Two Big Island luxury resort hotels are canceling their Winter Wine Escape, which attracts chefs and vintners from around the world, saying they can no longer afford the three-day festival once billed as "Hawaii's premier culinary event." Big Isle resorts
cancel wine festA spokesman says it is not the time
to be hosting a luxury eventBy David Briscoe
Associated PressThe cancellation by Mauna Kea Resort came just five weeks before the Nov. 14-16 festival, first held in 1992.
It was to be revived for a 10th anniversary after scaling the Escape back last year following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"This is a luxury event, and this is not a time for luxury," said Aven Wright-McIntosh, a resort public relations official.
She cited changing markets and changing needs of hotel guests and a trend on the Big Island toward focusing on culture.
Wright-McIntosh said cancellation of the event was a "hard business decision" for the resort, which includes the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel.
She said there are no plans to revive the wine-tasting and culinary event in years to come, even though it had attracted hundreds of wealthy guests to the two Prince hotels on the Big Island's Kohala Coast.
For festival guests, the hotels charge $420 a night for rooms and up to $210 per person for gourmet dinners. Participating chefs, vintners and food media were given discounts or free accommodations.
Guests and event ticket-holders were being contacted by phone and letter, the announcement said.
County of Hawaii
