Asheville Wine & Food Festival Update

Chef's Challenge 2012 (photo by Camilla Calnan)

No excuses! We told you months ago about the upcoming Asheville Wine & Food Festival. But the time is almost here and we think there might be some of you that haven't gotten your tickets yet. Tsk, tsk!

But, have no fear.....there are some tickets left! Starting with the finale of the WNC Chefs Challenge on Thursday, August 23 at The Century Room at the Park, located above Pack's Tavern. The final four teams leading into the semifinals on August 14 and 16 are returning 2011 Champion Nate Allen (Knife & Fork), Stewart Lyon (Boca), David Ryba (Inn on Biltmore Estate) and Jason Roy (Lexington Avenue Brewery). The winners will meet during the finale for the title of "Best Chef in Western North Carolina".

There are also tickets left for Friday's event, SWEET, an after-dinner fete featuring sips of savory wine, sparkling wines and specialty cocktails and samples of sumptuous desserts by local pastry chefs.

And, yes, Virginia, there are still tickets left to the main event....The Grand Tasting on Saturday, August 25! Featuring a smorgasbord of more than 300 regional, national, and international wines, along with delectable culinary creations prepared by Asheville's (aka Foodtopia) celebrated chefs, samples of local artisan foods, live entertainment, cooking demos and more.

And if that weren't enough, you can also enjoy some special activities at The Grand Tasting including a Mixologist contest for bragging rights of the best bartender in the area, an amateur wine competition, shopping for unique food and beverage products (hey...the holidays are right around the corner), and a new festival feature The Fashion and Food Runway: Under the Appalachian Moon. Highlighting the culinary designs of Sandra Harvey Designs, the organic and sustainable evening wear of Marylou Marsh and the chef hats and food-inspired millinery from Simone Bernhard, local chefs will be modeling some serious gastronomic couture while meeting, greeting and talking about their food.

Need a room? There are still plenty of  Wine & Food Festival packages available at Hotel Indigo, one of Asheville's newest and hippest hotels (and only one-block from all the festival events), and Haywood Park Hotel, Asheville's only historic, boutique in the heart of downtown.

Okay....I think we've whetted your appetite enough. We'll see you at the Asheville Wine & Food Festival!