Minnesota Monthly's Food & Wine Experience Coming March 1
Both veteran and rookie oenophiles and gastronomes will come together March 1-2 at Target Field to celebrate Minnesota Monthly's 20th Annual Food and Wine Experience.
Sara Stoli, Marketing Director at Minnesota Monthly, explained to us that the festival grew partially out of a need for more food related events in the midst of the cold, Minneapolis winter season.
"When it started, there weren't very many activities going on this time of year, but there were a lot of new restaurants popping up and our president at the time had an extreme passion for wine," said Stoli. The vacuum was filled and the Food and Wine Experience was born.
This year's festival features Washington State Wine as a prominent presence, and they will be taking over the whole Metropolitan Club during the event.
"This is their fourth or fifth year coming, and their footprint has grown a lot bigger. They've really committed themselves to the market and branding themselves strongly here," Stoli added.
Be sure not to neglect the Best in Show Minnesota wines, including the Wobegon White and Hot Dish Red 2013 from Carlos Creek Winery.
If wine isn't your forte, there are still plenty of exhibitors to visit. Be on the lookout for Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board showcasing a variety of fresh cheeses, a plethora of local breweries with craft beers on tap, and a new sake-tasting bar.
Stoli emphasizes the unique opportunity the experience is for visitors.
"Consumers to go to one place and sample so many different products. Then they can go to local markets and pick up some of the things they tried after coming away from here with a list of what they liked".
For more information, and to reserve tickets, visit their website.