12th Annual St. Louis Food & Wine Experience Comes to the Chase Park Plaza This Weekend

The Twelfth Annual St. Louis Food & Wine Experience, presented by Schnucks, the region's largest international wine tasting and a delicious journey through the sensual pleasures of wine and fine foods, transforms the elegant Chase Park Plaza Hotel, 212 N. Kingshighway, St. Louis, into a spectacular culinary crossroads this weekend, January 24-26, 2014.

The St. Louis Food & Wine Experience is presented by Schnuck Markets Inc. with major sponsorship from US Bank. Supporters include Coldwell Banker Gundaker, Ernst & Young, Missouri Wine and Grape Board, The Daniel and Henry Company, Moet & Chandon, Robert Rothschild Farm, KeHe Distributors, FEAST Magazine, and Fiji Water. The Chase Park Plaza is the host hotel of the St. Louis Food & Wine Experience.

VIP Reserve Room and General Admission show hours are Saturday, January 25 from 12 noon-5 pm, and Sunday, January 26 from 12 noon-5 pm and located in the Khorassan and Lindell Ballrooms.

For more information about The St. Louis Food & Wine Experience (including parking information) or to purchase advance tickets, call The Rep at (314) 968-4925 or visit http://www.repstl.org. General admission tickets and VIP admission tickets are also available at the Service Desk of select local Schnucks stores.

Food & Wine guests enjoy amazing discounts on case-orders placed with Schnucks at the event. Complete pouring lists for the Main Floor, VIP Reserve Room and Premier Tasting events are available at http://www.repstl.org.

New in 2014 is the free St. Louis Food & Wine Experience mobile app available for download and presented by Missouri Wines. Attendees can navigate the St. Louis Food & Wine Experience like never before. To access, download the CrowdCompass app in your mobile device's app store. Search for "food and wine" to find the St. Louis Food and Wine Experience event. Then, enjoy exploring searchable wine lists and interactive (pinch & tap to zoom) maps of the event spaces!

This year, Schnuck Markets Inc. is celebrating 75 years of proudly serving customers a unique combination of quality food, variety and value. A Taste of Schnucks themed area just off the General Admission tasting room will feature some of their most popular specialty items along with more fabulous wine pairings.

One-Day VIP Reserve Room Admission for Saturday or Sunday is $95 per person in advance and $100 at the door. A ticket includes a Riedel wine glass, access to critically acclaimed wines in the VIP Reserve Roon and general admission access to the Main Floor.

One-Day General Admission for Saturday or Sunday is $50 per person in advances and $60 at the door. Sunday only admission is $40 in advance and $60 at the door. Each guest will receive a commemorative wine glass and valet wine plate.

A special designated driver admission will be offered at the door only for $25.

Friday, January 24, 2014 will feature The Premier Tasting. The Premier Tasting, the ultimate wine tasting experience, begins with a Moet & Chandon Champagne greeting, and includes a dazzling array of wines not available at any other point in the Food & Wine Experience. Patrons will have the opportunity to taste more than 220 hard-to-find wines including library wines, special magnums and vertical tastings. A sumptuous gourmet menu will be served, and guests will enjoy an exciting live auction of trips, special experiences, and rare vintages.

Admission to The Premier Tasting PLUS One-Day VIP Reserve Room Admission is $250 per person in advance.
Admission includes a Riedel wine glass, admission to The Premier Tasting, and one-day VIP Reserve Room admission to be used on your choice of either January 25 or 26, 2014. Admission to The Premier Tasting Only is $195 per person in advance. Admission includes a Riedel wine glass and admission to The Premier Tasting on Friday, January 24. It DOES NOT include admission to The St. Louis Food & Wine Experience.

New for 2014 is the Grand Cru Patron. Admission is $1,000 in advance and serves two. Grand Cru Patrons will be paired with a Schnucks Certified Specialist of Wine and granted private access to the Premier Tasting from 6 - 7 pm for a personal wine consultation. This is an amazing opportunity to expand a collection, talk one-on-one with wine vendors before the crowds and be the first to taste and buy the most exclusive selections.
Admission includes two tickets to The Premier Tasting (with Riedel stemware), a room for two at The Chase Park Plaza on January 24 and one-day VIP Reserve Room admission for two to be used on your choice of either January 25 or 26, 2014.

Absolutely no one under the age of 21 will be admitted to any St. Louis Food & Wine Experience event.

Proceeds from this event benefit The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis' mission to produce quality programming both on its stages and in its educational outreach. Each year, The Rep brings the power of live, professionally-produced theatre to over 200,000 people in the St. Louis region, including nearly 40,000 bi-state area students who participate in an array of theatrical activities, introducing them to the magic of theatre and making the arts an important part of their lives.

For more information about or tickets to the Twelfth Annual St. Louis Food & Wine Experience, call The Rep Box Office at (314) 968-4925 or visit www.repstl.org.

Photo Credit: The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis