Food and wine – what a great combination. How could you go wrong with a festival including both? Food and wine festivals are a way for people of similar interests to come together. Whether a novice or wine connoisseur, people come from all over to attend these festivals.
If introducing new wine or food is what you are after, then a food and wine festival may be the place to do it. If you need some tips on how to get started, keep reading.
Check the legalities first
Depending on where you intend to hold your food and wine festival, you will want to check the permit requirements. Some cities/towns or states are stricter than others. Decide where you want to have it and then contact the local Division of Alcohol. If you aren’t sure what it is called in your area, calling your local City Hall or county government and they will point you in the right direction.
It may seem like a lot of extra work to check into the legalities. However, the consequences for not doing so will be too great. If you are going to be selling wine – do it legally.
Where will you hold your festival?
You will want to hold your festival in an area where you are sure to get a response from people showing an interest in your event. However, that doesn’t always mean there will be space available. You can search for a vacant building or you could find an event space to rent. These are both feasible options. But, what about an event structure instead?
Event structures offer a wide-open space for organizing and executing your food and wine festival in just the manner you would like to. You can customize tents for your festival to meet the size and shape requirements. How many people are you intending to have? Once you know the size, then you can decide how big of a space you will need to erect the tent – a vacant field, an empty parking lot, or any open space. Just make sure there is plenty of space for parking and maneuvering in and around the event structure.
How will you design the layout?
Have you given any thought to how you would like to design the layout? Here are a couple ideas:
- Separate the food and wine in two distinct locations under the tent.
- Organize the food and wine according to their pairings. This makes it handy when someone is having a tasting of a wine, they can try a food that pairs well with the wine. Mixing up the pairings could result in an erroneous dislike of the food or the wine.
Another thing to consider is how you want to set up the flow of the event:
- Determine what you want individuals to encounter when they first walk into the tent.
- Draw a layout from entrance to exit and all the rows in between.
- Make sure to leave space for participants to maneuver through the walkways. Consider that some will mingle, some will be enjoying tastings, others will have questions. Don’t allow your layout to determine the amount of joy your folks will get from learning. You don’t want your guests to feel as though they are being corralled.
- Don’t forget about the restrooms location and possible lounge/seating area.
You want your guests to see everything and experience all that your event has to offer – your layout is going to determine if that happens.
How will you decorate the space?
Believe it or not, you can have a theme for your food and wine festival. Your guests will be excited to join and will be ready to have fun. Your theme should match this. It should be light and full of relaxing entertainment.
A common theme for food and wine events revolves around countries. For example, have sporadic stations set up throughout the event that represent each country. While visiting that station, guests will be able to experience a wine and food pairing that represents that country. Another similar, yet different, idea would be to have the theme of the festival be a specific country. Then, all the wine and food would be a representation of that country.
Other common themes are:
- Romantic flings
- Girls night out
- His and hers (you may even offer a sample of beer and food pairings for the gentlemen)
What food and wine will you serve?
Wines come in so many flavors and types. If you are having a true food and wine festival, you are going to want to make sure you have the most popular choices, at the very least. Those are:
Not sure what to pair with each? Check these out for ideas:
- Riesling – Pairs well with all Asian cuisines, barbecue meats, and salads
- Chardonnay – Try this with light pastas (no red sauce), seafood (including oysters), chicken, and mushroom dishes
- Pinot Grigio – Pairs best with salads, fruit salads, seafood, light pastas
- Zinfandel – Chocolate desserts go well with this wine, including chocolate cake, mousse, chocolate cherries. In addition, rosemary and pepper roasts, pork, and duck.
- Sauvignon Blanc – Pairs well with cheese and green vegetables, seafood, tangy dishes (such as lemon, lime and mint), and any deep herbal dishes.
- Merlot – Real meat dishes pair well with merlot. For example, meatloaf, pork loin, roast chicken, and beef stew.
- Cabernet Sauvignon – this wine was made to go well with hearty dishes, including steak, lamb, venison, and bison.
- Pinot Noir – chicken, pastas, fish, casseroles, soups and stews. This wine also pairs well with hearty dishes.
There are many possibilities when it comes to the food and wine you want to offer up at your festival. Make the decision of the theme or the type that you think will be the best fit. For festivals, light dishes such as tapas and desserts work best.
Food and wine festivals bring about a time for trying new things, learning about new wines and pairings, as well as socializing with others who have similar interests! Organization and variety is key – if you’ve got that, then your guests are sure to have a blast!