Bella Carrara Vino

South Beach, FL.- South Beach, known for its nightlife and late hour atmosphere takes on a little different tone once a year during the Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival as the beach and streets are filled during daytime hours with wine enthusiasts. The event, which was held February 21-24th, celebrated its 8th year with an impressive line up of wine and spirits producers and culinary personalities and a record-breaking crowd of 35,000 attendees.

"This year's Festival had all the characteristics of a great bottle of wine - bursting with flavor, full of attitude and sights on an amazing future," Lee Brian Schrager, Founder and Director of the Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival. The 2008 event will donate two million dollars of profits, a half a million more than last year.

Since it began in 2002 the event has expanded rapidly showing very little growing pains from an outsider's perspective. "My husband and I attended the first event when it was held at the University, and we were amazed at the very good selection of wines that were offered," said Linda Higgs, an alumni of Florida International University, the benefactor of the festival. "We've attended every one since then and just enjoy taking it all in. The highlight for us is still tasting the great selection of wines the Festival offers each year." Seven thousand people attended the event the first year.

The wine participants were very diverse and included wineries such as Krug, Chateau Lascombes, Opus One, Smith-Haute-Lafite, Ridge, Trimbach, Joseph Phelps, Hanzell, and Cos D'Estournel that participated in tastings, dinners and The Wine Spectator sponsored wine seminars. Donn Reisen, of Ridge Vineyards, looks at the event as an incredible opportunity. "This is a terrific venue for us to showcase our wines. This type of audience is great. It's people who appreciate wine and have an understanding that every wine has a story. We also feel fortunate that we are participating in a seminar during the event where people can ask direct questions to our winemakers and taste wines that they've created over the last ten years."
Dominique Befve, winemaker at Chateau Lascombes, attended the event for the first time this year. " I'm very impressed that with so many people here everything is very organized. I especially like the mix of cultures of the people attending and an audience that is knowledgeable truly interested in wine." Befve discussed his wines as people tasted through his 2001-2005 vintages at a seminar Saturday that also included Krug and Trimbach wines.

Activities at the Festival include wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, seminars, lunches, dinners, and evening. Costs for the events ranged from $35- $500 per person. Wine seminars ran approximately $200 with dinner and evening events being between $50-$500. A new element to attract another demographic was added this year. 'Fun and fit as a Family' included cooking demonstrations, seminars, and exercise programs with exhibitors and food samples to promote active and health lifestyles.

The South Beach Wine and Food festival got a huge culinary boast last year when the Food Network became the title sponsor of the event. Bringing with them their celebrity chef line up and national television promotion and exposure. Some of this year's participants were: Rachael Ray, Mario Batali, Jamie Oliver, Emeril Lagasse, Rick Bayless, and Paula Deen. Corporate sponsorship for the event is also on the upswing with 20 national companies coming on board this year. The sponsors list now includes: Delta Airlines, Target, Amstel Light, American Express, Coca Cola, Fed Ex, and Verison Wireless.

The wineries that were part of the event were pleased with the marriage of food and wine that this festival promotes. "Anything having to do with pairing food and wine we fully support," said The Ferrers this year's recipient of the festival's Lifetime Achievement Award. Reisen agreed, " It's not about wine, it's about wine and food. It's terrific to work in a situation such as this where the chefs have true knowledge of wine and a passion for both."

All proceeds of the Festival benefit the students of Florida International University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Labels: event, foodies, marketing, wine