We hope you brought your appetite, because the last few weeks of April are full of foodie events. From behind the scenes cocktail classes with the city’s top bartenders, to wine dinners and Charlotte’s food and wine festival, there’s plenty to fill your plate.
Featured Events:
Bonterra’s Prisoner Wine Dinner
Thursday, April 20
Bonterra Dining & Wine Room
6:30 p.m.
As part of the Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend, Bonterra Dining & Wine Room is hosting a Prisoner Wine Dinner. Guests will enjoy a multi-course dinner created by Chef Blake Hartwick, paired with wines from the Prisoner Wine Company. $165 per person. Proceeds benefit local area charities. Purchase your tickets here.
Paws and Pasta at Vivace
Saturday, April 22
Vivace Charlotte
1 p.m.
Cuddly pups and tasty pasta; what’s not to love? Vivace is teaming up with South Charlotte Dog Rescue for a fun and free event featuring not only delicious food from Vivace, but adoptable dogs from South Charlotte Dog Rescue. Support the rescue’s mission to find these pups their forever homes with a $5 raffle ticket, you may be the lucky winner of prizes from local businesses. It’s also your first chance to order from their new Spring cocktail and bar bites menu and see a cooking demo.
Tour of Spain Wine Class
Saturday, April 29
Corkbuzz Charlotte
1 p.m.
Take a tour through the six major wine regions of Spain and discover the climates and grapes that make each unique. This Corkbuzz class will cover Spanish wine history and suggested pairings for each wine tasted. $55 per person. Register here.
Champagne Billecart-Salmon Dinner with Clément Calleja
Wednesday, April 26th
Corkbuzz Charlotte
7 p.m.
Toast to the well-recognized champagnes of Billecart-Salmon with a multi-course dinner led by Clément Calleja, East-Coast brand ambassador.  $125 per person. Register here. Here’s a sneak peek at the menu:
Canapés
Artichoke gougères, spinach purée
Smoked onion hush puppies, pimento cheese
Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve NV
First Course
NC Osetra caviar, cucumber, confit shallots, ricotta, chips
Billecart Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs NV
Second Course
Fried Chicken, tomato-braised collard greens, pickled mushrooms, honey, green onion mustard
Billecart Salmon Brut Sous Bois NV
Billecart Salmon Extra Brut 2006
Cheese
Baked Le Duc Vacherin, shrimp deviled egg, roasted grapes
Billecart Salmon Brut Rosé NV
Reid’s South Park Patio Concert Series
Saturday, April 22
Reid’s South Park
7 p.m.
The weather is here and Reid’s patio series is back with live music from The Holdouts. Hear them play your favorite classic rock favorites while sipping on cocktails on the expansive patio. Tickets are just $10. Purchase in-store starting April 17.
Other don’t miss events:
An Evening in Napa
Tuesday, April 18
The Pump House
Bag your bags for a quick trip to Napa Valley without leaving Rock Hill. Enjoy a five-course meal with wine pairings with a stunning view of the Catawba river. Led by Chuck Richards of Palmetto Fine Wines. $99 per person.
Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend
April 19-22
Various locations
Save your appetite for the Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend, coming to the Queen city April 19-22. The weekend features multiple restaurant and wine pairing dinners and special events, along with Big Bottles & Blues, a casual wine and food tasting featuring an auction benefiting five local children’s charities. See the full line-up of events here.
Wine & Tapas Week
April 21-30
Various locations
Is there a better pair than wine and tapas? Get a tour of the world during Wine and Tapas week, where participating restaurants offer selections of two glasses of wine an two tapas for $30 or $35. Want to stay for dinner? Not to worry, regular menus are also available. See all of the participating spots and start planning our happy hours here.
Bites and BrewsÂ
April 21
StoneCrest Shopping Center
Kick off your weekend with Bites & Brews at StoneCrest. Meet at The Fountain Plaza for food tastings beer, wine and live music.
6th Annual Sweet Escapes
April 22
Mint Museum Randolph
Any event that involves over 500 pounds of chocolate is okay in our book. The sixth annual Sweet Escapes Event features hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine, live music and a silent auction supporting Community Link’s fight against homelessness in the Charlotte area. $90 per person.
Moo & Brew Festival
April 22, 2 p.m.
AvidXchange Music Factory
Another pairing we love? Burgers and beer. Be the judge as local restaurants compete for the title of “Creative Loafing’s Best Burger” and sip on samples from multiple breweries. To top it off, jam along to live music from Blues Traveler Ancient Cities among others.
Louisiana Spring Fest
April 22-April 23
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
Get a taste of the bayou with help from guest chef Brett Harris and Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. Feast on crawfish, jambalaya, boiled shrimp, potatoes and corn on the cob in this all day celebration of food and brews. Bluegrass and cajun music will be playing throughout the day, and there will even be a professional fortune teller on site from 2-6 p.m. on Saturday.
Second Annual International Sandwich Festival
April 29, 11 a.m.
3800 Shamrock Drive
No matter our backgrounds, we can all get behind a great sandwich. Sample the best creations from around the world and international entertainment on stage. Festival is free and open to the public.
Spice 101 Cooking Class
April 30
Savory Spice Shop Atherton Mill
Do you know your way around the spice rack? Learn or get a refresher course on the basics from the professionals at Savory Spice Shop. You’ll learn about common spices, common FAQs, taste the spices  and see how to use them effectively. $15 per person. Call to reserve your spot: 980.225.5419.
