For the first time ever, we had the opportunity to attend the Kohler Food and Wine Festival. Receiving the invitation was a pinch us moment, especially because Kohler has always held a very special place in our hearts. Over the years, Bob and I stayed at The American Club and Inn at Woodlake easily more than a dozen times. Simply put, we adore it. After all, most of Bob’s family lives in Wisconsin, and it’s always been the perfect stopping point between our primary home in Chicago and his hometown.
When Bob’s mom was still with us, The American Club was our hotel of choice. It still is.
From the thoughtful amenities to diverse food and beverage offerings, award-winning spa and Whistling Straights championship golf course – it’s sincerely one of absolute favorite destinations in the U.S. Looking back, we also love capturing photos on-property (check out this post dating back to February 2015!).
Kohler is also a brand we know and trust. It’s the reason why we exclusively used Kohler for all bathrooms at the lake home, and plan to update our bathrooms at the primary home.
It’s easy to support their best-in-class products.
Kohler Food and Wine Festival
Even when we’re just passing Kohler on the highway, we’ll make a quick stop for a delicious meal at The Horse & Plow, one of hotel’s restaurants with a pub-like atmosphere. Order the cheese curds and a Spotted Cow. Trust me. 🙂
In many ways, we’re familiar with every corner of the property and Destination Kohler itself, from the small Italian restaurant near The Inn at Woodlake and even every aisle at the local grocery store. It’s just one of those places you want to keep coming back to. A tradition, if you will. At the same time, while it’s an iconic property, this trip proved they continue to evolve and change. Plus, we realized there’s still a LOT to learn about the destination itself with new surprises at every turn.
Receiving an invitation to experience the Kohler Food and Wine Festival might be one of the biggest highlights of my blogging journey. I’m excited to share about our experience, and hope we get invited back for 2025!
The Journey to the Kohler Food and Wine Festival
While The American Club and Kohler are near and dear to us, we’d never had the chance to experience the festival. So how was the experience and is it worth the ticket price? Let’s dive in!
What exactly is the Kohler Food and Wine Festival? The annual event takes place every October at The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. The four-day experience is an elevated culinary experience featuring some of the U.S.’s most talented chefs, winemakers, and culinary innovators.
One of the biggest challenges of the event? Figuring out what to attend. At any given time, there are multiple experiences to choose from. For some, you’ll want to attend the chef demonstrations. Others might want to do a chocolate and cheese tasting. There’s no lack of options, and you will NEVER get bored.
Between events, we also recommend buying tickets for The Village at Woodlake, which features an array of spirits and beer brands. Each ticket comes with unlimited drinks and food, live music, and more. So good!
How Much are Tickets?
Individual event tickets may be purchased from $45-$425 per event ticket. In essence, you can pick and choose the experiences that are most interesting to you. There are cooking demonstrations, food and wine pairings, wine and cocktail tastings, In fact, there are not just food and wine experiences. You can even enjoy a one-hour Slow Flow Yoga followed by a garden social with cocktails.
Packages for the 2024 event ranged from $784 to $5,386. For instance, the entry package includes a one-night stay at The American Club and Thursday Night’s Scott Conant dinner. On the other end of the spectrum, The Art of Good Taste package ($5,386 per person), you receive a three-night stay at The American Club and attendance at multiple events.
Sure, tickets are an investment, but keep in mind what you’d be paying for a multi-course meal at even just two of the chef’s restaurants. Often, those meals with wine pairings can cost upwards of $1,500 with tax and tip.
Also, there are ways to save. For example, The Inn at Woodlake is a more affordable alternative to The American Club. Therefore, you can always purchase a ticket for the festival itself and reserve a stay at the 121-room inn to save a bit of money. The Inn at Woodlake offers complimentary breakfasts for guests, and the bathrooms alone are incredible. Would you expect anything less from Kohler? 🙂
Kohler Food & Wine event tickets may be purchased on their website. Once you add the tickets to your cart, they’re only held for 30 minutes. Keep in mind, most ticket packages are sold-out, so I’d recommend planning ahead.
Which Chefs Participated?
This year, the chef lineup was truly incredible, starting with the incomparable Dominique Crenn. That alone is worth the cost of the ticket. Other culinary giants included Chefs Andrew Zimmern, Scott Conant, Maneet Chauhan, Michael Hunter, Ronnie Woo, Jamika Pessoa, Arjav Ezekiel, Chris Mangless, Dan Fox, Kyle Knall, and Joe Papach.
What Wine and Spirit Brands Participate?
As expected, the Kohler Food and Wine Festival had a phenomenal array of wine and spirits brands, including Duckhorn, Chateau Montelena, SCRIBE Winery, Hall Family Wines, Domaine Carneros and Veuve Clicquot. So many faves!
Our Favorite Events
During the four-day event, we were exposed to a diverse array of culinary flavors and approaches. It’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite, truly. If we had to narrow down to a couple, we’d say the Taste of the Vine, Dominique Crenn wine dinner, First Taste Event, and Wine Lunch with Donnafugata and Belgioioso Cheese.
Specifically, I was really impressed with Chef Chris Mangless. We attended his demonstration of making Sunchoke Soup, and gracious was he entertaining! He kept it real, talked about the challenges of growing up, opening a restaurant, and trusting his gut to do his own thing. Very, very cool. We hope to visit his space in Green Bay one day.
The First Taste Event
Another event we really loved? Thursday night’s The First Taste event. WOW, what a great way to start things off. At First Taste, you get to experience dishes from Kohler’s food and beverage team and various restaurants. Furthermore, each dish is paired with a cocktail, wine, or spirit.
Plus, there’s live music and a full bar if you’re looking for other drinks. It also took place at The Beacon, Kohler’s communications building, which was a dream for me to see. As someone in PR and marketing, I loved seeing how (and where) their team works. I left inspired!
Taste of the Vine
Another iconic experience during the festival? Friday Night’s Taste of the Vine. Friends, this event is FUN. Get there early (and wear comfortable shoes). Basically, various wineries are stationed around the entire Kohler Design Center serving pours of their wines. Additionally, the Kohler Chocolates team is on-site serving up some of their delicious confectionaries.
It’s a sweet taste of wine and chocolate, and a lively experience for all.
Chef Dinner
The next favorite was Saturday Night’s Chef Dinner with Dominique Crenn. As the first three star Michelin chef female in the U.S., Chef Crenn is someone who’s always inspired me. I’ve watched every single documentary and cooking show she’s done, and it’s my dream to experience Atlelier Crenn.
The menu was delightful from start to finish, and I’m still in complete shock we got a chance to enjoy her food.
Kohler Food & Wine Festival Village
As I mentioned above, the Kohler Food & Wine Village is a great option if you’re just dipping your toes in the water. The tickets are worth every penny, and the village has so many activities to choose from.
This year, we loved the Belle Glos Bottle Dipping Experience – so fun and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
What is The American Club?
The American Club is a AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five Star property. Moreover, it’ a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for commemorating the finest historic hotels in the U.S.
During our visit, we had the opportunity to stay at The American Club. Gracious friends, we love this property more than I can say. The moment we arrived at the the circle drive and iconic green awning, it felt like we were coming home. Inside the hotel, the interior design is warm and inviting. Fireplaces crackling and rich tones in the furniture and posh plaids abound.
Since we’ve stayed at the property a ton, we’re also familiar with nearly every room type. We’ve even stayed at the Carriage House at The American Club with Bob’s mom, which remains a special memory. Therefore, the Carriage House is my favorite option, but we have never had a bad room.
Where is The American Club Located?
The American Club is located in Kohler, Wisconsin. Planning to travel there? It’s a two and a half hour drive from Chicago, and you can fly into O’Hare International Airport (via United, obvi), which is 133 miles away. For closer airport options, I’d recommend flying into either Milwaukee (MKE) or Green Bay Airport (GRB), which are only 64-65 miles respectively.
Kohler Waters Spa
Beyond the food, wine, and luxurious accommodations, the Kohler Waters Spa is worth a visit. After all, it’s Wisconsin’s only five-star spa with endless amounts of offerings. During my stay, I chose to get the Signature Kohler massage. After all, it’s been quite awhile since I’ve had one, and gracious – it was the perfect experience. Talk about a nourishing treatment!
Moreover, the Kohler Waters Spa is an experience – more than just the service itself. There are countless thoughtful amenities, including a relaxation pool, steam room, sauna, cold plunge pool, and beyond.
Kohler Food & Wine Festival – In Closing
In closing, a very special thanks to the Kohler team for the exceptional experience. Gracious, the food and wine were impeccable! I sincerely hope we’ll have the opportunity to attend again in 2025.
We give the festival (and The American Club itself) our highest recommendation. Whether you’re a novice or expert cook, wine connoisseur or Sommelier, the Kohler Food and Wine Festival just hits all of the right (flavor) notes.