Come hungry and thirsty, leave sated and smiling at the third annual Food and Wine Festival
Go for the food, stay for the wine. Or vice versa. There’s plenty of both at the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s third annual FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL, Friday, Feb. 7-9.
Start the weekend with a twilight tasting, 6-10 pm on Friday inside the resort’s convention center ($69). Sample from gourmet small plates, listen to live music and share the bounty of such wineries as Barrister, Bontzu Cellars, Goose Ridge, J. Lohr, L’Ecole, Maryhill and Seven Hills ($69).
Or ride the elevator up to Beverly’s and enjoy a three-hour, oh-so-elegant wine pairing dinner — only 50 tickets available — prepared by Beverly’s award-winning executive chef, Jim Barrett ($225).
Saturday gives you many, many options. Take a wine pairing class with the actual winemaker, who will share their suggestions for the perfect pairing and all the details on how they make their amazing wine ($35). Classes are Saturday, 10-11 am and 11:30 am-12:30 pm.
Lunch on Saturday is lakeside with two options, both 1-3 pm ($69). Cedars has teamed up with local Coeur d’Alene fave, Coeur d’Alene Cellars to bring you a wine-paired lunch while Beverly’s is joined by Barrister Winery from Spokane. What a great opportunity to hear from both the winemakers and the culinary team.
Saturday evening is going to be a tough choice. Do you head to the Hagadone Event Center — gorgeous views all year long — for the Lakeside Dinner Experience? It’s a combination cruise, cocktail hour, live entertainment and a fabulous dinner amongst wine-tasting tables representing Forgeron, J. Lohr and Sheridan Vineyard ($125). Or do you head to the seventh floor — all the lake glitters below you before your eyes — where Beverly’s welcomes you and an intimate group of other wine-and-food enthusiasts to enjoy a memorable wine dinner featuring the incomparable L’Ecole ($125)? 
Sunday the festivities come to a close with a three-hour grand tasting with up to a dozen wineries, including Seven Hills, Thurston Wolfe, Palencia, Camas Prairie and Reininger, as well as chef demonstrations from such culinary celebrities as Bravo TV’s Top Chef, Chad White and Ricky Webster, winner of Hallmark Channel’s Christmas Cookie Matchup. ($52).
And if you follow food, you know that Isabel Laessig is a star in the blogosphere with her heartwarming Family Foodie blog and most recent push to resurrect the traditional Sunday supper. Check the resort website for details and where and how to hear Laessig speak.
Also, look for great overnight packages on cdaresort.com for both Friday night’s twilight tasting (starting at $269) or Saturday’s Lakeside Dinner Experience ($369).
Special Events
The Marvelous Wonderettes
JANUARY 24-26
This smash off-Broadway hit presented by CDA Summer Theatre takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom where we meet Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! Tickets $60 and include dinner and dessert; 7 pm, North Idaho College Schuler Performing Arts Center.
Coeur d’Alene Symphony
JANUARY 24-25
Maestro Jan Pellant and the Coeur d’Alene Symphony present the wonderful children’s story of Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev, narrated by Stephen Shortridge, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. $20 adults, $15 senior, $10 youth; Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 2 pm; pre-concert lecture begins 45 minutes prior to each performance.
Hot Winter Nights
Through FEBRUARY
Bask in the frosted views of a wintery Lake Coeur d’Alene, surrounded by radiant white twinkle lights and toasty warming fires when the Coeur d’Alene Resort turns its outdoor infinity pool into a giant hot tub. Warming tent access and winter-themed cocktails add to the amenities. Overnight packages start at $199.
