A Taste of St. Croix Event Dates

Locals and travelers alike are preparing their palate for the seventh annual A Taste of St. Croix, the culinary event that showcases the island's many gastronomic talents and raises funds for the St. Croix Foundation, a non-profit community foundation. More than 50 restaurants will be cooking up delicacies while the world's best vineyards will pour a selection of their favorite wines on April 19, 2007 at Divi Carina Bay Hotel on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Tickets are $75

The food, the wines, the location "it all makes for a memorable event," said Deanna James, Chief Operations Officer. "We have added a few new ingredients to the event including the Cruzan Cocktail Challenge." The schedule for the 2007 A Taste of St. Croix includes:

Silent Auction
Cases of wine, artwork and other exclusive items will be available at the event for a silent auction. Art and culinary aficionados can also place their bids on an original painting by Luca Gasperi, the official artist for A Taste of St. Croix, that will be auctioned online at www.ATasteofStCroix.com

Cruzan Cocktail Challenge
The Cruzan Cocktail Challenge is sponsored by Cruzan Rum. The Caribbean is about more than rum punch and pina coladas. This year, A Taste of St. Croix will welcome baristas to shake things up with their concoctions. Attendees will cast their votes for "Best Cruzan Cocktail".

Special Guests
In addition to the culinary teams from more than 50 local restaurants, A Taste of St. Croix is pleased to announce special programs and classes presented by Gilles Veluzat of Moet Hennessy (www.mhusa.com), Eric Wente of of Wente Vineyards (www.wentevineyards.com), Julianna Martinelli, president of Martinelli Vineyards www.martinelliwinery.com), Chef Nate Appleman of A16 restaurant and wine bar in San Francisco (www.a16sf.com), Kent and Kathy Rosenblum of Rosenblum Cellars (www.rosenblumcellars.com), and Scott and Lisa Jenkins of Duck Pond Cellars (www.duckpondcellars.com).

About A Taste of St. Croix
A Taste of St. Croix is a wine and food event that showcases the diverse and delicious cuisine and wine available on the island of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Guests sample an amazing variety of dishes, from Cajun to Lebanese, to Creole, to Italian, to French and many exciting Caribbean recipes that take advantage of the local fruits, vegetables and spices. Chefs and restaurant owners from other Caribbean islands are among the judges for the event and vote on their top picks for best appetizer, entree, dessert, and best presentation. The event benefits the St. Croix Foundation (www.stxfoundation.org), a non-profit community foundation that administers a number of local programs. The event was started in 2001 by restaurant owners Katherine Pugliese of Bacchus and Kelly Odum of Tutto Bene and is recognized as the pre-eminent food and wine event in the Caribbean.

St. Croix Foundation
Established in 1990 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. St. Croix Foundation strives to fulfill its mission of fostering economic and social development on the island of St. Croix and throughout the Territory. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical community foundation, the St. Croix Foundation provides leadership and acts as a catalyst in bringing together diverse groups to discuss problems and forge solutions.