TL;DR
Get kitchen staples and gadgets delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
VinePair named AAPI Food & Wine its 2026 Next Wave Awards Nonprofit of the Year. Founded by Lois and Dave Cho in 2023, the nonprofit has hosted sold-out festivals in Oregon and expanded to New York, with further city events under discussion but not confirmed.
AAPI Food & Wine, the nonprofit founded by Oregon winemakers Lois and Dave Cho, has been named Nonprofit of the Year in VinePair’s 2026 Next Wave Awards. The recognition comes as the organization grows from a sold-out Oregon festival into events beyond the Pacific Northwest, including a three-day New York City celebration earlier in 2026.
The Chos launched the nonprofit in 2023, after questions about the influences behind their wine led them to think about its relationship to Korean food and the limited recognition of Asian American wine producers. They first considered a potluck for AAPI community members in the Willamette Valley. The idea developed into a public festival intended to bring Asian American–made wine and AAPI food into the same spotlight.
The inaugural festival brought together 12 Portland chefs and five AAPI-owned Willamette Valley wineries. Lois Cho told VinePair that about 1,000 people attended and that the event sold out. She said attendees’ emotional responses showed the gathering meant more to some people than a tasting or food event.
Since then, AAPI Food & Wine has held three annual walkaround festivals in Oregon, where participating chefs and wineries serve samples and meet attendees. The organization also held a three-day celebration in New York City in March 2026. Its partnerships have included Oregon wineries and Portland restaurants, as well as New York’s Korean restaurant Atoboy and chefs and bakers such as Jin Caldwell and Kyurim “Q” Lee of JinJu Patisserie, according to VinePair.
The nonprofit’s work is now handled by a board and volunteers, including secretary and volunteer director Sylvia Choi and vendor relations and events director Jane Barmore. VinePair reported that the events have been near or total sell-outs. The source does not provide attendance figures for the later festivals or financial details about the nonprofit.
Building Space for AAPI Wine
The award recognizes an organization that links two parts of the food-and-drink industry often discussed separately: AAPI cuisine and wine made by Asian American producers. By putting chefs, winemakers and attendees in the same setting, the festival creates a public platform for people and businesses whose work may otherwise receive less attention.
That visibility matters to the Chos’ stated aim of making Asian American wine part of conversations about food pairing and hospitality. Lois Cho told VinePair that AAPI communities have often faced pressure to assimilate and avoid drawing attention. She described the newer generation’s public embrace of its heritage through food and wine as a shift. That is her account of the motivation and meaning behind the events, rather than a claim that the award or festivals have resolved broader barriers in the industry.
The model also has practical value for participating businesses: festivals let attendees sample products and meet the people who make them. The organization’s proposed focus on smaller restaurants and food carts could extend that opportunity to businesses that have less access to large-scale industry promotion. Whether future events will achieve that aim depends on how the nonprofit develops its programming and where it holds festivals.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Willamette Valley to New York
The organization grew out of Lois and Dave Cho’s experience founding CHO Wines in 2020. VinePair reported that they were the first Korean American winemakers in Oregon when they launched the winery in the Willamette Valley. As the winery gained attention, the couple repeatedly heard questions about what shaped their palate. Their reflections on Korean food and wine pairing prompted a broader discussion about the visibility of AAPI wine producers.
The first festival was assembled in a matter of weeks, Lois Cho said. It featured wineries including Hundred Suns Wine and Et Fille Wines, alongside Portland restaurants such as Sun Rice and Matta. Its turnout encouraged the organizers to continue, and the event became an annual gathering in Oregon before the group began holding events outside the region.
The New York City celebration marked an expansion beyond the nonprofit’s Oregon base. VinePair reported that AAPI Food & Wine partnered with Atoboy during the March event. The organization’s growing roster has also included established industry figures, while Lois Cho says she wants future programming to make room for emerging cooks and smaller food businesses.
“The first year, we hosted 12 Portland chefs and five Asian American Pacific Islander-owned wineries from the Willamette Valley. We had 1,000 people show up, and it was sold out.”
— Lois Cho, co-founder of AAPI Food & Wine, speaking to VinePair
Future Cities Are Not Confirmed
The award announcement does not include details about the selection process, other award recipients or any prize attached to the recognition. The source also does not state how many people attended the New York events, whether those events generated revenue for participating businesses, or how the nonprofit measures its longer-term impact.
Further expansion remains prospective. Cho told VinePair that the organization is in discussions about Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and possibly Austin, and that it receives requests to bring events to new areas. No dates, venues or confirmed plans for those cities were provided. It is also not clear how the nonprofit will balance geographic growth with its interest in featuring emerging chefs and smaller food businesses.
Expansion Plans Still Developing
The next reported step is planning, rather than a confirmed series of new events. The Chos and the nonprofit’s board will need to determine whether and where to hold additional festivals; the source gives no timetable for those decisions. Readers should treat the listed cities as places under discussion, not announced destinations.
Lois Cho told VinePair she hopes future events will showcase chefs and winemakers outside the Pacific Northwest and New York area, including cooks running small restaurants and food carts. If the organization proceeds with more festivals, details about locations, participants, dates and ticket availability will establish how its expansion takes shape. For now, the award marks recognition of the nonprofit’s existing work, while the scale and pace of its next phase remain open.
Key Questions
What award did AAPI Food & Wine receive?
VinePair named AAPI Food & Wine its 2026 Next Wave Awards Nonprofit of the Year. The source does not provide details about the award’s selection process or any associated prize.
Who founded AAPI Food & Wine?
Lois and Dave Cho founded the nonprofit in 2023. They also launched CHO Wines in Oregon’s Willamette Valley in 2020.
Where has the organization held events?
AAPI Food & Wine has held three annual walkaround festivals in Oregon and held a three-day celebration in New York City in March 2026, according to VinePair.
Are festivals planned for Los Angeles, Seattle or other cities?
Those locations are under discussion, not confirmed. Lois Cho told VinePair the organization had conversations about Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and possibly Austin, but no dates or venues were announced.
What is the nonprofit’s stated purpose?
The Chos created the organization to connect AAPI food with Asian American–made wine and give chefs and wine producers a platform to share their work. Lois Cho has also said she hopes future events will include emerging cooks and smaller food businesses.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
