10 Wines Pros Say You Shouldn’t Miss at Charleston’s Food & Wine Classic

The Food & Wine Classic in Charleston brings together chefs, sommeliers, winemakers, and beverage experts for tastings and seminars. For wine lovers, the event offers a chance to discover standout bottles—and hear why the professionals are excited to pour them.

This year’s selections range from Champagne and Burgundy to Grenache, Riesling, and California Chardonnay. Here are the wines four participating experts are eager to share.

June Rodil’s picks

Master Sommelier June Rodil is looking forward to wines with compelling stories, including a new release from a renowned Champagne house, a Champagne made by a rising winemaker, and a Tuscan red with a long history.

• NV Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle Iteration Nº27 Champagne: A blend of the 2015, 2013, and 2012 vintages. Rodil is keen to see how it develops the house’s idea of blending vintages to create a “perfect year,” especially compared with the previous release, Iteration Nº26.
• NV Domaine Les Monts Fournois Côte Avize Grand Cru de Luxe Champagne: Made entirely from Chardonnay grown in two grand cru parcels in Avize. Rodil praises winemaker Juliette Alips and describes the wine’s citrus and pastry notes, followed by a firm, chalky finish.
• 2022 Frescobaldi Castello Nipozzano Montesodi Chianti Rùfina Riserva: This Sangiovese comes from a stony, schist-rich vineyard about 400 meters above sea level. The Frescobaldi family’s winemaking history stretches back to around 1300, and Montesodi became the estate’s first cru in 1974.

Femi Oyediran’s picks

Advanced Sommelier Femi Oyediran will lead a seminar exploring different expressions of Grenache. Two standout bottles come from distinctive single vineyards:

• 2024 Yalumba The Tri-Centenary Barossa Valley Grenache: Sourced from a two-acre vineyard block planted in 1889.
• 2024 Pax Wines Castelli-Knight Ranch Russian River Valley Grenache: From a steep western slope grafted to Grenache in 2003. The wine had not been bottled on its own for 11 vintages.

Oyediran hopes the tasting will introduce attendees to the grape’s range and convert more people into Grenache fans.

Ray Isle’s picks

Executive wine editor Ray Isle is pairing classic wines with playful challenges at his seminars.

• 2023 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes: Isle describes this old-vine red Burgundy as both seductive and powerful. At his Low Country/High Living seminar, the wine will face a distinctly regional pairing question: how does it work with pimento cheese on a cracker?
• 2023 Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Fault Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir: This Pinot Noir will be among the bottles available to teams in the event’s “Chefs vs. Somms” pairing competition. Isle believes the team that chooses it has a strong chance of winning.

Andy Chabot’s picks

Senior vice president of food and beverage at Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain, Andy Chabot will explore wine pairings alongside chicken bites and dipping sauces.

• 2023 Kühling-Gillot Nackenheim 1G Rheinhessen Riesling: Made by a husband-and-wife team known for dry, grand cru-style German Rieslings. Chabot sees it as a particularly promising pairing wine.
• 2023 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Grenache is the dominant grape. Chabot says its accommodating character makes it well suited to a variety of flavors.
• 2023 Peay Vineyards Maritima Estate West Sonoma Coast Chardonnay: From a small West Sonoma Coast producer, this Chardonnay is intended to demonstrate the grape’s versatility at the table.

Together, the selections show how varied the Classic’s wine program will be—from historic vineyards and carefully blended Champagne to tastings designed to test wines against unexpected food pairings.

About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!