13th Annual Wells Fargo Kickoff
featuring Viña Don Melchor
October 15, 2026


Charlotte Wine + Food (CW+F) raised over $135,000 at the 13th Annual Wells Fargo Kickoff dinner held at The Foundation For The Carolinas on Thursday, October 15. 100 guests started the evening at a cocktail reception followed by a three-course wine-pairing dinner created by Chef Bruce & Leslie Schlernitzauer of Porcupine Provisions as we proudly hosted the star guest of the evening, Sebastián Lopez, Vice President of Trade Development USA from Viña Concha y Toro. The night wrapped up with the most spirited of live auctions conducted by auctioneer, Dan Lyles, including a mix of exclusive wine lots and experiences.

During the reception, guests enjoyed a side by side of the 2025 Terrunyo Sauvignon Blanc & 2021 Trivento Eolo Single Vineyard Malbec, alongside cocktail features from mixologists Ashley Sarkis from Yunta Nikkei, who served a delicious Andean Limonada made with Grey Goose vodka, passion fruit, ginger, and hibiscus lemonade, and Brittany Kellum of Rare Roots Hospitality who served refreshing Mango & Albariño Sangria made with Bombay Sapphire gin, Albariño, mango cordial, lime, agave, and prosecco. As the reception came to a close, guests enjoyed the live latin guitar performance by Vadim Kolpakov.

Featured dinner wines included: 2024 Amelia Chardonnay, 2023 Amelia Pinot Noir, 2022 Viña Don Melchor, 2017 Viña Don Melchor, and a special taste of the 2020 Carmin de Peumo Carménère.

The night wrapped up with a dessert reception featuring flan provided by Chef Edwin Cruz of Edwin’s Organix and artisanal alfajores from Latino Bakes paired with González Byass “Néctar” Pedro Ximénez sherry.

Charlotte Wine + Food would like to extend special thanks to the evening’s Corporate Sponsors - our title sponsor Wells Fargo (championed by our incredible event co-chairs Jessica Murphy & Jill Trainor) and all others listed below.

Title Sponsor: Wells Fargo
Supporting Sponsor: Bentley of Charlotte
Table Sponsors: Bob & Lori Spence - Aeromed Group | Margie Painter - Deloitte | Jamie & Bryan Gerrard - Gerrard Builders | Jessica & Bryan Murphy - Wells Fargo | Jill & Chris Trainor - Wells Fargo | Steve & Whitney Balzer - EY
In-kind Sponsors: Curated Events, Edwin’s Organix, Porcupine Provisions, Rare Roots Hospitality, Viña Don Melchor, The Wine Vault, and Yunta Nikkei
Auction Donors: Bentley of Charlotte, Charlotte Wine + Food, Max Krumdieck, Jason Martin — Viña Concha y Toro, Paul Ponce — Empire Distributors of NC, Bruce & Leslie Schlernitzauer — Porcupine Provisions, SingleThread, The Selvedge, Viña Don Melchor, and Tim Wallace — The Wine Vault - Elizabeth.
Event Chairs: Jessica Murphy and Jill Trainor
Staff: Lauren Deese, Makayla Johnson, Chloe Holland, and Cammie Borrelli
Volunteers: April Vahey, Bain Brown, Carrie Christian, Moses Dimmock, Timmy Vander Pluym, Emma Privitera, Jamie Porpilia, Kara Schlageter, Katie Troy, Kaylee Plaza, Mollie James, Piper Strzelecki, Rachel Grotheer, Sam Markiewitz, Alyssa Sharpe, and Zach Smith
Vendors / Partners: Sebastián Lopez — Viña Don Melchor, Jason Martin — Viña Concha y Toro, Bruce & Leslie Schlernitzauer — Porcupine Provisions — Catering, Brittany Kellum — Rare Roots Hospitality— Mixologist, Ashley Sarkis — Yunta Nikkei — Mixologist, Edwin Cruz — Edwin’s Organix and Open Plan Kitchen — Dessert, Latino Bakes — Dessert, Dan Lyles — Dan Lyles Auctions, Tim Wallace with Karen Longo & Ryan Shinn — Wine Vault — Wine Retail, Curated Events — Event Rentals, Doug Davis — D2 Productions AV, Vadim Kolpakov — Live Music, Josh Bannen & Tori Sutton — Photography, Foundation For The Carolinas — Venue, Boingo Graphics — Printing, Callie Langhorne Public Relations — PR

The Charlotte Wine + Food charity beneficiaries for the 2026-2027 fiscal include, Beds for Kids, Digi-Bridge, Families Forward Charlotte, and Wayfinders.

Photo Credits: Josh Bannen Photography