Lake Charles' Annual Rouge et Blanc Wine Festival

Jay gets ready to enjoy Rouge et Blanc in Lake Charles

Each fall Lake Charles plays host to a pretty phenomenal food and wine festival. Taking up a couple blocks in downtown by the courthouse and city hall, Rouge et Blanc celebrates food and wine, or maybe that should be wine and food, in Southwest Louisiana. The outdoor setting is great for such a big event. With plenty of room to move around and the region's most fantastic fall weather, Rouge et Blanc is most certainly worth seeking out. I got to attend the festival this past October on the heels of eating like a king at the L'Auberge Lake Charles, at different boudin and seafood houses, and at a special wine dinner at La Truffe Sauvage. Needless to say, it had been a good weekend. The festival itself worked kind of like Baton Rouge's Fete Rouge with different restaurants providing the food and plenty of wine being poured. But with the outdoor venue in the middle of town and street closures, the festival really comes alive.

Rouge et Blanc in downtown Lake Charles, Louisiana

With a glass of wine in hand I wandered around the grounds to find some interesting grub. It didn't take long to find what I was looking for. Botsky's Hotdogs came up with an awesome presentation of jackalope sausage on a toast point with a wedge of something pickled. Perhaps it was just a pickle. I don't fully recall. No matter what, I liked it, especially with the little bit of mustard they provided for dipping as well. Many other finds like this came at Rouge et Blanc. 

Jackalope Sausage from Botsky's at Rouge et Blanc in Lake Charles

Always with a glass of wine in hand, I worked my way from table to table tasting food and wine, then wine and food. I drank reds, I drank whites, and I drank some sparkling. I tried not to discriminate among grapes, growers, or regions. You know, for research. A great time was had at Rouge et Blanc and during my entire time in Lake Charles. I'll have to make sure I go back!

One of my favorite wine tables of the day at Rouge et Blanc