Naples Winter Wine Festival to honor Charlie Palmer as Chef de Cuisine 

One of America’s most acclaimed chefs will serve as Chef de Cuisine for the 2027 Naples Winter Wine Festival, scheduled for Jan. 29-31, 2027. 

Naples Children Foundation, founder of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, announced June 16 that Chef Charlie Palmer will be honored in the role at the festival’s 27th annual event. 

Palmer rose to prominence in the mid-1980s as executive chef of The River Cafe in Brooklyn. At age 28, he opened his flagship restaurant, Aureole, which earned multiple Michelin stars and two James Beard Awards. 

“An internationally celebrated chef and restaurateur, he joins an impressive list of prestigious winemakers, chefs and sommeliers, setting the stage for a weekend of unique, one-of-a-kind food and wine experiences,” said Kelley Bailey, co-chair of the festival’s 2027 chef committee. 

Among Palmer’s restaurants are Akoya and Aperibar in New York City; multiple locations of Charlie Palmer Steak; Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar in Napa, California; and Dry Creek Kitchen in Sonoma County, California. 

Palmer also is co-founder and CEO of Appellation Hotels, a culinary-focused luxury hotel brand with several projects in development, including Appellation Healdsburg, Appellation Lodi – Wine & Roses Resort and Spa, The MOHI by Appellation, Appellation Petaluma and Appellation Pacific Grove. 

His honors include being named Best Chef in America by the James Beard Foundation in 1997. He also has been inducted into the Gaming Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and served as chairman of the Culinary Institute of America’s board of trustees from 2013 to 2016. 

Palmer said he has witnessed the festival’s impact firsthand while volunteering as a chef five times over the years. 

“The Naples Winter Wine Festival is renowned as one of the world’s premier charity wine auctions, and I am sincerely honored to have been selected as the 2027 Chef de Cuisine,” Palmer said. 

The three-day festival features award-winning chefs and acclaimed vintners who donate their time and talents for private dinners throughout Naples, culminating in a live auction featuring exclusive experiences and wine offerings. 

The 2026 festival raised more than $30 million, which the foundation awarded in March to 49 local nonprofits focused primarily on healthcare and early-learning initiatives. Since 2001, the festival has raised more than $366 million and benefited more than 385,000 children in Collier County, according to the foundation. 

The theme for the 2027 festival is Hope Sings: A Brighter Tomorrow Takes the Stage, celebrating the belief that when a community rallies behind its children, hope inspires opportunity and a brighter future. 

Weekend ticket packages start at $17,500 per couple for a Double Magnum package and $40,000 for two couples for a Jeroboam package. More information by clicking here.