Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival: A world-class event

The next annual Cancun-Riviera Maya Food & Wine Festival will take place March 13-16, 2014. The theme of the event, which will be honoring Chef Daniel Boulud this year, is Europe Meets the Americas.

One of the most revered French chefs in America, Boulud is best known for his three Michelin-star Relais & Châteaux restaurant, DANIEL in New York City, and for his avid support of Citymeals-on-Wheels and the Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation.

Now in its third year, the Festival has earned a reputation for attracting some of the best culinary talent from Mexico, the Americas, and around the world. Over the course of four days, the event will include wine and mezcal tastings, cooking demos, celebrity chef challenges, special dinners and a gourmet tasting village that showcases the new generation of talented Mexican chefs and sommeliers. Many of these chefs trained in the U.S. or in Europe (especially Spain) and have returned to Mexico to apply new knowledge and technologies to ingredients and recipes that were originally prepared by their grandmothers.

One thing that differentiates this food festival from many others is that the organizers cap the number of participants. Food aficionados will be able to meet and interact face-to-face with world-class chefs and sommeliers at each of the 25 scheduled events that take place at some of the luxury hotels and resorts in the area.

The Cancun-Riviera Maya region is known for its beautiful white sand beaches, aquamarine waters, easy airport access, and large number of properties at different price points. The wine-themed hotel Secrets The Vine Cancun, the official host hotel for the festival, has created four promotional packages (starting at $1689 for three nights in a deluxe ocean view room for two) with discount rates that include access to the Festival Tasting Village, special events and wine tastings.

Two other properties, Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Cancun Resort & Spa (starting at $399 per night) for a double, and the new Nizuc Resort & Spa (also starting at $399 per night) are also among the festival sponsors.

OUR PHOTO GALLERY OF LAST YEAR’S CANCUN RIVIERA-MAYA FOOD FESTIVAL 

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This post is part of a blog linkup with Marcia Maynes’ Inside Journeys.