Put On Your Stretchy Pants! It's Time For The Annual South Beach Wine and Food Festival
MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – The annual gourmet gathering on the sand, known as the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, gets underway Wednesday.
It is the 19th year that the best in the cooking industry converge in Miami Beach surrounded by foodies from around the world.
All proceeds from the Festival benefit the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University. The festival has raised more than $30 million for the school since its inception.
Highlights of the weekend event include:
Barilla's Italian Bites on the Beach hosted by Giada De Laurentiis and Dario Cecchini on Thursday, Feb. 20. It is an Italian feast on the sand outside the Delano.
Friday night's premiere event is the Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray, beachside at The Ritz-Carlton. This one is always a hot ticket. The same night, there is also Wine Spectator's Best of the Best at the Fontainebleau, where some of the best chefs at the festival cook up their most delicious bites. There is also A Genuine Pizza Party hosted by Chef Michael Schwartz.
Saturday is the first day of the Grand Tasting Village, beachside on 13th Street and Ocean Drive. There are cooking demos by Food Network personalities such as Guy Fieri, Alex Guarnaschelli and Marcus Samuelsson, delicious food tastings, and plenty of free-flowing cocktails.
Saturday night, Guy Fieri hosts a beachside BBQ, featuring a live country performance by American Idol season 17 winner Laine Hardy. There is also Croquetas & Cocktails hosted by Eileen & Jonathan Andrade and Sweets & Beats hosted by Buddy Valastro and Joe Ariel
Sunday is day two of the Grand Tasting Village with culinary demonstrations by Tyler Florence, Valerie Bertinelli, Bobby Flay, Trisha Yearwood, and Andrew Zimmern just to name a few.
Zimmern is also hosting a beach carnival, beachside at The Ritz Carlton and there's the Swine and Wine event hosted by Enrique Santos and Fernando Desa at the Biltmore.
There is so much to do, see, eat and drink at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. There are actually 111 events over the five day event.
Click here for more information and ticket information.
