New York City Wine & Food Festival

From its beginnings as a one-night wonder only three years ago, the New York City Wine & Food Festival has grown into a multi-event spectacular. The festival now features special dinners, walk-around tastings, wine tastings, kids-orientated interactive cooking experiences and culinary demonstrations led by some of the top international names in the epicurean world.

Taking place primarily in the fashionable Meatpacking District, highlights of the 2010 festival include 'Milk & Cookies with Martha Stewart' (8 October, The New York Times Building) - get up close and personal with the domestic diva while taste-testing dozens of delicious flat-baked treats; 'Meatpacking, Uncorked' (8 October), a chance to stroll the city's meatpacking district sampling some of Manhattan’s finest wines; and 'Get Real, Go Local, Demand Organic' (9 October), a panel discussion between Nina Planck, the author of Real Food, Maria Rodale, author and CEO of Rodale Inc and chef and restaurant owner and author Michel Nischan.

On 8 October Nordic chef René Redzepi will be in conversation with Frank Bruni of the New York Times about the launch of his new book NOMA, this month. And several rising stars of the kitchen, including David Chang and Akhtar Nawab (featured in Coco), will be taking part in various events across the city.

Like it’s sister event, the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (which takes place in February), 100 percent of the profit goes directly to hunger relief organisations Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength.