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ASPEN, Colo. and NEW YORK, June 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen is celebrating its 36^th annual event this weekend, June 15 – 17, 2018, at 8,000 feet in Aspen, Colorado.  The weekend, which takes place at various locations throughout downtown Aspen, is FOOD & WINE's signature event and brings to life what the editors are obsessed with at this moment. The full schedule of seminars for the three-day event is available online.

This will be the first FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen overseen by Editor-in-Chief Hunter Lewis, and will feature a cooking seminar with his former chef and longtime mentor Jonathan Waxman.

"For three days, we will bring a FOOD & WINE party to our home away from home in the stunning mountains of Colorado," says Lewis. "The most important festival of the year, the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen is truly in a class of its own when it comes to hospitality.  We're thrilled to showcase incredible talent from the food, wine, beer, spirits, and travel industries and share with attendees the best new trends, ingredients, flavors, and techniques—plus a whole lot of high altitude fun."

The weekend includes more than 80 seminars, talks and tastings hosted by Hugh Acheson, Richard Blais, Anne Burrell, Justin Chapple, Rocco DiSpirito, Tyler Florence, Alex Guarnaschelli, Anthony Giglio, Gabrielle Hamilton, Ray Isle, Stephanie Izard, Ludo Lefebvre, Tim Love, Mark Oldman, Jacques and Claudine Pépin, Jordan Salcito, Marcus Samuelsson, Michael Solomonov, Curtis Stone, Ming Tsai, Jonathan Waxman, Dave Wondrich, Geoffrey Zakarian, and Andrew Zimmern.

New additions to the weekend include:

• 30^th Anniversary Best New Chefs dinner on Saturday night on the Top of Aspen Mountain with participating alumni BNCs, including Hugh Acheson, Rick Bayless, Traci DesJardins, Rocco DiSpirito and Stephanie Izard.
• Attendees will have the opportunity to sample dishes from the FOOD & WINE 2018 Restaurants of the Year (to be announced in the May issue) for the first time at a Farewell Feast at the Hotel Jerome. Tickets are still available for $150.
• Last Call, presented by American Express: This exclusive late night party will feature late night Asian BBQ from Aaron Franklin, of Franklin's BBQ and Tyson Cole, of Uchi/Uchiko in Austin, TX.
• The Welcome Reception on Thursday, June 14^th, will feature signature dishes by Bravo Top Chef Colorado winner Joe Flamm, and contestants Joe Sasto and Fatima Ali.
• The expansion of the wine and spirits program with a rye seminar with David Wondrich and a craft beer tasting from Andy Chabot & Roy Milner of Blackberry Farm.

Additional highlights of the weekend include:

• 80+ cooking, wine and cocktail seminars on topics trending in the culinary world, including: "Lessons from a Grandfather" with Jacques & Claudine Pépin, "#NoFilter: Truly Tasty and Perfectly Plated" with Richard Blais, Mark Oldman on "Wines for Gazillionaires", "Healthy & Delicious" recipes with Rocco Dispirito, Ludo Lefebvre on "Beurre, Beurre, Beurre!," "Peanut Butter & Jammin' Wines" with Josh Wesson, and "In the Kitchen with the winner of Top Chef Colorado" with winner Joe Flamm.
• The famed Grand Tasting Pavilion, an unparalleled epicurean adventure with nearly 200 brands.
• The 29^th annual American Express Restaurant Trade Program, which combines the best and brightest minds in the business on industry challenges.
• 2018 FOOD & WINE Best New Chefs tastings in the Grand Tasting Pavilion.
• Celebrity Chef Charity 5K race along the Rio Grande River benefiting Wholesome Wave.

Tickets for the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen started at $1,600. The FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen proudly supports Grow for Good, benefiting Wholesome Wave Foundation, through ticket sales and additional events like the Celebrity Chef Charity 5K. Grow for Good, in its 11^th year, is FOOD & WINE's national initiative dedicated to supporting local farms and encouraging sustainable agriculture.

2018 FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen sponsors include: American Express, Beef. It's What's For Dinner, Blue Moon, Delta Faucets, KitchenAid, Lexus, Patrón Tequila, S. Pellegrino/Acqua Panna, and Wines from Spain.

Follow the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen on Facebook or #fwclassic for more on the weekend.

About FOOD & WINE
FOOD & WINE is the ultimate authority on the best of what's new in food, drink, travel, design and entertaining. FOOD & WINE has an extensive social media following on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and Snapchat. FOOD & WINE includes a monthly magazine in print and digital; a website, foodandwine.com; a books division; plus newsletters, clubs, events, dinnerware, and cookware. At Food & Wine, we inspire and empower our wine and food obsessed community to eat, drink, entertain, and travel better—every day and everywhere.

­­­­About the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen
The FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen is the epicurean brand's signature event, bringing together the world's foremost authorities on wine and food at over 80 cooking demonstrations and wine seminars.  In addition, over 200 wines and luxury lifestyle brands gather together in the Grand Tasting Pavilion, the epicenter of the event, to feature and sample their newest products.  Simultaneously, American Express will host its 29^th annual Restaurant Trade Program, a unique educational and networking event developed for the professionals who shape the world of hospitality.  With planning a year in advance, FOOD & WINE identifies the hottest culinary talent and trends and uses its industry connections to bring an all-star line-up and program to the FOOD & WINE Classic every year. 

SOURCE FOOD & WINE