Chef Kevin Rathbun and Winemaker Gustavo Gonzalez
Pair Together for Fundraising Dinner at
Government House, US Virgin Islands
Iron Chef and Top Winemaker offer Gourmet Dinner and Wine Tasting in Paradise

St. Croix, US Virgin Islands - February 2009 - Chef Kevin Rathbun of Rathbun Restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia and winemaker Gustavo Gonzalez of Robert Mondavi Winery in California will pair together for a special fundraising dinner at Government House on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands on April 17, 2009. The special Cork & Fork dinner is part of the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, an annual series of culinary events that support the St. Croix Foundation. Tickets are $1000 per person and the event is limited to 20 guests. The 2009 St. Croix Food & Wine Experience is April 14-18. For more information visit www.StCroixFoodandWine.com.

Award-winning winemaker Gustavo Gonzalez, the only winemaker at Mondavi with a Wine Spectator 100-point wine on his resumé, is in charge of the red varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir, as well as Sauvignon Botrytis.
"Gustavo crafts incredible wines," said Kevin Rathbun, who has more than 500 labels of wines in his cellars at his restaurants in Atlanta, "Teaming with him to create this dinner is an honor and together we are going to create an amazing experience."

Kevin Rathbun, named as a Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation in 1994 and a winning guest-chef on Food Network's Iron Chef America, is joining the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience for the second year in a row. Rathbun, who has three successful restaurants in Atlanta (Rathbun's, Krog Bar and Kevin Rathbun Steak) has been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Travel & Leisure, Gourmet, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, Food Arts and many more.

Guests will enjoy a five-course dinner paired with wines crafted by Gustavo. Each guest will receive the book Government House, St. Croix: Its History and Special Furnishings by Priscilla Watkins. To make a donation or purchase tickets to this event, please contact The St. Croix Foundation at 340-773-9898.

Since 2001, A Taste of St. Croix has celebrated the flavor of the U.S. Virgin Islands by bringing together culinary artisans from more than 50 local restaurants on St. Croix and welcoming celebrated chefs and vintners from across the United States. The event was immediately successful and has expanded into a weeklong series of food and wine events called the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience. In 2008, visiting vintners included Joel Peterson from Ravenswood Winery, Bob Foley from Foley Wines, Paul Hoffman of Medusa Wines, Carroll Kemp of Red Car Wines, and Kent Rosenblum from Rosenblum Cellars. Guest chefs included Rocco DiSpirito, Kevin Rathbun, Robbin Haas, Gerry Klaskala and Richard Reddington.

About the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience
The St. Croix Food & Wine Experience showcases the diverse cuisine and wine available on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The multi-day event includes gourmet dinners, wine seminars, wine auctions, and the annual culinary competition, A Taste of St. Croix. 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. For more information visit http://stcroixfoodandwine.com.

About The St. Croix Foundation
Proceeds from The St. Croix Food & Wine Experience are donated to The St. Croix Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on community revitalization, economic development, youth programs, education and additional needs in the community. The culinary event has raised almost $500,000 for the Foundation over the past seven years. For more information visit www.stxfoundation.org.