7th Annual Bank of America Winter Warm-Up
featuring RIISE & SÉDUIRE
January 22, 2025
Charlotte Wine + Food (CW+F) raised over $85,000 at the 7th Annual Bank of America Winter Warm-Up ft. RIISE & SÉDUIRE held at the Bank of America Corporate Center on Wednesday, January 22, 2025. 73 guests started the evening at a cocktail reception followed by a four-course wine-pairing dinner created by Executive Chef Tom Condron from Bank of America Executive Dining Room as we proudly hosted the star guests of the evening, Juan Mercado, Proprietor of RIISE and Charles Liu, Proprietor of SÉDUIRE.
The night wrapped up with our coveted live auction including a mix of exclusive wine lots and experiences including several library wines, pre-releases, large formats, a private dinner with former Chairman Emeritus - Pat Phillips featuring Paso wines from his private collection, paired with a curated menu by Micheal Bader of The Speckled Pear, and a VIP trip to Paso Robles curated by Charles Liu and Juan Mercado. With the support of all our generous donors, the auction alone raised over $45,000 for our beneficiaries.
A paddle sweep prize of 2 tickets to an upcoming Orin Swift Tasting with Dave Phinney at The Clubhouse at Reflection Pointe was won by CW+F Board Member, Lon Huber.
Featured wines included: 2022 SÉDUIRE La Muse Rosé, 2022 SÉDUIRE Le Flirt Grenache, 2021 RIISE Doyen GSM, 2022 SÉDUIRE Le Rat Syrah, 2021 RIISE Jovian Tempranillo Blend, and Champagne Juillet-Lallemont Brut Selection Grand Cru.
Charlotte Wine + Food would like to extend special thanks to the evening’s Corporate Sponsors - our title sponsor Bank of America (championed by our board member Tayrn Thompson and Donna Canipe), and supporting sponsors EY, Foreign Cars Charlotte, KPMG, RIISE, and SÉDUIRE. We would also like to thank the following groups: Auction Donors: RIISE, SÉDUIRE, TOP Winery, Pat & Debbie Phillips, Michael Bader of The Speckled Pear, and Charlotte Wine & Food | Partners: Juan Mercado — RIISE; Charles Liu — SÉDUIRE; Tom Condron, Cesar Alvarez, Ethan Koster and Deanna Van Tassel — Executive Dining Room; Josh Bannen Photo — Photography; Callie Langhorne — Public Relations | Volunteers: Taylor Pikes, Jessica Klasinski, Samantha Kowert, and Katie Troy. | Staff: Lauren Deese, Makayla Johnson, Chloe Holland, and Alejandra Araujo.
The Charlotte Wine + Food charity beneficiaries for the 2024-2025 fiscal include A Child’s Place - a program of Thompson, Augustine Literacy Project, Digi-Bridge, and Wayfinders.
Photo Credits: Josh Bannen Photo
