Foodies and wine connoisseurs lick your chops and prepare your palate for the 7th annual BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival. Running March 1-4, the four day event is held throughout Historic Charleston and has been praised as one of the top five food and wine festivals in the U.S. by Forbes Traveler. Celebrated chefs, culinary professionals and wine experts from all over gather for a weekend of classes and demonstrations to celebrate southern cooking, low country style.
While multiple locations will be hosting events the main hub for the festival is the CulinaryVillage at Marion Square Park. The Culinary Village consists of multiple tents where more than 90 food, wine and spirit stations will simmer, shake and serve a variety of dishes and drinks. The CulinaryVillageis also the location for the most popular event, Salute to Charleston’s Chefs: Opening Night Party, sponsored by The Art Institute of Charleston. Thursday’s event will feature live music, a cigar lounge, mixologist competition, a large wine selection and 25 of Charleston’s best local restaurants serving their signatures dishes.
A new event to this year’s lineup and sure to be a hit is the Elliot Davis and Everyday with RachaelRay Magazine Taco Turf Wars. Starting at noon on Friday, the taco battle features six of thecountry’s top chefs cooking up Tex-Mex tacos at the beautiful waterfront Lowndes Grove Plantation. Another popular event being held on Friday is the Perfectly Paired Dinners (formerly Restaurant Dine-Arounds). Seventeen of Charleston’s most renowned chefs open the doors to their restaurants and kitchens as they serve five-course meals created with the help of a guest celebrity chef. Completing the one-of-a-kind dining experience will be a guest winemaker, offering specially selected wines to pair with the unique menu.
Beer fans and those looking for a more casual experience should be sure check out the Closed for Business Craft Beer Dinner taking place on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the popular downtown neighborhood bar. With 42 beers on tap, Closed for Business knows their beer, and for the event the Victory Brewing Company will be serving specially brewed beers to accent the five-course meal being prepared by the chefs. Finish the night off at the Bus Shed from 9 p.m. until midnight at the Festival After Hours: Taking it to the Streets party. Meander down the street while munching on a variety of street food like tacos, sliders and shrimp dumplings.
Finishing off the weekend of culinary celebration is BBQ, Blues and Beer presented by Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine. From 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Sunday the main tent at Marion Square will rock out to live music, cold beer and an endless supply of perfectly cooked pork, chicken and beef. Ten local and national pitmasters battle for your vote while six breweries help you wash down all the delicious food with cold beer.
Be sure to visit www.charlestonwineandfood.com for a full listing of participating chefs, restaurants as well as event and ticket prices.
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