 |
|
 |
 |
 |
| journeyPod Puckered Up at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival |
| journeyPod headed to sunny Southern California for the The 4th Annual San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival… and just as we expected, were we there for the lip smackin’, glass clinkin’, celeb watchin’, swishin’, swirlin’, mouth-waterin’ fun!Held at venues along the stunning San Diego waterfront, the Festival was a sizzling five-day fest that offered attendees everything from cooking classes with celebrity chefs and wine tastings with Master Sommeliers, to a Reserve Tasting aboard the Hornblower’s Inspiration, and the Final Grand Event where over 800 wines were poured. |
 |
| Co-produced by World of Wine Events, this year’s festival welcomed over 160 wineries, 60 fine dining restaurants and their chefs, gourmet food vendors, spirit companies, wine industry experts, celebrity chefs and over 7,000 wine and food enthusiasts. |
 |
Being the largest wine and food festival in Southern California – naturally, journeyPod just had to check it out! Then again,we really didn’t need to find an excuse to mix n’ mingle with celebrity chefs, eat gourmet chocolate and sip wine with master sommeliers! Oh yeah, and it was 70 degrees and sunny in San Diego - in late November! Plus, we also had the chance to experience luxury and relaxation at the Rancho Bernardo Inn! When in San Diego, this place is a MUST! The property is absolutely gorgeous and a haven if you need quiet and relaxation. (After all that wine and food–we needed a day of recuperation at their fabulous spa!) |
| Pick Your PoisonWhether learning how to create the perfect paella, becoming a cheese expert, comparing California Zins, exploring the bold and beautiful world of sparkling wines and champagnes, or participating in a blind taste testing – attendees had the option of picking their poison each hour of each day throughout the five day fest. It also didn’t hurt that the events took place at venues all along the beautiful, sunny waterfront - cool salt breezes blowin across our faces, sun shining in our eyes… ah, Southern California at its best! |
 |
But it wasn’t all about the wine and food…. journeyPod caught up with some of the movers and shakers here too! We spoke with Kathleen Inman from Inman Family Wines - a renowned woman winemaker who lead a panel on the challenges of women winemakers. We also chatted with Executive Chef Jeff Grossman from Terra Restaurant right here in San Diego. And Evan Goldstein, master sommelier – whom we had a sheer blast interviewing. Who knew sipping port and melting chocolate in your mouth could be such a, well… mind-blowing experience! Thanks to Goldstein, we now know! |
| Elegant Evenings and Delightful DaysHighlights from the event included the Reserve and New Release Tasting. All Aboard! This exclusive event, held on the Hornblower’s Inspiration, was an elegant evening for collectors of fine wines. Guests indulged in over 150 wines and spirits and enjoyed delicious cuisine. The silent auction on board benefited the American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF). Guests at this event sipped wine as they enjoyed the unique sounds of New York based singer/songwriter Jill Talve with Emedin Rivera. Having just released her CD “Take a Walk with Me”, Jill performed a wide variety of original songs and some old time favorites as well. |
| The Grand Tasting Event and Fine/Luxury Lifestyle Auction was right up journeyPod’s alley. Held at the beautiful Embarcadero Park North behind Seaport Village, we were in heaven… 60 star chefs showed off their culinary talents, gourmet companies wowed us with their yummy fare, and 160 international winemakers and spirit producers poured to our hearts delight (and then some!).Our favorite tent was the Olive Oil Tasting & Competition - who knew there were so many nuances to the fine art of olive oil tasting?! The Fine Wine/Luxury Lifestyle Auction was opened only to VIPs and was |
 |
certainly geared toward the serious wine collectors and wine enthusiasts. The auction featured large format bottles, autographed and limited edition wines, luxury vacations, and premium items.Check out the complete podcast for more from Inman and Grossman as journeyPod went live at this year’s San Diego Wine and Food Festival. And, mark your calendar’s for next year’s event - November 12-16, 2008. For an in-depth lesson on pairing chocolates with wines, look for our upcoming exclusive podcast with Evan Goldstein.
Have we made you crave a glass of Pinot? Some decadent chocolate? Check out journeyPod’s San Diego Destination Guide for just some of our best picks. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
