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Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,308
9,310
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival
April 25-28, 2019
Grand Boulevard
Miramar Beach, Florida

A dazzling roster of dozens of celebrity winemakers, distillers, chefs, brew masters and entertainers converge in South Walton, Florida to wine, dine, educate and entertain guests as part of the four-day celebration of wine. Throughout the Town Center of Grand Boulevard, attendees enjoy such attractions as Spirits Row, Rosé All Day Garden, Savor South Walton Culinary Village, Nosh Pavilions, Tasting Seminars, Craft Beer & Spirits Jam, live entertainment and more than 800 wines poured by knowledgeable wine industry insiders.

Tickets are now on sale now. To purchase tickets, please visit www.SoWalWine.com.

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South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival NEWS


CELEBRITY WINEMAKERS AND SEMINARS ANNOUNCED FOR SOUTH WALTON BEACHES WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL


Taste more than 800 wines, enjoy Rosé All Day, redesigned Culinary Village

Miramar Beach, Florida (Jan. 16, 2019) – The first round of featured winemakers and distillers has been announced for the 2019 South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival, taking place April 25 – 28 in Grand Boulevard’s Town Center. The festival is known for attracting top winemakers and master distillers from around the world and festival attendees can meet these renowned winemakers and industry experts to discuss their wines and spirits, while tasting them.

The festival once again has winemakers representing wineries from the globe’s most notable wine regions. Wines from the Oregon Wine Country will be featured at the 2019 festival in the newly redesigned Culinary Village. Leading the line-up are Erik Kramer, the winemaker from Willakenzie Estates and Eugenia Keegan with Gran Moraine, among the finest wineries in Oregon. Jackson Family Wines will be showcased, making this a stunning presentation of the best Oregon has to offer.

“We strive to bring a fresh and inviting experience to wine lovers each year. In addition to featuring exciting wines from Oregon and other notable wine regions, this year we are revamping two of our most popular areas - our tasting seminars and our culinary village,” said Stacey Brady, festival executive director.

With more than 40 years in the world of winemaking, Eugenia Keegan, General Manager of Gran Moraine, is a renown winemaking consultant. In a special seminar, Keegan will lead a panel discussion featuring Oregon winemakers, including Erik Kramer of Willakenzie. “The Origin and Evolution of Oregon Wines” explores the ever-changing landscape of some of the most impressive wines in the world. From the fascinating history of Oregon terroir and viticulture to the science behind the winemaking, guests will enjoy learning and tasting the Oregon Wine Country.

One of the most influential operatives in the history of whisky-making will make a rare appearance at South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival this year. The venerable Bill Samuels, Jr. of Maker’s Mark will present his premium whisky and conduct a once in a lifetime seminar. At “From Kentucky Whisky Pioneers to Iconic Industry Transformers – the Maker’s Mark Way” Samuels will tell the story of how Maker’s Mark began with one family’s quest to create a bourbon they enjoyed drinking and sharing with friends and how, in 1953, it changed an industry. Samuels turned his parents' little company into an icon and helped create a more flavorful version of their bourbon. Along the way, he rewrote the rules of marketing and set Kentucky's bourbon industry on a path to growth and success. Enjoy the journey, the stories and the delicious whisky of this visionary Whisky Hall of Famer.

In a repeat of last year’s standing-room only seminar, world-renown cheese expert and educator Michael Landis of Intitut du Fromage presents “The Perfect Pair(ing).” Enjoy tantalizing pairings of award-winning cheeses, meats and more to perfectly pair with wine. As the Director of Education for the Institut du Fromage, Landis has been teaching food and beverage pairings for more than 20 years. He is an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional and authorized Educator, Court of Master Sommelier, certified Cicerone beer server and was inducted into the International Guilde des Fromages in 2011. Enjoy selected wines poured to compliment the cheeses and meats.

Besides a redesigned Culinary Village and a new Tasting Seminar tent, back by popular demand is the Rosé All-Day walk-about, where Rosés from around the world can be tasted and compared. The walk-about is presented by ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals and is an all-pink salute, featuring photo-worthy backdrops and pink swag throughout.

Tickets are now on sale now. To purchase tickets, please visit www.SoWalWine.com.

Presented by Wine Enthusiast Media, Grand Boulevard at Sandestin and Visit South Walton, the festival offers the ideal backdrop for a beach getaway. The Festival is made possible by the generous support of the following Founding Partners: Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, Visit South Walton Tourist Development Council, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association and VISIT FLORIDA, Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, Wine World of Northwest Florida and Grand Boulevard at Sandestin. ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals is the official lodging partner of the festival.

South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival
This year’s annual South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival will be held April 25-28, 2019 throughout the Town Center of Grand Boulevard at Sandestin. The festival features a stunning showcase of the best wines in the world. Meet the celebrity wine producers and master distillers presenting their fine wine and spirits from around the world. The Savor South Walton Culinary Village offers a sumptuous array of foods to taste, wines to pair, as well as wine and food tasting seminars. Visit the Rosé All Day walk-about, Spirits Row and Nosh Pavilions and enjoy live entertainment throughout the weekend. The Craft Beer & Spirits Jam and Winemakers & Shakers events round out the extended festival weekend. The event is a major fundraiser for Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, which benefits children in need in Northwest Florida. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.SoWalWine.com.

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Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,308
9,310
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
Wine, charity and fun converge at the 2019 South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival. With more than 800 wines to taste over four days, this annual charity event delivers a wine experience unparalleled among Northwest Florida wine festivals.
Tickets available now.

SOUTH WALTON BEACHES FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL: April 26-28
EVENT SCHEDULE

Friday, April 26: Winemakers and Shakers 5-7pm: Join us as we host honored winemakers and shakers from some of the top wineries in the world and taste great wines.

Friday, April 26: VIP Wine Tasting
Culinary Village | 4-6 PM
For the ultimate wine experience, the VIP Wine Tasting has top wine celebrities presenting and pouring rare and collectible wines. Food tastings from fabulous Grand Boulevard at Sandestin and South Walton restaurants. Receive your own commemorative XL Riedel glass to round out this exclusive tasting. Express entry to Saturday’s AND Sunday's Grand Tasting included in ticket price.

Friday, April 26: Craft Beer & Spirits Jam
Grand Boulevard Town Center & Grand Park | 6-9 PM
Taste and enjoy specialty craft beers and spirits from the hottest breweries and distilleries in the country. Meet the people who make these lively libations. Nosh on great food on EATS Street. Live music to maximize your jam.

Saturday, April 27: Saturday Grand Tasting
Grand Boulevard Town Center & Culinary Village | 1-4 PM
It’s all about the wine! It truly is all about the quality, diversity and scope of wines being offered and the skills and relevance of the people bringing them to you. More than 800 wines are available at the Grand Tasting and ticket price includes Savor South Walton Culinary Village, Tasting Seminars, Rosé All Day Garden, Spirits Row, chef demos and Nashville Songwriters Showcase. Chefs and special guests include Michael Landis, Director of Education for the Institut du Fromage, Bill Samuels, Jr., Chairman Emeritus for Maker's Mark Distillery, Erik Kramer, Estate Winemaker for WillaKenzie and Eugenia Keegan, General Manager for Gran Moraine.

Sunday, April 28: Sunday Grand Tasting
Grand Boulevard Town Center & Culinary Village | 1-4 PM
Sometimes something is so much fun you want to do it all over again. Welcome back to day two of the Grand Tastings.

To purchase tickets and learn more about the festival, visit sowalwine.com.

South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival is made possible by the generous support of the following Founding Partners: Visit South Walton Tourist Development Council, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, Hilton-Sandestin Beach Golf, Wine World and Grand Boulevard at Sandestin®. ResortQuest Gulf Coast by Wyndham Vacation Rentals is the Official Lodging Partner.

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Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,308
9,310
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
Wine, charity and fun converge at the 2019 South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival. With more than 800 wines to taste over four days, this annual charity event delivers a wine experience unparalleled among Northwest Florida wine festivals.

Thursday April 25
Winemakers and Shakers 5-7pm: Join us as we host honored winemakers and shakers from some of the top wineries in the world and taste great wines.

Friday, April 26
VIP Wine Tasting
4-6pm: For the ultimate wine experience, the VIP Wine Tasting has top wine celebrities presenting and pouring rare and collectible wines. Food tastings from fabulous Grand Boulevard at Sandestin and South Walton restaurants. Receive your own commemorative XL Riedel glass to round out this exclusive tasting. Express entry to Saturday’s AND Sunday's Grand Tasting included in ticket price.

Friday, April 26
Craft Beer & Spirits Jam
6-9pm: Taste and enjoy specialty craft beers and spirits from the hottest breweries and distilleries in the country. Meet the people who make these lively libations. Nosh on great food on EATS Street. Live music to maximize your jam.

Saturday, April 27
Saturday Grand Tasting
1-4 PM: It’s all about the wine! It truly is all about the quality, diversity and scope of wines being offered and the skills and relevance of the people bringing them to you. More than 800 wines are available at the Grand Tasting and ticket price includes Savor South Walton Culinary Village, Tasting Seminars, Rosé All Day Garden, Spirits Row, chef demos and Nashville Songwriters Showcase. Chefs and special guests include Michael Landis, Director of Education for the Institut du Fromage, Bill Samuels, Jr., Chairman Emeritus for Maker's Mark Distillery, Erik Kramer, Estate Winemaker for WillaKenzie and Eugenia Keegan, General Manager for Gran Moraine.

Sunday, April 28
Sunday Grand Tasting
1-4pm: Sometimes something is so much fun you want to do it all over again. Welcome back to day two of the Grand Tastings.

To purchase tickets and learn more about the festival, visit sowalwine.com.

View festival wines
The 2019 Wine List has just been posted on sowalwine.com. Check it out and start mapping out your favorites for Festival Weekend!

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South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival is made possible by the generous support of the following Founding Partners: Visit South Walton Tourist Development Council, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, Hilton-Sandestin Beach Golf, Wine World and Grand Boulevard at Sandestin®. ResortQuest Gulf Coast by Wyndham Vacation Rentals is the Official Lodging Partner.
 

Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,308
9,310
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
Ranked among the South’s top food and beverage festivals by USA TODAY, South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival has long been recognized for its celebrity vintners and world-class wines. Now in its seventh year in Grand Boulevard, the festival’s Savor South Walton Culinary Village has become a top draw within the event and is where geographically-themed pairings of food and wine take place.

“This is my third year directing the festival’s culinary program,” said the Festival Culinary Director Chef Scott Plumley of Chan’s Wine World. “We want festival goers to have great time, and feel the cohesiveness between the Oregon wines and the food served along with it.”

This year’s theme celebrates Oregon wines, a wine region that is home to more than 700 wineries and 1,000 vineyards. Most famous for its Pinot Noir grapes grown in Willamette Valley, Oregon has eight distinct wine regions producing 72 grape varieties. Among the winemakers and wineries features are WillaKenzie Estate Winemaker, Erik Kramer, Jackson Family Wines’ Oregon General Manager, Eugenia Keegan and Mollie Battenhouse, National Director of Wine Education for Jackson Family Wines who is also an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers. All three will also be featured in one of Sunday’s wine seminars, exploring the history of Oregon terroir and viticulture taking the audience on a tasting journey through the region.

“Oregon is thickly rooted in Alaskan and Pacific cuisine with salmon and shellfish from the sea and hearty produce from the earth such as mushroom, kale, and lettuces, which we’ll prepare with a Southern Gulf Coast flair,” shared Chef Plumley. “I am planning a menu that is more substantial and combines small bites that are quick to eat along with dishes that have more substance and leave people feeling satisfied.”

Presented by The Craft Bar and The Wine Bar, the Culinary Village will feature nine culinary stations. Light bites range from herb-crusted goat cheese fritters to Tillamook & Gruyere beignets with Bay Shrimp, roasted corn, sweet tomato chutney topped with petit basil, which are complemented by satisfying samples of seared salmon with wildflower honey, toasted hazelnuts, mushroom risotto, and local small batch stout braised beef short ribs with stone ground grits, among others. New this year, Chef Plumley is adding a sweet treat—dark chocolate pistachio and passion fruit truffles.

Also new this year, the Savor South Walton Culinary Village will include an exposition kitchen where festival goers will enjoy watching Chef Plumley and his team prepare culinary offering fresh and in-person.

“I hope that having a busy expo kitchen right there provides both entertainment and something new to experience,” said Chef Plumley. “While there is definitely a strong focus on wine, the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival is a gathering of people who love wine and food. There are craft beers, spirits, food seminars, wine seminars and more. There is a lot more to do than simply walk and taste wine.”

Throughout the festival Nosh Pavilions offer an array of food tastings that pair beautifully with the wines. The venerable Yoshie Eddings of Harbor Docks will be serving her wildly popular fresh sushi, while Chef Ryan Cogan of Barefoot’s Bar & Grill at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa and Mona B. McGee of Mac Farms in South Walton will surprise attendees with creative bites and fresh produce.

One of the aspects that makes South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival special is the focus on education. The 2019 event will welcome back world-renowned cheese expert and educator Michael Landis to present tasting seminars on Saturday and Sunday. Landis will present a sampling of the American Cheese Society’s Medal-winning cheeses and other bites, paired perfectly with selected wines including Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County CA 2017 WillaKenzie Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 2017 Ex Post Facto Syrah, Santa Barbara County 2016 and Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley 2014 poured to compliment the cheeses and meats. As the Director of Education for the Institut du Fromage, Landis has been teaching food and beverage pairings for more than 20 years. He is an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional and authorized Educator, Court of Master Sommelier, certified Cicerone beer server and was inducted into the International Guilde des Fromages in 2011.

The four-day celebration of wine also includes the Craft Beer & Spirits Jam, Rosé All Day Garden, Spirits Row, Nosh Pavilions, live entertainment and more than 800 wines presented by knowledgeable wine industry insiders. The ultimate wine weekend is complemented by the Destin Charity Wine Auction and proceeds from the auction and the festival benefit children in need in Northwest Florida.

Tickets are now on sale. Event details and tickets are available at www.sowalwine.com. To purchase tickets, visit https://sowalwine.com/tickets/.

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Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,308
9,310
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation is a big part of the SoWal Wine & Food Festival weekend with a huge live auction under the big tent on Saturday, April 17.

Destin Charity Wine Auction is ranked #4 on the list of "Top 10 Charity Wine Auctions in the US" by Wine Spectator Magazine for the second consecutive year, raising $18 million for children in need in Northwest Florida since it's inception in 2005.

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A Patron Package includes admission for one couple to the following:
Patron Dinner - Friday, April 26 | 6 PM
Some of the most exquisite homes and restaurants on the Emerald Coast set the stage for the 2019 Patron Dinners. Each Patron Dinner will feature a nationally recognized chef paired with world-class celebrity vintners. The dinners provide a unique opportunity to interact with fellow wine enthusiasts while enjoying innovative cuisine and the world’s best wines. As patrons, you will also enjoy complimentary transportation to and from your dinner. Each dinner will benefit one of our 16 charities and allow a chance to see firsthand how your generosity is changing the lives of children in need within our community.

Reserve Tasting & Live Auction - Saturday, April 27 | 1 PM
The Reserve Tasting and Live Auction will be held under an air- conditioned tent at Sandestin Town Center’s North Lawn within Grand Boulevard. It will feature distinctive wines from internationally acclaimed vintners, poured and paired with cuisine created by a selection of the area’s top local restaurants. The Reserve Tasting is accompanied by a silent auction as well as an almost live auction featuring wine, autographed large format bottles, art and more. The event will culminate with a high-energy live auction, which includes rare and distinctive wines, spectacular trips and other incredible one-of-a-kind items.

1:00 PM – Reserve Tasting & Silent Auction
3:00 PM – Live Auction
ATTIRE – Resort Casual

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