Food and Wine Magazine knows when it’s onto a good thing. Building on the success of the long running and incredibly popular Aspen Food and Wine Classic, the magazine (actually it’s publisher, American Express) has branched out to bring a similar, if somewhat abbreviated version to South Beach in Florida, and has become a major sponsor of the Pebble Beach Food and Wine event in Carmel, California

And now Food and Wine magazine has launched the Taste of Beverly Hills, a four-day extravaganza of food, wine, cocktails and music at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Attendees to the event will have the opportunity to taste food from many of LA’s top restaurants; watch cooking demonstrations by big-name chefs and cocktail mixing demos by top mixologists; taste wine from more than 80 different wineries (including some really excellent ones); and more.

Some of my readers have complained in the past about the quality of wine and food festivals in the Los Angeles area, so I would expect this event to set a new bar for both the quality of food and the quality of the logistics. The event also features a lot of music, a nice touch to complement all the food and wine.

Consult the event web site for lots of information about the schedule of events, which celebrity chefs will be in attendance, and more.

The Inaugural Taste of Beverly Hills
September 2-5, 2010
Behind the Beverly Hilton
9900 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills 90210 (map)

Tickets start at $150, with various VIP passes available for all events and special access. They should be purchased in advance online.

Valet parking for $30 will be available at the Beverly Hilton, and self-parking will be available in Century City for $12 with a free parking shuttle.