The Montclair Food & Wine Festival is being this year on June 1st and 2nd, 2013 at the Woman’s Club of Upper Montclair.

Saturday evening, June 1st, guests will gather for the Grand Tasting (tickets, $95), where they will sample culinary offerings from many of the state’s finest establishments, including local favorites like Samba Montclair, The Pie Store, Brick Lane, Next Door and Le Salbuen.  Additionally, an eight-foot raw bar will be provided by Fin. Gary’s Wine & Marketplace (Bernardsville, Madison, Wayne) will be poouring wines from around the world. An exclusive VIP/Prelude Hour (6pm-7pm) will feature the Jazz House Kids Quartet, followed by an evening of music by 3rd Valve Jazz.

Sunday evening, June 2nd, guests will experience a collaborative culinary experience at the Wine Pairing Gala Dinner (tickets, $165).  Chef Mitchell Altholz of Highlawn Pavilion; Chef Zod Arifai of Blu, Next Door and daryl; Chef Michael Carrino of Pig & Prince; Chef Ryan DePersio of Fascino, Bar Cara and NICO Kitchen + Bar; Chef Ariane Duarte of CulinAriane; and Chef Francesco Palmieri of The Orange Squirrel will all join forces on an extraordinary dinner.   Whole Foods Montclair will provide a fresh and fruity Mocktail Bar, and Montclair’s Amanti Vino will be pairing/coordinating the wines. Proprietor Sharon Sevrens will be on hand to offer insight into the wines that were selected. The event will conclude with “Bean to Bean,” when Jodie Dawson from Java Love Coffee Roasters and The Chocolate Path’s Susan Fine pair a trio of origin coffees and chocolates for guests.  Bread for the evening will be donated by Rachel Crampsey of Montclair Bread Company and dipping olive oils will be provided by Olive That! An intimate Jazz House Kids ensemble will play from 6pm-7pm, followed by a performance of the Jazz House Kids Big Band.

The festival has established a scholarship for a local student who exhibits merit and financial need to further their culinary education. The scholarship will be awarded at this year’s annual Montclair High School award ceremony. They will also be donating a portion of proceeds from the event to the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital  Center for Feeding and Swallowing, and to the Partners for Health Foundation. Tickets are available online via Eventbrite.

Montclair Food & Wine Festival on June 1st and 2nd, 2013
at the Woman’s Club of Upper Montclair, 200 Cooper Ave  Montclair, NJ Website

(All events are subject to change. Boozy Burbs is not responsible for incorrect event information. Please contact organizers directly to confirm and RSVP).