WGBY Wine & Food Lovers Weekend Returns March 9-10

SPRINGFIELD — 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, WGBY’s wine-centric fund-raiser is a tasty tradition that has successfully raised funds for educational programming in the region by selling tickets to two nights of sampling. The weekend kicks off Friday, March 9 with the region’s largest benefit tasting event, featuring more than 300 wines, craft beers, and specialty food vendors, taking up three large function halls inside Springfield’s Tower Square Hotel.

The tasting is followed on Saturday, March 10 by a fine dining experience, the WGBY Wine Lovers Dinner at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Dundon has created a seven-course menu of Irish cuisine and will be on hand to explain each featured dish. The meal will be executed by Log Cabin Executive Chef Mick Corduff, and each course will feature two wines, 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.

Dundon’s series, Modern Irish Food, puts a modern spin on the celebrated dishes of Irish culture. The award-winning chef and restaurateur shares both the traditional elements of Irish country house cooking and the gourmet modernization of recipes.

Tickets to the March 9 tasting event in downtown Springfield are $49 each; tickets to the seven-course gourmet dinner on 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 BusinessWest, the Healthcare News, and the Republican.