November 15, 2008 (Saturday)

Grand Tasting Event

Date:          November 15, 2008

Time:          11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (TRADE ONLY)

Time:           12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.   (Open to public)              

Price:            $100 (in advance)    $125 (at festival)
                      $150 VIP (early entry, VIP Gift Bags, and VIP tent access, not available onsite)

Location:      Embarcadero Park North Behind Seaport Village

Purchase Tickets > >

Note: This Event Sold Out last year...
The Grand Finale of the sizzling three-day festival is the star-studded Grand Tasting Event held November 15 on the Embarcadero Park North behind Seaport Village. Sixty San Diego Star chefs show off their culinary artistry, 30 gourmet food companies wow you with their scrumptious fare, and 150 international winemakers and spirit producers pour some of the most exciting wines and spirits on the market today. Ticket price is $100 per person in advance. Also featured at this year's Grand Tasting:

Olive Oil Tasting & Competition Tent:   In this exciting tent hosted by the California Olive Oil Commission, attendees take part in a people's choice judging from gourmet olive oil producers and learn the fine art and nuances of tasting olive oil from the experts.

Chef of the Fest:  The “Chef of the Fest” competition is an action-packed culinary showdown involving all chefs during the Grand Tasting event on November 15. If you are signed up for the Grand Tasting – you automatically will be judged in “Chef of the Fest”. There is nothing extra required of you, other than to let us know that you want the judges to come by your booth during the Grand Event and judge your cuisine that day. Chefs compete in one of five categories and are judged by a panel of local and national celebrity chefs, authors and members of the food and wine media. Through a tiered judging process, one chef is selected as the best representation of innovative, fresh, flavorful cuisine and crowned “Chef of the Fest” walking away with up to $50,000 in cash & prizes and some serious bragging rights.

Cookbook Author Signing:   Celebrity chefs will be on hand in the Border's Bookstore book tent to autograph copies of their best selling cookbooks.

Live Entertainment:   Live musical performances will take place on both ends of the Festival.

Charity:   Proceeds from auctions at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival benefit the American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF) culinary arts scholarship programs. AIWF Scholarship