The San Francisco Chefs Fourth Annual Food, Wine & Spirits Festival occurs in the City by the Bay this summer from July 30 to August 5, 2012. Those interested in attending the Grand Tasting events this summer will journey to the Grand Tasting Tent at Union Square on August 3-5. Visa Signature and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA) will sponsor and produce the culinary affair that showcases chefs and restaurants, winemakers and wineries, bartenders and bars, as well as farmers and artisan producers of Northern California.

Culinary camaraderie is the message delivered, as the food fete sates gourmands' cultured taste buds. The festival also supports the noble efforts of the San Francisco Food Bank, the Center for Urban Education and Sustainable Agriculture, Meal on Wheels of San Francisco, the James Beard Foundation, and the GGRA Scholarship Fund.

More than 100 acclaimed Bay Area chefs, including Martin Yan, Craig Stoll, Emily Luchetti, Gary Danko, Charles Phan, Hubert Keller, Joanne Weir, Thomas McNaughton, Mourad Lahlou, Anthony Strong, David Lawrence, Chris Cosentino, Hoss Zare, Jen Biesty, Russell Jackson, Perry Hoffman, Ryan Scott, as well as some of the city's best bartenders will attend. Wine tastings from local and international wineries will also be on hand.

"As a chef, there is no better place to call home than the Bay Area,” said Pastry Chef Emily Luchetti of Farallon and Waterbar. The celebrity cuisinier is also a co-chair of the Chef Advisory Board for the festival. A number of new and exciting events are planned for 2012, according to a spokesperson for the annual celebration. Tickets will be available to Visa Signature cardholders on May 7, which is three weeks earlier than tickets will be sold to the general public. Ticket prices range from $45 to $160.

For more information, visit SFChefsFoodWine.com and and GGRA.org.