New Orleans Wine & Food Experience Is Coming Back This June
COVID-19 really changed the way New Orleans put on their events last year. In fact, many events were postponed or cancelled due to the pandemic. The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (NOWFE) although was postponed, Aimee Brown, NOWFE executive director said they found different ways to bring back some of its features, including wine dinners at restaurants and a seated wine tasting.
The NOWFE has been held around Memorial Day weekend each year but this has not been the case for the past few years. The festival is in talks about changing the event to June permanently. Since the festival has been moved from around Memorial Day there has been a spike in participation from wineries.
This year the five-day event will be held June 9 – 13, 2021 with a twist. This year the festival will feature seminars and specialty food and drink experiences without the Royal Street Stroll. Patrons will still be able to experience the Grand Tastings and the higher-end Vinola tasting; the Tournament of Rosés, a rosé themed tasting; and the Burlesque, Bubbly & Brunch event. Tickets will be limited this year and sold with occupancy rules at each venue.
Events such as the Grand Tastings and Vinola which are usually “walk-around” events will be held in smaller groups with staggered starting times. This is the current plan however this could change due to a change in protocols at the time of the event.
“We know this is a fluid situation, we want to keep as much of the traditional NOWFE events that we can offer safely and we’re working with all partners to make sure we can do that,” Brown said.
“We’ve done more than 45 events with restaurants and hotels in the past year and we’ve learned a lot from them,” she said. “They know how to do these things safely that’s why they’re great partners.”