Superstar Tim McGraw to Perform at 2018 Festival
Eight Most Innovative Chefs to be Honored at Opening Night Master Chef Wine Dinner
General Ticket Sales Open Monday, July 2 at 10:00am
The Greenwich Wine + Food Festival presented by PepsiCo will welcome music superstar Tim McGraw to this year’s festival. The iconic performer will headline the festivities on Saturday, September 22 at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich and his performance will cap the eighth annual event – which is held on September 21 and 22 – and will also feature appearances by culinary celebrities Daniel Boulud, Scott Conant, Mary Giuliani, Alex Guarnaschelli and Adam Richman.
“Our event celebrates the best in food and beverage in our area and beyond and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the best in country music – Tim McGraw! – to perform at this year’s festival,” said Suni Unger, founder and CEO of Unger Media, the parent company behind Greenwich Wine + Food and Serendipity magazine. “We are so proud of our friends in the culinary and entertainment world who will be joining us this year. We are also honored to raise money for a number of well-deserving charitable organizations, including the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the Town of Greenwich Parks & Recreation Foundation and Ment’or, which is the very heart of our festival.”
McGraw’s performance, held on the Pepsi Stage, will close out an entire day of festivities on Saturday, September 22 in the Culinary Village.
“We are so thrilled and honored to be the main beneficiary of the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival this fall. The MMRF has deep roots in this community and we are so grateful for all of the support we have received and continue to receive from our friends.” said Anne Quinn Young, MPH, MMRF Sr. VP of Marketing and Communications.
The event will also honor the 2018 Serendipity Most Innovative Chefs – nine Connecticut and New York chefs recognized for their creativity, passion and expertise in culinary arts. This year’s class (*as of 6/29) includes:
- Ben Pope, Mr. Koo’s Kitchen, Irvington, NY
- Ben Freemole, The Tavern at Gray Barns, Norwalk, CT
- Julio Genao, Prime Stamford, Stamford, CT
- Cedric Lamouille, Bistro V, Greenwich, CT
- Susanne Berne, Bianco Rosso, Wilton, CT
- Jay LeBlanc, Knot Norm’s Catering Co., Norwalk, CT
- Armando Sanchez, Washington Prime, Norwalk, CT
- Antonio Selendic, Dubrovnik, New Rochelle, NY
- Brad Stewart, Flinders Lane, Stamford, CT
“I know that the Town of Greenwich joins me in welcoming the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival for its 8th annual event,” said Greenwich First Selectman Peter J. Tesei. “This gastronomic feast is an opportunity for foodies and oenophiles to enjoy the best of not Greenwich’s culinary landscape but the region’s as well. I look forward to this event every year as do the thousands of visitors who come to waterfront vista of Roger Sherman Baldwin Park to eat and to learn about food from master chefs, and to enjoy the entertainment. I hope this year’s Festival is even more successful as it benefits the Town of Greenwich Parks & Recreation Foundation and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.”
The event kicks off on Friday, September 21 when these honored chefs, in addition to Festival Ambassador Chefs, will prepare their gourmet cuisine at the Opening Night Master Chef Wine Dinner. The dinner will honor special guest Guarnaschelli, who will be celebrated for her innovation and contributions to the culinary world; Conant and Richman will also be in attendance as special guests.
On Saturday, guests can enjoy tastings and demonstrations at the Culinary Village, which is home to the Grand Tasting tent, where guests can enjoy tastings and demonstrations from more than 150 of the area’s finest food, wine and spirits experts. Other tents in the Culinary Village will feature the best in burgers, BBQ, tacos and more. Guests will also experience sommelier, mixologist and brew master presentations, celebrity book signings, Q&A sessions and cooking demos with top culinary experts, a celebrity green room with live interviews and an exclusive Meet the Masters’ Panel discussion.
The 7th Annual Burger Battle will return, as will the 4th Annual Top Bartender Showdown, providing heated competition between area restaurants. Ambassador Chefs will also prepare an exceptional dinner for VIP ticket holders on Saturday.
Tickets will go on sale Monday, July 2 at 10:00am via www.greenwichwineandfood.com or by calling 203.588.1363. Ticket options include Friday’s Opening Night Master Chef Wine Dinner ($325), Saturday General Admission ($210), Saturday VIP ($500), Gold VIP (Saturday VIP + Lawn Table Dinner for concert – $8,000) and Platinum VIP (Saturday VIP + On-Stage Table Dinner for concert – $12,000). The All Weekend Pass ($775) is currently available at pre-sale pricing through July 2.
The festival weekend will be held rain or shine, and anyone under 21, including infants or strollers, will not be admitted. Pets are also not permitted.
ABOUT TIM MCGRAW
TIM MCGRAW has sold more than 50 million records and dominated the charts with 43 worldwide #1 singles. He’s won 3 Grammy Awards, 16 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, 11 American Music Awards, 3 People’s Choice Awards and numerous other honors. His iconic career achievements include being named the BDS Radio’s Most Played Artist of the Decade for all music genres and having the Most Played Song of the Decade for all music genres. He is the most played country artist since his debut in 1992, with two singles spending over 10 weeks at #1. His career-long tour successes include the record-setting Soul2Soul The World Tour 2017 with his wife, Faith Hill. McGraw starred in and narrated the hit movie “The Shack,” to add to such other film credits as “Friday Night Lights” and “The Blind Side.”
(TW/IG: @TheTimMcGraw, FB: TimMcGraw, timmcgraw.com)
ABOUT GREENWICH WINE + FOOD
Greenwich Wine + Food celebrates community, charity, food, beverage and more in the Connecticut and New York area with multiple events throughout the year, including the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival presented by PepsiCo, the Serendipity Golf Classic presented by Pure Leaf Iced Tea, and the Serendipity Fun Run presented by Aquafina. The 2018 beneficiaries include the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and the Town of Greenwich Parks & Recreation Foundation and Ment’or. Greenwich Wine + Food is a part of Unger Media. For more information, visit www.greenwichwineandfood.com.
ABOUT THE GREENWICH 2018 WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL
The Greenwich 2018 Wine + Food Festival presented by PepsiCo is a multi-day event celebrating the area’s rich culinary landscape and showcasing innovation in the food and beverage industries. It will benefit multiple charitable organizations including the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the Town of Greenwich Parks & Recreation Foundation and Ment’or. Sponsors to date include 90+ Cellars, Budweiser, Coldwell Banker, Compass, Delamar, Don Julio, Empire City Casino, Filippo Berio, Hospital For Special Surgery, Hotel Zero Degrees, Jameson, Jeep, Kerry Gold, Ketel One, Kim Crawford, Lifewtr, Meiomi, New York Post, NuKitchens, Pepsi Zero, PepsiCo, Pure Leaf Iced Tea, Rudy’s Executive Transportation, Ruffino, Serendipity, Stamford Marriott, Stella Artois, Unger Media, Westy Self Storage, Whistle Pig Rye Whiskey and Whole Foods.* For more information, visit www.greenwichwineandfood.com, or the event’s social media channels: Twitter (@GWFF2017), Facebook (@Greenwichwineandfoodfestival) and Instagram (@greenwichwineandfood).
(*As of 6/28/18)
ABOUT THE MULTIPLE MYELOMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION (MMRF)
The mission of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) is to find a cure for multiple myeloma by relentlessly pursuing innovation that accelerates the development of next-generation treatments to extend the lives of patients. Founded in 1998 by Kathy Giusti, a multiple myeloma patient, and her twin sister Karen Andrews as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the MMRF is a world-recognized leader in cancer research. Together with its partners, the MMRF has created the only end-to-end solution in precision medicine and the single largest genomic dataset in all cancers. The MMRF continues to disrupt the industry today, as a pioneer and leader at the helm of new research efforts. Since its inception, the organization has raised over $400 million and directs nearly 90% of the total funds to research and related programs. To learn more, visit www.themmrf.org
About Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cell. It is the second most common blood cancer. An estimated 30,280 adults will be diagnosed this year and 12,590 people are predicted to die from the disease.