Kaitlin and Chris White met through the wine business, so it's no surprise that they love the stuff.
An evening out often finds them strolling to their favorite restaurant in Little Rock's Hillcrest neighborhood to join friends for dinner and a glass of vino.
"Chris and I were both interested in learning about wine at a young age," says Kaitlin, a native of California's wine country. "Before I hit Little Rock, my whole background was in wine."
Now they're pouring that passion in support of a cause they hold dear -- the research and treatment of heart disease -- by serving as co-chairmen of the 13th annual American Heart Association Festival of Wines, which takes place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. It's being presented by Arkansas Heart Hospital, with Moon Distributors and Central Distributors as the wine sponsors.
The Whites have another, personal connection to the cause: Chris White was born with a heart murmur, a condition that runs in his family. He gets annual checkups and a more thorough heart exam every three years.
In addition to money, the Whites hope the festival raises awareness of heart disease, the nation's No. 1 cause of death.
"It's very important, the whole concept of knowing your numbers [blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and blood sugar] and heart health," says Chris, whose condition did not keep him from taking part in the Conquer the Gauntlet mud and obstacle race held last month in Little Rock.
"He likes to stay very active because when he was younger, he was told he couldn't play sports," Kaitlin says. "Chris was like 'No, let's live.' He played rugby in college. He was into rock climbing."
Annual checkups are important for everybody, not just those with a history of heart issues, she adds. "Then, if there are any changes, you're on top of it. You can make lifestyle changes to get back on track."
Chris, who grew up in North Little Rock, has spent most of his career in the beverage industry. He's currently a national account manager for Pabst Brewing Co. He was based in Northwest Arkansas as a sales representative for Delicato Family Vineyards when he first spoke by telephone with Kaitlin, who was a brand manager for the same company. She has wine business degrees from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and the University of Adelaide, South Australia. Both Whites are certified wine specialists.
They met in 2011 during a company sales meeting in Hawaii, held to launch a new brand. "I was like 'Oh, you're the Northwest Arkansas guy,'" says Kaitlin, who admits she had only a vague idea of where that was.
They hung out, had dinner (with wine, naturally) and decided to stay in touch. They married in 2013, by which time Chris had returned to Little Rock. His two daughters, Ava and Chloe, served as ring and flower girls at their wedding.
With fewer opportunities in the wine industry, Kaitlin turned to real estate, like several generations of her family in California before her. She's an agent with Keller Williams Realty, "which is super fun in this area," she says. "We have lots of friends who want to live here."
She's served as silent auction chairman for the Heart Association's Go Red for Women Luncheon, volunteered for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and served on the committee for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night event, which takes place later this month.
The couple started work last May on the Festival of Wines, recruiting corporate sponsors and restaurants to participate in the event and helping collect auction items.
The Whites, who've volunteered at the festival in previous years, say even bad weather can't dampen the crowd's spirits. In 2014, straight-line winds wreaked havoc along the concourse of the ballpark, located on the riverfront.
"People just backed up and kept drinking wine," Chris says.
"I remember shaking," recalls Kaitlin. "I was still fairly new to Arkansas weather. It ended up being fine."
About 500 different wines will be poured. Pro tip from Chris for festivalgoers: "Sometimes it's worth asking is there anything under the table."
Kaitlin says one new feature of this year's festival is a "sparkling wine lounge" sponsored by Infiniti of Little Rock, where attendees can register for a drawing for a case of wine.
Noting that the underlying purpose of the festival is to improve health, organizers urge attendees to name a designated driver or opt for some form of public transportation.
"We want people to come out and have a fabulous time," says Heart Association spokesman Rebecca Buerkle. "We're here to celebrate and enjoy ourselves. But we're also about making smart choices, whether that is about your health or finding a safe ride home."
The Whites say it's an honor to be co-chairmen of the festival and not too difficult. As Kaitlin hung up posters in businesses around Hillcrest last month, several owners volunteered to donate items for the auction.
"It's an awesome event," she says. "People truly look forward to it. It makes our job so much easier when people already know about it and what it's for."
Tickets to the American Heart Association's Festival of Wines can be purchased at FestivalOfWines.heart.org or by calling (501) 707-6600.
High Profile on 10/02/2016