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Interesting that no one has started a thread on the NOWFE, but here goes.

Went to the Saturday grand tasting session and I have mixed evaluations.

The wine is only so-so from most vintners. Pretty much low-mid end stuff. I guess if you smooz them enough, you could pry some under the table bottles out, but I didn't have the inclination to work that hard. There were a couple of choice selections out there. Alexander Valley was pouring Cyprus that was very good. There was a new Australian label that had some excellent Shiraz.

The food was the star of the show in my view. Mr. B's crab cakes were large and excellent. I can't remember who had them, but someone was serving a grilled snapper that was very good. Disappointing was Galatoires and Bayona that had closed up shop by 3:00, an hour before end of the show.

Not a complaint, but seemed as though there were a significant number of twenty-somethings that seemed to have the sole intent of seeing how much they could drink. To each their own "experience" I guess.

Overall a pretty good experience; however, I think next year I will focus on the wine dinners in lieu of the grand tastings.

Ummm....

http://www.nolaeats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1717

Don't feel bad for not seeing it, I had to dig all the way to Page 2 to find it!
;-)

Being resurrected from the almost dead, I reply:

I totally agree with Backstrap on the wines and the food. I can say that it was by far the best food offerings I have seen in many, many years of NOWFE. And possibly more vendors, too. I also agree that the grilled wild snapper or redfish (can't remember) was my pick as the champ. It was by 5 fifty 5, the winner of the culinary competition. But, there were many, many good offerings...the shrimp and grits from Delgado were great, as was the crawfish maison from Galatoire's, crawfish cakes from Chateau Bourbon, lobster bisque from Shula's, and corn and crab bisque from Acme. Guess what? With all this food, I drank about 80% white wines and I am normally a red wine person. But, I still had some good reds. Best were the Cornerstone Cab and the Egglehoff Cab. I am thinking the Australian mentioned might have been the Ellerton Command Vineyard, one of the most expensive wines on site. I had numerous good Chardonnays and I am really not a Chard person. Also, possibly my favorite, although not with the food, was the first time release of Egglehoff Riesling, which the winemaker/owner called "poolside lemonade"...appropriately so.
I was fortunate to make both grand tastings as the only events, but well worth it!