3 for 30a – SowalWine Edition
Story by Phil Heppding
The most anticipated wine weekend of the year is here. The South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival kicks off this weekend with new events and over 800 wines to taste. Foodies, wine connoisseurs, and craft beer enthusiasts will find events catered to their palate all weekend at the SowalWine Fest.
Friday night kicks off at 4pm with Winemakers and Shakers at Wine World in Destin. Meet and greet top winemakers in town for the festival and sample a few craft spirits as well. Tickets are still available and this event should be a fitting start to the weekend.
Head on over to Grand Boulevard at 6pm for the Craft Beer and Spirits Jam. Food, craft beer and speciality cocktails are on tap as guests get to meet the folks behind the evening’s libations. Come out and relax the night away with local favorites The Owsley Brothers providing the live entertainment. Tickets are still available for this event as well.
The SowalWine party gets started on Saturday with the VIP Grand Tasting beginning at 11AM until 1PM in Grand Park at Grand Boulevard. Choose from over 800 wines, tasty bites from local chefs and kick back on Champagne Lane.
The festival also plays host to numerous wine seminars with celebrity vintners from around the world. Saturday afternoon, Jeff Mausbach of TintoNegro Wines takes the stage in the Culinary Village at 4PM. On Sunday afternoon, Christina Mariani-May joins guests from 1:30 to 2:15 on the main stage. Both vintners will be pouring wines from their selections. Remember, seating is first-come, first-serve so be a little early!
It should also be noted the the proceeds form this event benefit the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation. The DCWAF is in it’s eleventh year and the auction takes place on Saturday afternoon at the festival. The event is a separate ticketed event and more information can be found by visiting the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation.
The Grand Tasting kicks off at 1PM and runs all afternoon until 5PM. Festival attendees can attend chef demos, wine seminars, and visit Spirits Row for an afternoon cocktail. Did we mention there are over 800 wines to sample???? 🙂
Sunday wraps up the event with the Grand Tasting from 1PM-5PM. Additional wine seminars, chef demos and food stations will keep everyone happy as they close out the event.
Be sure to tag your photos with #SowalWine and #30aFood and follow 30a Food and Wine on Facebook and Instagram.
