Kapalua Wine and Food Festival is uncorking its 45th year at Kapalua Resort from June 25-28, packing the long weekend with tasting seminars, celebrity chef demos and its marquee Grand Tasting Gala. Food Network favorites Maneet Chauhan and Antonia Lofaso are set to reunite on Maui, while brothers Michael and Bryan Voltaggio make their first joint appearance at the festival. Guests can drift between walk-around tastings, intimate winemaker dinners and a few curveball extras, from courtside pickleball to a sunset beach barbecue.
Lineup, dates and the Grand Tasting
The official festival schedule stakes out June 25-28, with the Grand Tasting Gala taking center stage on Saturday night in The Aloha Garden Pavilion at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua. The showcase pairs premium and hard-to-find wines with dishes from Kapalua Resort restaurants and specialty purveyors. According to Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, the program is built to spotlight global vintners alongside Maui’s homegrown restaurant scene.
Chefs, seminars and special pairings
A press release from the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association highlights a Signature Winemaker & Celebrity Chef Dinner on Friday, June 26, featuring Maneet Chauhan, Antonia Lofaso, Zach Laidlaw and The Ritz-Carlton Maui’s executive chef Glenn Thompson, with premium wine pairings from The Boisset Collection. The same release notes a Lifetime Achievement tribute to Jean-Charles Boisset and a high-energy “Bubbles & Bumps” seminar that matches Moët Hennessy champagnes with Petrossian caviar. The full announcement is available from the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association.
Pickleball, cocktails and a beachside BBQ
The schedule does not stick to wine and white tablecloths. Whispering Angel is sponsoring a morning round-robin pickleball session on The Ritz courts, Death & Co. is setting up a mixology pop-up at the Alaloa Lounge, and chef Jack Arnold is firing up a Sunset BBQ on the Beach House Lawn overlooking D.T. Fleming Beach. Across the weekend, multiple interactive seminars and chef-led luncheons are on tap, covering topics from sustainable-wine panels to 100-point tastings. Event details are laid out on the festival schedule at Kapalua Wine & Food Festival.
Tickets, packages and perks
Festival passes bundle interactive wine seminars, three celebrity-chef cooking demonstrations, VIP early entry to the Grand Tasting and a swag bag valued at more than $250, with early-access pricing available through March 31. Local reporting notes that single-event tickets and passes are on sale now and that The Ritz-Carlton is offering an “Ultimate Kapalua Wine & Food Experience” package that combines luxury lodging with festival access. Ticket and package information can be found at Maui Now.
Giving back
The weekend is not just about rare pours and chef cameos. UH Maui College’s Culinary Arts Program remains the primary charitable beneficiary, and past recipients have included Aloha Puʻu Kukui, the Lahaina Restoration Foundation and Maui Pono Foundation. Organizers say proceeds help cultivate local culinary talent and support community stewardship programs, according to the event announcement shared by the hospitality association. The beneficiary list is posted by the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association.
What this weekend means for Maui
After years of calendar disruptions, the 45th Kapalua Wine and Food Festival is being framed as both an economic boost for West Maui and a visible fundraiser for local programs tied to recovery and education. Organizers and resort partners say the lineup is built to draw visitors, industry attention and charitable dollars back to Kapalua while showcasing Maui’s culinary community. Local coverage and ticket links are available through Maui Now.
