NYC Wine and Food Fest 2012

Last weekend was a very busy one for us...festivals, food, wine, food, and more wine! We were very excited to attend Food Network's 2012 New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine, hosted by and benefiting the Food Bank for New York City, as well as No Kid Hungry. We were fortunate enough be a part of such wonderful and important causes. The various events took place over a course of 4 days, beginning Thursday Oct. 11th and ending Sunday Oct. 14th. We were lucky to be given the opportunity to attend Saturday and Sunday's Grand Tasting by Shop Rite and Kitchen Aid, as well as the DuckHorn Wine Seminar presented on Sunday. What a weekend!

With so many adventures and fun moments to capture, it would be impossible to include them all in a post. Instead, we have included a slide show at the end of our post with all the photos from our fun-filled weekend for you to enjoy. You will see some of the many vendors, representatives, organizations and Celebrity Chefs who joined together to help promote and support such great causes. The highly anticipated Grand Tasting was one of the best times we've had in a while. It was held at Pier 57 at Hudson Park. Not only were we able to sample an array of magnificent wines, but cheeses, snacks, desserts, and culinary creations from restaurants and other vendors that left us feeling like breakfast, lunch and dinner had been all rolled up in one!

The best part for us, besides the never-ending wine supply, was the chance to see some of our favorite Celebrity Chefs in action, up close and personal. Below are some highlights of the Chefs doing what they do best...

Mr. Rocco DiSpirito cooking up some Italian goodness with a lucky member of the audience.

Always good to start off with a nice, big cocktail....love us some Mr. Guy Fieri!

Mr. Bobby Flay cooked up a Thanksgiving feast!

Thee Iron Chef...Mr. Morimoto!

Ms. Paula Deen inspecting her sons' cooking...Bobby and Jamie Deen.

Mr. Michael Symon informed us that there's no such thing as too much salt if it's Kosher or Sea Salt.

Last, but certainly not least, Mr. Adam Richman taught us to marinate our steaks in coffee!

More Festival Adventures:

The Wine & Food Festival is definitely one that any foodie or wine enthusiast does not want to miss. The chance to help raise awareness and money to end hunger, alongside some of the biggest names in the food and wine world, does not come often. With so many events to choose from, over a course of 4 days, there's bound to be several you'll want to catch. Plan early! Next year's Festival dates have already been reserved. Stay in the know through Facebook and Twitter. If you're lucky enough to be in the Miami, FL area next February, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival tickets are on sale!

We'd like to give a shout out to Food Network, Food & Wine, Shop Rite, Kitchen Aid, RIA, The Soho House, Dream Downtown Hotel, Whole Foods Market, The Braiser, Illy, and all the other sponsors, vendors, and individuals who helped put on such a wonderful, well organized event...and allowing us to be a part of it. The food, wine, coffee, and lounge areas helped us keep up with all the fun craziness. Thank you!