City of Palm Desert announces dates and program for third annual Art of Food & Wine festival

PALM DESERT, Calif. – April 15, 2008 — The Art of Food & Wine™ Palm Desert, a four-day celebration featuring the very best in art, food and wine hospitality and education, today announced the dates for its 2008 event. Poised to become the premier West Coast destination for the discerning palate, The Art of Food & Wine will kick off Thursday, Nov. 6 and run through Sunday, Nov. 9.

New to the schedule in 2008, the opening night “Food Flight!” – a friendly, interactive competition featuring Coachella Valley’s finest chefs and bartenders; wine dinner benefits, pairing local restaurants and charities with celebrity chefs and master sommeliers; “Sweet Dreams,” a nightcap event showcasing delicious desserts, wines, champagnes and after-dinner drinks poolside at the Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort & Spa; the dedication of 18 new sculptures to enhance the beauty and excitement of Palm Desert’s El Paseo shopping district, a fashionista’s paradise; and a concert at Palm Desert’s first-class music venue, the McCallum Theatre.

The Art of Food & Wine’s signature two-day Grand Tasting will again feature celebrity chefs, elite vintners and exclusive restaurants. Returning are Rick Tramonto, Art of Food & Wine Palm Desert Chef Ambassador, James Beard award winner and Food & Wine magazine’s Best Chef (2002); two-time James Beard award winner and food and wine expert David Rosengarten, editor of The Rosengarten Report; former Food Network stars The Hearty Boys and “Breakfast Queen” Ina Pinkney. These chefs and others promise to dazzle guests with impressive recipes and demonstrations. Event attendees can also look forward to delicious samples prepared by local chefs and chefs from Palm Desert’s Sister Cities, as well as wine and lifestyle seminars, book signings, artists, exhibitors and tastings of wines and spirits from around the world.

Presenting Sponsors of The Art of Food & Wine Palm Desert are the City of Palm Desert, the Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort & Spa and Southern Wine & Spirits of America. To date, Event Partners include KCET and Jenn-Air. Burrtec Waste & Recycling Services, Pacific Western Bank, Palm Springs Desert Resort and Communities Convention & Visitors Authority and Set to Save (The Palm Desert Energy Partnership) are all members of the event’s Host Committee.

Kelly Drinkwine
312.755.3537
kdrinkwine@kempersports.com

KemperSports
500 Skokie Blvd., Suite 444
Northbrook, IL 60062

About The Art of Food & Wine Palm Desert
The Art of Food & Wine Palm Desert is a unique four-day celebration attracting thousands of art and culinary enthusiasts from across California and around the country to enjoy the very best in art, food and wine hospitality and education. Taking place November 6-9, 2008 in Palm Desert, California, the event features food and wine tastings, celebrity chef demonstrations, culinary seminars, art, music, shopping and golf — all nestled in Southern California’s beautiful Coachella Valley. For more information, visit www.artoffoodandwine.com or call 1.866.96.TASTE (82783).

This release was published on openPR.