Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival
Festival Logo Photo Courtesy of Showspan/GR Wine, Beer & Food Festival
On Saturday, November 16, 2023, Al and I attended the 16th Annual International Wine, Beer & Food Festival at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. We also had reservations for a food and wine pairing event at 4 pm with Four Roses Cafe, a fine dining establishment based in Plainwell, Michigan. There were several fine dining experiences available at the festival. We chose Four Roses based on their menu. We had never heard of this restaurant prior to buying the pairing tickets.
Our Zest for Life Entry Wristbands Photo
We purchased tickets for general admission, the food and wine pairing, and another 50 tasting tickets. The event organizers came up with a digital wristband-scanning system for venue entry. There is no longer a need for paper tickets and counting them out. This method is a vast improvement!
In the past, when planning to attend the wine festival, we often bought more tickets than we needed, resulting in us simply giving them away to others who were walking through the venue. Fortunately, the event sponsors came up with a brilliant idea to tackle this problem by introducing a donation system that allows people to donate their leftover tickets to local charities before leaving the venue. This is an excellent way to turn unused tickets into cash donations for a good cause. We appreciate the resourcefulness of the organizers in helping our community contribute to charities.
Our Zest for Life
Wine Festival Sipping Glasses Photo
Each festival admission purchase provides entrants with a glass etched with the Wine and Beer Logo. It’s fun to collect these every year.
There are many small-plate food samplings at this event. Before indulging in samplings Al and I walk through the entire festival venue, exploring the spirits, food offerings, and wine and beer vendors. This way we pick out the exhibits we most want to visit.
This year we didn’t want to try food samplings before we enjoyed the food and wine pairing at the Four Roses Cafe venue. However, Trinity Health was handing out hamburger sliders and shoestring potatoes. The gentleman insisted we try a free sample so we consented. Unfortunately, the burger had turned cold by the time I got to it, but Al and I both devoured the shoestring potatoes. It’s been ages since we last had these! These surprise offerings are what make the festival so interesting. You never know what type of unique samples will be available from year to year.
I made an exception to postponing drink samplings when I discovered a rum cocktail exhibit. Rum is a favorite of mine so I tried a Sunshine Punch drink with rum and orange creme. This company is expanding its business in the West Michigan area.
The drink is a refreshing, creamy, and fruity blend that I greatly enjoyed. I imagine myself having this drink poolside in some lovely tropical setting.
Our Zest for Life Sunshine Punch Tasting Photo
The time had come to head to Four Roses Cafe for our wine pairing. We were both hungry and excited to try out this restaurant for the first time. We are big foodies, so this event hits us right where we live!
If you would like to hear the details of our wine and food pairing, head over to the food blog where Al has described the wonderful fare we enjoyed with selected wines from Four Roses Cafe.
Our Zest for Life Wine Pairing Photo
After our dinner, we had a little room left and still had some tickets to spend, so we headed to the Two Scotts Barbecue exhibit. We tried their pulled chicken and smoked mushrooms. They were delicious. The meat was moist, and the mushrooms had a fabulous depth of flavor.
Our last sampling of the night was at The Melting Pot exhibit. We had some yummy chocolate fondue with rice krispies, strawberries, and grapes. So, so wonderful. The Melting Pot is a favorite of ours. In fact, one of our early dates was at The Melting Pot. Sometimes, you have to have that one tried and true place. As usual, we weren’t disappointed.
This wine festival was as enjoyable as in previous years. We have a few recommendations for you so that your experience at the festival is an excellent one. Please see the recommendations below.
Let us know if you attend next year. We would love to hear about your experiences!
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This FAQ section on the GRWinefestival.com website is one of the most useful and informative I have seen. We highly recommend reviewing this before buying your tickets. It gives a clear picture of the opportunities available at the festival.
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Tasting Session presentations are available with professionals such as restaurant owners, writers, winemakers, and sommeliers. If you appreciate learning about wine and beer, these presentations will “fill your cup!”
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Culinary Presentation tickets are available for purchase and include restaurant owners, food and beverage writers, and chefs. What an opportunity to learn from these food experts all in one place!
Our recommendations are solely based on our personal opinions and experiences.
Feel free to post your comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
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