Aperture Cellars’ founder and first-generation winemaker, Jesse Katz, and chef, Dustin Valette, will participate in the Naples Winter Wine Festival, taking place from January 30 to February 1. Hosted by the Naples Children & Education Foundation, the festival unites celebrated vintners, acclaimed chefs, and philanthropists for a weekend of world-class wine, food, and fundraising in support of children in need across Collier County, Florida.
Together, Katz and Valette—who will be honored as chef de cuisine at the festival—will offer an auction lot, The Sonoma Experience, a four-day, three-night immersion designed to transport winning bidders into the heart of Sonoma for a deeply personal journey through world-class wine and Michelin-recognized cuisine.
At the heart of the itinerary is Aperture Cellars, where Katz will personally guide guests through a private blending session, exclusive VIP tasting, and vineyard lunch at the estate, offering rare insight into the precision and vision behind Aperture’s most celebrated wines. Equally central to the experience is Valette, who will host an intimate farm-to-table culinary journey beginning with a guided farmer’s market tour and hands-on cooking class and culminating in private dinners at his acclaimed restaurants, The Matheson and Valette. The experience continues with private tastings at Vérité and Stonestreet and culminates with a day on the greens at Mayacama Golf Club. Guests will take home personalized keepsakes, including a custom embroidered chef’s coat, a professional-grade chef’s knife, and a curated Aperture collection of award-winning wines…