GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer and Food Festival is kicking off its 16th year this weekend at DeVos Place.
It's an annual tasting event, featuring more than 1,200 wines, beers, ciders and spirits from around the world, along with creations from the area's finest restaurants.
From the person who lives and breathes some of the best of the best food and drink to the newcomer looking for an introduction to the world of food and spirits, the festival hopes to deliver the best experience to please every palate.
The event begins Thursday, November 16th with a VIP Preview Night before the general public can join in both Friday, November 17th & Saturday, November 18th.
There will be dozens of wineries, breweries, businesses and everything in between from all over the world.
Wine Chips, a Michigan-based company which pairs potato chips with different varieties of wine, is sponsoring 'The Vineyard' ballroom. They will be offering samples of their flavorful chips like Manchego, Blue Cheese, Smoked Gouda, Dry Aged Ribeye and even some seasonal options. The team at Wine Chips will even share pairing suggestions with you and have packages available for purchase.
Jonathan Strietzel, the owner and founder of Wine Chips, relocated the company to Paw Paw to be in the heart of the one of the state's federally-recognized wine regions and to have better access to locally-grown potatoes for their chips. He, along with Vincent Morrow and Jonathan Pullis, who are both Master Sommeliers, as well as Ray Isle, the author of 'The World in a Wine Glass and longtime executive wine editor for Food & Wine, will be doing various beverage tasting sessions during the festival.
Attendees can also catch several seminars on the Meijer Food Stage throughout the weekend. Some of those featured include:
Gina Ferwerda is a recipe developer, food blogger, resort business owner and photographer. She just released her first cookbook 'Meals from the Mitten: Celebrating the Seasons in Michigan with recipes for every season in the year. Ferwerda will appear on the Meijer Food Stage with a cooking demonstration of 'Italian Meatballs & Dirty Martinis'.
Ahead of the @GRWineFestival, we spoke to Gina Ferwerda who is the author of “Meals From The Mitten”🧑🏼🍳 She’ll be hosting a few seminars throughout the weekend on the Meijer Food Stage using her Italian Meatballs recipe to pair with a dirty martini 🍸 @FOX17 pic.twitter.com/e8ro1T03lc
— Lauren Kummer (@LaurenKummerTV) November 17, 2023
Hannah Awada and Lara Lozser, owners and co-founders of Hummus Goodness, make several types of hummus which focus on using clean ingredients (free of chemicals, artifical colors and preservatives. Karen Akouri, the owner of drench Dressing, makes several salad dressings and marinades using premium olive and avocado oils and herbs and spices. The three women will offer 30-minute presentations of "Deconstructed Fattoush + Hummus Appetizer' on the Meijer Food Stage. Both Hummus Goodness and drench Dressings are available at Meijer stores and will be available for sampling at the festival.
Dates & Times
- Thursday, November 16 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (VIP Preview Night)
- Friday, November 17 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Saturday, November 18 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: DeVos Place (303 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503)
Admission is $20 per person and each tasting ticket is $0.50. Attendees must be 21+ to enter. Valid ID is required.
To see the seminar schedule or to learn more information, click here.
