GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For the 17th year, the Grand Rapids International Wine, Beer and Food Festival is bringing more than a thousand beverage options and dozens of food vendors to DeVos Place.
The two-day event will showcase over 1,200 wines, spirits, ciders and beers from both West Michigan and around the globe.
The festival is a perfect opportunity for visitors to see how different beverages pair with unique food options.
If you're interested in trying professional pairings, six restaurants will offer pairing dinners where chefs prepare multi-course meals tableside with beverage pairings. These sit-down dinners are limited to only 20 people per session.
Jonathan Pullis with Wine Chips, which is based in Paw Paw, creates potato chips that are meant to pair with wine. Their flavors include smoked gouda, asiago, dry aged ribeye and more.
"Well there's a huge variety of wines here at the Grand Rapids Wine Festival going on today and tomorrow, so you can sample hundreds of different wines and a tremendous amount of different beers," Pullis said.
He said Wine Chips are specifically made to pair well with different types of wine, from a full-bodied red wine to a sparkling wine.
Tasting rooms around DeVos will be dedicated to different beverages: The Vineyard for wines, Beer City Station for domestic and international beers, and The Barrel Room for Michigan craft spirits.
A new non-alcoholic beverage section has been added to meet growing demand for alcohol-free options.
Festival Manager Dawn Baker said that while the festival highlights food and beverages from around the world, many Michigan-based products will be showcased.
"We bring a lot of focus on local, whether it's local food preneurs or local businesses, and then that just ripples out, right?" she said. "Throughout Michigan, throughout all the way through the nation and internationally, we focus on those products."
The festival will also feature live music performances from local artists like the Chris Corey Duo and the Fred Knapp Trio.
Finally, festivalgoers who want to learn more about the beverage and culinary industry can learn directly from professionals. You can expect beverage tasting sessions with industry experts as well as cooking demonstrations.
The festival will run from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. Daily tickets are $25, with additional tasting tickets available for 50 cents each. You can get your tickets online here.