Come hungry, San Diego. The third annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food festival returns this year Nov. 8 through 12. The five-day festival of wine tasting and cooking classes, grand tasting events and brunch cruises is sure to offer something to fancy every palate.
“It really is an exceptional event for wine and food enthusiasts,” said Michelle Metter, the festival’s co-producer. “This is by far the largest wine and food event in Southern California. In one afternoon (Saturday’s Grand Tasting Event) you can visit with and taste 150 international and domestic wine and spirit companies.”
More than 700 wines, 50 of San Diego’s premier restaurants and 30 gourmet food companies will participate in the festival that kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 8 with a WINERAVE, a tasting event at downtown nightclub Belo, 435 E St., geared towards a younger generation of wine enthusiasts.
On Thursday, Nov. 9, and Friday, Nov. 10, a series of cooking classes and wine tasting classes commences.
The cooking classes will be held during the day at the Macy’s School of Cooking in the Mission Valley Center on Camino De La Reina and the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center, 200 Harbor Drive. Ticket prices range from $45-$65 and will feature some of San Diego’s favorite chefs, including “Sam the Cooking Guy,” Sam Zien, award-winning local cooking show star, who will teach a class on cooking “Happily South of the Border,” on Friday, Nov. 10.
As well, executive chef Gary Thompson of Viejas Casino will cover Perfect Paella Preparation; Chef Dave Lawrence, author of Boy Eats World, will teach “Cocktails & Hors d’oeuvres to Die For” and “A Private Chef Cooks Simple Gourmet”; and Chef Gavin Kaysen of El Bizcocho at the Rancho Bernardo Inn will teach “Sous-Vide” cuisine, a method of cooking food inside of vacuum-packed bags.
The wine-tasting classes range from $45-$75 per ticket. They will be held at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center and the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, 333 W. Harbor Dr. Wine experts and Sommeliers will walks guests through an “International Tour of Sparkling Wines,” and “Debunking the Myth of Perfect Paring,” a tour of tapas and Spanish wines and special tasting classes with Syrahs, Pinot Noirs, and a Master Sommelier Blind Tasting, Friday, Nov. 10.
The festival culminates on Saturday, Nov. 11, with a Grand Tasting Event at the Embarcadero Park North behind Seaport Village, from noon to 4 p.m. Featured will be 150 wineries and 50 fine dining restaurants. There will also be an olive oil competition and tasting, live musical performances, and a celebrity chef showdown and cookbook signings. Bravo channel’s “Top Chef” contestants Chef Brian Hill and Chef Frank Terzoli, “Frankie the Bull,” will be making an appearance at the event.
The cost for the Grand Tasting Event is $95 regular admission, $150 VIP. There is also a special designated driver discount ticket for those who will not be consuming alcohol. All attendees also receive a free one-year subscription to San Diego magazine.
On Sunday, Nov. 12, there will be a Hornblower & MUMM champagne brunch cruise, 11 a.m. to 1p.m.
The festival benefits the American Institute of Wine and Food culinary arts scholarship program. Guests must be 21 and older to attend the festivities, except for the all-ages brunch cruise. Tickets must be reserved in advance and can be purchased online and in packages. For more information on tickets, classes and costs visit www.worldofwineevents.com.