If you enjoy food and wine, the South Beach Wine andamp; Food Festival may be just the event for you. Sponsored by the Food Network and Cooking channel, the festival has been a big draw for about 15 years. When it started, it was a one day event and it has since grown to five days. It is hosted by the Southern Glazerandrsquo;s Wine andamp; Spirits and Florida International University (FIU) and attracts more than 65,000 people and enlists the help of restaurants from all over the area.
The official websiteandnbsp;of the festival describes it this way, “The Food Network andamp; Cooking Channel South Beach Wine andamp; Food Festival is a national, star studded, five day destination event showcasing the talents of the worldandrsquo;s most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities.”
The 2017 festival will run from February 22 to 26. There are multiple restaurants, caterers, celebrity chefs and at least 90 different events that have been scheduled so far. To help people make the most of this year’s festival, Travel Pulseandnbsp;has published its tips for people who are planning to travel to the area.
Many people feel overwhelmed by the amount of events and things to do at the South Beach Wine andamp; Food Festival. There is so much to do that it is hard to decide which events to attend and what ca be skipped. Here are Travel Pulse’s suggestions for planning a great festival experience:
- Get your tickets early. Because it is so popular, many of the tickets for the different events sell out very early. If you are interested in certain restaurants you probably get your reservations for them early and the same is true of the festival. This is not fast food. You can check out the list of events and buy your tickets early. Two recurring favorites are the Goya Foods Grand Tasting Village and the Light Burger Bash. These tasting events are two of the most popular at the festival.
- Go for more intimate experiences. Some of the bigger tastings at popular restaurants get very crowded because they are so popular. If you think you may be overwhelmed by the crowds, you can look into more quiet and intimate events such as the Wine Spectator Wine Seminar, this has some of the best winemakers on the planet and features experts from the industry. These are very educational and fun. Whether you are an expert or a novice, you can get a lot out of these seminars.
- Look into different options for your lodging. If you find that all of the rooms in Miami have been taken, there are more hotels up the road in Fort Lauderdale. There are a lot of Airbnb rooms available in the area. Be open to these alternative arrangements if you cannot get a room in South Beach or Miami proper.
- Check out local restaurants. Sure you will get some really great dining at the festival but Miami is known all over the world for its fine dining options. The Latin restaurants in South Beach are some of the finest in the world. When you are buying your tickets for festival events, you should also make reservations at some of the area restaurants because they book up quickly for the festival time.
- Try everything. The only thing you will not have much time for during the South Beach Food and Wine Festival is sleep. When you are enjoying it all, try a bunch of different cuisines and tastes. Start your morning with Cuban coffee, enjoy your afternoon at the Grand Tasting Village at the various tastings and demonstrations by celebrity chefs and finish up your day with a night on the town.
While there is really never a bad time to visit Miami, going during the South Beach Wine and Food Festival is always a really spectacular experience. The food, sights and culture of the Miami area are only augmented by the fun and excitement that is brought in by the festival. While there is hardly a dearth of great food in the area, if you are a foodie, you will love the festival.
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