39 www.CharlestonWomenPodcast.com | www.ReadCW.com | www.Instagram.com/CharlestonWomen say, was history. This fall, Food & Wine, Southern Living and Travel + Leisure will host the first-ever Food & Wine Classic in Charleston, presented by Explore Charleston. Editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure Jacqui Gifford said, “Year after year, Charleston continues to innovate and change the scope of the design, style and culinary scene, creating an arc in tourism that leads every city in Travel+Leisure.” Gifford added that another reason Charleston is the ideal destination for hosting this fall’s Food & Wine Classic is the convenience of Charleston’s International Airport, inspiring the attendance of a broad audience from the East Coast, as well as across the country and around the world. Together with Explore Charleston, the Dotdash Meredith powerhouses mentioned are activating the community in a way that’s never been done before. A 19,000-squarefoot, tented pavilion adjacent to the Charleston Visitor Center captures the focal point of the Classic: the three-day grand tasting capped at 3,500 guests. Warner also expressed that other activities during the Classic are occurring throughout the historic district and beyond. Those activities include the opening night party at the Gibbes and a tailgating event at Kiawah River hosted by Southern Living’s editor-in-chief Sid Evans. Furthermore, with deep ties to the city of Charleston, Gifford said she planned a series of local activities during the Classic that focus on curated shopping trips and crabbing excursions with lunch. “Planning an event of this scale takes a full year or longer and truly takes a village,” commented Diella Allen, head of food and drink events at Dotdash Meredith. “We work with many Charleston-based businesses and partners, including event production teams, hotels, catering and rental companies, storage units, waste removal experts and more. Organization and communication are key to pulling off a successful event of this size. A dedicated committee of editors and event planners meet regularly to brainstorm and plan the roster of participating chefs and sommeliers at the Food & Wine Classic in Charleston. We consider many factors, including talent expertise, event theme and panel topics. Some of the talent we invited are also editorial contributors who have been coming to the F&W Classic in Aspen for many years. But there are so many fantastic Charleston-based restaurants and chefs, and we are thrilled to showcase Charleston’s incredible culinary scene and feature local chefs and beverage experts.” Allen added that in addition to the female chefs and sommeliers who are featured in the lineup, behind the scenes, “Women play integral roles in bringing the event to life. The F&W Classic in Charleston event marketing team, based in New York, is almost entirely a team of women. In addition, we are working with a Charleston-based, women-owned business, Fox Events, to produce many events and parties during the F&W Classic in Charleston.” As a female chef on the roster, Morey agreed, saying, “The F&W Classic solidifies Charleston’s place on the map as a culinary scene parallel to that of New York’s. I’m beyond proud, because The Food & Wine Classic is recognition that Charleston is a force due to the talent of our amazing chefs. And I’m honored to be a woman representative of the Classic — it’s huge. Plus, I love that FOOD & WINE is making a point to recognize women in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Because being diverse should always be at the forefront.” According to Amanda McCrossin, a certified sommelier, media personality and host of the Wine Access Unfiltered podcast, “Charleston is a hybrid of global and local genius, and that’s one of the reasons why the F&W Classic attracts the best-of-the-best wine talent.” So, cheers ladies. Having attended multiple Food & Wine Classics in Aspen, I can personally attest to the magic of this event and the renown it will generate for our beloved city. To the Charleston women who participate in the Classic, take a well-deserved bow, because you have officially arrived. Charleston Women in Food The magnitude of F & W. Photo by C2photography.
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