kick-off party he added, “Everyone loves a great excuse to dress up, too!”

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Festival tickets will be available for purchase online on January 01, 2018 at noon (CST).

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Also new in 2018, ticket packages will be structured to provide greater flexibility with an option to mix-and-match features and experiences. An attendee may purchase a V.I.P. All-Access bundled pass, or purchase individual tickets to the Main Tent, Bubbly Tent, V.I.P. Tasting Room, and/or Champagne Kick-Off Party.

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Another notable change in 2018 will be the new home of the festival. In response to its exponential growth since 2016, Florence Wine Fest 2018 will move around the corner from cozy Mobile Plaza to spacious Wilson Park North where organizers plan to host a crowd of more than 1,000 wine enthusiasts. Organizer Caleb Banks commented, “We have been humbled by the overwhelming support of the Shoals community over the last two years, and we look forward to taking the festival to new heights in 2018!” Florence Wine Festival is a rain or shine event.

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Discounted lodging rates are available at Marriott Shoals and GunRunner Boutique Hotel.

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Additional information and tickets are available at www.florencewinefest.com.

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Florence Wine Fest is a rain or shine annual celebration of wine, food, and community in downtown Florence, AL. Established in 2016 by Jason Allen and Caleb Banks of The Carriage Wine & Market, the festival attracts hundreds of attendees each March from around the nation to flock to downtown Florence for the opportunity to explore hundreds of fantastic wines from around the globe and local food pairings from some of the Shoals' best chefs. For further information, visit www.florencewinefest.com or contact Caleb Banks or Jason Allen by call/text at 256-810-3752 or by email at cheers@thecarriagewineandmarket.com. Photos/videos are available upon request courtesy of Florence Wine Fest/Abraham Rowe Photography.

 

Press Contact: Caleb Banks/Jason Allen, 256-810-3752, cheers@thecarriagewineandmarket.com

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NEWS RELEASE/

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8 February, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Florence Wine Fest is Headed Back to the Shoals!

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FLORENCE, AL - Florence Wine Fest is headed back to The Shoals, AL on March 11, 2017  for its second year and is bigger and better than ever, complete with beautiful wines, local eats, great music acts and an on-site recording of wine podcast Pig & Vine Radio with special guest, Grammy Award winner John Paul White. To make it even sweeter, it's all for a good cause, too! A portion of proceeds from Florence Wine Fest 2017 will go to directly support a new student fund, Raising the Bar: A Community Fund for UNA, that provides University of North Alabama students with elevated professional experiences to prepare them for careers of excellence in the fields of culinary arts, hospitality management, fine wine and spirits, fashion and other creative professions.

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Florence Wine Fest is a rain or shine annual celebration of wine, food and community in downtown Florence, AL. This March, hundreds of attendees from around the nation will flock to cobblestoned Mobile Plaza for the opportunity to explore more than one hundred fantastic wines from around the globe and local food pairings from some of the Shoals' best chefs. Plus, ticket holders will receive 20% OFF any wine pre-orders placed at the festival (no minimum quantity required) and special discounts all weekend long at many participating downtown businesses!

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Festival organizer Caleb Banks says he can hardly wait to unveil what all the Florence Wine Fest team has in store for attendees. “It’s going to be an incredible weekend and an experience unlike any other that many of the attendees may have had before,” Banks commented. “We are dialing it up a few notches this year and taking it far above and beyond what we did in 2016. It really will be spectacular and we are thrilled for it to be supporting such a wonderful cause!”

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As a primer to a full day of activities, the festivities will kick-off at 11 a.m. with a live recording of Pig & Vine Radio: A Podcast with Wine and Real Conversation with host Amy Collins and special guest, Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter John Paul White. Audience members will enjoy a glass with Amy and John Paul as they talk about the craft of songwriting, touring and White's latest studio album, Beulah.

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The main attraction is scheduled to take place on Saturday afternoon and will be housed under an almost completely-tented Mobile Plaza with live entertainment from internationally-renown pianist and reigning Liberace Competition winner, Christopher Joel Carter & Company. V.I.P. All-Access ticket holders will enjoy early access to the Main Tent beginning at 1 p.m., and the doors will open for general admission from 2-6 p.m. In addition to the Main Tent that features 125+ wines, select ticket holders will enjoy access to the Bubbly Tent, a separate space that houses a plethora of Champagnes and other fabulous bubbles, and the V.I.P. Tasting Room, an exclusive room featuring a hand-picked selection of fine, high-end wines. Local food pairings will be provided by Odette, Rivertown Coffee Co., The Factory Café at Alabama Chanin, Swampers Bar & Grill, The 360 Grille and The Carriage Wine & Market.

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Following the Downtown Dinner Break from 6-8 p.m. featuring discounts at participating downtown eateries, the night will end with a bang as The Funk Brotherhood, Athens, Georgia’s premiere party band, lights up the street at the Mobile Plaza Street Party with their classic sounds of funk and disco from 8-10 p.m. From the horn-driven hits of Kool & the Gang, to the chart-topping vocals of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, this 9-piece band will not disappoint with its high-energy performance and is guaranteed to keep you groovin’ to the beat all night long!

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Want to go? Florence Wine Fest 2017 will be a sell-out event. So, get your tickets early while you can! Tickets are available online at www.florencewinefest.com and in store at The Carriage Wine & Market, 121 E. Mobile St., Florence, AL 35630.       

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Florence Wine Fest is a rain or shine annual celebration of wine, food, and community in downtown Florence, AL. Established in 2016 by Jason Allen and Caleb Banks of The Carriage Wine & Market, the festival attracts hundreds of attendees each March from around the nation to flock to cobblestoned Mobile Plaza for the opportunity to explore hundreds of fantastic wines from around the globe and local food pairings from some of the Shoals' best chefs. For further information, visit www.florencewinefest.com or contact Caleb Banks by call/text at 256-810-3752 or by email at cheers@thecarriagewineandmarket.com. Photos/videos are available upon request courtesy of Florence Wine Fest/Abraham Rowe Photography.

 

Press Contact: Caleb Banks, 256-810-3752, cheers@thecarriagewineandmarket.com