Category: festival

Key West Food and Wine Fest JAN 2024

[23-JAN-2024 to 28-JAN-2024 Key West, FL US]

As always, went to the Key West Food and Wine Fest in January. I went to the first one and every one since then, except for 2021. This time around, the festival was lower key than usual – without the trolley tours on any wine crawls; however, I got to met my best friends of the weekend like every year.

I stayed at the Hilton “Casa Marina” hotel (which was previously known as the Waldorf Astoria). The hotel itself was grand as usual; however, the exterior facing the beach still has not been rebuilt from the hurricane several years back.

I only went to two events this time. One was a stroll through Fort West Martello Garden Club on Thursday. The last thing later than night was a light dinner and I sabered my first champagne ever. I thought I would goof, but it went okay; well, other than me looking totally surprised that I did it without a hitch 🙂

Skipped Friday and walked around Key West, mainly on Duvall Street. A bunch of places were out of business but it looked like a few new ones were under construction. On Saturday, had the Grand Tasting at Fort East Martello Museum. Click on link below for all of the pics.

See all the pictures by clicking on the picture or link below:


Key West Food and Wine Fest 2024

The Key West Food and Wine Fest is every year on the last weekend of January and you can get the information here. The program for each year is posted around October of each year at the Key West Food and Wine Fest official site.

(P.S. Went to visit the old La Concha Inn which used to be an IHG Crowne Plaza hotel with a Starbucks and a wine room “Wine-O”. Well, it’s all gone and Marriott took over, everything wiped clean, and it is sell under heavy renovation with daily noise and debris so DO NOT BOOK a room there yet – the reviews are atrocious!)

Atlanta Food and Wine Fest – Sep 2023

[21-Sep through 24-Sep 2023 Atlanta, GA US]

I bought tickets for the Atlanta Food and Wine Fest for Friday and Saturday.

Well, it wasn’t Food and “Wine” at Atlanta. It was Food and “Booze” on Friday night. Over fifty vendors and there was actually one wine tasting table – everything else was just alcohol. One or two other had liquid in wine-ish bottles but it was not wine. If you are at a wine fest and tasting wine, you can get loopy after about two dozen sips or tastes, even if you dump excess pours.

Now think of a booze fest with even a quarter of an ounce of hard liquor, you’d feel it rapidly and become loopy rather quickly. I mean there was even a Coca Cola booth (after all, we are in Atlanta); and, they were serving Coke but people weren’t going for that, the booth had Coke and rum; and Coke and vodka. Yeah, smooth sailing really quickly.

Needless to say, even with hyper-limited “tastes” I was done in about an hour, but hung around for two, eating a bit more food. The food options were phenomenal by the way, you can be a carnivore or a herbivore and the choices were excellent. I omnivored it through a bunch of food… So, I skipped the second day (Saturday) and went to the Trader Vic’s Tiki Bar and Restaurant at the Downtown Atlanta Hilton where I was staying instead.

Here are a some pictures from the event – click on the picture or link below for more:


Atlanta Food and Wine Festival 2023

The Atlanta Food and Wine Fest is every year in September and you can get the information here. The program for each year is posted three to six months before the event each year at Atlanta Food and Wine Festival official site.

Denver Food and Wine Fest – Sep 2023

[09-Sep-2023 Denver, CO US]

I again went to Ventopo.com which lists sites that list lists – specifically the Beer/Wine/Food Fest page and searched high and low for some interesting places to go.

This time, it was the Denver Food and Wine Fest held on the 9th of September 2023.

The who thing was one day, three hours (four hours for VIP ticket holders). You’d think that is hardly enough time to go to all the booths and have a taste. Nope, plenty of time as all the tents were right next to each other.

Food and “Wine” Fests now have even more varieties including spirits and beer. This one had Suntory from Japan which is the first time I came across that.

…and Aperol. What the heck is that? Again, it’s one of those that you never heard of before (but you hire marketing and do a worldwide blitz) and all of a sudden, everyone wants one. (The “whatever + Mule” craze died down so gotta have the next thing, right? BBC even did an article on Why Aperol Spritz is the drink of the summer.

Here are a some pictures from the event – click on the picture or link below for more:


Denver Food and Wine Fest 2023

The Denver Food and Wine Fest is every year in September and you can get the information here. The program for each year is posted three to six months before the event each year at Denver Food and Wine Fest official site.

Balboa Bay Resort Wine and Spirits Fest 2023

[2023-26-thru-28-May, Newport Beach, CA US]

I was updating my events site I made at Ventopo.com and actually used the site to see what was happening. I updated the website and then started looking for things to do. I was looking to go somewhere for Memorial Day weekend and found out that the Balboa Bay Resort had a wine and spirit fest. So I booked a flight, got a hotel room, and got event tickets. So here is another weekend jaunt:

Thursday – arrived late. They gave me a bottle of wine which was a good start for the weekend.

Friday – worked during the day (being 100% telework is a good thin) and at night I went to the Macallen tasting. 12 year Sherry Cask, 12 year double barrel, 15 year, and the Rare Cask. The event was presented by US Macallen employees. They had visual as well as other sensory materials to enhance the experience. It was really great.

Saturday – the wine and spirit fest was packed. And there were half a dozen well stocked food stations provided by the hotel. The food wa absolutely smashing. It was visit a booth, get more food, visit a booth, get more food, repeat. That night, went to the Macallen tasting again. A great day and a great night!

Sunday – the wine and spirit fest again. The crowd was way down so it didn’t feel cramped. It was a more relaxing day. But more food, it was great.

See all the pictures by clicking on the picture or link below:


Balboa Bay Resort Wine and Spirits Fest 2023

Key West Food and Wine Fest JAN 2023

[25-JAN-2023 to 29-JAN-2023 Key West, FL US]

Where I am, it was snow all over the ground from weeks ago that has not melted. Iced over one morning and the bare branches of the trees and everything was coated with ice. Looked enchanting so I snapped a few pictures. Then to the airport. The plane was empty going out. Got to Key West on Wednesday night and visited with the wine and food fest group as they were finishing the dinner. Made my rounds quickly and said hello to everyone.

Thursday, went to Sloppy Joes as always. And of course took a pic just because I always do. Then off to the first Key West Food and Wine Fest dinner on Thursday night. Amazing as usual. Food, wine, really great. Chef gave a quick talk on the food and pairings (picture above).

Friday, I took a day off for the festivities and went to the Prime Steakhouse on Caroline Street. I ordered an entire bottle of Malbec so I can take the left over back to the hotel, in theory, of course…

Saturday was lunch at the fest. Each meal paired with wine of course. Great presentation. Great food and music. One of the wines (see pictures below) was approximately $270 per bottle (if you can find any, it actually goes for more). We got a taste of it 🙂 This link was working as of January 2023: Bressia Ultima Hoja Blend.

The last fest event I went to was Saturday afternoon at the wine tasting right by the Key West Light House. The lighthouse was open so I went in of course and took pictures. Then soon as I got out of the lighthouse a Boeing V-22 Osprey was flying overhead so I took a picture of it. I enlarged it and you can see faint detail – not bad for a phone camera…

I missed the Sunday brunch but it’s okay, I went from Key West to Miami and got onboard an American Airlines Boeing 787 in Business class from Miami to Dallas. The flight was too short! While the food was obviously not chef cooked nor on site; however, it was good, especially with drinks, of course.

See all the pictures by clicking on the picture or link below:


Key West Food and Wine Fest 2023

The Key West Food and Wine Fest is every year on the last weekend of January and you can get the information here. The program for each year is posted around October of each year at the Key West Food and Wine Fest official site.