"It is always a great pleasure to be back in Newport. For me, it is like going to Versailles by the sea," said Chef Pépin.
The 7th annual Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival begins Friday, September 21 and runs through Sunday, September 23, featuring more than 100 of the world's finest vintners and some of the region's finest restaurants and caterers. Sponsored by FOOD & WINE magazine, the Festival takes place in one of America's most picturesque settings-the historic Newport Mansions, Rosecliff and Marble House, in the seaside resort of Newport, Rhode Island.
Highlights of the Festival include a two-day Grand Tasting, the Wine & Rosecliff gala, wine and food seminars, free cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, book signings, auctions, and exclusive dining opportunities.
Chef Pépin and Claudine will host a cooking demonstration during the Saturday afternoon Grand Tasting at Marble House, and the chef will also appear for a book signing the same day. His most recent book, Essential Pepin, was released last fall simultaneously with the debut of his new PBS-TV series.
"We are so honored that Chef Pépin is returning to the Festival," said Preservation Society CEO & Executive Director Trudy Coxe. "He is a legend in the culinary world, and he brings with him his own special brand of elegance, warmth and humor. And we're especially pleased that this time he's also bringing with him his daughter Claudine."
A chef, cookbook author and cooking teacher, Jacques Pépin has published 26 books and hosted 11 acclaimed public television cooking series. He is a founder of the American Institute of Wine and Food, and a member of the International Association of Cooking Professionals. He is a contributing editor to FOOD & WINE magazine, and regularly participates in the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen as well as at other culinary festivals and fund-raising events worldwide. He and his wife currently reside in Connecticut.
Claudine Pépin has appeared with her father in three of his television programs, and also has had numerous television appearances of her own. She also participates in various food and wine events around the country. She and her husband Rollie, a faculty member at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, have recently relocated to Rhode Island from Colorado.
The Presenting Sponsor of the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival is Food & Wine magazine. Additional sponsors include National Trust Insurance Services, Wines of Vinho Verde, Stella Artois, Alex & Ani, Dasani, and Yankee magazine.
All proceeds from the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival benefit The Preservation Society of Newport County, a non-profit organization accredited by the American Association of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area's historic architecture, landscapes and decorative arts. Its 11 historic properties-seven of them National Historic Landmarks-span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.
Tickets to this remarkable weekend of fine wine and food are on sale now. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.NewportMansionsWineandFood.org, or call (401) 847-1000.