Throughout the City of Puerto Vallarta from Sunday, February 22 to Saturday, February 28, the 3rd annual Puerto Vallarta Wine Festival will infuse wine and culture to tourist and local, alike.

The Puerto Vallarta Wine Festival is not only a tourist attraction, but above all, a reward for the visitor’s loyalty. That is why it is organized during high season when there are lots of tourists on place, so they can find in Vallarta not only Sun and Beach but also superior quality events.

The Vallarta Wine Fest is a party for everyone; everybody is part of it and everybody is an organizer. It’s a party of the village, spreading the Arts & Wine culture to all of the social classes of the city.

Based in the success of 2007, for 2008 the chosen slogan is: LA CULTURA ESTÁ DE FIESTA. Along with the Wine-related events, the training and qualification centers for professional and amateurs, a true storm of cultural events is organized: a poetry contest, a photography contest, a plastic arts exhibition of the Centro 10 group, a youth wine-theme painting exhibition, concerts, country fairs…. Party. It is Party time for Culture.

PUBLIC SCHEDULE (Only events open to the public without cost):

February 22

FIESTA in PARQUE LÁZARO CÁRDENAS, 6 pm to midnight

• Music by the Municipal Band
• Vino ($10 & $20 pesos a glass)
• Bocadillos al costo
• Fiesta & Dance
• Open to the Public

February 26

8 pm – PLAZA PITILLAL & PLAZA DE IXTAPA

• Teatro Urbano Itinerante
• Open to the Public

9 pm – PARQUE LÁZARO CÁRDENAS

• Verbena Popular – Music
• Vino ($10 & $20 pesos a glass)
• Bocadillos
• Fiesta & Dance
• Open to the Public

February 27

8:30 pm at the Plaza de Armas (Presidencia Plaza)
MUNDO JOVEN, electronic music night with DJs Luis Flores, Carlos Rodríguez & Gybo Calderón

VIDEO OF THE 2008 WINE FEST PHOTO CONTEST:

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INVITED COUNTRY: ITALY

HOSTING RESTAURANTS:

• Azul 96
• Café des Artistes
• Cava 5
• Dolce Vita
• Frascati
• La Petite
• Le Kliff
• Portobello
• The River Café
• Thierry’s Steak House
• Trio
• Vitea

WINE FEST WEBSITE

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” — Virginia Woolf

A NEW CLASS OF DINING

Many clients and friends have asked me to do a cooking class. A few nights ago I did a dinner and the guests pulled their chairs into the kitchen and watched me prepare their dinner. I was inspired because we talked about food: the origins of the dishes I was preparing, how one purchases at market and anecdotes about the various ingredients or where I had first tasted a dish in Europe….

Food is exciting. In fact, I can’t think of anything more interesting than food and I like to share this enthusiasm with the people I feed.

This class will be interactive. We will meet at a local market in the Zona Romantica and shop for our food. Then we will go to a beautiful private home and prepare the meal. At sunset we will sip wine on the terrace and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

I will teach some classical French technique and show participants how I think about flavors and combinations. The class will be limited to 15 participants.

The cost of the class is 650 pesos and includes all food, wine and instruction. Some may not wish to meet at market and instead come directly to the house for the preparation. This is fine. If you wish to attend please email me at seth@foodbyseth.com for a reservation which must be prepaid to insure attendance.

The class will be held on February 27th. We will meet at the market at 2:30 and then make our way to the home which is located on Pulpito a short walk from the market.

Bring an appetite! While the food we prepare will be market based – meaning we will choose what products look the best on that particular day – there is sure to be an Allium Tart (Shallots, Leeks, Garlic and Onion) and some classic French sauces to name but two items.

ABOUT SETH CLOUTMAN

Chef Seth was born in New England and many of his dishes reflect his love of the cuisine of the North East.

At an early age Seth made his way to New York and then to Paris. where he learned his love of food and dining. It was from his mother’s and grandmother’s friends in France that his love of food and dining was refined. It was also there that he took the technical classes to master the core principles of French cuisine.

After returning to New York City he began a catering business and worked in many fine restaurants before moving to the West Coast.

San Francisco saw his introduction to California Cuisine and, in particular, the food of Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley. To this day Seth’s cooking is heavily influenced by Waters’ philosophy of fresh and local products being prepared using classical French technique.

Upon returning to New York City, Seth worked in restaurants until he opened his own first restaurant, Lanesville Kitchen. He then later himself in Australia where he took on the challenge of running a Spanish Tapas kitchen before he opened his own restaurant there featuring French Bistro Fare.

Seth relocated to Puerto Vallarta nearly two years ago where he was the Executive Chef of the hit restaurant, Coconuts Bar & Grill. Today Seth does private chef and catering events solely. He loves Mexico and the foods that are offered here

CONTACT INFORMATION:

• WEBSITE: http://foodbyseth.com/index.htm
• EMAIL: info@cookingbyseth.com
• TEL: 044 322 131 8808

At the end of low season in 2008 when everyone was starving (Sept-hambre…), Robin Spencer of Casa del Angel had an epiphany one lonely night.

“Why not have an organization here in Vallarta, a dining club, for people who live and work here,” She mused, “where tired, hungry, thirsty, discriminating Vallartense can kick back and relax and not have to pay tourista prices for a great meal and companionship?”

So she invited some friends over to her house for a party where everyone chipped in for the cost of the meal and everyone brought their own bottle(s) and everyone helped clean up. Great idea. So Fido Club was born. Anyone can join and the only requirement is that you have to cook a dinner for others at some point. This is a no-profit organization.

FIDO CLUB is a great way to meet people and to see how (other) expats live in Puerto Vallarta.

To this date Fido Club has had almost a dozen dinners and 3 organizational meetings/dinners at a local, relatively unknown restaurant. It has also sponsored a wine tasting of locally available selections.

Sign up and membership are free and open to anyone who lives here in Vallarta at least of Snow-Bird status and who is willing to host a dinner.

¡Vive Vino!

The Vallarta Wine Fest is announcing its second season with Vallarta Wine Fest 2008, scheduled to take place February 26 to March 1, 2008.

More than 17 participating hotels and restaurants have signed up for this new edition. “This festival is an alternative for tourists who plan their vacations on those days, offering culture beyond just sun and beach,” said Wine Fest organizer Nacho Cadena.

Vallarta Wine Fest 2008 will have a special guest country, this year Italy, which will give the Organizing Committee increased support at the cultural level. The goal is to have more cultural events complementing the wine-related activities. For example, a wine-related film series is being planned in cooperation with Puerto Vallarta’s Department of Culture. Two concerts are also planned. The Vallarta Wine Fest organizers are also working on hosting events throughout the entire year. For more information or reservations call 226-4651 or 29-30900.

As one of the objectives of the Festival is to popularize the culture of wine consumption, at the end there will be a big-band dance with music at 9pm on March 1 in Lázaro Cárdenas Park, along with the sale of glasses of wine at a popular price of 15 pesos. “While we want to offer an event that draws attention abroad and to say that Vallarta offers something interesting and beautiful to visitors to the festival in restaurants and cultural events, we also want to enable our people, vallartenses, to enjoy this festival so we are going to have events like the popular character Pachanga opening with Banda music and selling, not beer, but good wine brands, at very affordable prices.” said Ignacio Chain Hotelier and promoter.

PUBLIC TASTING:
March 1 at 9pm in Lázaro Cárdenas Park. Wine 15 pesos, music, etc

MORE INFORMATION:

• Puerto Vallarta Wine Fest 2008 Website
• Program

The Sixth Annual Art and Wine Festival will be held at the Vallarta Yacht Club in Nuevo Vallarta on Sunday, February 17th from 2 to 4 pm.

Local artists, photographers and jewelry makers will display their work, with some pieces offered for sale, co-ordinated by local artist Mary Ladner.

Meanwhile, Mary’s husband, Rob, an alumni of the University of California Winemaking School who conducts tastings at the Silver Mountain Winery in Santa Cruz California, will preside over the Wine Festival. Rob promises some exceptional wines, from tasty bargains to $40 bottles in a unique tasting procedure.

Admission to the event is $100 pesos, which will give each attendee 10 tasting tickets. Wines will vary in “tasting value” from one to six tickets. Favorite wines will also be available for purchase by the glass.

Over 50 different California, Oregon, and Washington state wines will be offered to taste and compare. There will also be some Mexican, Chilean, Spanish, Italian, and other fine wines to sample, all accompanied by gourmet appetizers.

Visit the silent auction tables where you can bid on art, jewelry, fine wines and liquors, and other items. The proceeds from the event go to the Vallarta Yacht Club and are used to support the Junior Sailing program and to promote sailing opportunities for youth in the Banderas Bay area.

For more information, contact Rob or Mary Ladner at (322) 297-1557.
WEBSITE: http://www.vtayc.com/index.php