Vegas Uncork'd Announces Lineup And Schedule

This is not your average food festival. Yes, there are tasting dinners and wine pairing seminars, brunches and chef demos, but those come with a side of celebrity chef poker tournaments, cocktail competitions, and a "beachside" clambake. Vegas Uncork'd is back for its sixth and, dare we say, most buzzed about year.

The chefs involved this year are a venerable who's who of food stateside and beyond: Wolfgang Puck, Michael Mina, Rick Moonen, José Andrés, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Bobby Flay, and Julian Serrano are among the big names set to appear. Unlike other Vegas food and wine festivals that are focused at one or maybe two resorts, Vegas Uncork'd hosts events at four different hotels along the Strip, from the Bellagio to the Cosmopolitan. And the events are set to showcase not only the fantastic food these chefs create, but also the great wines and cocktails being poured on the Strip as well as the lit-up glory of Las Vegas itself. The Mix-Off, for example, a cocktail competition between mixologists from around Vegas and across the country, will have a view of the Bellagio fountains as its backdrop. Local sommeliers will host a number of individual events, like "Unusual Pairings" and "Sip, Swirl, & Select like a Sommelier," while the "VIP Champagne Saber-Off" will be held at Caesar's Palace.

There are a handful of interactive events, too, like a Paella Lunch with José Andrés, which lets attendees get up close and personal with Andrés as he prepares paella for lunch at Jaleo. One of our favorites is the "Chronicles of a Couple That Cooks Together," which brings Jean-Georges Vongerichten together with his wife, Marja, for a demonstration of a multicourse meal and a conversation about cooking together. The schedule presses on from there, with a Rao's brunch and a number of Master Series Dinners with different chef hosts.