Swirl, Savor & Sip In The Crescent City This Summer! Three culinary festivals sure to satisfy every taste-bud this summer New Orleans, Louisiana – There are three delicious reasons to visit New Orleans - one of Travel + Leisure’s “America’s Favorite Cities”-- this summer. The 19th annual New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (NOWFE) kicks off summer with its five-day extravaganza May 24 – 28, 2011. Long sultry days are welcomed with an abundance of fresh Louisiana seafood at the 4th annual Louisiana Seafood Festival June 11 – 12, 2011. And the 9th anniversary event of Tales of the Cocktail is sure to raise the spirits of any summer-loving, food and spirit connoisseur July 20-24, 2011. The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience is nationally recognized as one of the most prestigious festivals of its kind and features over 175 wineries, 1000 wines, dozens of international wine and food experts, and now continually raises over $125,000 annually for local charities. Grab your fork and corkscrew - the five-day bacchanalia is packed with extraordinary wine and food seminars, wine dinners at some of the cities most celebrated restaurants, one-of-a-kind wine tasting events, and two Grand Tastings. The popularity of NOWFE has grown so much over the past 19 years that many events sell-out. Event tickets and special hotel packages can now be reserved at www.nowfe.com. The Louisiana Seafood Festival takes place in the heart of New Orleans and celebrates the abundance of seafood that plays a tremendous part in the heritage and culture of the city. Festival attendees can feast on a variety of Louisiana seafood from alligator to oysters and everything in between. From the traditional Louisiana shrimp po’boy on fresh baked French bread to classic New Orleans favorites like crawfish étouffée. The event features local restaurants and local music within the atmosphere of the historic French Quarter. Louisiana leads the nation in production of both hard and soft-shell crabs, more than 90% of the nation’s crawfish come from Louisiana, 70% of the oysters harvested in the US are from Gulf waters, and 69% of the domestic, US shrimp are harvested from Gulf waters. Therefore, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board knew there was no better place than New Orleans to enjoy a seafood festival. Tales of the Cocktail, an event produced by the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society, is an internationally acclaimed festival of cocktails, cuisine and culture held annually in New Orleans. The event brings together the best and brightest of the cocktail community—award-winning mixologists, authors, bartenders, chefs and designers—for a five-day celebration of the history and artistry of making drinks. Each year offers a Spirited Dinner® series, demos, tastings, competitions, seminars, book signings, tours and parties all perfectly paired with some of the best cocktails ever made. Special ticket packages are available now for a limited time only at www.TalesoftheCocktail.com. Press Release by Liz Bodet