The Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival returns

Local and national celebrity chefs will descend upon Newport this September 20-22 for the 8th Annual Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival, which will be held at Rosecliff, The Elms and Marble House.

Headlining the Grand Tastings are Alexandra Guarnaschelli, Food Network star and executive chef of Butter Restaurant and The Darby in New York City, and Chef Michel Richard, whose Central Michel Richard in Washington, D.C. won the 2008 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in the United States. The Las Vegas outpost of Central Michel Richard is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and he recently added a Central Michel Richard location at the resort, Revel, in Atlantic City.

Local chefs such as Champe Speidel of Persimmon, Jake Rojas of Newport’s Tallulah on Thames, and Castle Hill Inn’s executive chef, Karsten Hart, will appear along with local authors, including Karen Covey, author of The Coastal Table, a book celebrating the cuisine of the South Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The festival opens with a gala event held at Rosecliff featuring fine wines and ocean views. The Grand Tasting at the Marble House spans two days, and the festival closes with a Collectible Wine Dinner at The Elms, during which guests will taste and learn about an assortment of rare, collectible wines while enjoying a fine dining experience. For those interested in expanding their knowledge of wine, there will be wine seminars held daily, with topics ranging from Wine 101 to Whiskey Camp to Fresh, Aged, and Textured – Italian Cheese UNCENSORED! All wine seminars are $40.

On Saturday night, mingle with the stars of the weekend at the festival’s Newport After Dark Party, held from 9pm-12am at Forty 1° North, where you’ll be able to enjoy wines from Sakonnet Vineyards, appetizers and an assortment of libations, all for $65 per person when purchased in advance, or $85 at the door. 401-847-1000.