Get Your Appetite and Your Stomach in Shape for What Will be the Foodie Event of the Year
Written By: Charlotte Farrell SD Bay Wine and Food Festival
San Diego is in no short supply of activities to keep you busy in your downtime. Google “things to do in San Diego,” and you’ll most likely be inundated with pictures of beaches, a hang glider or two, some shots of Downtown and so on. But what you might miss is one of the city’s biggest foodie and wino events of the year: the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival. From Nov. 11-18, over 10,000 like-minded and hungry attendees will gather for the weeklong celebration filled with over 40 citywide events, including the Grand Tasting on November 17.
Aside from over 200 wineries, breweries and spirit companies, as well as 50 of San Diego’s top fine-dining restaurants, the 15th annual celebration boasts an impressive lineup of celebrity chefs, winemakers and artisans. And to up the celeb factor, award-winning chef, restaurateur, television personality and cookbook author Graham Elliot will be in attendance, as well as TV personality and San Diego Magazine Food Critic, Troy Johnson, best known as co-host of “Guys Grocery Games,” is set to serve as Grand Marshal. Johnson will be welcoming guests to the Grand Tasting with a Champagne saber demo to officially kick off the food-fueled fun!
Expect nationally-recognized celebrity chefs, legendary winemakers, guest mixologists, James Beard Award-winning authors, Master Sommeliers, brewmasters, artisans and tastemakers like Sam The Cooking Guy, Claudia Sandoval (the winner of the sixth season of “MasterChef”), Travis Swikard, formerly of Boulud Sud, Bar Boulud and Epicerie Boulud, television personality and author Alex Thomopoulos and so many more. Let the pros teach you the ins and outs of sustainable fishing, get hands-on classes from experts and other special events you cannot miss (see below for some of the most anticipated).
The setting isn’t half bad, either. Think beach towns, laid-back coastal vibes and the hubbub of the urban city center so you can eat your grub, sip some fine wine and take in the cultural diversity, buzzing culinary scene and signature flavor that is so unique to San Diego. Add on bevvys from the likes of Louis Latour, Dom Perignon, Vins de Provence, Stella Artois, Campari, Loire Valley Wines, Glenfiddich, Monkey Shoulder and hundreds more, and you will feel as though you have reached peak happiness.
Lest we forget, the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival benefits culinary arts and enology scholarships awarded by Fast Forward Futures, the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, Women’s Wine Alliance and the Berry Good Night Foundation. The scholarships, also for hospitality and viticulture students, have, to date, donated more than $375,000 for aspiring professionals. That’s a cause we can raise our glasses—and forks—to!
So what are you waiting for? If you need more convincing, here are just a few of the events that we have on our can’t-miss list. Trust us, you’ll want to come hungry:
–Pitmaster’s Veterans Day Barbecue hosted by Graham Elliot at the Coronado Island Marriott on Sunday, Nov. 11
–Raised by Wolves Speakeasy Opening Night Party on Monday, Nov. 12
–SOMM 3 Screening + Blind Tasting at Nolita Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 13
–Ocean-To-Table Provence Rosé Wine Lunch at The Marine Room on Wednesday, Nov. 14
–You & Yours Distilling Co. Cocktail Mixing Class at You & Yours Distilling Co. on Wednesday, Nov. 14
–Expedition: Baja at Valle de Guadalupe on Wednesday, Nov. 14
–Pop The Corks! Celebrity Chef Tastings + Fine Wine Experience on Thursday, Nov. 15
–Late Night Eats featuring Abraham Conlon, Gale Gand, Katsuya Fukushima, Jason McLeod, Aron Schwartz and Chad White on Thursday, Nov. 15
–The Grand Decant Wine Tasting on Friday, Nov. 16
–Femme de la Fork at Cucina Enoteca on Friday, Nov. 16
–The Prado Baja Wine Dinner at The Prado on Friday, Nov. 16
–Grand Tasting on Saturday, Nov. 17
–Bar Tiki After Party at JSIX on Saturday, Nov. 17
–Taco TKO at Liberty Station on Sunday, Nov. 18
Now that you may or may not be drooling and your stomach is growling a bit, it’s time to get your schedule in order. You can get tickets by visiting www.sandiegowineclassic.com, or go big or go home with all-inclusive ticket packages that offer overall savings and feature hotel accommodations as well as admission to a selection of premier events by calling 877.385.9595 ext. 9. SD Bay Wine and Food Festival
See you there foodies! SD Bay Wine and Food Festival
Charlotte is a fan of all things beauty, health, food, wellness, travel and a touch of nerdy fandom. She graduated with honors from the University of California, San Diego in Communications and English Literature and enjoys writing, looking at puppies on Instagram and drinking all the tea.
