PBS chef Kevin Dundon
SPRINGFIELD — Western New Englanders will be saying “Sláinte!” this year, as they raise a glass in support of public television. The WGBY Wine & Food Lovers Weekend returns Friday and Saturday, March 9 and 10, with an Irish theme, featuring PBS chef Kevin Dundon, host of the popular cooking show, Modern Irish Food.
In its 33rd year, the WGBY wine-centric fundraiser is a tasty tradition that has successfully raised funds for educational programming in the region by selling tickets to two nights of decadent sampling. The weekend kicks off Friday, March 9 with the region’s largest benefit tasting event. It features over 300 wines, craft beers, and specialty food vendors, taking up three large functional halls inside Springfield’s Tower Square Hotel.
The Friday tasting is followed Saturday, March 10 by a fine dining experience: The WGBY Wine Lovers Dinner at The Log Cabin in Holyoke. Chef Dundon has created a special seven-course menu of Irish cuisine and will be on hand to explain each featured dish. The meal will be executed by The Log Cabin executive chef Mick Corduff, and each course will feature two wines, carefully matched by Table & Vine Wine Sales Manager Michael Quinlan and his team. For a sneak peek at the WGBY Wine Lovers Dinner menu, visit wgby.org/wine/menu.
“What I most appreciate about events like this is the opportunity to meet and socialize with WGBY’s viewership. We think about our community on a daily basis as we deliver content and services. By getting to know our audience on a personal level, WGBY is better able to serve our region.”
GUEST PBS CHEF KEVIN DUNDON
Though the WGBY Wine & Food Lovers Weekend is known best for its size and significance in fundraising for public television, it is also unique in its offerings of wine, craft beers, cider, and food. This year, the latter — food — will be especially unique, as Chef Dundon will play a prominent role each night.
Viewers of WGBY and WGBY Create might know Dundon as the host of Modern Irish Food. This series puts a modern spin on the celebrated dishes of Irish culture. Dundon is an award-winning Irish chef and restaurateur with quintessential Irish charm, quick wit, and love for locally sourced indigenous produce. He shares both the traditional elements of Irish country house cooking and the gourmet modernization of recipes.
“I’m eager to come to Springfield, Mass. Friday, March 9 to talk about Irish food — and we are pairing this wonderful food with some exciting wines,” Dundon says. “I am also honored to work with The Log Cabin executive chef Mick Corduff and Table & Vine’s Michael Quinlan to bring a wonderful dinner menu on Saturday, March 10 to Holyoke.”
Tickets to the Friday, March 9 tasting event in downtown Springfield are $49 each; tickets to the seven-course gourmet dinner Saturday, March 10 in Holyoke are $175 each. Both are available online at WGBY.org/wine or at Table & Vine in West Springfield.
Proceeds benefit public television and PBS station WGBY. The event is sponsored by Big Y World Class Markets, Table & Vine, The Dennis Group, and AM Lithography. Media sponsors include The Republican, BusinessWest, and Healthcare News.
