Hello all,
This is an ‘observational’
post regarding the 2016 Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, which was held 2-5
June 2016 in Midtown. This is a culinary celebration of food
and beverage within the Southern region. It was held primarily in the Loews
Hotel (classes, seminars, demonstrations, etc.) located in Midtown, the Tasting
Tents (yum!) were located in Piedmont Park and there were many other venues
that hosted parties and events. I volunteered at Vineyard in the City a popup venue located
on 14th Street, directly across from the Four Seasons Hotel, which hosted events during the festival. The Vineyard in the City events were
wonderfully upscale - breakout the JCrew sundresses and those Panama hats - cocktails,
gourmet food, dessert stations, in particular the High Road Craft Ice Cream and
Sorbet, where I served up watermelon (tequila) margarita sorbet (my personal
favorite), blueberry lemon ice cream (made with buttermilk) and a sweet corn
pudding ice cream (the ultimate wild card that was creamy and delicious!). The
site had two bocce ball courts, live music, grilled chicken, oysters, Stella
Artois, Tito’s vodka, etc. for those attending.
Just a FYI,
to attend this 21 and over (don’t even think about bringing your infant) event
is not cheap. Depending on your participation the cost ranges from $100 to
$2000, which is well worth the price. However, if you are interested
in attending, but find the price a bit steep, volunteering with the
festival, as I did, is a wonderful way to gain event experience, be involved in the
community and enjoy food, wine, and spirits from all over the southern region.
The tasting
tents in Piedmont Park were amazing, and luckily the day that I attended, Sunday 5 June, was overcast but had no rain (unlike 2015 ;)). Warm and sunny, not unbearable. Of
course, there were many culinary delights to choose from, but my favorites
would have had to have been a trout/pimento cheese on white with a side of
trout jerky. This bite was served up by the Sunburst Trout Farms out of North
Carolina. It was surprisingly tasty and light, perfect for a hot sunny
day. Tito’s vodka was definitely my
favorite spirit; the cocktails were light and refreshing, in particular the
ones made with lavender. Be careful, and balance your alcoholic beverages with
food, as it can be easy to imbibe a beer, wine and /or cocktail in succession.
Also, there
were the usual sponsors from Coca-Cola to Skinny Pop giving out samples to fill
your SWAG bag!
Overall,
this is a lovely, upscale Food & Wine festival that really gives you a
chance to sample sweets, seafood, BBQ from places as diverse as Texas, Maryland
and even the US Virgin Islands!
If you are a
foodie or just someone who enjoys good food, I highly recommend that you participate
in next year’s festival!
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