Downtown was a little slice of foodie heaven as the eighth annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival returned Nov. 16-20. About 10,000 people were expected to participate in the week-long culinary celebration that included cooking classes, wine tastings and festival events starring some of the top hospitality talent from around the country. “The quality of cuisine and caliber of wineries at this year’s festival was truly outstanding,” said Michelle Metter, event co-producer. “I am always happily surprised each and every year with the creativity and innovation that chefs bring to the table and the amount of hard work and dedication that goes into each dish.” Classes were held at the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center and the Macy’s School of Cooking in Mission Valley, and topics and instructors spanned from making brunch with Chef Gale Gand to “Makin’ Bacon” with The Food Network’s Hearty Boys. “Cooking is marrying a bunch of flavors together to be one,” said Billy Strynkowski, executive chef for Cooking Light magazine, in his class, “A Taste of the Middle East,” held at the Culinary Center. New-Jersey based Strynkowski, a festival veteran, taught his crowd of eager students how to make Persian street vendor kebabs and Middle Eastern eggplant salad, among other dishes. He also peppered the presentation with other tricks of the trade such as how to mix perfect meatloaf (“Don’t mix angrily. Angry chef equals angry food”). Closer to home, chef Rich Sweeney of R Gang Eatery in Hillcrest held a class on making gourmet mac-and-cheese, the haute version of the down-home comfort food. “It’s like potato salad: everybody has their own idea of what makes great mac-and-cheese,” said Sweeney, a former contestant on Bravo’s “Top Chef.” Sweeney made three versions of the classic including savory sweet, with bacon, apples and provolone cheese, and a sweet mac-and-cheese with peaches, crème, bourbon and brown sugar.?”Food doesn’t have to be boring. It can be fun,” said Sweeney. The dishes were paired with wines from Anglim Winery in central California’s Paso Robles region and vineyard owner Steffanie Anglim was on hand to discuss her selections — a 2008 pinot noir from the Fiddlestix Vineyard in Santa Rita Hills and a 2008 pinot noir from Jack Ranch in Edna Valley. Wine enjoyed a certain celebrity at the event, with several tastings and wine events, including a “Winerave” at Eden Restaurant in Hillcrest and a reserve and new release tasting at the San Diego Air & Space Museum at Balboa Park. Not to be outshined by the vino, bubbly also made an appearance. Master sommeliers Joseph Spellman and Robert Smith and sommelier Bonnie Graves hosted the class “Talking Terroir: France’s Champagne Region,” exploring the varieties of authentic champagnes from the Champagne region of France.  The trio, a powerhouse of vino know-how, covered subtle differences in Champagnes from color and bubble size to optimum temperature and glass shape. “It’s fireworks in a glass,” said Spellman, who represents Justin Vineyards and Winery in addition to his wine consultant work. Spellman also discussed the history of how glassmaking technology in England significantly impacted the early Champagnes almost as much as the vineyards and agriculture did. Graves discussed how marketing has influenced Champagne, citing, as an example, how hip-hop culture promoted Champagne almost as an accessory, and how vineyard labels adopted this new status. She also stressed that Champagne is not just for special occasions. “Don’t just save them,” she said. “Champagne can truly be an everyday enjoyment.” The culminating event of the festival was the Grand Tasting, this year held Nov. 19 at the Embarcadero Park North behind Seaport Village. Though last year’s Grand Tasting went on despite pouring rain, guests this year were treated to picture perfect weather and wine — hundreds of wines, to be more precise. The live chef showdown competition, an annual highlight of the Grand Tasting event, featured culinary talent competing for cash and prizes. This year’s winner was chef Daniel Barron of Blue Point Coastal Cuisine, who won for his crispy laughing bird shrimp and curry-glazed sous vide pork belly. The San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival is one of the largest festivals of its type in the country. It draws attendees from across the United States and abroad and highlights San Diego as a culinary destination.