Hordes of people who enjoy guzzling wine and gobbling hors d'oeuvres in the sizzling Miami heat (also a great way induce a dizzy spell) recently attended the 7th annual South Beach Food & Wine Festival. Tickets were completely sold out, and crowds proudly sporting plastic wineglasses-on-a-rope around their necks pushed through the tents pitched along Ocean Avenue. Along with various restaurant and winery booths offering tastings, there were four days of seminars with names like "Bourbon Mixology on the Beach," "Unlocking the Secrets of Boutique Cheeses," and "Getting to Grips with Grappa." The foodie stars came out at night, with parties hosted by Mario Batali, Jamie Oliver, Danny DeVito, Rachael Ray and (BAM!) Emeril, to name a few. The event is such a success that its promoters plan to bring the whole circus to DUMBO, Brooklyn this fall. And if I thought Floridians could be pushy with those samples, we ain't seen nothing yet. --TASHA GREEN

(Jamie Oliver, Anthony Bourdain, and Mario Batali)

(Emeril Lagasse)

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