Tampa to Host Annual Wine & Food Festival

Tickets are now on sale for the Third Annual Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival. The beachfront epicurean experience featuring over 400 vineyards and 40 eateries will be held May 15 to 16, 2009, at the scenic Don CeSar Resort, a Loews Hotel, on St. Pete Beach.

The Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival is hosted by Southern Wine and Spirits and benefits Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation, a leader in cancer prevention and treatment, and Abilities Foundation, serving the employment, housing, and health needs of persons with disabilities.

The festival begins May 15 for the hospitality industry, trade, media and invitation-only guests. The Grand Tasting and other main events on May 16 are open to the public. The Grand Tasting Village will be pitched beachside in the sand and guests will taste wines from more than 400 wineries, including Mendocino Wine Company, Solaire by Robert Mondavi, Jim Beam Global and Seven Daughters just to name a few.

Guests will also indulge in food from more than 40 fine eateries including Bern’s Steak House, Capitol Grill and Parkshore Grill. There will also be seminars by local and nationally recognized celebrity chefs.

This year’s event will follow the global trend of “going green.” Distinguished wine and food purveyors will hold discussions on environmentally-conscious culinary trends. Local companies will present innovations in sustainable living and the Green Movement.