Food and Wine…Need I Say More?

The San Diego Bay Food and Wine Festival is the perfect way to warm up your taste buds and stomachs for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.  Celebrating its tenth year, this festival is one of the largest food and wine festivals in the nation.  During this week-long event, participants can taste some of the best wine from around the world and experience masterful creations by some of the most well-known celebrity chefs and culinary personalities.  In attendance this year will be about two hundred wineries, breweries, and spirit purveyors along with seventy restaurants.  It is expected that approximately ten thousand wine and food aficionados from around the country will be in attendance.

What kinds of events are offered?  The activities range from cooking classes to tasting panels, from celebrity chef dinners to a variety of tasting events, which underscore “the city’s most drool-worthy restaurants and newest food trends to hit the streets, bringing you an epicurean experience unlike any other.”  Ticket prices range from $45-$550, depending on the event.

When is it?  November 18-24

Some of the highlights include:

Monday, November 18: La Plancha Pop Up Dinner which celebrates Baja and tequila tasting.

Tuesday, November 19: Beer and cheese pairings featuring Beer Sommelier “Dr.” Bill Sysak.

Wednesday, November 20: Haute French Cuisine & Vintage Burgundy Tasting.

Thursday, November 21: Wine Spectator’s Celebrity Chef Dinner & Big Bottle Live Auction.

This year’s celebrity chefs include Gale Gand (Executive Pastry Chef, TRU), Suzette Gresham (Executive chef, Acquerello), Bernard Guillas (Executive Chef, La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club), Peng S. Looi (Executive Chef, Asiatique), Grant MacPherson (Owner, Scotch Myst), Alex Stupak (Chef/Owner, Empellón), Robert Wiedmaier (Executive Chef/CEO, RW Restaurant Group), and Roy Yamaguchi (Chef/Owner, Roy’s Restaurant).

The evening will commence with a sample of oysters from Carlsbad Aquafarm and various other hors d’oeuvres from a passed tray.  Next will be a life auction during which more than twenty-five wine lots will be sold.  Proceeds benefit culinary and enology scholarships awarded by the American Institute of Wine & Food and the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs.  The auction is followed by the main meal, which will be prepared by one of the celebrity chefs and will pair with one of fifteen wineries’ vintages or varietals.

Friday, November 22: Italian Master Class: a wine and food experience featuring Acquerello’s Chef Suzette Gresham and Giancarlo Paterlini.

Saturday, November 23: Cooking Light & Health Magazines’ The Fit Foodie 5K Race, presented by Citi.

Sunday, November 24: Celebrity Sunrise Yoga & Brunch.

Check out the website for the full schedule of events and buy your tickets today, as the events are selling out quickly.  Don’t miss out on this fantastic culinary event.  Bon appétit!
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A Wisconsin native, Darcie Czajkowski has resided in San Diego since she was eighteen.  While she is an attorney by day, her fascination with relationships has led her to write women’s fiction at every change she gets.  An avid reader since she was a child, she also writes book reviews for Book Mama Blog.  When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her in the kitchen, cooking up a healthy meal for friends and family, hiking at Torrey Pines State Reserve, frequenting North County’s best happy hour spots, and traveling the world.