Wine, Food Week set for June 4-10

THE WOODLANDS, Texas –– Houston’s 8th Annual Wine & Food Week will celebrate pleasures and treasures in 2012. The state’s largest, most comprehensive epicurean extravaganza features exceptional wine experiences for the novice to the enthusiast paired with delicacies created by some of America’s top chefs.

Wine & Food Week’s gastronomic grandeur features 40 events with more than 500 wines, 50 restaurants, legendary wine producers and culinary personalities from around the globe, and a vast collection of specialty beers and gourmet food purveyors from June 4-10. Wine education classes, chef demonstrations, cookbook author events, live and silent auctions, and casual to fine wine-and-dine experiences round out the week’s festivities.

Wizard Gourmet 2012 is none other than The Royal Chef, Darren McGrady. McGrady provided 15 years of service to Queen Elizabeth II of England and Diana, Princess of Wales. As Royal Chef to H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, he took control of Princess Diana, William and Harry's day-to-day menus and the preparation and catering of private and official lunch and dinner parties, liaising with the Princess daily. McGrady will be signing books and appearing at various events throughout the week.

The official Wine Wizard and Master of Ceremonies is Alyssa J. Rapp, founder and CEO of Bottlenotes, Inc., a resource for new to intermediate wine enthusiasts interested in learning about wine, sharing tasting notes, and tasting wine. Alyssa is also the author of “Bottlenotes Guide to Wine: Around the World in 80 Sips.”

Wine & Food Week's big three not-to-be-missed events include Thursday, June 7 H-E-B Wine Walk at Market Street, a taste and stroll experience in a European-style center featuring wine and light bites at more than 40 tasting stations; Sips, Suds & Sliders, presented by The Woodlands Mall, a Texas-size celebration featuring live music, specialty beers, values wines and a gourmet slider competition on Friday, June 8 and the Saturday, June 9 ultimate adult evening: The Wine Rendezvous Grand Tasting & Chef Showcase where guests sample delectable cuisine and hundreds of wines as chefs representing more than 50 restaurants compete for Wine & Food Week's Waterford Crystal Chef of Chefs Award and a $5,000 cash and prize package. To complete the evening, the epicurean experience culminates with the “Just Desserts” contest, a confectionary competition to crown the night’s dessert extraordinaire.

The H-E-B Wine Walk @ Market Street

Thursday, June 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The Woodlands’ Market Street, 9595 Six Pines Drive, The Woodlands
Tickets are $50 in advance; $60 at the door.

Sips, Suds & Sliders, presented by The Woodlands Mall

Friday, June 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The Woodlands Waterway Marriott, 1601 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands
Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 at the door.

Wine Rendezvous Grand Tasting & Chef Showcase

Saturday, June 9 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Woodlands Marriott Waterway, 1601 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands
Tickets are $125 in advance.

Enter to win tickets to Sips, Suds and Sliders here.

Enter to win tickets to the H-E-B Wine Walk here.