Food & Wine Demonstrations
Included with festival admission are free food and wine demonstrations throughout the day Saturday and Sunday. Chef Krista and Wine Expert Donna are the perfect duo to inspire your next culinary adventure!
Chef Krista Van Wagner
Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Krista’s love for cooking began at an early age when she had the chance to help her grandfather in his tavern, Curly’s. This restaurant experience inspired her to attend the country’s top cooking school, the Culinary Institute of America. Since graduating, she has cooked at a variety of restaurants around the United States, Kuwait, Switzerland, Jamaica, and the Grand Cayman Islands.
Today Krista is an adjunct culinary professor at Erie Community College and Niagara Falls Culinary Institute as well as the owner of Krista’s Caribbean Kitchen where she uses her over 30 years of experience serving as a restaurant consultant and cooking demonstrator.
Join Krista for simple and delicious meal ideas inspired by her travels around the world!
Wine Expert Donna Schlosser-Long
Donna’s career in the wine business began in 2002 at Casa Larga Vineyards where she served as the Director of Outside Sales. Since then she has served on the Rochester Board of Women for WineSense, the premier wine education and networking organization for industry professionals, as well as the Western New York Regional Wine Manager for Frederick Wildman & Sons.
Today, Donna is the District Sales Manager for Jackson Family Wines, the Portfolio Sales Manager for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and is the President of the Finger Lakes Women for WineSense Chapter. She is also the WWS Vice President and is WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 3 Certified.
