Ever since it was founded in 2004 by Ken Loyst and Michelle Metter, the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival has been the number one celebration of the food scene which thrives in this rich and diverse area. Ten years of history have led to this, the anniversary year, and the festival is returning to celebrate the range of wine and foods on offer this November between the 20th and 24th. This year, more than two hundred wineries, breweries and spirit makers are booked to be in attendance, joined by another 70 of the best restaurants in San Diego – catering to an anticipated ten thousand visitors arriving from all corners of the country. If you’re planning to stay at a hotel in San Diego this November, then make sure to check out this yearly festival.
A full schedule of events includes cooking classes, a selection of tasting panels, dinners with celebrity chefs and other tasty events led by the brightest and most talented culinary experts in the San Diego area. Culinary classes and skill sessions are also a part of this weekend, giving interested parties an opportunity to learn how to better their own cookery with tuition from some leading names in the field. This festival is perhaps the most talked about event in the wine and culinary calendar of the whole West Coast, perhaps even further afield. One only has to look at the names attracted to its events to understand how exciting it is to attend this unique occasion.
The other celebrated part of the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival is its auctions. In partnership with the American Institute of Wine and Food as well as alongside the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, each of the auctions raise money to contribute to scholarship funds at the Institute, helping to continue people’s work in the culinary arts and the world of enology or viticulture, particularly favoring students from San Diego. This year’s auctions are raised at the Reserve Tasting evening on Friday 22nd as well as at the Wine Spectator’s Celebrity Chef Dinner on the 21st.
Photo courtesy of sandiego.org