Napa Valley's oldest commercial winery is about to fill with smoke, flame, and the clink of whiskey glasses. On Aug. 16, Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena will host Heritage Fire, a live-fire cooking event where attendees sample dishes prepared by more than 20 local chefs, pitmasters, and agricultural purveyors cooking over open flame.
The event is produced by Tours by A21, according to a news release cited by the Napa Valley Register. Heritage Fire is part of the larger Heritage Fire & Whiskies of the World tour, which the Register reports spans 13 cities across the United States and Europe, folding premium whiskey tastings in alongside the live-fire cooking. Charles Krug Winery sits at 2800 Main St. along Highway 29/128 in St. Helena, and the estate itself carries serious historical weight — established in 1861 by Prussian immigrant Charles Krug, it has been owned and operated by the Mondavi family since 1943 and holds National Historic Landmark status, according to Visit Napa Valley.
A Tour With Global Reach and Local Roots
The scale of the Heritage Fire & Whiskies of the World tour extends well beyond Napa Valley. The 2026 edition spans 18 tour stops across the United States and Europe, including its debut international stop in London. That figure differs from the 13-city count cited in the Register's report on the St. Helena stop specifically, though both accounts describe the same touring event at different points in its rollout.
Napa's Wine Industry Joins a Whiskey-Heavy Lineup
Even though whiskey anchors much of the tour's branding, local wine has a seat at the table in St. Helena. Napa Valley Vintners, which represents more than 500 wineries across the region, is serving as an official beverage partner for the festival stop, according to Events.com. That same listing details VIP early entry starting at 3:30 PM for $159, giving ticket holders 45 minutes of exclusive access to chef stations and Napa Valley Vintners pours before general admission opens at 4:15 p.m. and runs through 7 p.m.
General ticket prices for Heritage Fire range from $109 to $159, and tickets are available at toursbya21.com. Entry is strictly limited to adults 21 and older, and attendees must present photo identification to get in, according to Tours by A21.
Stakes for the Chefs on the Grill
For the chefs manning the fire pits, the day carries more than bragging rights. The chef who receives the most crowd votes earns the title of Heritage Hero and secures a place among the standout chefs of the tour, competing for the title of Heritage Hero of the Year. Winners from select events advance to the Heritage Hero Grand Finale, presented by Visit Greenville, South Carolina, which brings together regional winning pitmasters from across the country.
Heritage Fire's format traces back to its origins as a sister event to Cochon 555, a national culinary tour launched in 2008 to support family farms, sustainable agriculture, and heritage-breed livestock. That lineage explains the tour's emphasis on nose-to-tail cooking using rare heritage-breed pigs and heirloom crops, a philosophy that carries into the chef-crafted bites showcasing local ingredients that attendees will find at the St. Helena stop.
A Growing Events Company Behind the Scenes
A21, the Miami-headquartered company behind the tour, has expanded well beyond food and beverage programming in recent years. In May 2022, the company, then known as Agency 21, acquired New York-based Art Market Productions, broadening its portfolio into fine art fairs while continuing to produce major regional events like the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival.
The whiskey side of the St. Helena event draws on Whiskies of the World, which showcases hundreds of international whiskies alongside educational masterclasses led by spirits educators, per the Scottsdale Independent. That lineup has previously included scotches, craft bourbons, ryes, and single malts from Japan, Scotland, and Australia. Exactly which St. Helena chefs and farms will take part has not yet been finalized publicly, though organizers typically confirm the local roster closer to the event date.
