The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival Presented by Food & Wine and Travel+Leisure Magazines Raises Over $1 Million to Help Fight Hunger!

The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival Presented by Food & Wine and Travel+Leisure Magazines Raises Over $1 Million to Help Fight Hunger!

-100% of net proceeds benefit the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®-

NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival founder and director, Lee Brian Schrager, who also serves as the vice president of corporate communications and national events at Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc., is pleased to announce that the third annual Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure magazines raised over $1.1 million to benefit the hunger-relief organizations Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®. The Festival welcomed approximately 40,000 attendees to sip, swirl and savor the best of the Big Apple this past Columbus Day weekend.

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Festival attendees tasted their way though the boroughs of New York City, enjoying over 130 events pouring the finest selections in the Southern Wine & Spirits of New York portfolio, the Festival's exclusive provider of wine and spirits, at star-studded late night parties, wine seminars, culinary demonstrations, tastings, brunches, and more!

"New York City's vibrant culinary community is taking a stand against hunger, and their support is making a real difference. The results are astounding -- this year's Festival raised more money than ever, which will help provide food and critical services to struggling families and individuals in the five boroughs," said Lucy Cabrera, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Food Bank For New York City.

"We are extremely grateful to everyone who helped make this Festival a huge success. The outpouring of support during these difficult economic times is truly remarkable. The fundsraised will be critical to Share Our Strength's work to end childhood hunger in America," added Bill Shore, founder and executive director of Share Our Strength®.

Everyone's favorite Italian sweetheart Giada De Laurentiis kicked off the festivities on Thursday, October 7th as host of San Pellegrino's Meatball Madness presented by Eater.com, and helped crown Donatella Arpaia of Mia Dona as the winner of this year's People's Choice Award for Arpaia's Meatball Slider on Potato Focaccia with Caciocavallo Cheese. For many chefs the celebrating continued on Friday evening at the Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats, hosted by Rachael Ray, where the following grill masters earned top honors:

-- Blue Moon People's Choice Award - Bobby Flay, representing Bobby's
Burger Palace for his Santa Fe Burger, which featured queso sauce,
roasted green chilies and blue corn chips.
-- Burgermeister Award - Shake Shack, Madison Square Park with their
Classic Cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and Shack sauce.
-- Heinz Best Dressed Burger - Craig Koketsu of The Hurricane Club for his
Fire Eater Burger, made from a blend of chuck, brisket and short rib,
served on a toasted bun with jack cheese, pickled jalapenos, labneh
yogurt and fire eater sauce.

The weekend however was not all savory meatballs and burgers. On Saturday those who preferred to satisfy their sweet tooth indulged at Godiva Chocolatier presents Sweet sponsored by Kahlua and Jacob's Creek hosted by Duff Goldman and Sandra Lee, where Neil Kleinberg of Clinton St. Baking Company and Restaurant won Godiva's SWEETest Challenge award for his Warm Upside Down Pear Cake with pecan ice cream, caramel sauce, and pecan brittle. To close-out the award-winning weekend, Blue Ribbon Restaurants took home the title of "Sandwich King" on Sunday at Breville's Ultimate Sandwich Showdown presented by Hellmann's® hosted by Tyler Florence for its bone marrow and oxtail marmalade sandwich.

Weekend highlights continued as guests mingled with their favorite celebrity chefs, culinary personalities, mixologists, sommeliers, and restaurateurs at the following events:

-- Cooking Channel's Meatpacking Uncorked presented by The Corcoran Group
-- Chelsea Market After Dark presented by Food Network and hosted by Alton
Brown
-- Rock & Roll with Morimoto and Friends - A Sushi and Karaoke Soiree
-- The entire Wine Spectator dinner series that took place at The James
Beard House, including A Symphony of Spice, Holy Mole, Basque Dinner,
and Sunday Supper as well as Basque Dinner at Bar Basque
-- Patron Tequila presents Tacos & Tequila, The Art of the Taco, hosted by
Bobby Flay
-- Fun and Fit in the City presented by Target - featuring the panel
discussion, "Does an Apple a Day Really Work Anymore - How Can We Raise
Healthier Kids?" moderated by Dr. Mehmet Oz with panelists Rachael Ray,
Alonzo Mourning and David Zinczenko.
-- The whole series of Wine Seminars & Cocktail Clinics hosted by Food &
Wine and Travel + Leisure, featuring a veritable who's who of industry
talent including: Ray Isle, Josh Wesson, Andrea Robinson, Anthony
Giglio, the Tippling Bros., Mark Oldman, and many more!
-- The New York Times presents Breville's Milk and Cookies hosted by Martha
Stewart
-- Capital One Bank presents Carts in the Parc sponsored by Time Out New
York hosted by Andrew Zimmern

The culinary delight will continue next year - make sure you save the date for the 2011 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival, September 29-October 2, 2011. Stay tuned into the excitement all year long by following Festival founder and director Lee Schrager on Twitter, www.twitter.com/Lee_Schrager.

About the Food Network New York City For Wine & Food Festival

The 2010 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival is produced by Karlitz & Company and Southern Wine & Spirits of New York. Southern Wine & Spirits of New York is also the exclusive provider of wine and spirits at the Festival. Hosted by and benefiting the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®, 100% of the Festival's net proceeds go toward helping these community based organizations fight hunger.

About the Food Bank for New York City

Food Bank For New York City recognizes 27 years as the city's major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. As the city's hub for integrated food poverty assistance, the Food Bank tackles the hunger issue on three fronts -- food distribution, income support and nutrition education -- all strategically guided by its research. Through its network of approximately 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, the Food Bank helps provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. The Food Bank's hands-on nutrition education program in the public schools reaches thousands of children, teens and adults. Income support services including food stamps, free tax assistance for the working poor and the Earned Income Tax Credit put millions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, helping them to achieve greater dignity and independence. Learn how you can help at foodbanknyc.org.

About Share Our Strength

Share Our Strength®, a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry(TM) campaign -- a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015 -- Share our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs, invests in community organizations fighting hunger, teaches families how to cook healthy meals on a budget and builds public-private partnerships to end hunger, both nationally and at the state level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved in the No Kid Hungry campaign.

About Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc.

Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. is the nation's largest wine and spirits distributor with operations in 32 markets. The multi-state distributor currently operates in: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia -- as well as the additional seven states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah through the Southern-Odom/Spirits West partnership. Southern also has a presence in Maryland and the District of Columbia through a joint venture with F.P. Winner Wine & Spirits. Southern has recently announced the pending formation of a joint venture in Minnesota with J.J. Taylor Distributing Company -- and holds operating licenses and permits in Nebraska and Texas. On a national basis, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. employs more than 11,000 team members. For more information contact: www.southernwine.com.

SOURCE 2010 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival

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2010 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival

CONTACT: Robin Insley Associates, +1-212-849-8256, robin@robininsleyassociates.com

Web Site: http://www.strength.org/

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