Saturday's agenda included a visit to the festival's Main Tasting Tent and a Big Bottle Tasting & Auction. There were tons of "foodie celebrities" milling around including quite a few Top Chef contestants. We were able to meet fan favorites Dave Martin, Carla Hall, and my personal favorite Kevin Gillespie!
We also had the chance to pick up a few tips on tasting techniques from Andrea Immer Robinson who was hosting the Big Bottles Tasting and Auction. She's one of the United State's 9 female Master Sommeliers. There are only 11 females in the entire world to obtain this title! I used to watch her show on the Fine Living Network and appreciate her down-to-earth style when it comes to discussing wine. Let's face it, that's not typical. The term "wine snob" was invented for a reason.
As our group wandered from table to table, we were offered tastings from various bottle sizes. First, you received a pour from the typical 750ml bottle that everyone is familiar with. A second pour from a larger magnum (1.5 litre) bottle followed, and some winemakers were offering a third pour from an even larger double magnum (3 litre) bottle. 
Winemakers explained that the larger bottles age better and result in better wine because more oxygen is captured in the bottling process. At least, I think that's what they said. Ha! My palate is clearly underdeveloped because I couldn't taste a difference. I guess I won't be named as a Master Sommelier anytime soon! 
One thing we could all appreciate were the fabulous cheese and chocolate options offered to the crowd. We fell in love with the velvety smooth chocolate provided by a local shop and stopped off at the store for more on the walk back to the hotel that afternoon. Truly delicious!
As the auction got underway, we commented that the crowd seemed largely uninterested. Well, I guess they started with the "crap" because very quickly things got heated. Bidding wars broke out over the larger magnums, double magnums, and imperial (6 litres) bottles that were being offered. Two bidders even resorted to name calling during one auction! The show, however, resulted over a 10-person private dinner at a winery in Napa. The winemaker was even on hand to witness the battle for his event! An older lady and gentleman boldly bid for the fabulous experience all the while exchanging the nastiest looks as the bidding went back & forth. Want to see the ugly side of wealth, check out the auction scene! Oh my! This was over wine. I wonder what car and art auctions are like?
Wine, chocolate, and drunk people with too much money (I wish for that problem.) = a FABULOUS day! Unfortunately, by sunset, we were back to being a party of four. The jetlag that Alexis was battling most of the day turned out to be a horrible stomach bug, and he was down for the count. Sooooooo not how we had planned for his visit to go!
Despite the fact that I felt like we were abandoning Alexis at his hour of need, we set out for our final event on Saturday night. Alexis insisted that with a little sleep he'd feel better and promised to try and join us later in the evening. At that point, we were all still in a bit of denial and believed exhaustion was merely taking it's toll on him. Wrong!I told Alexis on Sunday morning, "I wish I could tell you that you didn't miss much, but the After Party was awesome!" I still can't believe he flew all that way and missed out on the grand finale! Sometimes life is so unfair. On a positive note, I can say with certainty that we'll try for a "do-over" next year.
For those of us who weren't at death's door, the party continued late (very late) into the evening. The After Party was sponsored by Charleston Magazine, and they really did pull out all the stops. Ticket holders decked out in cocktail attire roamed an event tent that had been transformed in merely 3 hours into a fabulous South Beach-inspired soiree.
The sparkling wine was FLOWING...
for guests seated in various lounge areas...
or roaming the massive event space. Booths offering imaginative hor d'oeuvres and desserts lined the entire perimeter, and DJs spinning a mix that incorporated the latest hits and classic party tunes were perched on a raised sound booth in the center of all the action.
Footage from the festival's events flashed on the ENORMOUS screens mounted overhead. As soon as we entered, we simply had to stand still for a moment scanning the entire scene to take it all in. We were impressed!
We sampled the four featured cocktails and did our absolute best to try all the food offerings.
We failed! There was just too much! One of the more creative offerings was sweet potato cotton candy. A little strange to me, but everyone else enjoyed it.
I actually preferred the extraordinarily flavorful more mundane offerings like the carnitas soft taco and shrimp tamales. There was truly something for everyone!
Oddly enough, at the party, we ran to another friend who was visiting from Kansas City. Jeremy (not pictured) was in town with two of his friends for the festival. Very quickly, we all bonded with Jeremy's friend Evan and his wife Dion. Dion is an on-air news personality in North Carolina. So, of course, we had to get a picture with her. That way, when she hits the "big time" and is hosting The Today Show or Good Morning America, we can say, "We knew her back when..."
Really though, it was an incredible evening spent with old and new friends in our absolute favorite Southern city. The perfect ending to the perfect getaway!
For those of us who weren't at death's door, the party continued late (very late) into the evening. The After Party was sponsored by Charleston Magazine, and they really did pull out all the stops. Ticket holders decked out in cocktail attire roamed an event tent that had been transformed in merely 3 hours into a fabulous South Beach-inspired soiree.The sparkling wine was FLOWING...for guests seated in various lounge areas...or roaming the massive event space. Booths offering imaginative hor d'oeuvres and desserts lined the entire perimeter, and DJs spinning a mix that incorporated the latest hits and classic party tunes were perched on a raised sound booth in the center of all the action.Footage from the festival's events flashed on the ENORMOUS screens mounted overhead. As soon as we entered, we simply had to stand still for a moment scanning the entire scene to take it all in. We were impressed!We sampled the four featured cocktails and did our absolute best to try all the food offerings.We failed! There was just too much! One of the more creative offerings was sweet potato cotton candy. A little strange to me, but everyone else enjoyed it.I actually preferred the extraordinarily flavorful more mundane offerings like the carnitas soft taco and shrimp tamales. There was truly something for everyone!Oddly enough, at the party, we ran to another friend who was visiting from Kansas City. Jeremy (not pictured) was in town with two of his friends for the festival. Very quickly, we all bonded with Jeremy's friend Evan and his wife Dion. Dion is an on-air news personality in North Carolina. So, of course, we had to get a picture with her. That way, when she hits the "big time" and is hosting The Today Show or Good Morning America, we can say, "We knew her back when..."Really though, it was an incredible evening spent with old and new friends in our absolute favorite Southern city. The perfect ending to the perfect getaway!I said it before & I'll say it again, "MARK YOUR CALENDARS, PEOPLE!!! March 1-4, 2012...2012 Charleston Food & Wine Festival!
We recruited another couple, our friends Scott and his wife Geraldine, for the 4-day foodie adventure, and I'm telling you, we didn't waste a single moment of our time together in the FABULOUS Southern city! It's been about five years since Anh and I last visited Charleston, but our affection for the city has not faded a bit.
Charleston just oozes with charm and the historic downtown streets are lined with stores, restaurants, and bars that make the air feel electric and energizing for both tourists and locals. I love our hometown and have often said we would only considering moving for an "amazing" opportunity. Well, I think Charleston qualifies. Luckily, it only requires a quick 4-hour ride to visit.
The majority of the festival events were scattered throughout the downtown historic area, but our personal favorite took us away from all the action and afforded us a glimpse into the slower pace of Charleston beautiful plantations, but I'll share details and pictures from the actual events in a later entry when my brain is once again functioning in a higher capacity. Four days of indulgence takes a mental toll!
We selected a hotel along Charleston's waterfront. Actually, Anh and I discovered it years ago when visiting Charleston for the first time. Back then, money was a bit tighter, but we daydreamed and vowed to one day return to our favorite city and splurge on a room with a view at the cute little inn. Our weekend was definitely worth the wait!
When we made the reservation months ago, Anh and I weren't sure whether family would be joining us so we booked a suite with two queen beds and a parlor. There would be plenty of room for all! As it turned out, we had the place all to ourselves until Saturday night when our West coast friend, Alexis, arrived to partake in the foodie fun. Again, more on that later.
Of course, Mother Nature did have to throw us a curve ball with the weather. Despite the fact that we've been enjoying Spring-like temperatures for a few weeks now, a cold front moved in on the opening day of the festival. Combine the cooler temps, a brisk breeze, and occasionally dark cloudy skies that threatened to drench the festival crowds and you had some very worried festival organizers. As luck would have it, the rain waited to fall on Sunday as activities were winding down, and while mornings and evenings were cool, the days were sunny and warm. Perfection!
The layout of the hotel is unusual, but genius. When you arrive, you take an elevator to the Sky Lobby on the 23rd floor where you can enjoy an incredible view of 
Not only is the decor fabulous, but no detail was overlooked. There is storage for everything, and all of the electronics, lights, and window coverings are remote controlled.
The bathroom features a soaking tub and a .JPG)
Unfortunately, we weren't able to dine at the hotel's restaurant, Twist. Like everything else at Mandarin, it receives rave reviews. I figure this gives us an excuse to book a second stay at my new favorite hotel.
We'll also need to return for another mid-week visit to test out the pool/spa area. Our 
Another highlight of our trip was happy hour at Chef Michael Mina's American Fish in Aria. What a great budget-friendly way to try a high-end restaurant! The small plates are roughly $5/each, and the featured cocktails are $7. We ordered everything, and delicious doesn't even begin to describe was served!
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While American Fish is beautifully decorated, the view from MIX Lounge at THE Hotel stole the show. The drinks are pricey, but you won't find a better place to watch the Vegas sunset, and that's priceless. Here's another tip...you must use the restroom here. "It's quite the experience!" is all I'll say! 
Now, I should be sharing pictures from the Top Chef-quality meal we had at Chef Tom 
So, we continued on to Fremont Street. I've been to this area only once before during my first trip to 
Getting back to the original purpose of the trip, 
