Foodie Fest Sizzles Despite Sour Economy

The weak economy didn't stop corks from popping at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

The four-day event drew hundreds of foodies to Miami last week. The annual festival has become a culinary bellwether, highlighting some of latest trends in dining. Visitors came to taste expensive wine, watch cooking seminars and party with celebrity chefs. The recession may have put a lid on luxury, but decadence was still on the menu.

Celebrity chef Paula Deen, the host of Harrah's Casino Night, gets funky with the band.

Visitors paid $60 to $1,000 to attend each of the festival's more than 40 events. Superstar chef Mario Batali held court at a $1,000-a-plate dinner with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain. Culinary mogul Emeril Lagasse, best known for his hit show on the Food Network, was honored at a $550-a-plate tribute dinner.

The prestigious Bordeaux maker Baron Philippe de Rothschild brought a collection of wine labels painted by artists such as Pablo Picasso and Keith Haring to Miami for the festival. Tickets for the exhibitions gala dinner, which featured a menu by renowned chef Daniel Boulud, sold out at $600 each.

Guests snapped up $450 tickets for a sold-out reception hosted by restaurateur and Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio. Ilan Hall and Hung Huynh, past winners of the TV cooking competition, led an interactive lunch. The Food Network, the festival's main sponsor, paraded some of its biggest names, including Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay and Tyler Florence.

Vintners at the festival tried to emphasize their lower-priced offerings, but expensive, status-conscious labels stole the show. Screaming Eagle, the boutique California winery that releases only 500 cases a year, hosted a $1,000 tasting seminar.