Per Matt
This weekend, craft beer, wine, cocktails and food will all be celebrated at the second annual Nashville Wine & Food Festival!
On Saturday, May 16th, at Riverfront Park, from noon until 4 pm, greatness in multiple categories will be honored in the Music City. Food will be provided by top local restaurants and there will be more than 270 hand-selected wines from around the world. There will be many winery professionals available to discuss their wines, as well as many wine-and-food pairings available throughout the day.
Previewing the event, Events Director Jennifer Carr discusses what’s in store for this festival:
What’s the background of this festival?
– “The Nashville Wine and Food Festival was created by Paul Patel of Midtown CorkDorks Wine, Spirits and Beer who felt that Nashville deserved a wine festival where participants could have the opportunity to learn about wine, speak directly to wineries, and have all those great wines paired with food from some of the great restaurants in Nashville’s growing culinary scene.”
How would you describe this festival to a newcomer?
– “This is going to be heaven for wine lovers. This festival will feature over 270 hand-selected top-notch wines and food from 20 Nashville restaurants. This festival will feature fantastic brands such as Cakebread, Chateau D’Esclans, D’Arenburg, Duckhorn, Gordon Estate, Henriot, Hugel, Kermit Lynch, Justin Vineyards, Sequoia Grove, Stag’s Leap and so many more. This is also a great opportunity for those looking to learn more about wine. Newcomers will get to taste ALL different kinds of wines, ask questions and learn more from the wine representatives and have the opportunity to visit our Seminar Tent for two wine seminars.”
What’s new for the festival’s second year?
– “This year’s festival will have over twice the amount of food tents, 20 extra wine tents and will be pouring over 270 wines.”
What does admission include?
– “$79 general admission includes samples of wine, beer, spirits and food from all 68 tents in the Food & Wine Village as well as a wine tote, Riedel wine glass, plate, and event tasting guide. $129 VIP admission gets you all of that plus access to the Landmark Bank VIP tent, which will have seating, private restrooms, a special VIP-only restaurant and four specialty wines.”
Will there be food paired with different wines?
– “Wine and Food tents will be set up in a manner that makes wine suggestions: Italian food will be in the regions of Italian Wine Tents, etc.”
Will there be representatives from all local and regional wineries in attendance?
– “Yes, there will be knowledgeable representative from all wineries or distributors there to answer any questions about the wine and to suggest food pairings. Jean Frederick Hugel, 13th generation winemaker from Hugel & Fils in Alsace, France and Thomas Fogarty, owner of Thomas Fogarty Winery in CA will also be there to give wine seminars and discuss their wines.”
Can you tell me about the beer garden? Will there be any beer-food pairings?
– “We will have a large Beer Garden sponsored by Lagunitas as well as three smaller beer tents located in the Food & Wine Village that will feature Sam Adams, Blue Moon, Leinenkugel, and Rivertown. We will not have beer pairings at this time.”
Do you know who the bands will be performing at the festival?
– “Violinist Stephanie Wilson Harper, Americana/Folk singer-songwriter Don Gallardo, Singer Kristina Wrenn featuring guitarist Chuck Lambert and singer-songwriter Frank Ortegel. All local musicians.”
Can you tell me what will be featured in the Mixology Tent?
– “We will have specialty cocktail samples available for guests.
Proceeds of the festival benefit the Nashville Symphony. Will that go toward scholarships, funding or something else?
– “Music education and community engagement have been at the heart of the Nashville Symphony’s mission since the orchestra’s beginnings. The institution now reaches more than 100,000 adults and children annually through its free education and community engagement programs. Every week during the school year, musicians and staff work directly with students across Middle Tennessee, offering concerts, classroom presentations, curriculum materials, instrument lessons and other hands-on learning opportunities. The Nashville Symphony’s Community Concerts series brings the orchestra’s music to neighborhoods across the city.”
Are tickets still available?
– “Yes, tickets are still available and as long as they do not sell out, they will be on sale at the event, but the price will increase on Saturday. Tickets are on sale.
For More Information:
– Nashville Wine & Food Festival Ticket Information
– Nashville Wine & Food Festival Website