Whiskey, Wine & Wildlife artfully combines renowned beverage tastings and inspired cuisine from some of the South’s best chefs and local culinary superstars, with a chance to experience coastal wildlife up close, all in one weekend!

The weekend’s events will raise funds and awareness for Vilano Beach Main Street and the GTM Reserve, with the Reserve’s research and education experts on-hand Friday and Saturday, showcasing some fun, interactive programs with coastal wildlife, from sea turtles to alligators!

It’s a culinary weekend experience like no other. Expect to sip and savor great whiskey, spirits, wine, beer, and culinary tastings – all oceanside with music and a relaxed Vilano Beach vibe.

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ABOUT VILANO BEACH

St. Augustine’s Hidden Gem

Vilano Beach is located only 10 minutes away from historic downtown St. Augustine on Florida’s scenic A1A Byway. Vilano offers a variety of amenities from oceanfront and oceanside opportunities for beach lovers with a wide array of restaurants, hotels, and activities – including fishing, surfing, boating, and more.

The Vilano Beach Pier is located on the river side of the Matanzas Inlet, and it’s one of the best vantage points to watch the sunset over downtown St. Augustine and will also be a focal point location for Whiskey, Wine & Wildlife’s events. Wildlife will be showcased in partnership with the nearby GTM Reserve, a national estuarine research reserve, including a $5 million environmental education facility just 6 miles north of the Vilano Bridge with 11,000 acres of preservation land and wildlife habitat.

The following is a final schedule of events for Whiskey, Wine & Wildlife:

Friday, November 4

W3 Master Classes, presented by Publix + GreenWise Market

These interactive and intimate learning experiences showcase local and celebrity guest chefs and beverage experts. Each class includes tasting bites with a paired wine or a signature cocktail. $60 per person, *Limited tickets available

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: “Luxe Brunch at Home: Easy Braised Pork Belly & Garlic Confit Potatoes” with Chef Ellie Schultze, Main Street Diner and a brunch cocktail with Kelley Fitzsimonds, Little Blue Cooler Productions, featuring Mijenta Tequila, Official Festival Tequila

1:00 pm – 2:00 PM: “Pasta Alla Norma”
Enjoy learning how to prepare a light Italian dish – perfect for holiday entertaining with Chef Iain McWilliam, Italian Specialist, Sysco, Official Festival Food Service. Zac Cole, with The Swig Spirit Tastings, will be pairing a signature cocktail with Strega, Italian Liqueur.

2:30 pm – 3:30 PM: “Best of Bardstown Bourbon” with Brandon Smith, Brand Ambassador

A select tasting of premium bourbons with some perfectly paired tasting bites

Guided Tours through the GTM Research Reserve/Wine & Cheese Paired Reception

Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) Research Reserve

505 Guana River Rd #6527, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082, $45 per person, *Limited tickets available

Friday, November 4, 3-4:30 PM
Saturday, November 5, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Sunday, November 6, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Enjoy exploring the great coastal outdoors and the natural beauty of the GTM Research Reserve with a private guided tour. The tour concludes with tasting some fantastic wines, paired with specialty cheeses from Cabot Cheese. Teeming with life, the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research Reserve) is a dynamic, ever-changing place with many interconnected habitats from the ocean to the forests. One of 29 National Estuarine Research Reserves in the country, this landscape protects and provides for a great diversity of plants and animals. Guests will get to experience wildlife (and wine) up close.

Friday, November 4

Whiskey Inspired “Pig Pickin” on the Pier, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Vilano Beach Pier, presented by the Florida Times-Union/jacksonville.com and the St. Augustine Record/staugustine.com

260 Vilano Road, St. Augustine, FL 32084, $79 per person

The happiest of happy hours shared with the Bluebird of Happiness, on Vilano Beach’s famous Pier. Guests will enjoy a variety of unlimited whiskies, wines and beers, along with tasting whiskey-inspired classic cocktails and more with a souvenir glass. Culinary bites and a showcase “Pig Pickin’ on the Pier” with whole hog barbecue, sides from Peculiar Pig Farm & Heart & SoulFood Truck and live music from Yael & Gabriel – all taking place on the Vilano Beach Pier overlooking the Matanzas Inlet.

Saturday, November 5

W3 Main Event – Whiskey, Wine & Wildlife, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM, presented by Sysco, Vivian Browning Avenue Block Party, Vilano Beach, St. Augustine, FL 32084, $119 per person

The main event combines all three of the W’s and much more for the perfect Vilano Beach afternoon. Guests will enjoy tasting all the award-winning Best Taste dishes from some of northeast Florida’s best restaurants and hundreds of unlimited varieties of beverage tastings (spirits, wines and beers) with a souvenir glass at this private Vilano Beach block party. It’s a full afternoon of live music from Laiken Love & The Fellowship of Love, celebrity guest chefs on the Publix Cooking Demonstration Stage, artisan market and the GTM Reserve Stage with wildlife demonstrations and more. Tickets are ALL-INCLUSIVE with food and drink tastings included, from some of northeast Florida’s best restaurants and world-renowned spirits, wines and beers.

Publix + GreenWise Market Cooking Demo Stage at W3 Main Event with some great recipes for the holidays and free tasting bites for the first 50 people seated in each session.

·      2:15 PM – 2:45 PM: Iain McWilliam & Billy Devlin, Sysco, Jacksonville, FL

“Pressed Veal Cheek, Camenzola Polenta, Pine Nut Tuille Gremolata with Fresh Herbs” Learn some professional hacks from Chefs Billy and Iain on making this delicious fall dish.

·      3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Kenny Gilbert, Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne Bar, Jacksonville, FL, “One of Oprah’s Favorite Holiday Dishes” Field Peas with Smoked Turkey Potlicker, Root Vegetables, Savory Herbs, Spices & Cornbread Crumble

·      3:45 PM – 4:15 PM: Rebecca Reed, Blacksheep Restaurant Group, Jacksonville, FL “Faux-rerero Rochers” with Executive Pastry Chef, Rebecca Reed

·      4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Michael Lugo, Michael’s St. Augustine & Pesca by Michael’s, Vilano Beach “Crispy Yellowtail Snapper with Tostones and Pineapple Nuoc Cham” Guests will get a preview of what’s to come from Chef Michael Lugo early next year from Pesca by Michael’s in Vilano Beach

The Vilano Beach Main Street Silent Auction on Saturday will feature steals on some great items, including art, travel, and food and drink packages, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Vilano Beach Main Street. A Wine & Whiskey Pull will benefit the GTM Research Reserve.

Sunday, November 6

W3 Sunday Jazz Brunch” Casa Monica Resort & Spa – 11 AM – 1 PM, 95 Cordova Street, St. Augustine, FL. The grand finale brunch at the Casa Monica Resort & Spa will be a great way to end the weekend – an all-inclusive culinary and drink ticket for a fantastic Brunch Buffet with gourmet stations for breakfast and lunch lovers alike. Beverage tasting stations will include sparkling wine, Mimosas, Bloody Marys, spirits, wine, and beer – all while enjoying some great jazz guitar from Jim Johnston, $119 per person.

SATELLITE PARKING LOTS & OLD TOWN TROLLEY STOPS & WATER SHUTTLE SERVICES Parking is very limited on Vilano Beach – an Old Town Trolley shuttle will be running a continuous shuttle loop and will provide the best and most hassle-free way to attend Friday night and Saturday’s Main Event. The satellite parking shuttle service is FREE of charge for festival guests, with the schedule available on the festival website.

Special event Water Shuttle Service schedules are available on the festival website, to and from the historic downtown St. Augustine Marina to and from the Vilano Beach Pier for Whiskey Inspired on the Pier Friday evening and for Saturday’s W3 Main Event. Water Shuttle tickets and information are available at St. Augustine Water Shuttle. The festival also highly encourages utilizing UBER/Lyft ride services, taxi service and/or designating drivers for guest drop-off/pick-up.