Could the Carolinas’ next great food town be … Florence? The South Carolina city’s annual wine and food festival (March 27-29) makes a strong case.
by Page Leggett
Consider Florence. Not the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region teeming with Renaissance masterpieces, but the city in South Carolina’s Pee Dee region. Unless you’re a native or have family there, you probably haven’t given the other Florence much thought.
Maybe you should. There’s no better time than the annual Florence Wine & Food Festival (March 27-29) to experience the renaissance our neighbor 120-some miles to the south has undergone. Florence has long been known for its pecan farms; the South Carolina Pecan Trail includes Florence and other Pee Dee towns. But today, it’s also known for barbecue, farm-to-fork cuisine, even a craft-beer scene.
Two Florence residents hatched the idea for the festival. Tim Norwood, who owns Victors restaurant with his wife, Anne, and Frank Chisholm — a wine expert and Arabian horse breeder — “wanted a festival that would put Florence on the map,” says Tamara Kirven, the festival’s executive director.
The festival got off the ground in 2017, took a Covid-related hiatus in 2020 and ’21 and returned in 2022 bigger and better than before.
Each year, there’s a big-name headliner, but otherwise it’s all Florence-area chefs. The homegrown talent helps set this festival apart from some others, Kirven says. “It’s hyper-local.”
Another thing that sets it apart: The size. Last year, 2,000 festival tickets were sold. Compare that to Charleston Wine + Food, which attracts upward of 35,000. In Florence, you might actually meet the headliner. (My sister and I chatted with restaurateur and cookbook author Vivian Howard at last year’s event.)
Despite the locals being the stars, wine and food experts descend on Florence each year to take part. One of those is Charlotte’s Steve Hedberg, proprietor of Carolina Wine Marketing.
“Steve has so much knowledge about the wines he’s pouring,” Kirven says. “That’s something we wanted from the start — for every sip (and bite) to have the potential to be a learning experience, a true discovery.”
Hedberg is taken with Florence, calling it “charming, relaxed and friendly.” He notes the city’s walkable downtown with hotels and locally owned restaurants. “The city is very progressive in how they’ve embraced local agriculture and what people in the food world call ‘makers’ — not just farmers, but millers, coffee roasters, craft brewers,” he says. “Asheville prides itself on farm-to-table cuisine, and Florence is the same way.”
Matt and Ted Lee, left, are executive producers of the Florence Wine & Food Festival
Small town, big names
When organizers approached food and travel writers Matt and Ted Lee about headlining the 2022 festival, the brothers had a bigger idea, Kirven says. “They wanted to help host.”
In 2023, the Lee Bros. — Charleston natives and authors of James Beard Award-winning cookbooks and an Amazon best book of 2019, Hotbox: Inside Catering, the Food World’s Riskiest Business — became executive producers of the event, lending the festival instant cachet.
The headliners are culinary superstars who need no introduction to foodies and oenophiles. Katie Button of Asheville’s Curate headlined in 2023. Last year, Howard was the major draw. She put her eastern N.C. hometown of Kinston (she actually hails from the adjacent — and even smaller — Deep Run) when she opened Chef & The Farmer there in 2006.
This year’s headliner, pitmaster Rodney Scott, hails from Hemingway, South Carolina, but now calls Charleston home. Bon Appetit named Scott’s eponymous King Street barbecue joint one of 2017’s best new restaurants.
Scott has elevated barbecue to an art form, and he has a James Beard Award to prove it. When the Beard Foundation named him Best Chef Southeast in 2018, he became only the second pitmaster to achieve the honor.
He has since expanded his porcine empire to Atlanta, Birmingham and Nashville, appeared on Netflix’s Chef’s Table, published a cookbook, Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ, and serves as a judge on Food Network’s BBQ Brawl.
“Rodney Scott, in anybody’s estimation, belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Carolina barbecue,” Hedberg says.
“He’s got a big, sunny personality,” Kirven adds. “And he’ll be in Florence for the entire festival,” which officially starts on Thursday at the annual “Meat and Meander,” a casual party at a brewery with live bluegrass music.
Vivian Howard, center, was the headliner for the 2024 Florence Wine & Food Festival.
Move over, Lexington
Scott is a big draw, but Florence has its own burgeoning barbecue scene. Kirven cites Holt Bros. and Wholly Smokin’ as two local joints worth checking out.
And soon, there’ll be another reason to visit Flo-Town. Elliott Moss, the James Beard-nominated chef and pitmaster at both Asheville’s The Admiral and the now-closed Buxton Hall Barbecue, returned to his hometown and aims to open his own eponymous barbecue spot in time for the festival, Kirven says. Moss and Scott will team up during the festival to talk — and cook — ’cue.
Elliott’s, attached to Seminar Brewing, will serve whole-hog pulled pork, of course, but also burgers, beer-battered and smoked fish sandwiches, beer-can chicken, and chicken bog, a specialty of the Pee Dee region that features chicken, sausage, rice, onions and spices. The simple stew is a comforting one-pot wonder.
Left: Pitmaster Rodney Scott photograph courtesy Rodney Scott
Cheers
It’s not every small town that can claim four breweries, but Florence (South Carolina’s 11th-largest city, with a population of about 40,000) loves hops and yeast. Southern Hops, Local Motive and Wild Heart round out the quartet.
Beer lovers will find plenty to quench their thirst in Florence. But during the festival, wine is the star. Ray Isle, executive wine editor of Food & Wine and wine and spirits editor for Travel + Leisure, will lead wine tastings, as he has every year since 2022. “Ray loves Florence,” Kirven enthuses, “and Florence loves Ray.”
Festivalgoers can sample libations at the festival’s “Sip & Savor” wine stroll held in various downtown shops on Friday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Nondrinkers also will find an array of zero-proof options.
One mocktail making an appearance on Victors seasonal cocktail menu — scheduled to launch concurrently with the festival — is the Springtime Spritz, made with strawberries from Florence’s Cottle Strawberry Farms.
Saturday afternoon’s activity is the Grand Tasting, followed by the concluding event of the weekend, The Final Pour.
If you haven’t been to Florence in a while (or ever), you might be surprised by what you find. Hedberg, who pours wine at festivals throughout the Carolinas, says Florence’s festival is one of his favorites: “It’s almost entirely staffed by volunteers, and the money raised is for specific local charities. It’s outside the realm of corporate influence.”
He looks forward to being in town for all three days of the festival. “Florence is a special place, and this festival over-achieves on every level,” he says.
The next time you hear anything about “Florence and the Renaissance,” you may have to ask: Italy … or South Carolina? SP
Go with the Flo: Learn more and buy tickets for the festival that’s putting Florence, South Carolina, on the map at florencewineandfood.com. Experience what might be the Carolinas’ next great food scene March 27-29.
Photographs by Peter Frank Edwards
When in Florence
Festival director Tamara Kirven dishes on how to prepare for the festival and what to see and do while in Florence.
Book lodging early. Hotel Florence (Tapestry Collection by Hilton) and Hyatt Place Florence Downtown are in the center of the action. Check Airbnb and Vrbo for houses and rooms to rent.
Get dinner reservations, stat. Seating is very limited for the Friday evening Signature Dinners, and they often sell out quickly.
The main event! Foodies won’t want to miss the Grand Tasting on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. The most die-hard foodies and wine lovers can go an hour early for a more personal experience: VIP tickets allow you unfettered access from 11 a.m. until noon.
Bring your appetite. Visit local restaurants while you’re in town. Kirven advises out-of-towners to experience a few Florence restaurants, including Town Hall and Victors, which she calls “Charleston-caliber.”
City of art and culture. Check out the Florence County Museum to learn about the region’s history (and see outstanding art). The Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center, which opened in 2014, hosts acts such as Edwin McCain and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Venture beyond downtown. Kirven recommends driving “across town — which takes just 10 minutes — to a scenic spot on Palmetto Street near the Pee Dee River.” Bean Bar, Buddy’s (“the best smash burgers!”) and Local Motive are local favorites.
