Sun Valley Food & Wine Festival premiers June 8-10

(www.GrapeVineTrail.com) - The spectacular resort area of Sun Valley, Idaho, renowned as a world-class skiing and summer destination, is adding one of the hottest travel trends to its list of reasons to visit by launching the inaugural Sun Valley Food & Wine Festival, June 8-10. Set in the stunning Idaho Rockies, the three-day celebration will feature epicurean delights and award-winning libations in a series of seminars, cooking demonstrations, vintner dinners, a farmer’s market, and more.

Designed to be a "a fun and inspiring feast for the palate in an inspired setting," the culinary extravaganza features acclaimed writer Jim Harrison, popular Food Network chef Cat Cora, and other food and wine connoisseurs who will share their expertise with festival participants.

Jim Harrison, one of the country's most beloved writers, will kick off the festival with a keynote address centered around his book, The Raw & the Cooked; Adventures of a Roving Gourmand. The collection of essays was named by Saveur magazine as the best food memoir of all time. The Michigan native is also critically revered for his poetry and fiction, having spun five volumes of novellas, including Legends of the Fall, nine novels, and eight collections of poetry.

Nationally recognized chef Cat Cora, who was recently named Executive Chef for Bon Appetit magazine and often featured on the Food Network, will preside as the festival’s headline guest chef. Other featured chefs include Cory Schreiber from Portland’s well-known Wildwood Restaurant and Katie Chin, specializing in Chinese cooking and featured in Cooking Light Magazine. Local chefs will also demonstrate their skills, displaying the diverse range of menus offered in the Sun Valley area, from cutting-edge "fusion," fine European dining, to home grown Idaho rack-of-lamb.

Along with sampling trend-setting cuisine, festival guests will also be introduced to an array of unique Idaho products, such as organic beef, lamb, salmon, trout, and produce, as well as offerings from the Gem State’s burgeoning wine industry.

The Sun Valley Food & Wine Festival spotlights the legendary resort area as a culinary destination, according to Carrie Westergard, Marketing Director for the Sun Valley Ketchum Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau (SVKCVB).

"Sun Valley is world-renowned for its mountain landscape," explains Westergard. "What many people don't realize is that the quality of dining options here matches the grandeur of the outdoor setting. It's that marriage of the rugged and the refined that makes Sun Valley such a unique destination."

Although many festival events will transpire in elegant indoor quarters, the epicurean emphasis does not dismiss the wild and scenic backdrop of the Idaho Rockies. Visitors can also enjoy river rafting, horseback riding and fly fishing trips offered by local outfitters, some featuring 5-star dining served up in the great outdoors.

Weekend festival passes begin at $250 per person. There will be a limited number of Epicurious VIP passes for $350 that include a VIP reception with Jim Harrison and preferred seating at the seminars.

For more information about the Sun Valley Food & Wine Festival, or to register for events, please call 1-866-305-9897, or visit www.sunvalleyfoodandwinefestival.com.

The Sun Valley Food & Wine Festival is staged jointly by the SVKCVB and the Sun Valley/Ketchum Restaurant Association. Sponsors include: the Idaho Tourism Council, Phinney/Bischoff designhouse, Premier Resorts Sun Valley, Atkinson’s Markets, Distinctive Properties, Idaho Wine Commission, Lava Lake Land and Livestock, Chandler’s Restaurant, Ciro Restaurant, Elkhorn Resort Golf Clubhouse, Felix’s Restaurant, Globus Restaurant, High Country Resort Properties, Iconoclast, Ketchum Grill, The Knob Hill Inn Restaurant, Lift Tower Lodge, Ric Lum’s Buffalo Bites, The Sawtooth Club, Vintage Restaurant and Windy City Arts.