As the calendar moves towards August, we’re starting to get excited for the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival coming up on August 29 – September 7. In just its fourth year, the seven-day festival is already the premier epicurean destination event in the Pacific. Featuring over 80 internationally-renowned master chefs, culinary personalities and wine spirits and producers, the Festival will showcase wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, one-of-a-kind excursions, and exclusive dining opportunities with dishes highlighting the state’s bounty of local produce, seafood, beef and poultry.  

To tide us over until late August, we’re diving into this month’s issue of Previews® Inside Out, which is, appropriately, dedicated to fine food and wine. In the lead story, Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick, executive producers of “So You Think You Can Dance” and “American Idol,” share their adventures in modern winemaking after purchasing and refurbishing a 168-acre vineyard in California.

PIO also catches up with Barton G. Weiss, the zany restaurant and events czar who likes to go by Barton G., about his over-the-top inspirations, his favorite summer recipes and his ultimate kitchen must-haves.

Food & Wine’s executive editor Ray Isle then leads PIO on a winetasting adventure through some of his personal warm-weather favorites, and reveals the winemakers and regions making a splash this year.

And finally, Cassiano Sabatini, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Immobiliare Cassiano Sabatini & Partners, shares stories of his 23 years in real estate, working between Tuscany’s Monte Argentario and Rome, as well as his favorite food moments, his best advice for buying a Tuscan vineyard and his personal outlook on wine.

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Are you thirsty yet?  Head on over to Previews® Inside Out to whet your luxury food and wine palate. And then use your newfound knowledge to start planning your schedule for next month’s Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival.