(Kiawah Island, S.C.) March 15, 2012— The Fourth Annual Gourmet & Grapes benefitting the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina will take place May 4th-6th, 2012 at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. The event, a weekend-long culinary extravaganza, is the only fundraiser in the Lowcountry that brings together renowned chefs and winemakers to raise money for cancer research.

Headlining Gourmet & Grapes’ signature black tie event is Executive Chef Sean Brock, of Husk and McCrady’s of Charleston. An all star team of noted chefs will join Brock in preparing a multi-course wine dinner featuring Row Eleven Winery, Heitz Wine Cellars and Trinchero Wine Estates while being served in The Sanctuary’s Ocean Room. The Ocean Room is the only steakhouse in the US to earn both Forbes 4 Star and AAA 4 Diamond ratings.

When asked about this year’s event Chef Brock exclaimed, “We are really excited to be participating in the Gourmet & Grapes weekend for its fourth year; it is going to be an amazing time. This event supports a great cause in the Hollings Cancer Center… a great event, for a great cause! We are looking forward to working with everyone at such a beautiful venue!”

In addition to Friday’s exquisite wine dinner and black tie event, the following are highlights of the Gourmet & Grapes Weekend:

  • Luncheon & Wine Trail: (May 5, 2012) Participants interact with a guest chef as a multi-course lunch is prepared in front of them. Guests learn key techniques while enjoying masterfully-paired wines and a view that only The Sanctuary’s Ocean Room can provide. After lunch, participants can explore the lush gardens of The Sanctuary while tasting exclusive varieties from international wineries and meeting the winemakers.

  • Wine Odyssey Gala: (May 5, 2012) Participants enjoy food stations presented by some of the finest local and regional chefs along with wine pairings on the Terrace Lawn overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Participants meet the chefs and sample brilliant wines and bid on a wide-range of items during this silent- and live-auction gala, all while enjoying live entertainment and dancing into the night with champagne and chocolate afterglow.

  • Farewell Brunch: (May 6, 2012) Participants celebrate the weekend and salute the chefs at this seaside brunch sponsored by Moet Hennessy as they toast and celebrate a successful weekend at a true Lowcountry brunch on the Grand Lawn with build-your-own Bloody Mary bar by Belvedere Vodka.

    Since its inception in 2009, Gourmet & Grapes has raised close to $500,000 dollars for cancer research programs at Hollings Cancer Center. With stagnant federal funding, this contribution has proved invaluable in the cancer research conducted in South Carolina. For more information on the Hollings Cancer Center’s Gourmet & Grapes, visit www.GourmetandGrapes.com.

    The Hollings Cancer Center
    The Hollings Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center in South Carolina and one of just 66 NCI centers in the country. This distinction is based on the depth and breadth of research at Hollings and places the cancer center among the elite research institutions in the nation.

    Kiawah Island
    Located just south of Charleston, South Carolina, along 10 miles of pristine beach, Kiawah Island Golf Resort was recently named the No. 1 golf resort on the U.S. Mainland by readers of the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler magazine. The publication also named Kiawah as the No. 3 overall resort on the U.S. Mainland. Tennis magazine named it the No. 3 tennis resort in the U.S. Kiawah Island is also known as one of the top eco-friendly resorts in the U.S., and its beach was named one of the 10 best beaches in America by famed “beachologist,” Dr. Stephen Leatherman, aka Dr. Beach. In addition to The Sanctuary, the resort manages over 500 private villas and luxury homes, nine restaurants, two tennis centers, a renowned recreation and nature program and has five championship golf courses, including The Ocean Course, host of the 1991 Ryder Cup and this year’s PGA Championship. Lots priced from $300,000; Villas/Cottages priced from $300,000; Homes from $700,000.

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