Food & Wine Festivals Preview (Slideshow)

Many of the world's acclaimed chefs, wine experts, and mixologists will come together for a culinary weekend in the Cayman Islands at this year's Cayman Cookout, hosted by Eric Ripert. Guests can experience "Napa Notes," a tasting of '06 to '09 Napa Valley cabernets grown and aged by Lokoya and Cardinale. José Andrés will give a beachfront demonstration of how to make his signature paella. And for the festival's most celebrated event, the Bon Vivant Champagne Brunch Cook-Off, Cayman's amateur chefs are invited to compete Top Chef–style in a series of cooking competitions. The winner of the title of "Cayman's Most Talented Amateur Chef" will be decided by chef judges Ripert, Andrés, and Anthony Bourdain. 

When: Jan. 16 to Jan. 19

Event website: http://www.caymanislands.ky/eventsoffers/caymancookout.aspx

From Thomas Dorfer's Landhaus Bacher in Austria to Edwin Vinke's De Kromme Watergang in the Netherlands to Dharshan Munidasa's Nihonbashi and Ministry of Crab in Sri Lanka, the best restaurants from all over the world contribute to the World Gourmet Society Festival. Joining in the festival's mission to "discover new culinary landscapes," each restaurant brings its unique dishes to the table.

When: Jan. 20 to Feb. 20

Event Website: http://world-gourmet-society.com/festival

Guests are invited to eat, drink, and ski at the Beaver Creek Food & Wine Weekend, in Beaver Creek, Colo., which features cooking demonstrations, meals prepared by famous chefs, and food, wine, and beer pairings. Food & Wine Best New Chef Naomi Pomeroy and Stella Artois brand ambassador Daniel Joly will be offering a cooking demonstration and beer-pairing luncheon. In a dinner at Allie's Cabin, guests will be escorted to the restaurant via a sleigh ride under the stars and enjoy a meal prepared by Food & Wine Best New Chef Gavin Kaysen and Kirk Weems, the executive chef of Allie's Cabin.

When: Jan. 23 to Jan. 26

Event Website: http://www.beavercreek.com/events-and-activities/food-and-wine-weekend.aspx?CMPID=BACEM764

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami showcases celebrity chefs and personalities, including Gastón Acurio, José Andrés, Daniel Boulud, Michael Mina, and Bruno Oteiza. This year, Andrés will host an 18-whole celebrity chef golf tournament with food, wine, and spirits at the Raymond Floyd-designed golf course at Turnberry Isle Resort. And the East Coast meets the West Coast when Marc Forgione of New York City and Michael Mina of San Francisco combine their culinary talents to present a dinner at Mina's Bourbon Steak along with Napa Valley-made cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, pinot noir by Far Niente and Dolce.

When: Feb. 20 to Feb. 23

Event Website: http://www.sobefest.com/

Surrounded by the sun, sand, and sea, the Cancún-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival features wine and spirits tastings, interactive cooking challenges among celebrity chefs, a sunset catamaran cruise and private island lunch, celebrity dinners, VIP gourmet experiences, and the festival's most popular event the Gourmet Tasting Village, where the best restaurants of Cancún and the Riviera will prepare for guests their most famed dishes.

When: March 13 to March 16

Event Website: http://www.crmfest.com/

One of the West Coast's most anticipated culinary events, the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival is located on California's beautiful coastline and hosts the best culinary experience that the West Coast has to offer, with more than 200 acclaimed wineries, more than 70 celebrity chefs, and an unbeatable view of the ocean.

When: April 10 to April 13

Event Website: http://www.pbfw.com/

Taking place in one of America's trendiest cities, the Austin Food & Wine Festival offers cooking demonstrations, beer, wine, and cocktail seminars, tastings, and more alongside live music performances. Particularly noteworthy is the festival's Grand Tasting Pavilion, which features more than 80 wine, spirit, and artisanal food exhibits as well as acclaimed local and regional restaurants. 

When: April 25 to April 27

Event Website: http://www.austinfoodandwinefestival.com/?utm_campaign=2014-media&utm_source=fw&utm_medium=homepage&utm_content=20131122-aycepromolisting

Offering wine dinners, chef seminars, food and wine tastings such as the Vinola Tasting, where wine enthusiasts mingle with over 40 winemakers from around the world, and more, the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience is a festival you'll want to see.  At its Royal Street Stroll, festival goers can view rare antiques and fine art and architecture while tasting wines and listening to the sounds of live jazz.

When: May 21 to May 24

Event Website: http://www.nowfe.com/

A celebration of the South and all of its culinary offerings, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is thought of as a culinary exploration through the South, with food and drink offerings of fried food, seafood, craft beer, bourbon, and more. Chefs from the South, all over the country, and around the world will prepare cooking demonstrations, seminars, and special tastings and meals at the festival.

When: May 29 to June 1

Event Website: http://atlfoodandwinefestival.com/

Leading food and wine experts including José Andrés, Carla Hall, Ray Isle, Gail Simmons, and Curtis Stone, will set the gastronomical scene at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen with cooking demonstrations, wine seminars, tastings, and more. One of the festival's much-loved events, the Classic Cook-Off, will turn two celebrity chefs against each other in a culinary race against the clock.

When: June 20 to June 22

Event Website: www.foodandwine.com/classic

Set on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival will highlight dishes that reflect the region's local produce, seafood, beef, and poultry and will offer wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, culinary excursions, and exclusive dining experiences presented by two of Hawaii's James Beard Award-winning chefs, Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong.

When: Aug. 31 to Sept. 7

Event Website: http://www.hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com/ 

Combining the best of traditional and contemporary Southern cuisine with some of Nashville's best live music, the Music City Eats: Nashville Food, Wine, & Spirits Festival brings together the nation's and region's top chefs and wine, beer, and spirit purveyors as well as local farms and restaurants. The festival's Flavors of Nashville features authentic Southern dishes and famous Music City favorites prepared by more than 25 of the best local restaurants.

When: September, exact dates to be determined

Event Website: http://www.musiccityeats.com/?utm_campaign=2013-media&utm_source=foodandwine&utm_medium=eventslisting&utm_content=20130518-announce

Eat and drink your way through Oregon at the Feast of Oregon. Celebrating Oregon's culinary talent and local ingredients, the festival will offer tasting panels, including a wine versus beer tasting, special classes, like how to roast coffee with Adam McGovern, and seminars, such as "Transparency and GMOs: The More You Know, The Better," discussing what GMO laws mean for consumers and businesses.

When: Sept. 18 to Sept. 21

Event Website: http://www.feastportland.com/

At the Newport Mansion Wine & Food Festival, wine is the center of the celebration, with wine seminars led by industry experts, a special gala dinner in the Rosecliff featuring music and special vintage wines, and the Collectible Wine Dinner — exclusive to just 60 guests — where expert winemakers will teach what collectible wines are all about.

When: Sept. 19 to Sept. 21

Event Website: http://www.newportmansions.org/events/wine-and-food-festival

Benefiting the Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign, the New York City Wine & Food Festival boasts more than 500 world-famous chefs, culinary personalities, and Food Network stars. At the festival, guests can experience tastings from more than 100 wineries and spirits purveyors as well as intimate dinners and seminars.

When: Oct. 16 to Oct. 19

Event Website: http://nycwff.org/

Set on the island of Barbados, which holds a worldwide reputation as the home to some of the finest rum (Bajan rum), Barbados Food & Wine and Rum Festival features rum-infused cooking demonstrations, rum cocktail seminars, access to more than 1,500 rum shops, an opportunity to meet with Mount Gay rum ambassador Chesterfield Browne, the recipe for Barbados' famed national cocktail Rum Punch, and more.

When: November, exact dates to be determined

Event Website: http://www.foodwinerum.com/

Hosted in the entertainment capital of the world, otherwise known as Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival will showcase some of the country's top musical talent with live performances as well as the world's top producers of food and drink with cooking demonstrations, tastings from some of the world's most talented chefs and wine and spirit purveyors, special meals prepared by world-famous chefs, book signings, and more.

When: Dates to be determined

Event Website: http://www.lafw.com