The 7th Annual Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival—the Midwest's premier annual pre-holiday celebration—returns to the Steelcase Ballroom inside the DeVos Place, November 20-22.
Touted as one of the city's best annual celebrations, the Festival features more than 1200 assorted wines including hard-to-find, top shelf vintages. The "Brewer's Loft" was introduced last year with over 200 Craft, domestic and imported beers. Cider, mead and distilled spirits are also served at the Festival.
Chefs from the area's top restaurants prepare small plates of their culinary specialties, while select restaurants partner with distinguished wineries and breweries for special Pairings—gourmet multi-course meals, served on-site in a casual, yet intimate, "bar top" setting for an additional fee. Advance reservations are recommended.
Esteemed culinary experts offer free seminars, hands-on workshops and demonstrations on the Meijer Food Stage. Complimentary beverage seminars, held classroom-style, give attendees an in-depth look into the world of wine and craft beverages such as cider, beer and spirits.
The expanded RendezBREW area, in the Grand Gallery, features coffee, teas, cordials and desserts creations. Grower's Champagne Pairings are held at select times on Friday and Saturday, in the balcony overlooking the ballroom. The popular Riverfront Market provides countless holiday shopping ideas—including gourmet specialty foods, gifts and accessories, like wine racks and wine coolers.
New this year is a 3-Day Pass. At just $40, this multi-day ticket allows individuals to make return trips to experience even more of what the Festival has to offer. Tasting Tickets of 50cent denominations are used to purchase all beverage and food offerings.
For additional details, to make reservations for Pairings or the Champagne tastings, or to purchase advanced tickets—including the 3-Day Pass—log onto GRWineFestival.com.
