El Paso, Texas (KFOX14) \u2014 Wine lists have a way of making people feel like they should already know what they are doing. Then you see a bottle priced at several hundred dollars and start wondering what could possibly be happening inside that glass.<\/p>\n
That question came up during our conversation with Andy Whatley and David Silva of the Rotary Club of El Paso<\/a> as we previewed the 13th annual El Paso Wine & Food Festival.<\/a> The two-day festival returns to downtown El Paso on Friday, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026.<\/p>\n The festival started as a Rotary Club<\/a> fundraiser 13 years ago. Since then, it has grown into a full weekend built around wine, food, live entertainment, local art and the culinary talent developing right here in El Paso.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been an amazing run for us,\u201d one of the organizers told us.<\/p>\n The 2026 festival carries the theme \u201cA Toast to World Peace\u201d and gives guests two very different ways to experience the event.<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s Chef Showdown puts culinary students to the test<\/p>\n The weekend begins Friday evening with the Chef Showdown, a live culinary competition featuring 12 teams from the Culinary Institute by Southwest University.<\/p>\n Students will create original dishes and pair them with wine, beer and bubbly. Festival guests get to taste the results while seeing what these emerging chefs can do under the pressure of a competition.<\/p>\n This was one of the parts that caught our attention because it gives the students a chance to show their skill in front of the public, local chefs and restaurant owners. It also gives attendees more than a finished plate. They get to experience the thought and technique behind a successful food and beverage pairing.<\/p>\n Saturday brings more than 400 wines to downtown El Paso<\/p>\n