NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (NOWFE) announces its 2023 Labs & Experiences Series as part of its 31st annual event set for June 7 – 11. Throughout the extended 5-day event, NOWFE will present more than a dozen wine and food labs and unique, hands-on experiences. NOWFE will also host its Wine Dinners, Vinola, Grand Tasting, Tournament of Rosés, and Burlesque, Bubbly & Brunch.
“We are excited to share an eclectic variety of labs and experiences this year,” said Aimee Brown, NOWFE’s Executive Director. “We have worked exceptionally hard to bring innovative and remarkable wineries and chefs together for a world-class event.”
2023 Labs & Experiences:
All labs will take place at The New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI), 725 Howard Avenue.
Friday, June 9, 10 – 11 am
LAB: Bubble Up Challenge
Begin the Bubble Up Challenge by blind tasting six sparkling wines, then try to line those wines up from least expensive to most expensive. In this fun and exciting mystery tasting, everyone gets in on the action and puts their palate to the test sipping and sampling a local luxury: caviar. At the end, your host will walk through the reveal and explain why some Champagnes and sparkling wines cost ten times more than others.
Friday, June 9, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm
LAB: Family Forward: Limited Production Sonoma Wines
Finding small, unique, and family-owned wineries is part of the fun of drinking wine. We are pleased to present three such wineries featuring limited-production Sonoma Wines: Flambeaux Wine, Linked Vineyards, and Aldina Vineyards. The winemakers’ passion for creating these wines shines through, and we invite you to sip their wine and discover what they love about winemaking.
Friday, June 9, 12:30 – 1:30 pm
LAB: Taking it to New Heights: High Elevation Wines from Argentina
Have you ever explored the world of high-elevation wines? Adriana Gomez, Sommelier and Brand Ambassador at Luca & La Posta Wines, will take you to new heights as we set out on an amazing Andes adventure through wine! Join us for a crash course in how Argentina’s vast and diverse terrain produces some of the highest quality and least expected wines. We will journey up to the 5,000 ft peaks of Mendoza for some of the most elegant, old vine offerings these regions have to offer, stopping at more destinations along the way! Let us transport you to the Southern Hemisphere with every sip.
Friday, June 9, 1:45 – 2:45 pm
LAB: Silver Oak: A Heritage of American Oak Cooperage
Are you curious how wines are impacted by the barrel they are produced in? Join Silver Oak Napa Valley Winemaker Laura Oskwarek for an hour session on American oak. This hands-on session will guide you through the different types of barrel toasting and seasoning. As you taste through the wines, you will experience firsthand how oak barrels impart flavors into the wines. In addition, you’ll learn more about The Oak, Silver Oak’s cooperage in Higbee, Missouri. As the first winery in Northern America to own its own cooperage, you’ll capture this knowledge straight from the source.
Friday, June 9, 2 – 4 pm, Josephine Estelle, 600 Carondelet Street
EXPERIENCE: Hand-Rolled Pasta Making Class & Sauce Specific Italian Wine Pairing
There’s nothing better than fresh pasta! During this hands-on class, guests will be introduced to the step-by-step technique of handmade fettuccine noodles by Josephine Estelle’s head pasta guru. Following the class, guests will be treated to fresh fettuccine ribbons served with a trio of sauces from the Josephine Estelle Kitchen: Cacio e Pepe, Bognese, and Amatriciana, and then learn how each sauce pairs perfectly with Italian wine varietals.
Friday, June 9, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m., Picnic Provisions & Whiskey, 741 State St.
EXPERIENCE: Old-Fashioned Cocktail MasterClass with Picnic Provisions Pairings
An Old-Fashioned Cocktail MasterClass led by El Guapo CEO Christa Cotton. This hands-on demo will teach attendees how to make a Classic Old-Fashioned and a Smoked Sweet Potato Old-Fashioned, including details regarding whiskey, bitters, and syrups. A Family-Style Picnic to pair with the cocktails will follow, featuring Picnic’s Craveable Crawfish Boil Fried Chicken and other tasty treats with special guests to give insight into the inspiration of the dishes on the menu.
Friday, June 9, 3 – 5 p.m., Alto at the Ace Hotel, 600 Carondelet St.
EXPERIENCE: Rooftop Oasis: Pool Party with Veuve Clicquot at Alto
Bask in the sun and make a splash at the Ace Hotel’s Rooftop Pool while sipping Veuve Clicquot, enjoying poolside light bites as a DJ spins your favorite tunes to get the party started.
Saturday, June 10, 10 – 11 a.m.
LAB: Taste the Terroir: An AVA Exploration of La Crema Wines
Explore four unique AVAs through the lens of a singular winery with Craig McAllister, Head Winemaker at La Crema, and Mollie Battenhouse, Master of Wine and National Director of Wine Education at Jackson Family Wines. Travel the Pacific Coast from Monterey to Willamette Valley while discovering the nuances of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from these distinctive places.
Saturday, June 10, 11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., The Southern Food & Beverage Museum (SoFAB), 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
EXPERIENCE: Ethereal Afternoon: Cake Decorating with Edible Flowers
led by Bronwen Wyatt of Bayou Saint Cake
Join us at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum with Pastry Chef Bronwen Wyatt of Bayou Saint Cake. Participants will each receive a seasonal 6″ buttercream cake to decorate with a range of locally-grown edible flowers (wheat-free options available upon request). Bronwen is known for her whimsical layer cakes garnished with edible flowers and is constantly inspired by the Louisiana seasons, using local produce to create inventive, contemporary sweets. Wines will be paired by Dave Ready Jr., Winemaker at Murphy-Goode.
Saturday, June 10, 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
LAB: Let’s Get Vertical: The Impact of Weather on Wine with Jackson Family Wines and Meteorologist Hank Allen
Wind, rain, sleet, or snow– weather never stops! Join Mollie Battenhouse, Master of Wine and National Director of Wine Education at Jackson Family Wines, for a Vertical Tasting to discuss how the fluctuation of daily weather and yearly climate affect what you love to drink. Hank Allen, Local Chief Meteorologist at WGNO-TV 26 and Founder of the Sports and Spirits Podcast, will give insight into weather patterns in the growing regions that might underscore the effects on each vintage in the vertical tasting.
Saturday, June 10, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Reginelli’s Pizzeria, 930 Poydras St.
EXPERIENCE: Italian Fare with New Orleans Flair: Interactive Pizza Making Class & Wine Pairing at Reginelli’s Pizzeria
Try your hand at tossing freshly made dough, craft your own pizza, then take a seat and enjoy a trio of signature appetizers as you await your masterpiece from the pizza oven. Your meal will be paired with Reginelli’s Pizzeria Private Label Reserve Wines and capped off by their famous Bread Pudding Cup with Salted Caramel Drizzle. Mangia!
Saturday, June 10, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
LAB: Native Strangers: Old World Grapes as New World Expatriates with Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein
Explore the grape diaspora as we look at how varieties show from their native countries and exporting regions. This session, led by Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein, will allow participants to take a comparative look at four classic grapes with examples from their indigenous homes and those produced in other nations.
Saturday, June 10, 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
LAB: Journey to Japan and Beyond: An Exploration of Sake’s Past, Present, and Future
Although the production of sake dates back to 600 BC, Sake Samurai Monica Samuels will argue that this dynamic beverage is “just getting started.” Join Monica for a premium degustation of sakes that run the gamut from ultra-luxury sake breweries that have been continuously brewing since the 1500s to sake made in Paris by Japanese envelope-pushing renegade brewers. To complete the experience, she’ll pair the sakes with local delicacies from each region. You’ll never look at this category the same way again – and you might start booking that bucket list Japan trip before the seminar is over!
