New Jersey Wine & Food Festival starts today

The New Jersey Wine & Food Festival will be held May 3-5 at Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg.

Held for the first time since 2019, the celebration of world renowned and highly regarded local chefs along with prized wines and spirits will be headlined by special guest chef Tom Colicchio, a New Jersey native and multiple James Beard Award winner.

With more than 200 wines, dozens of spirits and more than 30 top restaurants from across the Garden State, the festival offers tastings of unique wines and sophisticated spirits, seminars, dinners and parties, and opportunities to meet participating chefs and winemakers.

It kicks off Friday, May 3, with a Sunset Cabaret at 8 p.m. Tickets are $162.

Saturday, May 4 will feature daytime seminars and tastings and interactive cocktail classes. To see the schedule, go online to njwinefoodfest.com/events-schedule/

At 7 p.m., the Grand Tasting brings together the region’s top culinary talent with VIP Experience chefs, such as David Burke, Jacques Torres, Bryce Sorem and Francesco Palmieri, bringing back his beloved restaurant, the Orange Squirrel, for one night only. Tickets are $187.

A Biosphere After Party at 10 p.m. costs $185.

A Cinco de Mayo brunch at 10 a.m. Sunday will cap off the weekend. Tickets are $65.

To buy tickets, go online to shop.crystalgolfresort.com/collections/12th-annual-new-jersey-wine-food-festival