After a Four-Year Hiatus, Pebble Beach Food & Wine Made an Epic Comeback With a Star-Studded Lineup
For the first time since 2019, the acclaimed Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival made its return to the Monterey coast, attracting foodies from all over the Golden State and beyond. This three-day extravaganza kicked off on Thursday, April 4, and ran through Sunday, April 7—a jam-packed weekend that featured over 150 acclaimed wine and spirits producers and more than 100 distinguished chefs from across the US. We had the pleasure of sipping and savoring all the goodness this foodie fest had to offer, so without further adieu, here’s the full highlight reel!
A Culinary Star Powerhouse
If there’s one festival that’s going to make you drool, it’s this one. Pebble Beach Food & Wine wooed up with a lineup of all-star chefs—a list that included James Beard Award winners, Michelin-Star chefs, and well-known names from television, like Andrew Zimmern, Nancy Silverton, Jeremiah Tower and Geoffrey Zakarian. On Saturday, we attended the Tasting Pavilion, the festival’s main event, which was a three-hour tasting experience featuring a handful of sommeliers, mixologists and award-winning chefs from across the nation. We sampled everything from lobster rolls from Delilah in Los Angeles and grilled veal sweet sweetbread comp de potato mousseline from The Meatery in Seaside, CA. Other delicious bites included blue cheese bites on sundried apricots and hand-painted bonbons—the sweetest way to cap off a weekend of pure indulgence.
Local Insight: Adding caviar to unexpected dishes is all the rage right now, and Pebble Beach Food & Wine didn’t shy away from this delicacy. Fish roe was everywhere—on pastries, deviled eggs and even Wagyu beef carpaccio!
Tipsy Hour: Wines and Spirits Galore
It’s no secret that Pebble Beach Food & Wine pours up a good time. Wineries and spirit brands brought their very best with all types of reds, whites and buzz-worthy craft cocktails. One of the most genius things we noticed at the festival was the hands-free solution of a wine glass necklace (yes, you read that right). Instead of trying to juggle a glass in one hand and plates of tasty food in the other, each attendee was given a lanyard with a wine glass attached so they could sip, stroll and sample without little to no hassle. A few of our favorite libations from the weekend included the Miss Illinois cocktail from Century Grand and UnderTow in Phoenix, which was shaken with Hendrick’s Gin and dill to accentuate the cucumber and rose notes. We also sauntered over to the Hendrick’s Gin activation to sample the refreshing Pomegranate G&T, which featured the all-new limited edition Hendrick’s Grand Cabaret—a gin inspired by Parisian flavors like stone fruit and herbs. As far as the vino went, wineries that stood out included Bella Union from Napa, Cliff Lede Vineyards from Yountville and family-owned Hampton Water Rosé.
Events and Activations That Wowed
The festival offered a variety of events throughout the weekend, including themed lunches, dinners, seminars and walk-around tastings. Attendees could participate in in-depth wine seminars, like 100 Years Of Napa History In One Day, or food-forward options like Burgers, Bourbon & Bordeaux Happy Hour, which took place against the backdrop of the signature fire pits at The Inn at Spanish Bay. However, one of our favorite experiences of the weekend was the opening night event with Nancy Silverton called Coast to Coast with The James Beard Foundation. This indoor soiree featured a star-studded lineup of 25 chefs from coast to coast who were recognized by the James Beard Foundation. We got to sample a variety of decadent bites and beverages that we’ve been dreaming about ever since.
Giving Back to the Community
Pebble Beach Food & Wine is not just about indulgence. The event was presented by The Pebble Beach Company Foundation, a non-profit that supports the youth in Monterey County. Since its inception, the foundation has granted over $12.7 million to local charities.
Pebble Beach Food & Wine is also a charitable partner of The Roots Fund, a non-profit hospitality organization that oversaw the sommelier program at this year’s event. The Roots Fund was established to create financial support for education, mentorship and job placement opportunities and is focused on paving the way for people of color in the wine industry. Since its foundation in 2020, the organization has created more than 190 scholarships and raised more than $1.5 million!
Local Insight: Want to get involved next year? Check out volunteer opportunities here!
This article is brought to you by one of the many talented writers associated with Locale Magazine! We are a group of locals (whether born and raised or transplanted) who love this county we now call home!
Erik Hale is the visionary and publisher behind LOCALE Magazine. He launched the magazine in 2010, wanting to give the community of OC a premiere lifestyle magazine that knew all the native knowledge behind OC. “Six years ago Ashley and I sat at a table scratching the name LOCALE (among some other names) onto a sheet of paper,” says Erik, “coming up with story ideas and basically dreaming. Everything we imagined has happened and we have been blessed with so much more. I am so grateful as we start another year for my family, my two wonderful children, my health, our amazing writers, designers and photographers, our advertising partners and you.”
