Celebrity Chefs Robert McGrath , Grady Spears, David Garrido and Scott Cohen headline The San Antonio New World Wine and Food Festival November 2 - November 4, 2001 May we suggest you bring extra thread and buttons? With all the delicious cuisine and delectable wines you will find in San Antonio this fall, a little overindulgence is inevitable. This November, San Antonio will once again celebrate two of its favorite things, food and wine, with the unique flair and finesse for which the city is famous. Unique, too, is the focus of the festivities. The San Antonio New World Wine and Food Festival is dedicated to exploring and promoting the wines and cuisines of all the Americas, and this year's edition will both showcase today's Texas and delve further into the regional cuisines of Mexico--from its sun-drenched coasts to its heartland plains and valleys. Traditional foods of the Mexican coasts will find a special place on the festival's menu, but tantalizing Nuevo Latino accents won't be ignored as some of the world's most celebrated chefs join forces to present exciting new flavors in several venues around town. Outstanding wines of Texas, California, Argentina, Chile, Spain and Mexico will also receive special attention--from renowned experts and novices alike--at luncheons, dinners, special tastings and seminars. Featured wines at the festival will include exclusive bottlings from Concha y Toro, Castello Banfi, the Chalone Wine Estates, Montecillo and Carmen. Complementing a weekend of outstanding wine and cuisine are some of the top winemakers in the country. Participating in events throughout the festival are special guests Rafael Guilisasti Gana, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vina Concha y Toro, Chile's premier wine producer; James Mariani, Executive Vice President - Sales & Marketing of Banfi Vintners, America’s leading wine importer; and Scott Woodward, Sales Director-Mountain, Midwest, Southeast Regions for the Chalone Wine Estates.This non-profit event benefits the San Antonio Public Library Foundation and the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Foundation. Preceding the San Antonio New World Wine and Food Festival, Blue Star Art Space's Arts and Eats gala on October 25 and the Fredericksburg Wine Festival, October 26-27, help set the stage for a wonderful week of wine and food in San Antonio and the surrounding Hill Country. To conclude your weekend, enjoy La Mansión del Rio Hotel's Dia de los Muertos Brunch on Sunday, November 4. Contact the hotel's concierge at 210-518-1000 to make reservations. Friday, November 2 Increase your cultural I.Q. by inquiring about tours of the various Dia de los Muertos altars that grace the city this weekend only. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican celebration with both pre-Hispanic and early-Christian roots, recognizing the yearly return to earth of departed souls. The altars, which have become a cultural phenomenon in San Antonio in the last decade, pay eloquent testimony to remembered relatives and friends through the display of their favorite foods, drinks, hobbies and even vices in elaborately decorated settings. Museums, schools, stores and individuals all erect the ephemeral altars, and the concierge at La Mansión del Rio will be delighted to supply you with an itinerary. 11pm A vertical tasting of "Don Melchor" Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in Las Canarias restaurant at La Mansión del Rio Hotel. $40.00 12pm Lunch at a Hill Country winery:                                                               Becker Vineyards (in conjunction with Spicewood Vineyards, Grape Creek Vineyards and Sister Creek Vineyards): Take a hayride past the lavender fields to the vineyard, where you will taste wines grown from the grapes in this emerging viticultural region. An alfresco lunch follows, prepared by a team of critically acclaimed area chefs, including Steve Howard of Buffalo River Cuisine in Fredericksburg, Sander Edmundson of Bistro Time in San Antonio, and Rebecca Rather of Rather Sweet in Fredericksburg. $35 3:30pm Tequila tasting at Mi Tierra:  We'll taste from two producers, Chinaco and El Tesoro del Felipe, in a version of a wine-tasting vertical-in this case from the youngest, or silver, through reposado to anejo. $40.00 3:30pm The Port Experience at La Mansión del Rio Hotel:                                     This tasting will feature Taylor Fladgate and Fonseca Ports. Adrian Bridge will moderate the tasting showcasing vintage character LBV, Tawny, Single Quintas, and vintage ports. $40.00 7:30pm HemisFare 2001:                                                                                      A gastronomic adventure featuring Mexican Coastal foods and wines of the Americas, presented in a festive, marketplace setting at San Antonio's "enchilada red" public library. Mingle with New World wine experts and the foremost authorities on Latin cuisine as you sample the creations of visiting chefs from Mexico City's El Bajio, Ensenada's La Manzanilla, Manhattan's Zarela's and new restaurant Danzon, and Austin's Fonda San Miguel, among others--all bolstered by local luminaries such as Beto's, Boudros, Rosario's, Paloma Blanca, Taco Inn, Lux Bakery and Los Barrios. The San Antonio Street Dance and Drum Company provides entertainment with a Latin beat, amplifying the evening's flavor. This evening coincides with the lively, traditional Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The holiday remembers and honors those who have passed away. And while it is similar to the Western observance of All Soul's Day, Dia de los Muertos is carried out with a deeper sense of local flair. The setting for this event complements the holiday. Participating chefs will sell and sign their latest tomes during the event, and a Collector's Wine Auction, featuring the finest of local cellars, will debut at 9pm. $75 Saturday, November 3 10am Cooking School at Central Market featuring restaurateur and cookbook author (Food From My Heart,  The Food and Life of Oaxaca) Zarela Martinez. $35  10am Wine Seminar on New World Wines. $35.00 11pm A vertical tasting of "Don Melchor" Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon in Las Canarias restaurant at La Mansión  del Rio Hotel. $40.00 12:30pm Arrive by river barge to winemaker's lunches at Le Revê, Zuni Grill, Fig Tree, Zinc Champagne  and Wine Bar, and Biga along the River Walk. $40 2pm Cooking School at Central Market featuring Oaxaca-based chef/educator Susana Trilling. $35  3pm Riedel Glass Comparison Tasting at Ruth's Chris Steak House at Sunset Station. The finest wine glasses in the world are made by Riedel. Experience how the shape of the glass affects the nose and taste of your favorite wines. You will taste four different wines -- Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon -- in four differently shaped Riedel glasses, which will be yours to take home (a $95 value). Presented by George Muller, Flemington Glassware, Flemington, New Jersey. Limited to 60 participants. $80  6:30pm Texas in Tuxes: A celebration of the season and its bounty as interpreted by the stars of today's Texas cooking. Noteworthy, New World wines and notable winemakers, including special guest Rafael Guilisasti Gana, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vina Concha y Toro, Chile's premier wine producer, will enliven this elegant evening. Our chef hosts include San Antonio's Mark Bliss (Silo), Scott Cohen and Mark Chapman (Las Canarias), Andrew Weissman (Le Rêve), and Bruce Auden and Kathrine Tuason (Biga on the Banks), ably abetted by celebrity guests such as Robert McGrath, Grady Spears, Richard Chamberlain and David Garrido, who recently opened a branch of his Austin restaurant, Jeffrey's, in Washington D.C. A silent auction featuring wines, among other enticements, will precede the dinner; Texas tunes will accompany it. $150 Sunday, November 4 10:30am-2pm Dia de los Muertos Brunch at La Mansión del Rio Hotel: Anyone familiar with the customs of Dia de los Muertos knows that food is a big part of the celebration. This holiday brunch at La Mansión del Rio Hotel is no exception. A spectacular array of delicacies and traditional sweets is complemented by a special  altar honoring the students and teachers of St. Mary's School for Boys, the original buildings of which the hotel now occupies. Call the hotel concierge at 210-518-1000 to make reservations. 12pm-4pm Sunset Station Sunday - Savor the Flavors of Texas: As big as all outdoors, this new event debuts in the evocative environment of a recently restored, Mission-Style train depot, now the center of an entertainment venue helping to re-energize the surrounding, historic St. Paul Square district. Sample Texas' finest foods, from Gulf oysters to goat cheeses, while sipping New World wines and Texas craft beers and tapping your toes to trail-rider rhythms. Cooking demonstrations, one of which is Oaxacan foods by chef/educator Susana Trilling, and seminars will complement the day. $35 To purchase tickets for any of the events or for information, call 210-518-1155. Or visit our Web site at www.lamansion.com. Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. 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