Westchester Magazine’s Wine & Food Festival –Grand Tasting Village held on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla, New York brought wine and spirits lovers as well as foodies out for the 15th anniversary, part of the exciting 7-events held over the 6-day festival, despite heavy rains throughout the day. Rain ponchos and umbrellas were the favored attire as attendees ventured from tent to tent to experience the food, the wines, the spirits, the music, and celebrity chef demos by Fernando Desa (Goya Foods), Marc Taxiera & Brianne Meyers (Augustine’s Salumeria and Vida), Peter X. Kelly (Basso by PXK), Michael Psilakis (MP Taverna), and David Burke (Red Horse by David Burke). Cheers and Bon Appetit!
We have attended Westchester Magazine’s Wine & Food Festival for the past three years, and each year the festival has grown and keeps getting better with age. 2025 was a milestone anniversary, fifteen years, with 6 days of 7 exciting events. We began the 2025 festivities by attending the Party on the Pier at Playland in Rye, New York on Wednesday, June 4, followed by Burger & Beer Blast! at Kensico Dam Plaza on Thursday, June 5, 2025, and we culminated our festival experience by attending the Grand Tasting Village on Saturday, June 7, 2025.
Throughout the day, we alternated between attending celebrity chef demos, enjoying the delicious food provided by area restaurants, sampling the wine and spirits, and enjoying the music.
Wegmans Celebrity Chef Demos emceed by Ereka Vetrini, TV Host, and Influencer
Chef Fernando Desa
Chef Fernando Desa & Culinary School Students
Fernando Desa, Goya Foods
Marc Taxiera & Brianne Meyers, Augustine’s Salumeria, Vida
Chef Peter Kelly
Peter X. Kelly, Basso by PXK
Chef Michael Psilakis
Michael Psilakis, MP Taverna
David Burke, Red Horse by David Burke
Chef Michael Psilakis & Chef Peter Kelly
Participating Restaurants
Augustine’s Salumeria
Benjamin Steakhouse
Boleria Brazilian Bakery
Bronx Little Italy
Chatterbox Pleasantville
Chutney Masala
Coffee Lab Roasters
Crispin Dopamine
Dad’s Donuts NY
Dobbs Ferry Lobster Guys
Falafel Taco
Hudson Valley Breads
Jungle Restaurant
Just Chippy’s
La Crémaillère
L’inizio
Marigold
Micheline
Nothing Bundt Cakes (White Plains)
One Pier Steakhouse
Pizza Girls NY
Quenas Restaurant
RaaSa Indian Cuisine
Red Horse by David Burke
Roost Restaurant
Sambal Thai & Malay
Santorini Greek Restaurant
TaqueRio Taco Bar
The Sea Fire Grill
The Taco Club
The Taco Project
Vida
A Sampling of Some of the Restaurants’ Offerings
Boleria Brazilian Bakery – Brigadeiro, Cupcakes topped with Brigadeiro
Chutney Masala Indian Bisto – Pani poori (semolina puffs, tangy mint, and tamarind water) and Mango lassi (mango and yogurt smoothie)
Chutney Masala Indian Bistro
HV Sourdough food pairing: Sourdough Milk Bread paired with Strawberry Butter, Seeded Rye Sourdough (Vegan) with Herbed Goat Cheese Spread, Black Forest Sourdough with Hazelnut Spread
HV Sourdough
Just Chippy’s – Mom’s PB&J, Blueberry Blast cookies
La Crémaillère – Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, Gazpacho, and Ceviche
La Crémaillère
One Pier Steakhouse – Coffee B.B.Q. Short Ribs, mashed potato, carrots, green beans, homemade coffee barbecue sauce)
Pizza Girls (food truck) brought their wood-fired oven and fired up three kinds of pizza
RaaSa Fine Indian Cuisine – Ambiya Tikki (beetroot patties with caraway seeds and spices, stuffed with a mango relish, Kori Gassi (chicken breast cooked in coconut milk sauce with curry leaves, mustard seeds, ginger, garlic, and onion
Santorini Greek Restaurant, Sleepy Hollow, NY – Tiropita, Spanakopita
Sea Fire Grill – Tuna Tartare in waffle cup cones
Sea Fire Grill
Taquerio Taco Bar – Pastor Taco (broiled pork, pineapple, bacon relish, avocado sauce, onions, cilantro)
Taquerio Taco Bar
The Taco Project – Mexican Corn, Taco Chicken, Taco BBQ Pulled Pork
Wine Time
With 176 wines available for sampling, we decided to focus on a few select red wines from Italy and California. The wines we opted to experience were two Barolo wines and a Brunello di Montalcino from Italy, and two Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa Valley, California. It is interesting to note that the wines all came in at 14.5% alcohol, with the exception of the wine from Cakebread Cellars, which came in at 14.4% alcohol. Each of the wines we experienced had distinctive styles, came from different regions, and all were exceptional wines, ranging in price from $43.99 to $119.99 per bottle.
A Sampling of the Wines We Experienced
Rivetti Barolo DOCG 2018, 14.5% alcohol, made with 100% organic grapes, Riboli Family Wine of Italy, $43.99/bottle
Marrone Barolo DOCG 2020, 14.5% alcohol, La Morra, Le Monde & Marrone Wineries, Italy, $44.99/bottle
Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Napa Valley, California, USA, 14.5%, $57.99/bottle
Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Napa Valley, California, USA, 14.4%, $62.99/bottle
Carpineto Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2017, Carpineto Winery, Italy, 14.5% alcohol, $109/bottle
Viberti Barolo La Volta Riserva 2018 DOCG, Viberti Winery, Italy, 14% alcohol, $119.99/bottle
A Sampling of Spirits Brands Available
Aperol Spritz Ready To Serve
Broken Shed Vodka
Chopin Vodka
Codigo Tequila
Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey
Dillon’s Small Batch
Dulce Vida Tequila
Four Roses Bourbon
Grand Brulot
Greenal’s The Original London Dry Gin
Milam & Green Whiskey
PM Spirits
Solento Organic Tequila
The Dublin Liberties Distillery
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
It was another wonderful Westchester Magazine’s Wine & Food Festival discovering new restaurants, trying new wines and spirits, and making new friends. Happy 15th anniversary! We cannot wait to see what 2026 will bring.
Until next time, Cheers and Bon Appetit!
Read more about Westchester Magazine’s Wine & Food Festival in the Gastronomy section.
For more information on Westchester Magazine’s Wine & Food Festival or to purchase tickets for the next events, please visit the website: https://westchestermagazine.com/events/wine-and-food/
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