This relaxing event features exquisite tastings by Maui's top chefs & vintners- all gathering in support of visual arts education on Maui. With past years’ esteemed company including vintners from Grgich Hills Estate, Jordan Winery, Justin Vineyards & Winery and Shafer Vineyards & chefs from Capische, Five Palms Restaurant, MCC Culinary Academy and Spago Maui, this year's event promises food and wine of the highest caliber.
In a recent conversation with event partner Chambers & Chambers Wine Merchants' Charles Fredy (also an Advanced Sommelier and Certified Specialist of Wine), we were delighted by the natural relationship that became apparent between experimenting in the artist studio and exercising the sense of “taste”- which this event promises to make valuable use of!
Hui: Why should someone completely new to the world of wine tasting attend this event as well as a seasoned "taster”?
Charles: Simply put: because the wines are amazing! This is not just another special event that we are participating in with a small selection of wines, this is our trade show; we’re bringing out the big guns (150-200 of our highest quality/ rarest variety of wines). We typically do not even open some of these bottles (Turley, Peter Michael, Shafer, Paul Meyer- we’re even bringing a Hillside Select: which incredibly, incredibly rare). The majority of these bottles are twice the cost of the ticket to your event; the value is extraordinary. Additionally, your guests will have the chance to actually meet the owners of these wineries, which adds a whole other element to the enjoyment & experience of the wines themselves.
Hui: What advice do you have for a new “taster” (like myself) that might feel somewhat intimidated by the vast world of wine?
Charles: Just have fun! Be sure to walk into the event with a very open mind; don’t get stuck drinking the wine you always drink. This is the time to experiment and really come in with an open palate. If you don’t like it, move on. This is not an opportunity you can take advantage of at a restaurant (once you order a bottle, you’re stuck finishing it). Ask lots of questions and take advantage of the experts. Tell them what you’re about to eat and ask what they might pair it with. You will be so surprised with what you come away with.
Hui: This is a great partnership for Chambers & Chambers and the Hui, because this is exactly the message we relay to our core audience of artists and collectors: to take risks, have fun, try something new and sit back and enjoy the results.
Charles: Exactly, I think it’s important to mention that the types of producers of the wines we are featuring are what we refer to as “artisan wine makers” or “artisan wine producers.” Compared to others in the field that have strict procedures for producing & creating for the masses, they pride themselves on being more artistic and intimate in their approach to winemaking. They are farmers that really care about what they do and want to express the most enjoyment in those they touch with their art. These are small, passionate owners & wine makers that try to make wines of pure artistic expression.
A fundraiser developed over the years with the support of printmaking artist, studio user and Chambers & Chambers wine educator Jim Powlan, the Wailea Food & Wine Celebration celebrates the value of our public open studio program and engages our community in an off-site neighborhood.
“As a talented and successful artist, exceptional student, inspired open studio participant and active volunteer at Hui No‘eau, Jim’s enthusiasm in the planning and promotion of this event exhibits an exemplary model of volunteerism that is vital to our continued success, remarks Hui Executive Director Caroline Killhour, “His innovation and hard work is a testament to his commitment to community collaboration. We sincerely thank him, his wife, Barbara Fong and VP of Sales and Marketing Charles Fredy, for their extraordinary support of the Hui and of community arts education on Maui.”
Tickets to this event are just $150, ($100 of which is tax deductible)! Purchase by Nov 4th for a chance to win "Ripeness Begins Corrupting Every Tree" by printmaking artist Brad Brown, valued at $500. Winning guests must be present at time of drawing. Visit the Hui online to purchase your tickets today or call (808) 572-6560.
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