With the holidays just around the corner—and because we know our city truly loves a festival where beer and wine (and cider and spirits) freely flow—comes the Tenth Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer & Food Festival to DeVos Place.
This is a great opportunity to learn something new while also discovering new beers and wines alongside a long list of artisan products to add to your holiday gatherings.
Here are a few of the key highlights to consider at this annual event:
Enhanced Elite Wine Collection: nearly 50 wines hand-selected by our consulting sommeliers and importing specialists as the “best of the best” top shelf vintages and all with at least a 90-point value. You can sample these delicious wines by purchasing at the event a 10-ticket ($5) tasting fee due to the value of the wines. If this isn’t your speed, then no worries, since their are more than 100 wineries represented at the event with a variety of price points.
Special this year (and because of the timing of this annual event) is the chance to celebrate with the world of wine fans on this third Thursday of November when the international “Beaujolais Nouveau Day” is celebrated with the release the popular vin de primeur, fermented for just a few weeks before being uncorked. On the fest’s opening day, the Tasters Guild invites you to join them in the tasting of the fresh 2017 Beaujolais Nouveau at a special pouring in the Elite Collection, presented by Wine & Beverage Steward David Stanley of Meijer.
Cocktail enthusiasts will want to visit Hemingway Hall to sample award-winning spirits and artisan concoctions created by innovative mixologists. This event is tied to our annual Experience Grand Rapids’ Cocktail Week GR.
There is a Beer City Station as well as a Cider Row where you can enjoy meeting the folks behind some of our favorite brands created right here in our city and state.
The festival also offers special pairing seatings and also climate dinner experiences that must be booked in advance so visit their
site for details on these much-coveted reservations.
Single-day passes as well as for the die hard fan three-day passes can be purchased in advance
here or at the door.