Enjoy food and wine in San Diego

Tickets for the ninth Annual San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival, taking place through Nov. 18 are on sale. The weeklong wine and food extravaganza is widely recognized as the largest food and wine festival across Southern California and has become an iconic fixture in the national wine and food landscape.

The San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival brings together a cadre of A-list chefs and culinary personalities, master and advanced sommeliers, and nationally acclaimed winemakers in a combination of more than 25 epicurean experiences that appeal to the sophisticated palates of wine and food enthusiasts from across the nation.

Kicking off Nov. 14, the weeklong culinary celebration includes a series of wine tasting seminars, cooking classes, wine pairing dinners featuring the city’s top trendsetting chefs and restaurants, the Grand Tasting and $50,000 “Chef of the Fest” Competition, and Wine Spectator Celebrity Chef Luncheon and Big Bottle Auction.

This year’s event roster features a new schedule, including UnCorked Launch Party, a limited ticket option for those who want a sneak peak into the official festival kick-off party where ticket-goers have the opportunity to mix and mingle with local celebrity chefs; SWISH: Serious Sips and Urban Eats, an urban wine tasting at 57 Degrees wine bar that features up to 25 of the edgiest wineries and breweries and a food truck block party featuring San Diego’s hottest meals on wheels; and The Vault: Reserve Wine Experience and Silent Auction, an elegant tasting for collectors of fine wine featuring 160 wineries and spirits, in addition to a silent auction, and early entry passes for wine enthusiasts who want access to the event 30 minutes prior to general admission.

In addition, each year the festival introduces a new line-up of wine tasting seminars and cooking classes, introducing today’s trendiest topics in the wine and food realm.

Highlights include the “8 Decades of Barolo and Italian Luncheon,” a tasting experience of Barolo wines from eight decades of the 20th century expertly paired with Italian dishes by Chef Suzette Gresham and Celebrating Julia: Past and Present, a tribute class for Julia Child, where celebrity chefs Katsuya Fukushima and RJ Cooper showcase a “then and now” comparative French tasting menu.

Additionally, The Food Network’s Hearty Boys return to the festival with their class, Classic Cocktails and Salty Snacks, featuring recipes from their new book “The New Old Bar” of finger friendly foods, salty snacks, and cocktails perfect for entertaining.

The festival’s line-up of culinary superstars includes James Beard Award-winning Chef Roy Yamaguchi of Roy’s, cookbook author and James Beard Award-winning Chef Gale Gand of Tru, Chef Gavin Kaysen of Daniel Boulud’s New York City restaurant Cafe Boulud, The Next Food Network Star winners The Hearty Boys, Chef James Campbell Caruso of La Boca in Santa Fe, Chef Suzette Gresham of Acquerello, Chef Katsuya Fukushima of Daikaya in Washington, D.C., Chef Sarah Gruenberg of Spiaggia in Chicago, former Top Chef contestant Chef Lindsay Autry, Chef Mike Isabella of Graffiato in Washington, D.C., Chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, and local celebrity personalities Chef Brian Malarkey of Searsucker, Chef Paul McCabe of Delicias, Chef Bernard Guillas of The Marine Room, Chef Matt Gordon of Urban Solace, Chef Deborah Scott of Indigo Grill, Chef Jon Sloan of Roy’s, Master Sommeliers Joe Spellman and Bonnie Graves, and many more.

Proceeds from the festival’s live and silent auctions benefit the American Institute of Wine and Food and Chaine de Rotisseurs’ culinary arts and enology scholarship program for students and professionals in San Diego.

The festival has raised more than $205,000 for scholarships to date.

Attendees have the option to choose from a selection of four ticket packages that include a combination of hotel stays, events, wine tasting seminars, and cooking classes throughout the week. For wine and food lovers attending from outside of San Diego or locals interested in turning their experience into a luxurious staycation, a selection of hotel and ticket packages are available with accommodations and VIP experiences to meet any needs. For a listing and detailed description of available packages, check the event Website.

A complete schedule and line up of events are available online at SanDiegoWineClassic.com or call 619-342-7337.