By Rachel Galvin

Bacchus Beckons, held on Jan. 21 at Bloomingdale’s at the Town Center Mall at Boca Raton, signaled the kickoff to the popular culinary event Boca Bacchanal. Hosted by the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum, this first event of many was a perfect time for everyone to mingle and try some delicious hors d’oeuvres courtesy of Sandy James Fine Food & Productions, as well as taste different wines from featured vitners. Over 150 were in attendance. Models showed off some of the fashions available there and the DJ played some pumping retro tunes.

Another purpose of this event was to announce this year’s pairing of these acclaimed vitners with award-winning chefs for the upcoming Vitner Dinners, which will be held on March 6 from 7 to 11 p.m. at five elegant homes and one new restaurant throughout Boca Raton. (See pairings and more info below).

Before the Vitner Dinners take place, there will be another event –Bubbles & Burgers.

Held on Feb. 20 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Boca Beach Club, 900 S. Ocean Blvd. in Boca Raton, this informal get together will include specialty burgers and sparking wines and champagne.

Hosted by Alina Residences. Tickets are $100. Parking is complimentary.  

The Boca Bacchanal events culminate with The Grand Tasting on March 7 from

7 to 10 p.m. in the Great Hall at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. There, guests can enjoy tantalizing tastes of specialties served up from over 25 local restaurants to be enjoyed with over 130 champagnes and wines from all over the world. There also will be a silent auction and plenty of pop ups to experience.  Thomas Arvid, America’s preeminent painter of wine, will also be at the Boca Bacchanal with a pop up art gallery, will be donating a piece of his art to the hundreds of items within the silent auction and will be doing a live painting demo. Don’t miss one of the hottest foodie events in the area! Tickets are $125.

For more information on all the events, visit https://www.bocabacchanal.com/

 Vitner and Chef Pairings

At the home of Barbara and Bobby Campbell, the dinner will feature Chef Tim Nickey, of Kapow! Noodle Bar in Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, with Tim Duncan, of Silver Oaks & Twomey Cellars, of Napa Valley, California.

Maria & Todd Roberti’s dinner will debut Chef Nathan Duensing, of Marsh House in Nashville, paired with Tim Duncan, of Silver Oak & Twomey Cellars, of Napa Valley, California.

 Joyce & Thom DeVita and Joni & Al Goldberg will feature Chef John Thomas, of Sassafras in West Palm Beach, and John Schulz, of Flora Springs Winery of Napa Valley, California.

Stacey Packer, Robin Deyo, Carrie Rubin and Donna Nero — all women for the first time– will host at the Packer home. For that dinner, Chef Amy Mehrtens, of Copper Vine in New Orleans, is paired with Aime Dunstan, of Cakebread Cellars, of Sonoma, California. 

LeAnn & Russell Berman’s dinner features Chefs Shanna & Brian O’Hea, of The Academe Brasserie at the Kennebunk Inn in Kennebunk, Maine, paired with Anthony Truchard, of Truchard Vineyards, of Napa Valley, California. One of the evenings special guests will be Thomas Arvid, the nation’s pre-eminent painter of wine.

The Rex Gryphon Restaurant Group will hold their Vintner Dinner at their unique Rex Baron Survivors Kitchen/VRex Lounge located at Town Center at Boca Raton. This avant-garde post-apocalyptic themed restaurant concept includes interactive, multi-sensory elements and a hi-tech VR escape lounge. The al fresco evening will be co-hosted by the company’s Culinary Director and acclaimed Chef Ralph P. Fernandez, and former N.Y. Giants running back, best-selling author, youth advocate, and philanthropist Rashad Jennings, who joined the Rex Gryphon (RG) Restaurant Group in December 2019. This dinner debuts Anita Correas of Montes Wines of Chile.