Spuntino Wine Bar / City Green Event

© 2016 Hip New Jersey
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Tickets are now on sale for the 8th annual New Jersey Wine & Food Festival taking place this year April 1 – 3 at Crystal Springs Resort (www.njwinefoodfest.com). Over the past eight years, the Festival has become one of New Jersey’s premier food and wine events, attracting top chefs from around the U.S, the world’s best winemakers and craft spirits producers. This year, we are highlighting chefs from the Northeast including two Top Chef winners from the hit Bravo TV series, Michelin-starred chefs from New York and of course, the best of New Jersey. The 2016 Festival will benefit both the James Beard Foundation and Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. Please see below for a schedule of events.

The Festival kicks off on Friday April 1st with two exclusive dinners. Top Chefs & Top Wines features five chefs each preparing one course that is paired with a highly rated boutique wine. Two Bravo Top Chef winners headline – Kevin Sbraga (winner Season 7, formerly of Rat’s) and Nicholas Elmi (winner Season 11), both now in Philadelphia. Joining are another Top Chef alum, Dale Talde, who recently expanded from Brooklyn to Jersey City, acclaimed Michelin star pastry chef Marc Aumont of NYC’s Gabriel Kreuther and Restaurant Latour Chef de Cuisine Martyna Krowicka (8pm, $225 plus tax & gratuity).

Also on Friday night, Crystal Springs’ award-winning Wine Cellar will welcome Sebastiano Rosa of renowned Tuscan winery Sassicaia & Biserno, which produce some of the finest wines in Italy. Chef Anthony Buccowill be partnering with guest chef Mark Ladner of Del Posto (NYC) to create a unique 6-course menu (8pm, $375 plus tax & gratuity). The dinner also includes a Krug Champagne Reception with the chefs and winemaker (7pm).

Saturday April 2 brings new events for the 2016 edition of the festival, including a chef and New Jersey farmer showcase, a prosecco breakfast and a bartender competition, along with spirits tastings and winemaker seminars among others. The day kicks off the new Prosecco & Pancakes breakfast (10am, $35), followed by A Taste of Italy (12pm, $35) highlighting charcuterie, olive oils and wines from Castello di Gabbiano. Winemaker seminars feature Italy’s Finest Wines (1pm, $65) with Sebastiano Rosa and Sassicaia wines, The Creation of an Award-Winning Winery (2pm, $45) with Frank and Julie Husic of Napa Valley, and Gruner Veltliner – The Hidden Gem of White Wines with Austria’s Laurenz V (12pm, $35).

New event Chef & Farmer Culinary Showcase (1pm, $50) will highlight the state’s agricultural diversity bypairing top New Jersey chefs including Francesco Palmieri (The Orange Squirrel) and Bryan Gregg (Escape)with local farmers and purveyors such as Bobolink Dairy, Happy Harvest Hydroponics and Restoration Agriculture. Also new this year is an edition of New Jersey’s popular Iron Shaker (3pm, $35) where four local bartenders will compete in two rounds with both judges and the audience voting for their favorites. Always a hot ticket, Secrets of the Crystal Springs Cellar (3pm, $150) returns with a tasting of rare wines from the Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning Wine Cellar led by VP of Hospitality & Wine Director Robby Younes and Chef Bucco. Additional seminars will premiere rose wines of the 2015 vintage paired with sorbets and artisanal gelato (4pm, $40) and feature George Dickel Whiskeys with hand rolled cigars (4pm, $40).

The Grand Tasting (April 2, 7pm – 10pm $135, VIP admission at 6:30pm $250) is the Festival’s centerpiece, a walk-around tasting with 25 top New Jersey and New York chefs and more than 30 wineries. Confirmed restaurants include Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen, Mistral, Maritime Parc, The Bernards Inn, Ninety Acres at Natirar, The Orange Squirrel, Osteria Morini, Terre a Terre, Hamilton Pork, The Kitchen Step, Escape, Redux, Pig & Prince, Hotel du Village, Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern, Spuntino Wine Bar, BURG, Villalobos, Axia, Taverna, Crystal Tavern, Lunello, Andre’s and more. VIP ticket holders gain access to the VIP lounge with exclusive Champagnes, wines and restaurants including tastings from Restaurant Latour, Michelin starred Piora (NYC) and more. At 10pm, the Biosphere at Grand Cascades Lodge hosts the Meet The Chefs & Winemakers After Party ($150). This extravagant annual party features live performances, a DJ, dancing, an open bar, delicious bites from Resort chefs and more. This year’s theme is inspired by Rio de Janeiro, the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics. (Past party themes have been inspired by Marie Antoinette, Prohibition and Cuba.)

The Festival concludes on Sunday April 3 with a Champagne Brunch (10am – 1pm, $50 plus tax & gratuity) in the Crystal Ballroom.
Tickets can be purchased at www.njwinefoodfest.com or by calling 844-207-3203.