Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2012

It was quite a 30th birthday celebration.

Three days in Aspen with 5,000 friends, enjoying 80+ cooking demonstrations & wine seminars and a Grand Tasting Pavilion with over 300 wines & luxury lifestyle brands. And, that was just the daytime activities.

Throw in evening and after-hour parties on nearly every corner (and quite a few houses), an Elvis Costello & the Blue Beguilers concert, and a 5K charity run with Bobby Flay, and you have a 30th birthday bash for the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen like no other.

Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2012: Food

With a who’s who of top chefs gathered in Aspen, you never knew when you were going wind up chatting with Bobby Flay or mingling with Gail Simmons.

Aspen Food & Wine Classic 2012 The hottest chefs were in attendance – delivering their latest culinary creations, leading cooking demonstrations and seminars, signing cookbooks, and mixing and mingling with attendees – all making for a fabulous foodie experience.

The who’s who chef line up for 2012? Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Giada De Laurentiis, Emeril Lagasse, Tom Colicchio, José Andrés, Danny Meyer, Gail Simmons, Jacques Pépin, Michael Symon, Ming Tsai, Paul Qui, Grant Achatz, Rick Bayless, Tim Love and more.

Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2012: Wine

Exceptional wines from around the world, and at all price points, were on hand to be discovered, tasted and enjoyed at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2012.

Seminars with wine experts & sommeliers provided opportunities to explore and gain a greater appreciation of wines from different grape varieties and wine styles worldwide. A perfect chance to learn from the oh so entertaining Anthony Giglio or the evangelical guru of Rieslings, Paul Grieco, the seminars offered up-close, in-depth wine experiences with wines yet undiscovered by most wine-drinkers, but most likely to be acquired in the future.

The who’s who of wine experts for 2012? Bobby Stuckey, Josh Wesson, Steve Olson, Mark Oldman, Antonio Galloni, Paul Grieco, Anthony Giglio and more.

In addition to the seminars, hundreds of wines from winemakers spanning the globe awaited sampling at the…

Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2012: Grand Tasting Pavilion

Aspen Food & Wine Classic 2012 “Wow, that Doña Paula was good.”

“Chris Ford at Godiva is so cool and the ice cream truffles, divine.”

“My favorite was the crostini with cranberries, pesto and goat cheese.”

“That Malleolus was, to use a term learned in a wine seminar, yummy.”

“You have to get a Patron popsicle!”

And, the list of overhead exclamations goes on and on.

The Grand Tasting Pavilion, hosting five tastings throughout the weekend, featured over 300 wines and countless culinary delights, and served as the epicenter of the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, where attendees raved about the selection, creativity and vast selection to be savored.

Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2012: Grow for Good

The Food & Wine Classic in Aspen continued its efforts in 2012 to raise funds and awareness for Grow for Good, which supports local farms and encourages sustainable agriculture, benefiting the Wholesome Wave Foundation. Grow for Good Green passes offered VIP access to events & special privileges and an online auction benefiting Grow for Good is being held until June 27th, 2012, with exclusive experiences and products from award-winning chefs and wineries.

Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2013: Plan ahead

Tickets go on sale in December for the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2013 and will be available on the Food & Wine website, so mark you calendars for the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2013 to be held June 14 – 16, 2013.

While you’re at it, mark down Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2014, to be held June 20 – 22 2014 & Food & Wine Classic in Aspen 2015, scheduled for June 19 -21, 2015.