Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12

Fun topics and an easy, laid-back atmosphere make these festival favorites. This year, we are scheduling two days of seminars and classes! More options and times for you to enjoy! Held across town in several different locations, a class is always close by. Be sure to fit one (or more!) into your schedule. Plan a downtown lunch, shopping or dinner around your classes of choice. Have fun!

Tickets are sold individually. Seats are limited!

Must be at least 21 years of age to participate in any seminar.

Click Here for TICKETS!  

Seminars

WINE & CHOCOLATE

Meadowbrook Inn

Thursday, April 11     4pm

Friday, April 12           12 noon

Not only are wine and chocolate delicious, but as excellent sources of antioxidants, they are really good for you. In this seminar you will learn which chocolates best accompany a specific type of wine and vice versa.  Get ready to indulge in some incredible pairings of two of the world's favorite guilty (or maybe not so guilty) pleasures! Presented by Johnson & Wales University.

$25.00

 

WINE & CHEESE

Meadowbrook Inn

Thursday, April 11     2pm

Friday, April 12            2pm

Cheese and wine seem to be made for each other. While many combinations are quite enjoyable, certain pairings really excite your tastebuds.  In this seminar we will explore the fundamentals of wine and cheese harmony and help you determine what cheese pairs best with your favorite wine. Presented by Johnson & Wales University.

$25.00

 

WINE & FOOD/SPICES

Location Hillwinds Inn

Thursday, April 11     3pm   

Friday, April 12          11am

The spice is right! With so many spices, foods and wines available from all over the world on today’s market, the old adage of red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat just doesn’t always hold true. In this seminar learn how wine pairs with different spices found in food. Use this modern pairing method at your next dinner party and your guests will be asking how you came up with such an excellent combination.  Presented by Christopher Brantley, owner of Christopher's Wine and Cheese and a Master Sommelier.  

$25.00

 

RIEDEL CHALLENGE

Inn at Ragged Gardens

Friday, April 12     12 noon

Friday, April 12     4:30pm  SOLD OUT

"The finest glasses for both technical and hedonistic purposes are those made by Riedel. The effect of these glasses on fine wine is profound. I cannot emphasize enough what a difference they make." (Quelle: Robert M. Parker, Jr. The Wine Advocate) 

Discover the true deliciousness of wines by tasting them in a glass made exclusively for that variety.  Natali Meetze, C.S.W.  will demonstrate the luxury of Riedel glasses while tasting a variety of wines.  And you get to keep the glassware at the end of the seminar - for future "research".  Presented by Natali Meetze, C.S.W.

$55.00

 

HIDDEN TREASURES, BEST VALUES

Hillwinds Inn

Friday, April 12     1pm

Like many products, consumers often pay extra for the name on the bottle when it comes to wine. Now that there is more great wine available from more then 30,000 wineries worldwide, a lot of it is unfamiliar. So what are consumers supposed to do? In this seminar we will introduce you to some of the amazing wine values you’ve probably never heard of from all over the globe. Come and learn about these wonderful wines including the Treasure Hunter wines, who package some of the best wines in California under their own label for a very reasonable price. You will walk away from this seminar able to buy better wine for less money. 

$20.00

 

 

CONVERT ME! I WANT TO BUY LOCAL

Inn at Ragged Gardens Cellar

Friday, April 12   2pm

With the great "Buy Local" push going on, it only seems to make sense to buy your wines locally too!  Join us in a seminar presented by "Bruce Heye, the Wine Guy" for educational enlightenment of some of North Carolina's best wines.  Next time you reach for a bottle of wine, make it a local purchase! 

$20.00    

BEST GRAPES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF

Meadowbrook Inn

Friday, April 12     3pm

How many different types of wine can you name? Most wine drinkers know all of the basics like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Merlot. However, there are thousands of different grapes used to make wine. In this seminar we will explore some of the best varietals you have probably never even heard of. Some of them such as the Casavecchia, very popular in ancient Rome, have existed outside the mainstream for thousands of years. Be the first to introduce your friends to a Kerner, Marechal Foch or Seyval Blanc. Presented by Trevor Burton, a connoisseur and wine columnist for Lake Norman Currents Magazine. He is a well respected expert on French wine. He introduces his readers to rare wine and wonderful finds.

$30.00

 

THE ITALIANS

Hillwinds Inn

Friday, April 12  3pm

Friday, April 12  5 pm   SOLD OUT

Italy is a land legendary for their glorious wine and food and the harmony of how the two pair together accentuating the dance of their terroir. The Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival celebrates Italy in this showcase seminar as we highlight the best varietals of wine from across Italy and pair them against some of  most legendary flavors of Italian Cuisine. The flavors of truffle, olives, balsamic vinegars, basil and many others will be showcased against the dynamic varietals of grillo, vermantino, nero d’avola and other wines to entice your imagination and bring the ultimate smile of pleasure to your tongue.  Presented by Christopher Brantley, owner of Christopher's Wine and Cheese and a Master Sommelier.  

$25.00

 

COFFEE CUPPING

Saturday, April 13 beginning at 9am

Wake up with great coffee!! Taste coffee varieties at Bald Guy Brew on Main Street in Blowing Rock. Barista and coffee roaster Jason Campbell will walk you through the finer points of coffee beans, roasting, and brewing. Pour-over coffees will be discussed, too! Allow about one hour for coffee cupping. 

$15 includes coffee tastings and a sample of Bald Guy Brew coffee beans to take home.

Tickets available through Bald Guy Brew. Call 828-406-1153 to reserve your spot!!

Click here for more about Bald Guy Brew

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Cooking Classes

COOKING WITH CHOCOLATE

Green Park Inn  $65 per person

Saturday, 11am-2pm    SOLD OUT

Join Chef James Welch, Blowing Rock’s only James Beard Foundation nominated Chef, for “Cooking with Chocolate”.  Learn how to combine delicate and surprising ingredients as you prepare your dishes alongside Chef James in our state of the art 3000 sq. foot kitchen, designed by the Chef.  Four courses, which you will enjoy for your lunch, include James’ famous “Chocolate Steak”, and chocolate infused lobster lasignette, among others.  Wine parings served along with your 4 course “lunch and learn”.   Bring your apron!

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