PLEASE NOTE:  The following information is from the 2009 Grand Rapids International Wine & Food Festival.

You are invited to join in the pre-holiday festivities where we will pair the city’s finest restaurants, along with vintners and brewers from throughout the world to come together for a gastronomic and social event unlike anything Grand Rapids has experienced before. This is the “must attend” culinary celebration of the year!

What can you expect for advancements in "year two?"  Double the restaurants; staying in the theme of "Downtown fine dining".  Double the "pairings"; adding Six.One.Six. and Tre Cugini.  And the wines to be sampled count is up from 750 last year to over 1,000 this year!

Admission to the Grand Rapids International Wine & Food Festival is $15 per person and includes your sampling glass, official show program published by Grand Rapids Magazine and a list detailing all of the wines, beers, spirits and foods available for your tasting pleasure.

Tasting tickets are available for purchase once you have entered the show.  Available in $0.50 denominations, we suggest you start with at least $20 worth as all restaurant and drink samples are “purchased” with these tickets. 

This show gives you the opportunity to sample from more than 1,000 of the finest wines, beers and spirits – depending on your personal preferences. And, unlike an all-inclusive fee, the ticket system encourages wineries to display their best and most exclusive brands for you, the patron, to taste. 

What else can you expect throughout the weekend at the Grand Rapids International Wine & Food Festival?  A wide assortment of terrific educational seminars and workshops, that’s what! 

·         Wine, Beer & Spirits Stage: Hosted and coordinated by Joe Borrello of Taster’s Guild.  These separate admission tutored seminars will showcase wines from specific countries and regions.

·         Meijer Cooking Stage: Hosted by Angus Campbell of the Secchia Institute of Culinary Arts at Grand Rapids Community College. This stage will feature many of the area’s finest chefs who will be offering one-hour technical seminars on a variety of today’s hottest food topics. Meijer will be supplying all food products used by our fine chefs.

·         Cooking Workshops: These quick 15-minute demonstrations feature chefs and food specialists presenting on topics such as olive oils, cheeses, chocolates and much more.