Since it began four years ago as a small fund-raiser for the School of Beverage Management at Florida International University (FIU), the South Beach Wine & Food Festival has grown into a multievent weekend extravaganza of great food, wine and spirits, local and nationally renowned chefs, and more.
The 2005 festival, hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits and FIU, attracted more high-profile chefs and high-powered sponsors including Target, American Express, American Airlines, and Bank of America. This year, more local and national restaurants, caterers, and food and beverage brands wanted to participate in the grand tasting event. More tickets were sold to the public in a shorter amount of time than in years past, resulting in a need for additional events, seminars, and an expansion from one grand tasting tent to two in the Verizon SuperPages Grand Tasting Village. The South Beach Wine & Food festival is now considered South Florida's third-largest event (behind the Miami International Boat Show and Art Basel).
Lee Brian Schrager, the festival's director of special events, hired Logistics Management Group to produce most of the major events. Kicking things off on Friday night was the wildly popular Moët & Chandon Bubble Q—so popular it sold out almost immediately. The event was held under the stars and on the sand behind the Delano Hotel. Celebrity chefs including Johnny Vinczencz, Robbin Haas, Dean Fearing, and Norman Van Aken grilled up ribs, duck legs, jalapeno sausage, shrimp, and other delicious dishes on huge barbecues supplied by Panache Party Rentals.
Fencing from Florida Fence Rentals created the perimeter of the space, which was then lined with foliage. Round paper lanterns from Frost Lighting were sporadically positioned around the fence, creating glowing balls of white light; they also lined the pathway leading to the event's entrance. Inside, numerous tents from EventStar housed the barbecue stations. Some guests relaxed in lounge areas with white couches and chairs from Nuage and additional furniture from Panache Party Rentals; others sat at tables in clear acrylic armchairs from Ghost Chair Rentals. Michael Designs lit the event, and also projected Moët & Chandon's logo onto the white spandex wrapped around abundant champagne stations and trussed structures.
Another event was taking place simultaneously, 25 blocks away at the Fontainebleau Hotel. Schrager hired planning company Susan Kleinberg Events to produce the Best of the Best Wine Tasting—a brand-new event for the festival. A dozen chefs, including Mark Militello, Marvin Woods, and Tim Andriola, prepared dishes such as braised oxtail smothered in a chocolate demi on Caribbean flatbread and branzino with clams and polenta, to complement wines from 25 wineries. Light jazz played by a trio set the tone: civilized and refined. Kleinberg said she kept the decor "minimal and upscale" so the wine could be the focus of the event. Guests left with a keepsake Riedel wineglass.
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