MIAMI & DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (“Southern Glazer’s”)—the world's pre-eminent distributor of beverage alcohol—today announced that it is celebrating its 20th consecutive year as the host and exclusive provider of wine and spirits for the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (SOBEWFF®), a national, star-studded, four-day destination event, taking place May 20 – 23, 2021. SOBEWFF®, which returns with new protocols dedicated to delivering a safe and comfortable event experience this Spring, has raised $31.8 million to date for its beneficiary, the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU). Southern Glazer’s has collaborated with its world-class suppliers to secure more than 300 top wine and spirits brands for more than 70 SOBEWFF® events taking place across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.
“I could have never imagined over two decades ago that SOBEWFF® would evolve into a world-recognized celebration of Miami and the Beaches as both a culinary and cultural destination,” said Lee Brian Schrager, Senior Vice President of Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility for Southern Glazer’s, and Founder and Director of SOBEWFF®. “I am extremely proud of what we have built, which has been made possible with the support of generous supplier partners, chefs, mixologists, wine makers, event planners, small businesses, volunteers, and sponsors—who have all come together throughout the years to make the Festival the great success that it is today. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over this past trying year, it’s how resilient and innovative our beloved hospitality industry is. This year’s Festival fills me with immense hope and gratitude, as we look forward to uniting safely as one community and restoring an industry that has given us so much.”
Approximately 1,200 FIU students will volunteer to help produce this year’s Festival, where they will participate alongside event management professionals, world-renowned chefs, winemakers, spirits producers, and restauranteurs. Student volunteers support in a variety of hands-on roles that range from assisting chefs with the preparation of their dishes, to facilitating guest registration.
Scholarships, funded by proceeds from SOBEWFF®, are awarded to FIU students annually. SOBEWFF® proceeds have also funded the development of various instructional facilities at FIU, such as the School’s Wine Spectator Restaurant Management Laboratory, which houses the Badia Spices Food Production Lab and the Brew Science Lab—all of which strengthen the School’s focus on building students’ advanced management skills and its growing research in food, wine, beer, and spirits.
“This year, Southern Glazer’s involvement in the Festival takes on dual special meaning, as we not only celebrate 20 years of supporting the mission to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE., but also the rebuilding of the hospitality industry that has faced unprecedented hardship—an industry that we are proud and honored to be a part of,” said Wayne Chaplin, Chief Executive Officer, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. “Making a positive impact on the next generation of hospitality professionals, while supporting today’s hospitality leaders is what this is all about.”
This year, attendees can expect to attest to either a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours prior to the event or completed vaccination and presentation of a cleared SymCheck™ QR Code. All events will feature a contactless ticketing system and temperature checks for everyone in attendance. Apart from the Wine Spectator Wine Seminar Series, all events will take place outdoors with new additional measures on capacity restrictions, cleaning, sanitization, limited physical contact, and mask requirements. For full safety guidelines and details, please visit sobewff.org/covid-guidelines.
From tiki showdowns to wine seminars and champagne anniversary celebrations, SOBEWFF® offers a host of wine and cocktail-forward events for every palate. For tickets and a full list of events, visit sobewff.org. Follow Southern Glazer’s on Instagram at @sgwinespirits to keep up with all things craft cocktail and wine-related at SOBEWFF®.
About Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is the world’s pre-eminent distributor of beverage alcohol, and proud to be a multi-generational, family-owned company. The Company has operations in 44 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, and Canada, and employs more than 20,000 team members. Southern Glazer’s urges all retail customers and adult consumers to market, sell, serve, and enjoy its products responsibly. For more information visit www.southernglazers.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sgwinespirits and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SouthernGlazers.
