Whiskey, Wine, & Wildlife

Whiskey, Wine, & Wildlife offers a four-day culinary event with beverage tastings on Friday through Sunday, November 7 through 10, 2024. The events occur in various locations in Vilano Beach and at The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, (GTM Reserve) north of Vilano Beach.

Funds raised during the weekend will benefit Vilano Beach Main Street and the GTM Reserve.

Wildlife Lounge

On Friday night and Saturday, "The Wildlife Lounge" enables guests to interact with animals from GTM Research Reserve. The lounge will play wildlife-themed music, and offer signature cocktails.

Thursday, November 7

Dinner at Pesca by Michael's

• Location — Hyatt Place Hotel, 117 Vilano Road, Vilano Beach
• Cost — $225.00 per person
• 6:00 - 6:30 p.m. — Cocktail Reception
• 7:00 p.m. — Dinner
• Details — Cocktail attire, must be at least 21 years of age. Enjoy a four-course dinner. Each course will be paired with carefully selected wines from St. Francis Winery & Vineyards of Sonoma, California. 

Friday, November 8, from noon to 4:00 p.m.

Master Classes

Whiskey, Wine, & Wildlife offers four master classes on Friday, November 8. Each class will be presented by a master chef who will share recipes and techniques and offer tastings paired with appropriate beverages.

• Location: Hyatt Place Hotel, 117 Vilano Road, Vilano Beach
• Cost $59.00 per person
• 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. — "Unveiling the Secrets of Making Delicious Shrimp Ceviche," by Chef Sebastian Sikora, Chef de Cuisine at La Cocina, The Cellar Upstairs
• 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. — "An East Coast Tasting of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards" from Sonoma, California
• 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. — "The Finishing Touch," by Taylor Morley, Master Distiller, at Red Line Whiskey Company
• Details: The event is casual and open only to those 21 and older.

Vilano A1A Soiree

• Location — Hyatt Place Hotel, 117 Vilano Road, Vilano Beach
• Cost — $109.00 per person
• 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. — Cocktail Reception and Appetizers
• Details — Gourmet bites will be prepared by some of the area's best chefs. Guests may sample unlimited wines, spirits, and beers. The event is cocktail attire, and open only to those 21 and older. 
• Live music by ZaZa Flamenca.

Saturday, November 9

Guided GTM Reserve Tour 

• Location —  The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, 505 Guana River Road, #6527, Ponte Vedra
• Cost — $59.00 per person
• 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. — 90-minute private tour of the GTM Reserve
• Details — This outdoor rain-or-shine event is casual and comfortable shoes are suggested. The tour concludes with wine and cheese tastings.

W3 - Grand Tasting — Block Party in Vilano Beach

• Location — Hyatt Place Hotel, 117 Vilano Road, Vilano Beach
• Cost — $129.00 per person
• 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. — Cocktail Reception and Appetizers
• Details — The event features menu tastings from restaurants along A1A, unlimited beverage tastings, live music, and cooking demonstrations. In addition, there will be a silent auction and Jacksonville Magazine will present the Best Taste Awards and the People's Choice Awards. Business casual attire, and open only to those 21 and older. 

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Jazz Brunch at Pesca by Michael's

• Location — Pesca by Michael's, at Hyatt Place Hotel, 117 Vilano Road, Vilano Beach
• Cost — $119.00 for each adult
• 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. — First Seating
• 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. — Second Seating
• Details — This all-inclusive brunch buffet is a family-friendly event offering breakfast and lunch options. Each adult ticket, for those over 21, includes sparkling wine, mimosas, and Bloody Mary tastings. 

Where: Hyatt Place, St. Augustine's Vilano Beach, 117 Vilano Road. Several events will be held outdoors, and all events will be held rain or shine.

Parking and Old Town Trolley Stops

There isn't a lot of parking on Vilano Beach, so Whiskey, Wine, & Wildlife has partnered with Old Town Trolley Tours and Adventure Boat Tours to run folks between the festival and downtown St. Augustine and other points in Vilano.

• Old Town Trolley Tours — A free, continuous shuttle circulates on Saturday, November 9, from noon to 6:30 p.m., between several parking areas along Coastal Highway A1A and Vilano Town Center. The shuttle stops are: 
  • North Beach Park
  • Mussallem Park
  • North Shores Community Park
• Adventure Boat Tours — For $15.00 per person, two boat tour companies, Adventure Boat Tours and Red Boat Tours will provide shuttles from the St. Augustine Municipal Marina to the Vilano Pier. To learn the schedule and book tickets, call 904-759-2759. Note: There is no designated parking at the Municipal Marina, so make sure to leave time to find a spot and walk to the marina.

Whiskey, Wine, and Wildlife partners with, and benefits two non-profits, Vilano Beach Main Street and GTM Research Reserve. Vilano Beach Main Street will receive 100% of the proceeds from Saturday's silent auction, and the GTM Research Reserve will receive 100% of the proceeds from GTM Guided Tours Wine and Cheese Reception.