ilani Wine & Food Festival

The ilani Wine & Food Festival is back with celebrity chef demonstrations, specialty tastings and so much more. From Sept. 20 to 22, sip and sample your way through daily events, including the weekend’s signature festivity, the Grand Tasting. This wine lovers’ weekend is a must-attend event you won’t want to miss.

Tickets for all ilani Wine & Food Festival events are on sale now at ilaniresort.com.

The Events
On Friday, Sept. 20, the Celebrity Chef Dine-Around begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Cowlitz Ballroom. Enjoy the sights and sounds as your favorite celebrity chefs reimagine their most famous dishes. Indulge in mouthwatering samples and drink pairings in an intimate dine-around setting. Tickets to this event are $110 per person and are available at ilaniresort.com.

The Grand Tasting begins on Saturday, Sept. 21, with Session 1 from noon to 4:00 p.m. and Session 2 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. A third Grand Tasting will take place on Sunday, Sept. 22, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. All Grand Tastings will take place on the ilani garage rooftop. At the Grand Tasting, guests can sample from hundreds of wines, beers and spirits. The celebrity chefs will take center stage, performing live cooking demonstrations. Guests are also invited to purchase signature dishes from local restaurants featured throughout the festival. Tickets to each of the Saturday sessions are $59 per person, while tickets to the Sunday session are $49 per person. Tickets are available at ilaniresort.com.

The Vintage Elite Cru takes place on Saturday from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. on ilani’s garage rooftop. This event gives guests the opportunity to sample the best of the best vintages from the region. Tickets are $65 per person and can be purchased at ilaniresort.com.

The Chefs
We’re thrilled to announce an extraordinary lineup of culinary talent, headlined by renowned chefs Maneet Chauhan, Marcus Samuelsson, Damaris Phillips and Eric Adjepong.

Chauhan is an award-winning chef, author, television personality and founding partner and president of Morph Hospitality Group in Nashville, Tennessee. The recipient of the 2012 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award for her role as a permanent judge on Food Network’s “Chopped,” Chauhan has elevated Nashville’s culinary landscape with Chauhan Ale & Masala House, Tansuo, The Mockingbird, and Chaatable.

Samuelsson is an award-winning chef, restaurateur and author. He was the youngest person to receive a three-star review from the New York Times and was the guest chef for the Obama administration’s first state dinner. The eight-time James Beard Foundation Award winner is the chef behind many restaurants worldwide, including Red Rooster in Harlem, New York City and Overtown, Miami; Hav & Mar in Chelsea, New York City; Metropolis at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York City; Marcus Bar & Grille in Atlanta and its Live! flagship at American Dream in New Jersey; and several MARCUS locations, including in the Bahamas, Montreal and, most recently, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Phillips is a celebrity chef and Food Network host known for her modern twists on Southern and classic comfort foods. Currently, she is the host of “Outrageous Pumpkins” and a cast member of “Summer Baking Championship.” In 2019 Phillips co-founded Bluegrass Supper Club, a designer picnic company that celebrates Kentucky farmers, harvests and culture.

Adjepong is the co-founder of Pinch & Plate in Washington, D.C. A finalist on Bravo’s “Top Chef” Season 16, Adjepong is passionate about introducing diners to West African cuisine and the impact the West African diaspora has had on South American, Latin American, Caribbean and American food.

Joining Chauhan, Samuelsson, Phillips and Adjepong are Rocco DiSpirito, Aarti Sequeira and Adrianne Calvo, with more chefs being announced daily. Jaymee Sire and Brian Duffy will host the weekend’s events.

Fee: $10 - $110