The South Beach Wine & Food Festival 2011 will take place on February 23-27, 2011 in Miami Beach. This will be the 10th anniversary for the Food Network’s beach-side culinary extravaganza highlighting the latest trends in the wine and food industry. The event now attracts more than 50,000 guests from around the world to the shores of Miami Beach for this 5-day culinary extravaganza.
Last year’s Tribute Dinner honoree (2010) was culinary master Daniel Boulud, who won multiple awards worldwide, including Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur from the French government for his contribution to the advancement of French culinary culture.
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival featured dishes from the world’s finest chefs including Claude Troigros, Eric Ripert, Paul Bartolotta, Nobu Matsuhisa and Gordon Maybury, who is executive chef of the Loews Miami Beach hotel which is hosting the festival.
The year 2010 also introduced several new additions to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival including:
– The Festival highlights the talents of the hottest new dining destination in Miami, the Miami Design District, with a one-of-a-kind dining opportunity to taste the culinary expertise of chefs from Senora Martinez, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Pacific Time, and Fratelli Lyon — all in one evening!
– The Barilla Interactive Lunch series at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables receives a makeover as the Festival debuts a Barilla Interactive Dinner hosted by Lidia Bastianich and her son, wine specialist Joe Bastianich.
– Ming Tsai will host a late night Dim Sum & Disco party under the alluring atmosphere of the Setai.
– Food Network stars including Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives), Paula Deen (Paula’s Best Dishes), Pat and Gina Neely (Down Home with The Neelys), and Sandra Lee (Sandra’s Money Saving Meals) will be on-hand for culinary demonstrations and book signings at the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village, late night parties, and more!
– Enjoy the Wine Spectator wine seminars with executive editor Thomas Matthews and senior editor Bruce Sanderson. Also, wine aficionados Gary Vaynerchuk, Kevin Zraly and Mark Oldman will be on-hand to help navigate both novices and experts thru the finest selections in the Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida portfolio at the Bank of America lifestyle seminars.
Festival favorites return, re-invented with fresh new faces:
– The Amstel Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray presented by Allen Brothers will feature top burger-making gurus, like the Shake Shack, Bobby Flay, Michael Symon, and Laurent Tourondel, along with People’s Choice Award Winner from the 2009 Festival, Spike Mendelsohn.
– The Festival’s perfect pairing of barbeque and champagne on the beach will return with a BAM, as the Perrier-Jouët BubbleQ hosted by Emeril Lagasse. Last year’s tribute dinner honoree will play host to some of the finest names on the grill, including John Besh, Dean Fearing, Chris Lilly, Adam Perry Lang, Todd English, Aarón Sánchez, and many more!
– Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best sponsored by Bank of America will return at the illustrious Fontainebleau Miami Beach, the picture perfect setting to find some of the world’s best winemakers personally pouring their selections alongside premier chefs serving their delicacies. Among the list of participating wineries for this year is Au Bon Climat, Caymus Vineyards, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Opus One Winery, Rubicon Estate, and several more additions to come. Culinary participants for Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best include David Burke, Scott Conant, Paul Liebrandt, Michael White, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, and much more.
All proceeds of the Festival benefit the students of the Florida International University School of Hospitality and Tourism Management who also assist Festival organizers with sponsorship fulfillment, restaurant and exhibitor recruitment, logistics, and inventory as well as working alongside some of the world’s greatest celebrity chefs and winemakers.