May 10, 2011
New Orleans Wine and Food Experience
Foodies and wine connoisseurs grab your fork and corkscrew for one of the best food and wine festivals in the country, the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience. The five-day event is being held May 24-28 and is listed as the fourth best Wine and Food destination in the world by the TripAdvisor Annual Traveler’s Choice Destination Awards as well as a perennial Top Ten Wine and Food Festival by Wine Enthusiast. A collection of celebrated chefs, culinary professionals and wine experts from over 175 wineries and 75 restaurants will gather for a week of classes, demonstrations and fine dining with all the proceeds befitting local non-profit organizations.
The event kicks off on Tuesday, May 24, with the Ella Brennan Award Dinner & 
Live Auction. This year’s recipient, Louisiana’s own Chef Paul Prudhomme, will speak at the event while guests feast on a world-class meal that spotlights the region’s many indigenous ingredients. On Wednesday a selection of Vintners will partner with multiple restaurants around the city such as Brennan’s, Galatoire’s and Broussards as they prepare specially crafted meals around some of the world’s best wines.
On Thursday from 2-5 p.m. wine lovers will want to be at the Theatre in Harrah’s Casino for the Vinola Tasting event. Forty wineries will pour their 
most revered and highly rated wines, each with a minimum retail value of $75, while eight of New Orleans’ best restaurants deliver an unforgettable feast steeped in Cajun flavor. The party continues from 5:30-8:30 p.m. with the Royal Street Stroll and Krewe of Cork. The galleries and shops of Royal Street open their doors late into the evening as live music and the Krewe of Cork parade down the street in celebration.
On Friday and Saturday the festival comes full circle with an array of seminars followed by the main event, the Grand Tastings. Festival goers can chose form a number of fun and informational seminars focused on learning the intricate flavors and characteristics of craft beer, champagne and of course wine, each lead by a renowned expert.
After the seminars wind down on Friday and Saturday the Grand Tastings take center stage at the New Orleans Convention Center. Friday, COCHON 555, a traveling competition that promotes sustainable farming, will pit five local 
chefs against each other as they prepare five porcine masterpieces to pair with five specially selected wines. At the Saturday Grand Tasting local chefs will face off in the 4th Annual Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off. Seafood lovers will be smitten as the best seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is prepared with Louisiana flare, with the winning chef earning the honor of “King or Queen of Louisiana Seafood” and a spot in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off.
Tickets to many events during the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience are limited so be sure to plan ahead and reserve tickets. For a full schedule of events, locations, ticket prices and menu listings visit www.nowfe.com. Also be sure to check out Festiva Hospitality Group’s accommodations at the conveniently located Frenchmen 519 in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood.
