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Lauded by Forbes Traveller as one of the “top 10 international food and wine events,” the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience is one of the premier events for foodies who choose to experience a destination gastronomically. Unique to any other food and wine event you will find, #STXFWE is the opportunity to experience St. Croix through intimate dinners and family barbeques, dancing in a global airline hanger and elegant wine tastings, and all for a good cause. This year, more than ever, St. Croix Food and Wine experience is “about more than just food and wine – it is all about connecting our community and celebrating the spirit of collaboration that is truly the bedrock of our collective recovery from the 2017 hurricane season.”
When Hurricane Irma ripped through the islands of St. Thomas and St. John, the island of St. Croix sprang into action providing aid and relief to our brothers and sisters in need. Individuals and organisations alike made a concerted effort to ensure that our families across the Caribbean Sea knew that they were not alone and that help would come. Never did we imagine that less than two weeks later Hurricane Maria would shred the island of St. Croix crippling it as well. With St. Thomas, St. John, Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands all in the same boat as we found ourselves, and external help still organising to deploy, our own heroes, themselves battered and bruised, emerged from the destruction to lead the charge in relief and recovery. At the forefront of the push for relief and recovery has been the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development.
The St. Croix Foundation for Community Development is a nonpartisan, non-political community foundation based on St. Croix that provides “leadership and acts as a catalyst in bringing together diverse groups to discuss problems and forge solutions.” Always seeking for solutions to the issues facing the US Virgin Islands community, Executive Director Deanna James took the initiative to look for what could be learned from the impact of the 2017 hurricane season. If there is one thing that our foray with IrMaria brought to light is our need, as a community, for sustainability and resilience. Recognising this, James made this the focus of this year’s St. Croix Food and Wine Experience.
A major fundraiser for the St. Croix Foundation of Community Development, the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience was almost cancelled this year; but considering the work that needs to be done in the community and the over 40 other non-profit organisations and charitable projects operating under the Foundation’s 501(c) umbrella through its Non-profit Consortium, the Foundation decided instead to scale back and present the event, reorganised, under the theme “Resiliency in Action.” "After Irma and Maria, coming together is more important than ever before and although we did scale back our events, the Foundation is here, holding the vision of a healthy Virgin Islands. With so many incredible partners and sponsors, the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience is evidence that our community truly is Resiliency in Action” said James. In this vein, the Foundation created a line-up of events “from relaxed to elegant” that still allowed the culture and cuisine of St. Croix to shine through.
St. Croix Food and Wine Experience was launched at the critically acclaimed balter restaurant with bond @ balter. This special, invitation–only reception set the scene for chefs, sponsors, national and local media to mix, mingle, and find out how they can support the Foundation and its many partners, over a combination of creative cocktails and delectable appetizers.
This year’s Experience combined two of its most anticipated events, the sophisticated Cork & Fork Dinner and the community-centric Gourmet Vintner Dinner into one dining experience called The Giving Table. Described as an opportunity to “create new memories” over this exquisite five-course dining experience, this event is true to its name and provided attendees with the opportunity to contribute to the sustainability of St. Croix and the USVI through participation in a gourmet-themed auction in support of the Foundation’s recovery efforts. Featuring expert winemakers from Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, this event introduced diners to world-class cuisine form a star-studded line-up of chefs including CHOPPED Winner, Robyn Almodovar, New York’s Michael Ferraro, Cook Book Author Julius Jackson, and St. Croix's very own Negust Kaza.
One of the staple events of the Experience was back and represented the global significance and diversity that is St. Croix. Wine in the Warehouse, under the theme “Global Resiliency from Shore to Shore,” was once again hosted in Bohlke International Airways’ exclusive jet hangar, and in keeping with Crucian tradition, helped to support another area struck by natural disaster in 2017, California’s Napa Valley Region. In a celebration of resiliency, seven renowned local restaurants tantalised patrons’ taste buds while they sipped on selection of wines from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits’ extensive portfolio.
Finally, supporters experienced a St. Croix tradition and family-focused event that exemplifies the Foundation’s belief in the importance of collaboration between non-profit organisations, the Reef Responsible Fish Fry. Already an annual Reef Responsible event, this year the Organisation teamed up with the Foundation to exhibit local restaurants who “See Food Sustainably.” The “Sea Food Sustainably” Programme focuses on the importance of sustainability in the sea food industry, from the dangers of overfishing, to the importance of observing the designated fishing seasons, to methods by which invasive species, like lionfish, can be prepared in mouth-watering recipes. Affordable at $25 per person with adult-accompanied children 12 and under free, this event presented the perfect opportunity for visitors to join our community for some much-needed relief from the events of 2017. There was something for the entire family as benefactors delighted in tastings from BES Craft Cocktail Lounge, Café Christine, Empress Fresh Foods, Un amore, Cibone, Kaza House, Twin City Coffee House, La Reine Chicken Shack, Zion Modern Kitchen, balter, the Buccaneer, and Galangal, while they grooved to live music from Romanza and DJ Slik and danced with the Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies at the Fort Fredeirk Museum.
A favourite of foodies and world-renown chefs alike (the list of chefs lining up to volunteer their talents each year is extensive and constantly growing), the St. Croix Food and Wine Experience is an event that’s not to be missed. The food, the people, the adventures, the ambiance and the culture of St. Croix are all legitimate reasons why you should have been present for this year’s event, and why you should start making plans now to be in attendance for next year’s Experience; but the greatest and most important reason of all is knowing that your attendance plays a vital part in supporting the organisations and programmes that help to keep the US Virgin Islands Community running. If you didn’t make it to this year’s Experience and want to get involved in supporting the resiliency and sustainability of St. Croix and the USVI as a whole, you still can by supporting the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development.
There are several ways to connect with the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development:
Reach out to Executive Director Deanna James via +1(340) 773-9898
Visit the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development’s website at http://www.stxfoundation.org/ and click on the “DONATE NOW” button Make plans to attend STXFWE 2019 by visiting http://stxfoodandwine.com/
The St. Croix Foundation for Community Development is not an endowment and every dollar donated is expended within the year. You can rest assured that the impact of your contribution will be felt by our community and every dollar you donate will be leveraged by the Foundation to help our community recover sustainably and holistically as we all collaborate to rebuild and restore the very essence that is the spirit of the US Virgin Islands – Resiliency in Action.
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