The Del Mar Wine and Food Festival showcased top culinary talents during its six-day run, culminating in the two-day Grand Tasting featuring celebrity chefs, local restaurants, and an array of wines, cocktails, and beers.
San Diego native Trey Johnson, a renowned food writer and TV personality, took center stage as the festival’s host, bringing his wealth of experience from shows like Guy’s Grocery Games and Iron Chef.
Furthermore, in 2021, Trey and his wife Claire took over San Diego Magazine. Joining Johnson as event ambassadors were San Diego Wave and US women’s All-World Soccer Star Alex Morgan, former NFL Superstar Drew Brees, and surf legend Rob Machado.
Ted Glennon, a seasoned hospitality professional turned winemaker and DJ, served as the festival’s curator, infusing it with his passion for wine, music, and event production.
In addition to offering a delightful culinary experience, the festival also partnered with Feeding San Diego, a charity dedicated to rescuing surplus food and fighting hunger, with a portion of proceeds going towards their noble cause. Making this event not only a celebration of food and wine but also a force for positive change.
We kicked off our day at the Cesarina booth, savoring deep-fried lasagna while congratulating Bib Gourmand winners, co-owners Nic Angius and wife/chef Cesarina Mezzoni. The team thrilled us with news of Elvira, its upcoming Roman osteria and pizzeria set to open in the former Bo-Beau Kitchen+Bar space in Ocean Beach.
Inspired by our delightful experience at Cesarina, we’re eagerly anticipating Elvira’s launch. Next to Cesarina, Tap Truck, expertly managed by owner Corban O’Reilly delighted guests with craft cocktails from their mobile setup, perfect for event libations with assistance from Kelsie Karesloaver.
Lastly, we visited the Ranch45 booth, where Chef Aron Schwartz presented a delectable twist on Steak and Eggs, featuring Prime Brandt Beef New York Strip adorned with caviar and microgreens.
At the main event, our initial stops included Austin Hope and Duckhorn, where they showcased an impressive selection of wines. Austin Hope’s CJ Gormley and Kylie Colachis presented a delightful array of wines, including sauvignon blanc, malbec, and their outstanding grenache-syrah-malbec blend.
The cabernet was reliably excellent, and the GSM blend was a personal favorite, alongside the refreshing sauv blanc and malbec. Meanwhile, Duckhorn’s Remy Crane and Trenta offered a wide range of wines from their extensive portfolio, such as Decoy Rose, Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc, Migration Pinot Noir, and a standout Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Howell Mountain. Both Duckhorn and Austin Hope Sauv Blanc offerings were perfect for the warm day.
At the Beeside Balcony booth, chef Christophe Cevasco showcased his passion for seafood with a perfectly grilled Spanish octopus, potato fondant, and arugula salad, delivering a symphony of delightful flavors.
We then explored the Brandt Beef collection, where Ranch45 had several engaging exhibits. One showcased different meat cuts and their origins, while another featured delectable small bites, including a deconstructed mini wedge salad with beef bacon, cherry heirloom tomato, and shaft blue cheese, as well as a grilled New York Strip tartine on sourdough bread with arugula – both culinary delights.
After exploring beef options, we ventured to the pizza booths. Before reaching the Amalfi booth for our first pizza tasting, we paused at Tanner’s Prime Burgers, known for its legendary 1/3-pound 100% USDA Prime all-natural Brandt Beef burgers, topped with Cowboy Beef Bacon, caramelized onions and New School American cheese served at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
Amalfi’s booth offered delightful pizza overseen by renowned Pizzaiola Joseph Serra, while the co-owner and GM, Giuseppe Annunziata, brought his usual energetic charm. Other pizza highlights included Dang Bros’ mobile wood-fired pizza oven fire trucks and Tribute Pizza, serving wood-fired focaccia, burrata with Mike’s Hot Honey, and delectable wood-fired pizzas.
Our day concluded in the VIP Experience tent, where we savored wines from renowned labels, including Kosta Browne, Chateau Montelena, Caymus, and Daou. Kosta Browne’s representative, Nosheen Khan, poured Kosta Browne’s 2021 One-Sixteen Russian River Chardonnay, a nod to Sonoma County’s Road 116, alongside two of its acclaimed pinot noirs: the 2021 Sonoma Coast Pinot and a 2017 Estate Cerise Vineyard from Anderson Valley.
At Chateau Montelena’s booth, hospitality manager Sheri Bowen indulged guests with a delightful lineup, including the 2020 Chardonnay boasting notes of Granny Smith apples and stone fruit, their 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, and a rare library 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Mary Gavin from Caymus indulged guests with the 2021 Emmolo Sauv Blanc, Voyage 10 Red Schooner, and their flagship Caymus Cab Sauv, which was a 2021 vintage. Mary was excited to share that Chuck Wagner has a new project, his Caymus CA Cabernet Sauvignon. The inaugural vintage is 2021. Fruit is sourced from premier growers across California from Paso Robles, Monterey, Lake County, and Solana County to bring a cabernet sauvignon with California appellation.
Eryn Schnitzler, Daou Family Estates’ SoCal business development manager, delighted guests with a range of exceptional wines, including the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2020 Bodyguard blend honoring the Daou brothers’ resilient mother from war-torn Lebanon, and the latest edition of their iconic Soul of a Lion, celebrating its 10th anniversary in tribute to their father’s enduring spirit.
This Bordeaux blend, composed of cabernet sauvignon (81%), cabernet franc (13%), and petit verdot (6%), aged for an impressive 22 months in new French oak, continues to shine with its consistent excellence as a superstar, boasting phenolic levels nearing 300, and great fruit flavors on the palate with smooth and silky tannins.
Congrats to Trey Johnson and the Del Mar Wine and Food Festival team for hitting it out of the park. I am already looking forward to next year’s event. See more information at delmar.wine.
— Story by Rico Cassoni
Rico Cassoni is the executive producer for Taste of Wine and Food. Founder/advisor Frank Mangio is a renowned wine connoisseur certified by Wine Spectator. Frank and Rico are two of the leading reviewers on the web. View their columns at tasteofwineandfood.com. Reach them at [email protected].
