PLEASE NOTE:

The following information is from the 2011 Wine, Beer & Food Festival.

Grand Rapids' Finest Restaurants

The ultimate dining experience!  Grand Rapids' finest restaurants have been invited to provide "small plate" samples of their prize cuisine.

FEATURED RESTAURANTS:

Cygnus 27 - Globally influenced American cuisine

Monkey Bar at the B.O.B. - Globally influenced tapas

Fifth Third Bank Vault - Fine dining restaurant at the Van Andel Arena

Bar Divani - Fine dining restaurant

FireRock Grille - Fine dining restaurant at StoneWater Country Club

The Melting Pot - Fine dining fondue restaurant

San Chez - Blend of authentic European and Mediterranean cuisine

Bentham's - Bistro style American cuisine

Louis Benton - Fine dining steakhouse

Pairings

We have invited the area's finest restaurants and partnered them with distinguished wineries as they prepare, present and serve gourmet multi-course meals.  These casual settings offer chances to communicate with the chefs and winemakers about their choices and decisions.  Enjoy special exclusive multi-course pairings by the chefs and sommeliers of Bar Divani, Tre Cugini, San Chez, Six.One.Six and Reserve. Pairings are $35 - $45 per person will be sold online in advance or on-site at the Festival at the Pairings Ticket booth located on the South wall.

CLICK HERE for the PAIRING MENUS and to PURCHASE PAIRING TICKETS

Sponsored by Harvey Cadillac & Harvey Lexus

Reserve Champagne Flight

Enjoy a specially prepared presentation of a Champagne Flight from the sommelier at Reserve!  

Marc Herbrart 1er cru Brut NV

 Wonderful freshness and vibrancy, with hints of berries, flowers and spices that come together in an expressive, nuanced style.

 Jean Lallement "Cuvee Reserve," Grand Cru Brut NV

 Powerful, wielding its whole grain bread, nut and graphite aromas.  This champagne shows a wonderful richness and depth in its broad-shouldered, expansive frame.

Pierre Peters Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc Brut NV

 Pure, wiry and wonderfully expressive, the Cuvee de Reserve flows gracefully with layers of varietal fruit from start to finish.

CHAMPAGNE FLIGHT SEATING TIMES

Thursday:  8pm

Friday:  7:30pm

Saturday:  4:30pm & 8:30pm

$20 per person

You may also purchase tickets at the Festival.

Sponsored by Siegel Jewelers

Food Workshops

These quick 15-minute demonstrations feature chefs and food specialists presenting on topics such as cheese, granola, oils, plate presentations, and more.

CLICK HERE for the complete Food Workshop Schedule

Riverfront Market

Just in time for the holidays!  Shop the expanded Riverfront Market with more gourmet foods, specialty items and high-end accessories.  Cash and carry or order for easy delivery.

Exhibits at the Riverfront Market include:

Alexis Designs -  Designer services, furniture, home accessories, art

BearBoy Gourmet - Aztec, Roman, Pioneer and Eurasian Rustica Rubs

Buitoni Pasta - Buitoni Pasta and Sauces

Celebration Catering - Corporate and holiday events, wedding receptions, family reunions, and more

Earthy Delights - Dried mushrooms, truffle oil, balsamics, maple syrup, and more!

Edible Arrangements - Edible Fruit Arrangements

Farm Country Cheese - Artisan style Amish cheese

Great Lakes Pierogies - Locally hand-made pierogies

Good Life Granola - Eat what's good!

Hotel Kitchen - Salad dressings, salsas, rubs made by Amway chefs

Lindsay Truffler - Handmade chocolate, confections and pastries

Lush Gourmet Foods - Unique and delicious all-natural gourmet Lush Nuts

Marilyn's Style Boutique & Gallery - Distinctive collections of jewelry, home decor and accessories

McClure's Pickles - Bloody Mary mixes, pickles, potato chips, relish

Morano Foods - Morano gourmet spaghetti sauce

Rowster Coffee - Micro-roaster of fine specialty coffees

Simply Suzanne - Granola

SMJ Designs - Michigan Wine Country apparel

Stone House Bread - Artisan, sourdough breads and pastries

Swirlberry - Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, Cookies

Willow Mercantile - Jams, sauces, dips, jarred vegetables: specialty foods

Craft Brew Hall

There's more than just wine to be sampled at the Festival!  An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional.  Step into the Craft Brew Hall and sample from dozens of these full flavored brews.  Meet the brew masters whose products generate such passion and excitement.  Sponsored by the Michigan Brewers Guild.

Be sure to pick up a complimentary Craft Brew Hall beer glass for sampling, courtesy of Action Water Sports and Cobalt Boats!

The Really Keely Blues Duo at the Craft Brew Hall!

The blues duo Really Keely will be performing at the Craft Brew Hall throughout the Festival!  Musicians Jim Marcusse and Ron Keely will entertain Festival attendees while they sample some tasty brews with their acoustic classic rock, pop and blues, as well as some original Ron Keely songs.

Really Keely Performance Schedule

Thursday:  6:30pm - 9:30pm

Friday:  7pm - 10pm

Saturday:  2pm - 5pm and 6pm - 9pm

The Alfresco Seating Area

Need to recharge?  Take a break at the seating area located in the Grand Gallery while enjoying MSU Dairy ice cream and cordials, brought to you by Alfresco.

Michigan Radio Live Listener Event with Sports Commentator John U. Bacon

Michigan Radio will host this event at the Festival on Thursday evening at 6:30pm in the Grand Gallery.  John will be talking about his new book, "Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football" and taking questions from the audience.

John earned his degree from the University of Michigan and for the better part of the past two decades he has worked as a writer, public speaker, and college instructor, winning awards for all three.  He started his journalism career covering high school sports for The Ann Arbor News.  He has since written for The Detroit News, The New York Times, ESPN Magazine and Time.  He has authored six books on sports and business and in 2008 was granted unrestricted access to Michigan's football program - nothing or no one was off limits - which resulted in his latest book. 

Beer Garden & Music Stage

Great beer.  Great music.  Relax with friends at the Beer Garden and enjoy a selection of fantastic beer while listening to live music provided by local jazz musician Steve Talaga and friends.

Grand Rapids Sister Cities

Welcome our sister cities at the Festival!

Omihachiman, Japan

Bielsko-Biala, Poland

Perugia, Italy

Ga District, Ghana

They became a Sister City to Grand Rapids in 1994.  Part of what was once called the Gold Coast in the southern part of Ghana and includes a stretch of sandy beach along the Atlantic Ocean.  The district includes rural and urban areas adjacent to Ghana's capital, Accra.  Pineapples, other fruits, textiles, and wood products are the principle exports.

Zapopan, Mexico

Our newest Sister City relationship that was welcomed in 2008.  Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara, is located in central Mexico.  Zapopan boasts thirteen college and university campuses and is known for its growing biological sciences and technology industries.

Impacting Hospitality Celebration

Experience Grand Rapids and the Kent County Lodging Association have teamed up to present the Impacting Hospitality Celebration at the Festival on Thursday at 4pm.  The Impacting Hospitality Celebration is a ceremony to distinguish the WAVE Award winners, recognizing excellence in hospitality in Grand Rapids and Kent County, and the Hometown Champs who help to bring national conventions to Grand Rapids.  Every day, service providers create a positive experience for guests and residents, and it is the goal of the WAVE Awards that the hard work and dedication of those individuals is truly noticed.  For more info visit:  www.waveaward.com