Kapalua festival promises star-studded winery lineup

Reminder: The 33rd annual Kapalua Wine & Food Festival begins June 12. The four-day, star-studded event is one of the longest-running wine festivals in the country.

I remember attending this festival in its early years as a young buck. It was awe-inspiring to rub shoulders with icons such as Robert Mondavi and Rodney Strong.

The value of such gatherings extends well beyond being fun and interesting; they bring a bevy of talent and, therefore, expertise to the isles. 

This year’s event is no different. Panels will feature tastings of wines from New Zealand,  the Pacific Northwest, the Russian River Valley and the Santa Lucia Highlands, to name a few locales.

Imagine talking story with icons such as grape grower Gary Pisoni of Lucia, or pinot noir maestro Michael Browne of the highly acclaimed Kosta Browne.

I am especially excited to be moderating a panel that features four of Italy’s  top winemaking "game changers": Giorgio Rivetti of La Spinetta and Norbert Reinisch of Braida, both from Piedmont; and Tuscany’s Paolo Bianchini of Ciacci Piccolomini and Vittorio Fiore of Poggio Scalette.

In addition, two star chefs will be holding cooking demonstrations: Dean Fearing from Texas, long known as the Father of Southwestern cuisine, and Mark Tarbell from Arizona. Tarbell’s claims to fame include being the only winning challenger on the fifth season of "Iron Chef America."

Master sommelier and festival host Michael Jordan has certainly worked hard to confirm this stellar lineup.

The Kalani High School graduate also keeps things upbeat and entertaining. In fact, he will take the stage alongside celebrity winemaker Fred Scherrer on June 14 for a kanikapila as they jam on their guitars and sing. Expect friends to join them for impromptu sit-ins at Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar in Kapalua. It’s always a blast, and wine groupies will see a whole other side of these guys.

The Kapalua Wine & Food Festival runs through June 15. Visit kapaluawineandfoodfestival.com.

Chuck Furuya is a master sommelier and a partner in the DK Restaurants group. Follow his blog at chuckfuruya.com.