GET READY TO “PUCKER UP” FOR THE SAN DIEGO BAY WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL, NOVEMBER 14-18, 2007

Schedule of Events Announced

San Diego, CA (July 24, 2007) -Southern California’s largest wine and culinary event returns with a week-long, action-packed Festival for “foodies” that producers Michelle Metter and Ken Loyst claim will be nothing short of lip smacking, glass clinking, celebrity watching, swishing, swirling, mouth watering kind of fun!

This year’s Festival features 160 world-class wineries, 60 fine dining restaurants, gourmet foods, celebrity chefs, wine dinners, 15 cooking and wine tasting classes, olive oil competition, and live and silent auctions benefiting the American Institute of Wine

Tickets are now on sale for each event during the weeklong Festival.  In addition to an already exciting line-up, festival producers have added three new events including a Tommy Bahama Rum VIP Party, a luxury champagne and jewelry event called Bling & Bubbly, and the “Chef of the Fest” competition where 60 fine dining chefs compete for up to $50,000 in cash and prizes. 

The Schedule for the 4th Annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival follows:

November 11, 2007

• Tommy Bahama Rum VIP Party  (By Invitation Only)

November 14, 2007

• San Diego Wine Rave: A winetasting event with the volume turned up a few notches.  Held at a popular nightclub in downtown San Diego this event caters to the 21-35 year-old crowd and features cutting edge wines and spirits.  The event is designed to create an uber hip tasting experience for a collective of up-and-coming wine and spirits consumers.  (Ticket Price and Location TBA)

• Bling Held at the ultra cool Ivy Hotel, Bling & Bubbly is a true celebration of all things sparkling.  Bling & Bubbly is an exclusive event for those who like a little effervescence in their life, want to shine inside and out, and raise a glass of some really great champagne in support of a really great cause.  The event, only open to 150 attendees, will feature a flight of five “show-stopping” sparkling wines and champagnes, scrumptious morsels from The Ivy’s executive chef and more than $150,00 in jaw-dropping diamonds.  Ticket price is $150.  6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

November 15, 2007:  Cooking & Wine Tasting Classes At the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center

• Simply French featuring Chef Carissa Seward, The Next Food Network Star contestant; 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; $45 per ticket

• Perfect Paella Preparation featuring Executive Chef Gary Thompson of Viejas Casino; 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.; $45 per ticket

• Cocktails & Hors d’ oeuvres To Die For; Chef Dave Lawrence author of Boy Eats World; Sponsored by Imbibe Magazine; 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.; $55 per ticket

• The Bold and the Beautiful of Sparkling Wines featuring Maria Hunt; Food Columnist, Union Tribune; 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.; $45 per ticket

• Find the Opus featuring John Alonge, Wine Expert/Owner San Diego Wine & Culinary Center; 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.; $45 per ticket

November 15, 2007:  Cooking Classes At Macy’s School of Cooking

• Global Flavors and Spice Mixology featuring Chef Bernard Guillas, Executive Chef La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club; 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.; $55 per ticket

• The Harmony of Chef and Sommelier featuring Addison at The Grand Del Mar’s Executive Chef William Bradley and Sommelier Jesse Rodriguez 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.; $55 per ticket

November 16, 2007:  Cooking & Wine Tasting Classes At the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center

• Become A Cheese Expert (or at Least Look Like One!) featuring Author Laura Werlin; 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., $55 per ticket

• A Comparison of California Zinfandel Panel featuring Paul Lukacs, Wine Editor Saveur Magazine; 12:00 p.m.. – 1:30 p.m., $55 per ticket

• PS I Love You featuring Master Sommelier Joseph Spellman and Panel of Petite Sirah Winemakers, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., $55 per ticket

• Vertical Ports and Pairing – Not Just Cheese and Chocolate featuring Bart Barthelemy, Winemaker at      St. Barthelemy Cellars with Jennifer English of Food & Wine Radio Network, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., $55 per ticket

• Master Sommelier Blind Tasting featuring Master Sommelier Joseph Spellman and Panel of Local Sommeliers, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., $75 per ticket

• Women Winemakers Panel featuring Sommelier Lisa Redwine of Molly’s Restaurant & Bar, as Moderator, and a panel of women winemakers, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., $55 per ticket

November 16, 2007:  Cooking Classes At Macy’s School of Cooking

• Top Chef Allstars featuring Chef Brian Hill, Chef Frank Terzoli and Chef Brian Malarky, Seasons 1, 2 and 3 of Bravo’s Top Chef contestants, 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., $60 per ticket

• Sip and Savor featuring Chef de Cuisine Gavin Kaysen of El Bizcocho – recently named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs, 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., $60 per ticket

November 16, 2007: 

• Reserve & New Release Tasting and Silent Auction (Big Bottle) aboard the Inspiration featuring Reserve and New Release wines from 150 producers.  $85 per ticket.  6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

November 17, 2007:  Embarcadero Park North behind Seaport Village

• Grand Tasting: The Grand Finale of the sizzling week-long festival is the star-studded Grand Tasting Event held November 17 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 160 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. $150 for VIP.  12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

• Olive Oil Competition & Tasting: In this exciting tent at the Grand Tasting Event 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 Competition: An action-packed culinary showdown at the Grand Tasting Event involving 60 of San Diego’s top fine dining restaurants and chefs. 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 and prizes and some serious bragging rights

• Live Auction: A private auction at the Grand Tasting Event held for 200 VIPs at the Grand Tasting Event.  This auction is open to the first 200 registrants and is recommended for the serious wine collector and wine enthusiast. The auction will feature large format bottles, autographed and limited edition wines, luxury vacations and premium items.  Benefits scholarship programs for the American Institute of Wine & Food.

Proceeds from the event’s live and silent auctions benefit the American Institute of Wine & Food culinary and enology scholarships for students and professionals in San Diego.  In 2006, the donations from the festival to AIWF resulted in the award of seven educational scholarships.

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Festival.  For more information on the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival held November 14-18, 2007 or to purchase tickets visit www.worldofwineevents.com or call 619-342-7337.

The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is sponsored by:  Cost Plus World Market, Saveur Magazine, Viejas Casino, BMW, Union Bank of California, San Diego Magazine, W Hotel, Acqua Panna, Southwest Airlines, Hornblower Cruises, Unified Port of San Diego, Marriott Hotels, California Olive Oil Council, Macy’s School of Cooking, Sadie Rose Banking Company, S. Pellegrino, Flemming’s, San Diego Wine & Culinary Center, Radio ASB, Alanas Marketing & Creative, Classic Party Rentals, Mosaic Catering, Dining Out, Tommy Bahama Rum, Quarterly Review of Wine, Chesapeake Fish Company, Serving San Diego, Fifty Seven Degrees, Imbibe Magazine, Turtle Island Fiji, Air Pacific, Sweet Cheeks Baking, Ghirardelli, US Foodservice, Vine Times, The Ivy Hotel and Brandt Beef.

ABOUT SAN DIEGO BAY WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL
The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is an international showcase of the world’s premier wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities, and gourmet foods. Held November 14-18, 2007, the event benefits the American Institute of Wine & Food culinary arts scholarship program. Over 700 wines, 60 of San Diego’s top fine dining restaurants and 30 gourmet food companies and exhibitors will participate in the 2007 Festival. Now in its fourth year, the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival has quickly grown into a world-class wine and culinary extravaganza. The five-day festival features wine tasting seminars, cooking classes by award- winning chefs, and an elegant Reserve Tasting at one of San Diego’s finest hotels. The festival culminates on Saturday at the star-studded Grand Tasting Event and Fine Wine/Lifestyle Auction complete with dueling chef demonstration stages, celebrity cookbook signing tents, Cost Plus entertainment tent, and more. For more information visit www.worldofwineevents.com.

ABOUT WORLD OF WINE EVENTS
World of Wine Events, LLC is an event management and festival production company specializing in the creation of world-class wine and culinary trade and consumer events.  World of Wine Events provides strategic guidance, logistics, operations, marketing, and industry insights for winery and spirits road shows, distributor trade tastings, as well as large format tasting and lifestyle festivals.  World of Wine Events is the producer of the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival, Southern California’s largest wine and culinary extravaganza.  More information on World of Wine Events and the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival may be found by contacting Michelle Metter at 619-602-9789 or by visiting www.worldofwineevents.com.