Wet Yer Whistle w/ Whiskey & Wine
Ya’ll, I love me a good festival! Whether it’s Coachella in Cali or Taste of Atlanta in The A', you might find me and my crew meandering around, mixing and mingling, seeing the sights and, of course, tasting the treats.
But sometimes I just want to luck up on something local. So last year when I heard about “the most celebrated cuisine and beverage festival” in North Texas, aka the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival (FWFWF), you know I was in there like swimwear! Needless to say, bottles were poppin’ and it was super packed, and after attending three of the six signature events, my family and I had a toasty good time.
Thinking of getting your taste on this year? Here’s some must-knows for festival first-timers.
GENERAL
Date: Thursday, April 4 - Sunday, April 7
Format: This FWFWF is comprised of six signature events. You have to purchase tickets for entry into EACH event — unless you rich, rich and can pay for the Weekender Pass (which totals to about $480 after tax).
Events: 1) Tacos + Tequila; 2) The Main Event; 3) Desserts After Dark: 4) Culinary Corral; 5) Burgers, Brews + Blues; and 6) Ring of Fire: A Next Level Cookout.
Price: General Admission, which is all that is available right now, ranges from $50 to $75 per event (without tax). All Early Entry tickets are sold out this year, however, the Weekender Pass grants early admission into all six events.
Time: Some events are at held night, with times ranging from 6 - 11 p.m., while others are held during the day, with times ranging from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
MY 2018 EXPERIENCE - 3/6 EVENTS
The Main Event - Friday
This is the FWFWF’s largest and most expensive event - with General Admission tickets sitting at $125 a pop. Although I’m virtually poor and wasn’t blessed with a sugar zaddy to silently fund my expensive taste, I really wanted to attend this event and just happened to luck up with Early Entry tickets from work. Can we say stoked!?
Upon arrival, there was a wait, but as soon as we got inside, my mother and I grabbed our branded plates and glasses and started making our rounds. Our first dish, Filet Mignon & Lobster from Bob’s Steak & Chop House, set the tone for a high-caliber experience, and at every turn, there was wine to be had.
Selections we really liked:
Neyers - Chardonnay
Torres Familia - 2012 Altos Ibéricos Reserva
JP. Chenet - Rosé Dry
Puramun - 2016 Chardonnay
Sterling Vineyards - Blanc de Blancs
Desserts After Dark - Friday Night
Once we left The Main Event we went straight to Desserts After Dark to get our sweet tooth fix. The space for this after-hours event was so nice, complete with warm fire places and accent whiskey barrels. I can say it was the perfect way to end the night. Desserts galore and whiskey-infused drinks were abound. If you’re not a big whiskey fan, you might lose interest in the mixed drink offerings after the first or second drink, but I was surprised at how much I really liked the few that I tried. Although I can’t remember ANY desserts that I didn’t like (they were all scrumptious), here are a few honorable mentions:
TX Whiskey - Pineapples Upside Down Cake
Stir Crazy - Chocolate Cupcakes
Gold Ribbon Confections - TX “Dugout” Pie
Rise + Dine (now branded as Culinary Corral) - Saturday
Brunch is my favorite mealtime, so of course I was feelin’ this event. Although somehow someway I missed the mimosa bar, I can say it was pretty fun and the food and drinks were really tasty. Foodwise, there were several interesting dishes, including Fried Duck and Waffles from Bonnell’s Restaurant Group and escargot garnished with egg and pesto (from a vendor I can’t remember), as well as some delicious mixed drinks.
Favorite sips:
Effen Vodka - Cucumber Vodka Spring Morning Fizz
Beso Del Sol - Pink Sangria & White Sangria
J - Brut Rosé
Gruet - 2012 Gilbert Grand Reserve
LangeTwins - 2017 Estate Grown Moscato
OTHER COMMENTS & CONCERNS
My only greedy-girl complaint was that I didn’t get a full-on “happy ending.” For the price of these tickets, I kinda expected to return home super stuffed and super buzzed, but that wasn’t really the case. So in a way, I almost felt like I could’ve taken the money I spent on tickets and had just as good of a time at another wine venue or restaurant — but then again maybe I’m just fat and like to eat.
Another somewhat inconvenience was that some of the events were extremely packed and not as easy to navigate through. For one event, the weather was pretty sucky and a lot of the vendors that were supposed to be outside had to be relocated inside, further congesting the space. In future years, I’m looking forward to it expanding or using bigger venues with more space for patrons to meander around and new vendors to showcase their offerings.
All in all, my family and I had a lot of fun! Although The Main Event was my ultimate favorite, this year I plan on only attending the newest event, Ring of Fire: A Next Level Cookout.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS YEAR
If you are thinking about going this year, I would recommend attending at least one of the following:
The Main Event - Friday Evening, April 5
Culinary Corral - Saturday Morning, April 6
Burgers, Brews + Blues - Saturday Evening, April 6
Ring of Fire - Sunday Afternoon, April 7
And if you decide to go, be sure to leave a comment below!