Charleston Wine + Food Festival
The Charleston Wine + Food Festival (CHSWFF) is a high-energy, city-wide takeover. For five days every March, Charleston transforms into a nonstop marathon of themed parties, chef-led dinners, and wine pairings. With nearly 100 events scattered across the peninsula, the volume of participating talent is staggering. There are over 250 chefs and 100 beverage professionals — and that’s before we factor in all the wine and spirit companies that are involved. There are so many events to choose between, it can be overwhelming.
Choose Your Own Adventure
One of the best things about CHSWFF is that there are multiple ways to take on the weekend depending on your planning style:
The Stress-Free Route: Let the festival do the heavy lifting. You can buy a weekend pass that grants entry into a curated selection of events, so you can just show up and enjoy without the logistics.
The Elevated Mix: If you want to take it a step further, supplement your pass by grabbing tickets for a few specific wine lunches or intimate collaboration dinners.
The Ultimate Curated Experience: For the true enthusiast, plan it all yourself. This is my favorite way to do it. Scour the schedule and hand-pick exactly what interests you—from massive signature events like the Culinary Village and Toasted, to niche themed parties like Shucked (all things oysters) and Island Time. You can mix in hands-on cooking classes with elite chef collaborations for a weekend that is 100% "you."
The Signature Events
While the schedule is packed, a few events stand out as the festival’s North Stars. My personal favorite is Toasted, a signature event that brings together the undisputed kings of smoke. I’m talking about restaurants like Prime BBQ (NC), Truth BBQ (TX), Fork Grove (SC) , Palmira BBQ (SC), and Owens and Hull (GA) all firing up pits in one place. Then layer on top restaurants like Theodora from Brooklyn and Neng Jr.’s from Asheville putting their spin on barbecue — it’s the one event of the festival that in a non-negotiable for me. If I’m at the festival, I’m going to Toasted.
The Culinary Village is the most popular event though. It’s a massive, buzzing hub filled with bites from rising culinary students and established regional chefs. There’s no theme either. Instead everyone is making small, signature bites, which results in huge variety, from burgers to bbq, chicken wings to fried green tomatoes, fish dip to fresh oyster. And the volume of beverage options are almost impossible to comprehend—if you’re looking to find your new favorite spirit or local brew, this is definitely the place to do it. The downside to this event though is that because it is so popular, lines can be very long, and some of the food vendors will always run out within the first hour.
I love that the Charleston Wine + Food Festival honors its home turf too though. Different events feature chefs from all over the region, but on the final night, they turn the spotlight back onto local spots - some of my favorites attended like Lost Isle, Bareo, Cane Pazzo, & La Cave. It’s a bit less crowded than some of the other events; since it’s the last day of the festival, pretty much only locals attend.
The Pro Move: Intimate Events
While the big tastings get the headlines, the intimate lunches and dinners are where the magic happens. I attended a high-energy Pintxos Party at Estadio that featured incredible small bites - like patatas with black truffle and chorizo, a phenomenal croqueta made with red rice, Georgia shrimp, and allium, the fluffiest Basque cheesecake I ‘ve ever eaten, and a porrón that made its way to me a few too many times. I also spent a perfect afternoon at The Grocery for a farm-to-table lunch where I actually got to customize a hat (that is admittedly way too cool for me). It was my first year attending some of these smaller events — and now it’s a non-negotiable for me. Anytime I attend CHSWF, I’ll make sure to attend a few of these.
Final Verdict
Charleston Wine + Food isn't just a festival; it’s an endurance sport. It is the perfect choice for the foodie who wants to see the entire city in action. It’s energetic, aesthetic, and one of the best ways to experience the pulse of the Charleston restaurant scene in a single week.
Mark your calendars for next year: March 3–7, 2027.