The Abilities Wine Tasting & Silent Auction has a 21-year track record of which we are most proud. No charity has done more in the Tampa Bay area to partner with the wine and food industry to advance their respective missions. Having celebrated its 21st anniversary in March, this event continues to be Florida's longest-running and most prosperous three-hour tasting. Our most powerful testimonials come from unbiased media sources. Read what they write about Abilities' wine tastings, dinners, and galas:
“Like an adult playground for food and wine fanatics, this gig featured more than 300 wines from all over the world and 45 local, mostly independently owned restaurants to dive into. With charity in mind, the Abilities volunteer crew -- made up mostly of wine and restaurant professionals from around the Bay area -- also cajoled the likes of Salt Rock Grill, Armani’s, and Grand Finale to offer up appetizer-size delicacies to hungry and thirsty ticketholders. Great value too: $60 to gorge yourself for two and half hours. The Abilities Wine Tasting was truly a mouth-watering, sensory-overloading, heart-warming affair. All net proceeds -- all of them -- benefit the Abilities Foundation, which assists disabled individuals find work and learn skills. — Weekly Planet Best of the Bay comments by wine critic Taylor Eason
“Guests – the $250 per-ticket event was a sellout accommodating 260 – exhausted superlatives describing the event.” — St. Petersburg Times columnist Mary Jane Park
“The playing field was buried under plush carpeting, and the scoreboard came alive with scenes of thousands of people sampling the best food and wine Tampa Bay has to offer as Abilities rolled out the single most prestigious wine event in Pinellas County. Some of the area’s best restaurants, from Sutherland Café and O’Bistro to Grand Finale, Salt Rock Grill, Native Seafood and Julian’s at the Heritage pulled out all the stops, while wine shops like Pic Pac pulled out the corks to serve up a stellar selection of fine wine and fashionable food, all to serve the important cause of training disabled adults to return to full employment. Congratulations to Abilities for putting Pinellas County on the wine-tasting map, and congratulations to each of you who turned out to support it. It’s a fine example of our community coming together to make life in Tampa Bay a little better for us all.” — Weekly Planet
“The Abilities Wine Tasting has become the Tampa Bay area’s premier wine tasting event. Each year, more and more patrons savor the very finest California and international wines together with area’s top-rated restaurants and it is all to benefit the good work done by this organization.” — Tampa Bay Magazine
“Hundreds of wines, dozens of restaurants, thousands of fans. The largest wine tasting and auction in Pinellas.” — St. Petersburg Times wine critic Chris Sherman
“Best Food & Wine Event to Benefit a Charity” — Weekly Planet (four consecutive years before the award category was retired)
“De Lucia has successfully partnered with local restaurants, distributors, and vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma Counties to raise funds for his nonprofit whose mission is to obtain jobs and affordable housing for individuals with disabilities.” — Tampa Bay Metro publisher/managing editor Ronda Parag
“Big-league tasting of extraordinary proportions. Congratulations to Abilities for putting Pinellas County on the wine-tasting map." — Weekly Planet food critic Bonnie Boots
“We’ve always known that the Abilities Foundation throws sensational parties. Every March their Festival at Tropicana Field draws thousands for a terrific evening of tastings and entertainment.” — Tampa Bay Illustrated editor Wendy Malloy
"Best Wine Tasting” — Tampa Bay Magazine
“The Abilities Foundation is the standard by which we judge charity partners across the nation.” — Napa Valley Vintners marketing director Jeff Adams
“Tropicana Field was once again the site for this incredible fundraiser. With food from 40 top-rated restaurants, 200 premium California and imported wines to sample and over 300 auction items, the Abilities Wine Tasting is consistently rated as one of the Tampa Bay area’s best fundraising events.” — Tampa Bay Magazine
“Nearly 2,000 people and 75 Napa wineries hooked up at Raymond James Stadium for the Napa Valley Vintners Wine Tasting & Auction benefiting the Abilities Foundation. As an added treat, a variety of top-notch restaurants provided food for the occasion, which served as a magnet for the Bay area’s best and brightest.” — Tampa Bay Illustrated
“This year’s ‘Best Wine Tasting’ is the Abilities Wine Tasting, which features the finest California and international wines together with great food from top Tampa Bay Restaurants. This annual benefit gets bigger every year.” — Tampa Bay Magazine
“They should have had a barker in front of the tent. The Abilities tasting drew more new acts than any three rings could hold — new brands, new grapes, and new blends from all over the world. This year’s tasting showcased energy and risk-taking and provided a chance to sample innovation by the caseload.” — St. Petersburg Times’ Chris Sherman
“Frank De Lucia may become the Louis Pasteur of fundraising if he continues to turn wine into charitable contributions.” — The Tampa Tribune
“Another sure-fire fun event is the annual Abilities Wine Tasting & Auction fundraiser.” — Clearwater Times editor Bob Henderson
“Frank De Lucia and his Foundation staff faced special challenges, yet managed to pull off the event of the year.” — Weekly Planet
“The Abilities Sonoma Wine Tasting has become the area’s premier wine tasting event. Each spring, patrons savor upwards of 100 of Napa Valley or Sonoma County, California’s finest vintages.” — Tampa Bay Magazine
“Surly most of Pinellas County had come to taste the wines of Sonoma County, California. Who would have thought there were this many devoted wine lovers in the area?” — Pinellas County Review food critic Ruth Gray
“The benefit drew a diverse crowd of 3,300 wine lovers and raised well over $100,000. Kudos to Frank De Lucia for a stellar event.” — Weekly Planet Scenes writer Sterling Powell
“In a hangar at the Clearwater Jet Executive Center, 40 touring vintners gave wine lovers the richest grand tasting Tampa Bay has enjoyed in years.” — St. Petersburg Times’ Chris Sherman
“Bacchus spread his grape of good cheer, smiling generously upon the charitable efforts of Abilities at a successful wine tasting benefit.” — The Tampa Tribune columnist Amy Scherzer
‘BEST CULINARY FUNDRAISER FOR CHARITY AWARD’ “No doubt about it. The Abilities Wine Tasting has gotten to be the place to eat good, drink good, and do good. Over its 10-year history, this annual event has grown from a tiny tasting to an event so big it had to be held in the Tropicana dome. Frank De Lucia and the staff of Abilities, whose training assists disabled people returning to the workforce, turned the 1999 tasting into a gala celebration of fine food and wine that impressed even our jaded palate. Three cheers to the stellar restaurants and wine distributors who brought out their best to support this great event. You captured our hearts, as well as our taste buds!” — Weekly Planet
"The Napa Valley Vintners Association is proud to be associated with Abilities. There are charities supporting missions as equally important as yours, but it is your dedication, enthusiasm, professionalism, and tremendous support network that put Abilities ahead of the rest of the pack. It seems that the standard for charity tastings is raised every year we visit your market.” — Napa Valley Vintners’ Brent Shortridge
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