Festival Grows Into Weekend Celebration Two Up Wine Down, Charlottesville's annual Virginia wine festival, is expanding its fifth edition into a three-day celebration of wine, food and culinary history. The centerpiece festival runs Saturday, November 7, 2–5 p.m., at Jefferson School City Center, but organizers have added programming Thursday and Friday to deepen the event's cultural footprint. Both the festival's early bird general admission tickets and its new VIP experience, Vin Atelier, have sold out. General admission tickets remain available.

Edna Lewis Tribute Kicks Off Weekend The celebration opens Thursday, November 5, with Ridge to Root: Honoring the Shared Legacies of Edna Lewis and Barboursville Vineyards. Held at Barboursville Vineyards from 6–9 p.m., the intimate 65-person dinner draws a parallel between two Virginia milestones: Edna Lewis's 1976 publication of The Taste of Country Cooking and Barboursville Vineyards' founding the same year. "Lewis gave voice to place through food. Barboursville has given voice to place through wine. Ridge to Root brings those stories together at the table," the event description states. Chef Leah Branch will prepare a family-style meal using Lewis's documented food traditions as a guide, with storytelling led by food historian Deb Freeman. Proceeds benefit the Edna Lewis Foundation's programming and scholarships supporting Black foodways stewards.

Chef Tanya Holland Returns for Friday Event On Friday, November 6, acclaimed chef and University of Virginia alumna Tanya Holland will host a happy hour and meet-and-greet from 5–6:30 p.m. at The Doyle Hotel's Lobby Bar. Guests will taste wines from three Virginia producers alongside canapés inspired by Holland's cookbook California Soul. Holland will be available to sign copies of her book.

Main Festival Features Curator-Led Wine Tastings The Saturday festival departs from traditional wine tasting formats.

Instead of a vendor booth model, Two Up Wine Down invites wine professionals to serve as curators, each sharing wines they love alongside their own perspectives on Virginia wine. DJ Nobé will provide music throughout the afternoon. Food vendors include Chimm, Pearl Island, Florosa and Vegan Comfort Soul Food. "For too long wine has been perceived as elitist when it should be a tool for connection and community. We aim for this festival to do just that," said Carly Maher-Seward, Founder of The Veraison Project.

VIP Track and Afterparty Complete Weekend Vin Atelier, the sold-out VIP experience, offers an exclusive courtyard lounge curated by Brion Cephus and Kathline Chery, hosts of The Offering in Charlotte, North Carolina. The experience features curated Virginia wines, music, art and storytelling. Sponsors include Crushpad and Boar's Head Resort. The official afterparty, The Afters, takes place Saturday evening at ETHOS Wine + Tea on Main Street, hosted by Washington, D.C. wine personality Alexya Brown and Oenoverse's Tiffany Nguyen. The afterparty is open to all attendees and the public.

Event Funding Supports Wine Professionals All festival ticket proceeds support Oeno Camp, an immersive educational program created by Oenoverse and The Veraison Project. The program provides emerging wine professionals with access to Virginia wine through education, mentorship and connections with industry leaders.

Why It Matters

Two Up Wine Down reflects a broader shift in how wine regions market themselves—moving away from transactional tasting rooms toward narrative-driven experiences that highlight culinary heritage, community and diverse voices in wine. For Charlottesville operators and hospitality venues, the weekend generates significant foot traffic and positions the region as a destination for culinary tourism tied to food history and emerging wine professionalism.

For more insights and trends in the food and beverage sector, check out more articles in The Food & Beverage Magazine family of publications.

Written by FBM Publications Editors

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the actual draw for buyers attending Two Up Wine Down this year?

The festival's expansion to three days gives you multiple revenue opportunities: the centerpiece Saturday event at Jefferson School City Center pulls general admission traffic, while the Thursday Edna Lewis dinner at Barboursville Vineyards and Friday's Tanya Holland event at The Doyle Hotel create high-margin VIP programming. Early bird GA tickets and the new Vin Atelier VIP package already sold out, signaling strong distributor and retail buyer interest in Virginia wine across multiple price tiers.

Why should my team care about the Edna Lewis programming?

The Ridge to Root dinner connects two 1976 Virginia milestones—Edna Lewis's cookbook and Barboursville Vineyards' founding—creating a narrative hook that moves wine from commodity to cultural product. Chef Leah Branch's family-style meal using Lewis's documented traditions, plus proceeds benefiting the Edna Lewis Foundation, gives your brand a legitimacy play in the fast-growing Black foodways and heritage cuisine segment.

Is there inventory I need to secure before this event?

Barboursville Vineyards will be pouring at the Thursday dinner and likely the Saturday festival centerpiece. Friday features wines from three Virginia producers at the Tanya Holland event—get specifics from organizers now on which producers are selected so you can ensure shelf stock and pricing alignment before attendees hit your accounts with purchase orders.

What's the attendance cap, and who's actually buying?

The Ridge to Root dinner maxes at 65 guests—intimate, high-spend crowd. The Tanya Holland Friday event holds at The Doyle's Lobby Bar, also capped. Saturday's general admission is open-ended at Jefferson School City Center. Target your hospitality and fine wine buyers for Thursday and Friday; Saturday's broader GA crowd drives volume for your mid-to-premium Virginia selections.

When do I need to commit budget for sponsorship or display space?

Early bird GA and VIP Vin Atelier packages are already sold out—this event is moving fast. Contact organizers immediately if you want booth placement at the Saturday centerpiece or inclusion in Friday's wine lineup. The Thursday dinner vendors are locked, but Friday and Saturday still have activation opportunities for distributors and retailers willing to move now.