By Laura Holloway

A festival that Southern Living magazine names as one of the most successful festivals in the
Southeast, the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival, or SoWal Wine, is one of the
premiere happenings along the Emerald Coast each year.

Wine World’s Chan Cox founded the Sandestin Wine Festival more than 30 years ago, providing
the inspiration and backdrop for the launch of the SoWal Wine Festival in 2013. Cox’s longtime
relationships with the best of the best in winemaking (including Peter Mondavi Jr.) created a
strong foundation for the birth of the festival, as well as its continued growth and success.

Today, the festival takes over Grand Boulevard for four days in April and features more than
800 bottles of wine for tasting and countless nibbles for enjoying. Presented by Visit South
Walton, Wine Enthusiast Media and Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, the festival also exists as a
true testament to its community by giving back, with all proceeds supporting Destin Charity
Wine Auction Foundation, benefiting children in need in Northwest Florida.

Enjoying the finer things

Why is this festival such an area staple? Stacey Brady, director of marketing for Grand
Boulevard at Sandestin and executive director of the festival, said it has to do with standards.

“We are very fortunate to enjoy a high quality of life in South Walton. Both locals and visitors
are very engaged in our excellent cultural offerings and South Walton has become a mecca for
people who enjoy the finer things in life and, naturally, a fabulous wine festival would fall into
that category,” Brady said.

Wine enthusiasts’ palates are quenched with the incredible variety of fine wines from around
the world, but foodies also find a place at the festival, with the finest foods offered – including
cheeses, olives, sushi, charcuterie and decadent confections. The inclusion of exclusive tasting
seminars from celebrated industry experts and chefs adds even more flavor to the festival.

“Our festival is the center of the wine world for four days the last weekend in April,” Brady
admitted. “More than 800 wines are presented by knowledgeable wine industry insiders, giving
attendees the opportunity to learn about the wines from people who make them. The town
center of Grand Boulevard is transformed as more than 100 tasting and culinary tents pour
wines from around the globe.”

USA Today named the festival “One of the South’s Standout Food and Beverage Festivals,” not
only for the expansive offerings of food and wine, but also in the different special events,
seminars and entertainment options provided throughout the weekend.

Events get underway with the longtime favorite, Winemakers & Shakers Thursday night at Wine
World in Destin. There are two days of Grand Tastings, a VIP package and a Friday night kick-off
party called Craft Beer & Spirits Jam. The DCWAF holds its annual auction on site, too.

Popular tasting seminars give people the chance to go deeper into their wine festival
experience. Past seminars included Hamilton Russell Vineyards “Cape Wine and Classic
Cuisine,” Maker’s Mark “The Samuels Family Legacy,” “Pairings Across the Board” with Michael
Landis of the Institut de Fromage, and a discussion of the Oregon wine industry with Adelsheim
Vineyard’s David Adelsheim.

The main wine tasting experience takes place in the Florida sunshine, inviting patrons to stroll
from tent to tent for samples, including whites, reds, rosés, champagnes, and even a
designated ‘Spirits Row,’ offering rum, whiskey, bourbon and more.

In years past, the culinary tent has offered such delicacies as Alabama goat cheese fritters with
San Marzano tomato sauce, avocado sourdough with marinated baby tomatoes and Aleppo
pepper, and Heureux beef sliders with aged Gouda, tomato-bacon marmalade, and Coastal Blue
Farms micro arugula. Other not-to-be-missed attractions within the festival are the Rosé All Day
Garden, Nosh Pavilions, and the Craft Beer and Spirits Jam.

Setting sights on 2019

What can returning visitors to the festival expect this year that might be different from years
past?

“We love to mix it up and keep it fresh each year – whether it’s a newly themed area like Rosé
All Day that we just added last year or a fantastic pairing of wines from a certain part of the
world with food from that same area,” explained Brady. “For 2019, we are bringing back Rosé
All Day and planning to present them in groupings from around the world. So, you will be able
to compare French rosés with California rosés or rosés from other great regions.

“Additionally, we will have a focus on wines from Oregon in the Culinary Village, powered by
Wine Enthusiast. Our attendees will love these! Eric Kramer, the winemaker with Jackson
Family Wines’ WillaKenzie is confirmed already and he will also do a tasting seminar.”

The official festival weekend begins Thursday, April 25 with Winemakers and Shakers. Friday,
April 26 offers a VIP tasting (4 to 9 p.m.) and the Craft Beer and Spirits Jam (6 to 9 p.m.). Two
full days of grand tastings follow on Saturday and Sunday, from 1 to 4 p.m. each day. Tickets are
available for special events within the festival, as well as weekend passes – both regular and VIP
– which come with perks such as express entry, priority reserved seating at tasting seminars, a
VIP swag bag, and entry to the exclusive Friday Night VIP tasting.

The South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival is held at Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, 495
Grand Boulevard, in Miramar Beach, the last weekend in April each year. For more information
or to purchase tickets, visit sowalwine.com.

This article originally appeared in the 2019 Spring Edition of the Food & Wine Guide for South Walton.

33rd annual food and wine event fills Baytowne Wharf

By Michelle Farnham

There’s something fascinating about the final hour of a wine festival. Voices get a
little louder, smiles get a little wider, and the glow of the late afternoon sun is
reflected on the faces of those who have had their pick of hundreds of bottles of
wine. For the 33rd annual Sandestin Wine Festival, Saturday’s Grand Tasting saw
temps reach 80, but the sun found a few clouds and the Gulf breezes blew in,
reminding ticket-holders why South Walton remains a premier wine festival
destination.

Pouring Florida Muscadine wines from San Sebastian Winery, Mark Shapiro offered
their Rosa, Ruby Port, and Vinter’s red and white, as well as the Cab Sav and Pinot
Grigio they bring in from California.

“Everybody mixes it up,” he said of the crowd’s preferences. “If they like sweet,
they’re going to go for the Muscadines; if they like the drier wines, then the cab or
the pinot.”

Jackson Family Wines rep Byron Fulton offered half a dozen bottles, including the
2017 Kendall Jackson Vintage Reserve Chardonnay ($11.98).

“It continues to be America’s No. 1 selling Chardonnay 25 years in a row, both on-
premise and off-premise,” Fulton said. “People are also really gravitating toward the
La Crema (Pinot Noir Rosé) with its creamy style – hence the name – and rosé is the
new trend.”

Fulton said – in addition to wine in cans, which are undoubtedly inspired by beach
and poolside sippers – blended reds are very popular on the market these days.

“It’s not a Cabernet, it’s not a Merlot, it’s not a Pinot Noir; it’s a blend of different red
wines. The winemaker can really play with the flavor however they want because it
doesn’t have to be 75 percent one varietal.”

Sandestin Wine Fest veteran Brian Morey with Morevino – back for his 16th festival
– agreed that the rosé train is still chugging, along with other summertime favorites.

“In Florida, I sell a lot more Pinot Noir because it’s so hot,” Morey explained. “If
you’re going to drink red wine in the summer, that’s the way to do it.”

Light bites

To keep wine-tasters steady on their feet, a series of Savor South Walton food tents
dotted the Village of Baytowne Wharf. There were Parmesan meatballs from Rum
Runners, crunchy sushi rolls from Signature Catering of 30A, chicken and sausage
jambalaya from Poppy’s Crazy Lobster, and Buffalo chicken quesadillas from
Baytowne newcomer Cannery Lane Cantina – just to name a few.

Vue on 30a Chef Giovanni Filippone was among the food purveyors, wearing his
“Hell’s Kitchen” chef’s coat, and fielding questions from the crowd about his two
seasons on the reality show. He offered bacon-wrapped venison stuffed with banana
peppers, marinated in his house Vue sauce.

“I can’t keep up!” he said as he flipped rolls on the grill. “It’s a great dish at a great
event for great charities. You want to serve something people will enjoy and talk
about.”

“That was by far my favorite of the day!” admitted Steve Baldock as he left the Vue
tent. Baldock came across the bridge from his home in Niceville to volunteer at and
attend his fourth festival. As for beverage choices at the fest, “I like all red wines, so
they’re all my favorite!”

Situated in a breezy spot off the lagoon, Executive Chef Dan Vargo of the Hilton
Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa was filling in for Chef Lee Guidry at the
Seagar’s Prime Steaks and Seafood tent. He and his team were serving beef strip loin
off the Seagar’s menu, marinated in brown sugar, soy, ginger, mustard seed, and
paired with a fig and mushroom reduction.

“It’s a big crowd pleaser; it goes over really well,” Vargo said. “Everybody smells the
smoke and the beef coming off the grill, so we always have a pretty good line.”

The 2020 Sandestin Wine Festival will be held April 16 to 19, 2020. Visit
sandestinwinefestival.com for more information.

For even more photos of the Sandestin Wine Festival, please visit us on Facebook at 30A Food and Wine

By Sara Reese

Toasting 33 years of fine wines, and charitable efforts, the Sandestin Wine Festival returns to The Village
of Baytowne Wharf in mid-April. The extended weekend includes a kick-off party with a local distiller,
wine dinners, the grand tasting events, culinary treats, yoga on the beach, and more! The highly
anticipated festival is the preferred event for over 7,500 wine aficionados and novices, as well as locals
and visitors alike. Tickets are already selling for The Sandestin Wine Festival Weekend of Thursday, April
11 to Sunday April 14, 2019.

The festival weekend opens at Rum Runners in Baytowne Wharf in conjunction with local spirit maker,
Timber Creek Distillery. Timber Creek will highlight its award-winning vodka, gin, and bourbons.
Featured craft cocktails from the distillery will compliment tasty passed small bites like prime-rib sliders
and crab cakes. The welcome party is a popular event and usually sells out quickly.

The Sandestin Wine Festival offers a Friday Grand Tasting on April 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. as well as a
Saturday Grand Tasting on April 13, 1 to 5 p.m. With wine and food tents spread from one corner of
Baytowne Wharf all the way to The Grand Sandestin Hotel, a full day of sipping and nibbling can be
enjoyed. Throughout the festival you will enjoy live music ranging from jazz, popular hits, and New
Orleans style. The “Bubbly Boozy” tent will return during both Grand Tastings. Sparkling wine devotees
will enjoy their favorites side by side. You will also find a selection of bourbons, vodkas, gins and more
from spirit and liquor distributors.

VIP options are available for both Friday and Saturday Grand Tastings. These limited tickets allow you
early entry to the festival, special gathering areas, and access to exclusive wine and spirit tastings.

The weekend offers many unique opportunities to enjoy The Sandestin Resort, culinary treats, and wine
in every way you could imagine! On Friday, step on to the Solaris at The Baytowne Marina for a three-
course seafood and champagne lunch cruise. Look forward to culinary features paired with favorites
from Moet-Chandon and Veuve Cliqcout. Wake up Saturday for Mind.Body.Beach, a morning of
rejuvenating yoga right on the beach. Your commitment to fitness will be rewarded with gulf-side
mimosas following the practice. Seminars will dot the weekend for unique opportunities to more deeply
explore the world of wine, regions, varietals, and more.

The weekend closes on Sunday with Brunch at Slick Lips Seafood & Oyster House in Baytowne Wharf where limited
diners will enjoy a five-course brunch appropriately paired with sparkling wines and champagne. Past
years’ celebrity chefs have included Chef Jim Shirley, famous for Seaside’s Great Southern Café, among
others.

Find favorites from the weekend at The ABC Fine Wine & Spirits retail tent. With hours Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday you will have many opportunities to stock up your wine cellars and refrigerators. A fun
photo booth will be on site to record all the good times from an action packed weekend.

The true highlight of the event is the over $65,000 in charitable contributions made to Fisher House of
The Emerald Coast and The Sandestin Foundation for Kids. This collaborative effort draws the support of over 500 volunteers who work throughout the event to help raise money to assist military families and
children, local and abroad.

As one of South Walton’s longest running wine festivals, tickets do sell out every year. Visit
www.sandestinwinefestival.com to purchase tickets, discover lodging specials, and stay current on any
updates as the festival draws near. Volunteer opportunities are also linked through the website. The
Grand Tastings take place in The Village of Baytowne Wharf, located at 9100 Baytowne Boulevard,
Miramar Beach, within The Sandestin Resort. Questions can be directed to
[email protected]

Photos by Michelle Farnham

Chef Guidry freshens things up without sacrificing flavor

By Michelle Farnham

The calendar might say spring began March 20, but at Seagar’s Prime Steaks &
Seafood, the seasonal menu begins April 2. Executive Chef Lee Guidry previewed his
spring dishes during a media luncheon March 22, offering a parade of fresh produce
and seafood – much of it locally sourced.

“This is my favorite time of the year. Mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes are all starting
to pop out of the ground,” Guidry said, as he introduced his first cold apps, including
a Chilled Shrimp Remoulade.

“Food invokes a lot of memories for people, and this dish is a play on a classic
shrimp remoulade, but I’m dressing it up,” he explained. “It’s a true remoulade sauce
with poached U-12 Gulf shrimp, a julienne of baby iceberg, tri-pepper chow chow,
and crispy shallots.”

His Pan-Roasted Bobwhite Quail earned top marks from diners, offering smoky
flavors accented by a black tea brine, and stuffed with foie gras quinoa. This is all
pan-roasted and finished with balsamic and apricot glaze and pomme puree.

Seafood lovers should look into the Grilled Calamari, featuring a fresh, whole squid
stuffed with jumbo lump blue crab, basil, and shallots. This is accompanied by a
salad of watercress, pickled shallots, and mizuna – a Japanese-style arugula.

“It’s a very clean flavor, marinated in olive oil, lemon zest and pepper Espelette – a
French pepper very high on the citrus tones but not too spicy,” he said.

You’ll notice many of Chef’s spring offerings include a salad component, and that’s
by design.

“Salad plays a big part for me in the spring. I think it’s a great palate cleanser – super
clean flavors – and I’m trying to stay away from the butter and the cream in a lot of
the dishes. We’ll be keeping that theme going throughout the summer, too.”

Reviewing the menu, you may do a double-take on the savory cheesecake that
accompanies the Seared Red Snapper entrée. It’s an indulgently creamy addition
that totally elevates the fish, wilted spinach, and roasted yellow tomato coulis.

“The savory cheesecake is lump crab, whole grain mustard, green onion, shallots,
Boursin cheese and a house-made crust,” Guidry explained. “It’s the same idea as a
sweet cheesecake, we’re just omitting the sugar and changing the crust to more of a
savory.”

The appropriately named Flavors of Spring dessert features mascarpone flan,
rhubarb sorbet, and lavender meringues, with strawberries five ways: gelled, patéd,
dehydrated, macerated, and powdered.

For the cocoa lovers at the table, the Chocolate Bomb is a vision. Hiding under
mirror glaze and a garnish of gold leaf is a dome of bittersweet chocolate mousse,
Irish cream, and raspberry on a hazelnut shortbread.

Other spring specials – in addition to the standard Prime steaks Seagar’s is known
for – include a Grilled Pork Belly, Pan-Seared Diver Scallops, Beef Tartare, Butter-
Poached Grouper, and Grilled Gulf Shrimp with house-made king crab cannelloni.

The spring menu will be available for the next three months, before Chef gives
diners a look at his summertime creations. Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood is
located within the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. Dinner is served
Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 6 p.m., and reservations are accepted.

Photos by Michelle Farnham