THE FOOD NETWORK & COOKING CHANNEL SOUTH BEACH WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY FOOD & WINE CONTINUES UPGRADE OF ITS SIGNATURE MIAMI BEACH EVENT FOR ITS 15th ANNIVERSARY

 

– Goya Foods Grand Tasting Village featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstrations Takes PlaceFebruary 27 & 28, 2016 –

 

Miami Beach, Florida (February 15, 2016) – The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE (SOBEWFF®) is celebrating its 15th anniversary February 24 – 28, 2016, and continues to expand upon upgrades to its signature Miami Beach event.  The Festival’s signature white tents are home to the Goya Foods Grand Tasting Village featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents & KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstrations taking place Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28, and are flanked by the sparkling waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the iconic Art Deco cityscape spanning between 10th Street & 13th Street on Ocean Drive.

 

SOBEWFF® made significant strides last year to refresh its landmark event, including key advancements such as adding more seating and shaded areas, music and DJs, offering a free park-n-ride system from Downtown Miami, and the introduction of Culinary Captains representing cohorts of restaurants from various neighborhoods throughout South Florida.

 

Guests will continue to see those upgrades reflected for the Festival’s 15th anniversary later this month, plus enjoy seeing fresh faces, returning fan-favorites and unique experiences on the KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstration stages.  This year’s schedule includes:

 

  • José Andrés
  • Rick Bayless
  • Valerie Bertinelli
  • Anne Burrell
  • David Burtka & Neil Patrick Harris
  • Giada De Laurentiis
  • Tyler Florence
  • Duff Goldman
  • Alex Guarnaschelli
  • Robert Irvine
  • Emeril Lagasse
  • Natalie Morales
  • Masaharu Morimoto
  • Tia Mowry
  • Rachael Ray
  • Aarón Sánchez
  • Rev Run & Justine Simmons
  • Michael Symon
  • Tiffani Thiessen
  • Buddy Valastro
  • Geoffrey Zakarian
  • Andrew Zimmern

 

On Saturday, February 27, The New York Times’ Food Editor Sam Sifton will moderate a culinary conversation with Nigella Lawson and Guy Fieri will host an interactive game titled Boiling Point with players Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag, Jose Garces, Alex Guarnaschelli, Aarón Sánchez, and Geoffrey Zakarian.  Plus, don’t miss the chance to connect with your favorite personalities during Book Signings with @TwitterFood during the weekend!

 

This year’s MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents will feature an abundance of food offerings, featuring more than 50 restaurants each day and pours from more than 80 suppliers in the Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida portfolio.  Culinary Captains for 2016 are:

 

  • Nedal Ahmad, Pincho Factory
  • Kareen Anguin, The Oceanaire Seafood Room
  • Wolfgang Birk, Area 31
  • Adrianne Calvo, Chef Adrienne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar
  • Rocco Carulli, R House
  • Todd Erickson, Haven South Beach and Huahua’s Taqueria
  • Justin Flit, Proof Pizza & Pasta
  • Jack Garabedian, jefe’s original
  • Richard Hales, Blackbrick, Centro Taco
  • Larry LaValley, 3800 Ocean at the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort
  • Scott Linquist, COYO Taco
  • Jeff O’Neil, Barton G. Restaurants
  • Chris Palmer, American Social
  • Jeff Pfeiffer, Lobster Bar Sea Grille
  • Jimmy Rodriguez, Blue Marin Fish House/The Whiskey Creek Hideout
  • Michael Sapterstein, rebel house

 

Exclusive for Goya Foods Grand Tasting Village ticketholders, SOBEWFF® provides FREE shuttle transportation to the event from the Festival parking lot at N. Miami Ave. and N.E. 8th St., Downtown Miami. Shuttles will run continuously from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28.  Shuttles will drop off and pick up on the beachside at 13th St. and Collins Ave. For guests using Metromover, the closest station is Park West Station.

 

Tickets for this event, and many more, are available online at sobefest.com or by calling 877.762.3933 (phone sales open Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST).  Use your MasterCard to receive exclusive benefits like expedited entry to the Goya Foods Grand Tasting Village featuring MasterCard Grand Tasting Tents and reserved premier seating at the KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstrations at this event.  SOBEWFF® has raised more than $22 million to date for the Wine Spectator Restaurant Management Laboratory and Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management located on Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay campus.

 

About the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE

All proceeds from the Festival benefit the students of the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management who also assist Festival organizers with sponsorship fulfillment, restaurant and exhibitor recruitment, logistics, and inventory as well as working alongside some of the world’s greatest celebrity chefs and winemakers. To date, the Festival has raised more than $22 million for the School. In September 2015, BizBash named the Festival the #1 Food & Restaurant Industry event in the United States for the third year in a row.    

 

The Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE is produced by Florida International University and Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida with the support of the Miami Beach Visitors & Convention Authority and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information about the Festival, visit sobefest.com or call 877-762-3933. For more information about Florida International University visit fiu.edu, for the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management visit hospitality.fiu.edu and for more information about Southern Wine & Spirits visit southernwine.com.