Food Network's South Beach Wine & Food Festival

Location: Miami Beach, FL
Date: February 2008, 2009 & 2010

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival is hosted by Florida International University's (FIU) School of Hospitality Tourism & Management. It is an annual wine and spirits event showcasing some of the world's top chefs, spirit producers and culinary personalities. The festival started in 1997 at FIU's Biscayne Bay Campus. It was then known as the "Florida Extravaganza" and was only a one day event. In 2001, it was moved to South Beach and was renamed The South Beach Wine & Food Festival, it is now a 4 day/night event. Without the FIU student staff and their professors, this festival could not be possible. GO FIU!

BELOW: Top Chef's Fabio Viviani at the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village (Photo by: Jacquelynn D. Powers. 2010)

BELOW: Inside the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village 2010

BELOW: (Left): Myself with Chef Guy Fieri  (Right): Guy Fieri & Rachael Ray (2009)

BELOW: (Left): Chef Paula Dean  (Right): Chef Tyler Florence  (2009)

BELOW: (Left): Myself with Chef Giada De Laurentiis  (Upper Right): Myself with Chef Emeril Lagasse
               (Lower Right): Myself with Chef Rachael Ray  (2008)