2013 Savannah Food & Wine Festival to Host Celebrity Chef Tour

The inaugural Savannah Food & Wine Festival has announced that it will be hosting the Celebrity Chef Tour, benefiting the James Beard Foundation, on Wednesday, November 13 at The Mansion on Forsyth Park.

The James Beard Foundation’s participating chefs confirmed to date include Hugh Acheson, Chris Hastings and Steven Satterfield. The festival is hoping to confirm two additional chefs in the upcoming weeks.

According to the festival co-founder cum director Jan Gourley, “The festival has been very fortunate to partner with the Celebrity Chef Tour in its inaugural year, which is allowing Savannah to showcase some of the most respected and talented chefs in the country. In addition, many of Savannah’s local chefs and Savannah Technical College culinary program students will have the opportunity to cook and prep with the celebrity chefs.”

There will be several pre-festival events taking place in the months leading up to the festival, which will include wine dinners with local media celebrity amateur chefs competing against local and guest professional chefs and competing sommeliers, the “Savannah’s Chef & Somms Smackdowns”.

The festival highlights include: “Savannah’s Connoisseur Wine Dinners” from November 11 through 17; “Celebrity Chef Tour” on November 13, benefiting the James Beard Foundation and the Savannah Food & Wine Festival, at 700 Drayton at The Mansion on Forsyth Park; “The Grand Reserve Tasting & Silent Auction” on November 14, with special guest winemakers including Rob Mondavi, Jr. and Joe Shirley; and “River Street Wine Stroll” on November 15.