MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival 2015 MAWFF Program Guide | Page 2

lEttER fRoM
ouR EXECutIVE pRoDuCER
Dear friends:
Please join me in raising a glass to all the people who brought the
2015 MidAtlantic Wine + Food Festival to life for a third consecutive year
of fine wine, gourmet food, quenching libations and new friendships.
I’d like to start with the Festival’s hidden gems: culinary students.
Once again, students from William Penn High School’s culinary program,
under the leadership of Chefs Kip Poole, Matt Vaughn and Briana Lyons,
are staffing Festival kitchens and dining spaces. For the first time, we have
Howard High School’s culinary students on board. These young people
are critical to our success and a key part of our mission, which includes
creating opportunities for young people to pursue culinary careers.
(More on scholarships, p28). We couldn’t do this without them. Salute!
Next: the communities that have made the 2015 Festival new and different from previous years. We’ve
expanded our footprint to 4 states, and could not have done so without Peddler’s Village – the Bucks County,
Pennsylvania destination that has embraced us and become a true partner; the Kitty Knight House, our first
Maryland venue; and Obis One, our first New Jersey venue. Ongoing thanks to partners in nearby
Chester and Delaware Counties in Pennsylvania, and our statewide Delaware
partners. Wilmington, Delaware may be our home base, but in 2015, we have
a truly regional reach: 7 counties in 4 states. Proost!

LETTER FROMDATE / SAVE THE
LAURA
The Festival would not be possible without our sponsors, particularly
presenting sponsor Bank of America, and our partners and Wine Guild.
Festival founder Ajit Mathew George thanks these generous supporters
in greater detail on p82, but to these people and organizations, I say,
“Tchin tchin!”

The cornerstone of our Festival is bringing the world to the MidAtlantic:
20 chefs and 11 winemakers from 6 continents traveled here from around the
globe. They don’t just give generously of their time and talent: they have contributed
3,095 bottles of wine for you to taste. There aren’t enough thanks in the world for these people and
brands. An additional 58 MidAtlantic chefs and 7 American winemakers are participating—and the best way
we can thank them is for you to dine at their restaurants and buy their wines. By supporting them all year
long (and mentioning the Festival when you do), you become the driving force behind making the MidAtlantic
a renowned destination for culinary tourism and the perfect population for global winemakers to target
when debuting new wines. L’chaim!
A staff member of any nonprofit organization would be lucky to have the Board leadership we have
had this year. They set the bar high for expectations, while providing excellent guidance at every turn.
Thank you Vance, Chip, Adam, Helen, Sarah, Tom and Ajit. Sláinte!
There are innumerable individuals outside of these categories who have invested countless hours to make
the Festival happen. We have thanked as many as possible on p39 of this book, but if we missed you, please
know your kindnesses have not been forgotten. I sincerely thank each and every person who has helped us
manage 33 events that span OVER 40 different venues. Kampai!
Finally, please join me in saying, “A la sature!” to the team that put the Festival together. I cannot imagine
my first year as Executive Producer without the hard work, dedication, and support of the incredibly talented
team I’m lucky enough to work with every day.
Cheers,
laura Stimson, Executive Producer
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