The Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, one of the East Coast’s most sophisticated and anticipated events, returns for its 13th year from September 20 – 23, 2018. The Marble House lawn will once again be the spectacular setting for the two-day Grand Tasting on Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23, which offers guests the chance to sample hundreds of wines from around the world and cuisine from nearly two dozen regional restaurants and caterers.
Internationally acclaimed fashion designer and cookbook author Zac Posen will headline the Grand Tasting, cooking on the MONOGRAM Culinary Stage on Saturday, September 22 and signing copies of his cookbook, Cooking with Zac. Guests can also enjoy A Conversation with Zac Posen, where attendees will delight in lively and engaging conversation with Posen in the Marble House Gold Ballroom before heading out to the Grand Tasting. Also participating in weekend cooking and grilling demonstrations will be local and regional favorites including Lydia Shire of Boston’s Scampo, Terence Feury of Forty 1˚ North in Newport, Maura Kilpatrick ofSofra Bakery in Cambridge, Jorge Espinoza of Gurney’s Newport Resort & Marina, Jose Enrique of Jose Enrique in San Juan, and Kolin Vazzoler of Simi Winery.
Hundreds of wines from around the world will be featured throughout the many weekend events, including top selections from Opus One (Napa Valley), M. Chapoutier (France), Tua Rita (Italy), Vincent Girardin (France), Robert Mondavi (Napa Valley), and Famille Hugel (France).
Additional highlights of the weekend-long festivities include the elegant Friday night Wine & Rosecliff gala, which will feature a special selection of fine wines from these and other wineries, as well as food from at least 15 New England chefs amid seaside Gilded Age splendor. The Vintner Dinner at Rosecliff on Saturday will offer an interactive and connected evening where guests will taste specially selected, exquisite American “New World” wines that have intimate connections to some of the most prestigious “Old World” wines. The event will feature a three-course dinner and dessert reception prepared by chefs David Blessing of Newport Beach House, Tony Maws of Craigie on Main, Jose Enrique of Jose Enrique, Samantha del Arroyo of Mill’s Tavern and Maura Fitzpatrick of Sofra Bakery.
Guests will have an extra opportunity to enjoy late night bites and cocktails by some of the Festival sponsors with the return of Newport After Dark, taking place on Saturday night at Forty 1˚ North on the Newport waterfront. The Sunday Jazz Brunch on the Marble House Terrace is the perfect way to begin a leisurely day at theSunday Grand Tasting; tickets include an elegant brunch followed by early VIP entry to the Grand Tasting on the lawn.
Seminars will take place on Friday and Saturday at The Breakers Stable & Carriage House on Coggeshall Avenue in Newport, allowing visitors the opportunity to learn about wines from different regions of the world. Led by vintners and industry experts, these engaging educational seminars are designed for every wine and food lover – from oysters to artisan cheese, to bubbles and caviar and beyond.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the 2018 Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, visit www.NewportMansionsWineAndFood.org or call (401) 847-1000.
The Presenting Sponsor of the 2018 Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival is FOOD & WINE Magazine. MONOGRAM is the Culinary Stage Sponsor. Additional sponsors include Dole & Bailey, Forty 1˚ North, Simi Winery, Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore, Atria Senior Living, Boar’s Head, Coca-Cola, Gurney’s Newport, Chateau D’Esclans, Kobrand Fine Wine and Spirits, Dasani, Outdoor Kitchen Design Store, National Trust Insurance Services LLC, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and United. All proceeds from the event benefit The Preservation Society of Newport County.
About Marble House and the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival
Built between 1888 and 1892 for Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt, Marble House was a social and architectural landmark that set the pace for Newport’s subsequent transformation from a quiet summer colony of wooden houses to the legendary resort of opulent stone palaces. The house was designed by the architect Richard Morris Hunt, inspired by the Petit Trianon at Versailles and made of 500,000 cubic feet of marble. Mr. Vanderbilt gave the house to his wife Alva, a leading hostess in Newport society who envisioned Marble House as her “temple to the arts” in America, as a 39th birthday present. Alva would later have the Chinese Tea House built on the seaside cliffs, where she hosted rallies for women’s right to vote.
All proceeds from the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival benefit The Preservation Society of Newport County, a non-profit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes and decorative arts. Its 11 historic properties—seven of them National Historic Landmarks—span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.
