2011 Pittsburgh Wine Festival To Feature Special Guests

PITTSBURGH , May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The ninth annual Pittsburgh Wine Festival literally kicks off this year with a special guest who hails from both the pro football world and the wine world: Super Bowl winning and former NFL Coach of the Year, Dick Vermeil. He will be on hand to sign bottles of wine from Vermeil Wines.

There will also be some very entertaining, surprise guests from Pittsburgh's cultural district, adding to the evening's experience.

About Dick Vermeil and Vermeil Wines

Coach Vermeil's accomplishments in the wine world are now nearly as impressive as what he did in football. In fact, influential wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. had this to say about Vermeil and his wines, "Vermeil was raised in Napa Valley and his initial dive into the wine world is impressive. It goes against the rule-of-thumb that celebrities rarely achieve anything special in the world of wine."

After football, wine is and has always been Vermeil's biggest passion. Winemaking has been in the family for generations and, true to his roots, Vermeil partnered with OnTheEdge Winery and began producing his own wines. He even offers a Cabernet Sauvignon named in honor of his father, Jean Louis Vermeil.

Football fans will know him from his successful stints as head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.

About the FESTIVAL

The Pittsburgh Wine Festival provides an opportunity to sample some of the world's very best wines, and to meet and talk with some of the world's foremost authorities on wine. The Festival will be held in the East and West Club Lounges at Heinz Field on Thursday, May 5, 2011, with the VIP tasting from 5:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. and the Grand Tasting from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. More than 200 wineries from California, France, Italy, Australia, Spain and New Zealand will be represented, including a fair representation of owners and wine makers.

WHERE TO BUY TICKETS

Tickets can be purchased online at www.pittsburghwinefestival.com. Tickets for the Grand Tasting are still available, at $125. (The VIP Tasting tickets are sold out.) Additional information is available on the website, www.pittsburghwinefestival.com.

SPONSORS AND BENEFICIARY

The 2011 Pittsburgh Wine Festival is produced by the Pittsburgh Wine Festival LLC, and sponsored by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB), UPMC, Comcast and Giant Eagle. It benefits Innovation and Discovery at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh. So far we have partnered with UPMC to help raise 7.25 million dollars over our long and productive partnership.

INTERVIEWS

The Wine Festival's President, Ed Harrell, as well as Dale Markham and PLCB staff are available for interviews. Call Samantha Matthews to make arrangements, 412.621.7494 x 14.

CONTACT #1:  Samantha Matthews, Elisco Advertising

PHONE:  412.621.7494 x 14

EMAIL:  [email protected]

CONTACT #2:  Dale Markham, Pittsburgh Wine Festival

PHONE:  412.281.2681

EMAIL:  [email protected]

CONTACT #3: Stacey Witalec, PLCB

PHONE: 717.783.8864

EMAIL: [email protected]

SOURCE Pittsburgh Wine Festival