Monday, November 5, 2012

G R International Wine, Beer, and Food Festival

This week is the 5th Annual Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer, and Food Festival; my media passes will be waiting for me on Thursday! This one of my favorite events, because I am able to sample Michigan food and wine products that I may not have tasted before. The sampling tickets are 50 cents each. As a rule of thumb, I start out by purchasing $20.00 worth of tickets.

The 2012 Festival dates are one week earlier than in previous years. The dates and hours are Thursday, Nov. 8 (5-10pm), Friday, Nov. 9 (4pm-10pm), and Saturday, Nov. 10 (Noon-10pm). It is held in the 40,000 sq-ft Steelcase Ballroom inside DeVos Place, downtown Grand Rapids. It is the largest culinary event in the state and one of the premiere festivals of its kind in the Midwest.
Over one hundred wineries from around the world provide samples of as many as 1200 assorted wines – including some hard to find, top shelf vintages. Brewmasters and distillers are also on hand, providing tastes of their hand-crafted beverages. Headline speakers include Ellen Flora from Napa, California.

Chefs from the area’s top restaurants prepare and serve small plates of their culinary specialties. Select restaurants partner with distinguished wineries and breweries for special Pairings – gourmet multi-course meals served on-site in a casual yet intimate “bar top” setting. These tickets are $30-$40 each and may be purchased in advance online or at the Festival on a first-come, first-served basis.
Esteemed individuals from the culinary world host seminars, demonstrations and workshops on the Meijer Food Stage. Free beverage seminars, held classroom style in the breakout rooms off the Grand Gallery, give festival-goers a more in-depth look into the world of wine, beer and spirits.

Special features include Champagne Flights, Cordial & Chocolate Tastings, the Michigan Craft Beer Hall and the Riverfront Marketplace, offering gourmet specialty items and high-end accessories.

Culinary and hospitality students from Secchia Institute of Culinary Education at Grand Rapids Community College, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University and Baker College – Culinary Institute of Michigan work side-by-side with industry leaders for an unparalleled educational experience.

Click here to read about Michigan products that I sampled from a visit to a previous festival.

 

 
 
 

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