On May 15-16th, Foodbuzz generously supplied my tickets to the elite Tampa Bay Fine Wine and Food Festival. I was super stoked, of course, and on Friday afternoon got all dressed up and ready to taste some wine on the beach!
The events on Friday were only open to the media, press and members of the trade. Luckily, my ticket granted me special media VIP access so I could have a first look at all the festivities!
There was so much going on and it was so hot outside that I promptly found the sangria station to cool down and relax. Nothing like a glass of icy sangria on a hot Florida afternoon!
There were so many different vendors and wines from around the country, which was awesome, but the truly amazing thing was that all the wines featured were organic! The whole theme of the festival this year was “Going Green” and they really pushed organic everywhere. It was very cool to see. I found a cooking demonstration by the chef of one of my favorite restaurants so I immediately sat down and listened to him talk about sustainability in our oceans and the importance of knowing where your seafood comes from.
While the demonstration was going on, different wines that paired well with the meal were being passed around. I sipped on a 2007 Chablis (the first picture in this post is of that Chablis).
Here’s some Chablis facts for you budding wine-o’s out there:
- Chablis is a PLACE in Burgundy, France about 80 miles north of the famous Cote d’Or
- Chablis is famous for its soil, which is mainly limestone and chalk. You can taste both elements in the wine itself
After the cooking demonstration was over, I did another lap around the big tent and finally found exactly what I was craving-—
Gelato! My favorite 🙂
I had a sample of the mint chocolate chip-—
And then made my way into the event of the afternoon, a blind wine tasting led by a Master Sommelier! I thought this was totally cool because its not every day you get to hear a master talk about wine…..I loved it! I tried a sip out of all the wines on the table and my favorite was the Rose, which was an organic 2008 Mas de la Dame from Provence—perfect for summer!
After the grand tasting I grabbed a perrier and headed out since I knew the next day would be even more good food and wine (plus how much fun can you have when you are by yourself and driving?!)!
Now on onto Saturday, which was much more fun since I got to share in the festivities with my lovely mama!
First let me say, we had a blast. Buying her a ticket for Mother’s Day was worth all the money in the world because for the first time since my brother’s accident, I saw her smile and laugh again. It was great.
We got to the beach around 1:15 and were, of course, starving! First things first though, I grabbed a glass of delicious blackberry sangria to cool off and relax—
(Keep in mind that all drinks and foods were very, very small. This drink was mainly ice!)
And then we entered foodie bliss! Here’s everything I tried for lunch—when I say “tried” I mean that I didn’t necessary finish each of this tiny plates but rather tasted every one of them!
Lobster ravioli and wilted spinach with garlic from Carrabbas:
Crab and asparagus salad (I think?!) topped with candied prosciutto from SideBerns
Watermelon and feta salad with greek pasta salad from O-Grill
Deconstructed spicy tuna roll with seaweed salad from a sushi restaurant in town (don’t remember the name)
Caramelized sea scallop with papaya slaw from Salt Rock Grill
Sea scallop with lemon feta orzo from Capital Grill
Whew! Yes, you could totally make the proper assumption that I ate my way through the festival. Everything was so good and I wanted to taste it all! But the food wasn’t the only thing that was great…….I might have found a new favorite drink ever!
I had two of these they were so delicious. I think they were called a “Geisha Rose” or something. Mix of rose extract, pomegranate juice and vodka and topped with fresh blueberries and a flower!
And my mom I couldn’t miss, of course, the grand wine tasting— “Old World vs New World Wine”:
Basically, all of us had to taste each wine and decide if it was from the Old World or the New World. The green wine was a mystery wine that was tinted with food coloring! I learned the easiest way to classify a wine was to know that generally, Old World wines are fruitier than New World. This case has exceptions but for the most part its pretty much true.
I studied my wines intently:
And took a sip of each one during the 45 minute presentation. My favorite, by far, was the Torres Villa Esmeralda, which was a blend of Muscat and Gerwurstaminer.
I went crazy over this wine! It was my favorite of the entire festival and I can’t wait to search it out at Total Wine. Its a very light wine from Spain that would go perfect with Thai Food or sushi. Plus, Torres is the most Green winery! Mr. Torres buys each of his employees a hybrid car and all his grapes are organically grown.
Did you know that organic wine should be drunk within the first three years of its vintage? Its because organic wine does not contain any sulfites.
After the wine tasting we were pretty much ready to head for home. Luckily our driver (my father) was waiting for us in hotel lobby to sweep us away. I grabbed a huge water from the Evian booth and we were ready to head out.
We had a great time, thanks Foodbuzz!! 🙂
LisaR
May 17, 2009 at 6:38 amIt looks like you had a blast!!! Glad you can share that time w/ your momma!
Nicole
May 17, 2009 at 7:07 amWow, it definitely looks like you and your mom had a great time! Yay!
hk
May 17, 2009 at 7:19 amsounds like a special event with momma! glad you had a nice time!
The Novice Berker
May 17, 2009 at 7:24 amGood gosh, what an expo!! The samples all look YUMMY and I really like the green theme of the whole shebang. Very cool!! I’m not big on wine, but I bet you had a ball with all of those faves. 🙂
Nicole
May 17, 2009 at 7:27 amMan, that looks like fun!!!! It’s so nice that you and your mother got to enjoy it together 🙂
Kim
May 17, 2009 at 7:28 amLooks like you & your Mom had a wonderful time. You both deserve it after the past few weeks.
That wine with the blueberries looks amazing!
Bree
May 17, 2009 at 7:34 amSo glad you & your mom had great time, you both look so beautiful! I need to find that Torres wine (probably a bit tricky here in VT!) and that Geisha drink sounds wonderful! (I wonder if I can make something similar with rose water instead of extract)
K
May 17, 2009 at 7:37 amLooks like a great event! I love, love, LOVE your dress you wore!!
brandi
May 17, 2009 at 7:38 amhow fun! everything looks great, and that’s nice that you could go with your mom
LK- Healthy Delcious
May 17, 2009 at 7:41 amI’m so jealous- this sounds amazing!!
Jocelyn
May 17, 2009 at 7:43 amwhoa whoa all that food looks delish!
and your new favorite drink with the flower looks beautiful!
runjen
May 17, 2009 at 7:48 amWhat a blast! You both look beautiful!!
Jenny
May 17, 2009 at 7:53 amsounds like an awesome night, and I am in love with your dress!
Still Life in South America
May 17, 2009 at 8:16 amGreat write up, Jenna. I did not know that there is a difference between Old World and New World wines. Can you give us some examples of the different terrains of OW and NW? I imagine that perhaps French Champagne would be OW and an Argentine Malbec might be NW. Established vs burgeoning?
That muscat Gerwurstaminer sounds awesome. When I first started drinking wine, I could only drink dessert wines, but a muscat cut with a younger grape sounds refreshing and perfect for a summer brunch.
Thanks for sharing all of your knowledge. Your mom looks radiant in the photo, btw.
Michelle Hisae
May 17, 2009 at 8:27 amWow, that looks like such a blast! I hope to go to a wine festival in…1 year! Under 21…haha.
Anna
May 17, 2009 at 8:29 amWow that looks like so much fun! I’m so glad you and your mother were able to enjoy a fun time together. And damn you look HOT in that dress!
bobbi
May 17, 2009 at 8:29 amWhat a fun treat! I love wine tasteting, and so glad your momma enjoyed herself 🙂 Have a beautiful Sunday Jenna!
Mara @ What's For Dinner?
May 17, 2009 at 8:40 amWhat a great event!!! I’d love to be able to attend an event like that someday…
Kailey (SnackFace)
May 17, 2009 at 9:01 amAlright, this is totally girly, but where did you get that dress? It’s beautiful!
Aw it looks as though you and Mama had a fabulous afternoon! All the food and wine looks incredible, and you two are gorgeous in the photos 🙂 Enjoy your Sunday!
FitFoodie
May 17, 2009 at 9:04 amLooks like an amazing time!!! I’ve never been to a food & wine event where you can sample all kinds of foods plus do a REAL wine tasting. I’m definitely going to look into going to it next year.
Beadie @ What I Ate Yesterday
May 17, 2009 at 9:05 amWhat a spectacular time you had!! everything looks and sounds delicious!
Leanne
May 17, 2009 at 9:10 amLooks like a wonderful day with your mom. Nothing better than sangria on a hot day, that’s for sure!
Sharon
May 17, 2009 at 9:13 amOh wow, what an awesome time!
Christina
May 17, 2009 at 9:20 amMmm good choice with the chocolate chip gelato 🙂
Looks like such a fun event – thanks for the recap!
Joy
May 17, 2009 at 9:28 amsuch a cute dress! glad you both had fun and got to spend a relaxing day together, you’re mom looked adorable as well.
laura
May 17, 2009 at 9:34 amhi
i am from Spain and i love this wine too!!!!!!!!!!
it is so good with seafood.
laura
Run Sarah
May 17, 2009 at 9:42 amHow awesome! All the wines look fantastic.
*Andrea*
May 17, 2009 at 9:48 amhow fun!!! pretty dress.. you and your mama are gorgeous 🙂 love to see you both smile, it lights up the bloggerspace 😉
Maggie
May 17, 2009 at 9:52 amBesides the food being absolutely beautiful…you look stunning!! Now I want a blonde bob 🙂 Glad your mom had a good time!!
Maggie
Help Meghan Run
May 17, 2009 at 10:03 amAwesome! All that seafood looks so tasty…and I’m glad you got to spend that good time with your mom. 🙂
www. HelpMeghanRun .com
Gabrielle
May 17, 2009 at 10:21 amIt looks like you had a lot of fun and your dress is SO cute!
Erin
May 17, 2009 at 10:21 amThe caramelized sea scallop with papaya slaw looks and sounds amazing!! Two of my favorite foods are scallops and papaya.
Austin is having a wine festival I am attending next weekend, I hope it is as good as this one!!
Jenna
May 17, 2009 at 10:26 amWhat a fun time!! 🙂 Your dress is so cute! the wine and food looks incredible!
Layla
May 17, 2009 at 10:31 amGreat recap! You’d be fabulous as the Murphy Goode wine girl- hope you win! May I ask, where did you get your bag? I am loving the yellow straps and black & white print. Please tell me where I can find it if you know:)!!
jenna
May 17, 2009 at 7:29 pmLayla,
Thank you! I actually got that purse about four years ago on clearance from Anthropologie. I think sadly that it might be long gone! 🙁
brianna
May 17, 2009 at 10:39 amFirst off, I loved your dress – so pretty! I’m glad you and your momma had a good time. I’m harsh craving a glass of sangria right about now!
Anais
May 17, 2009 at 11:06 amAll that looked delicious! You both really deserved a special day, so I’m especially glad you enjoyed it!:)
Claire
May 17, 2009 at 11:49 amYou;re mom looks just beautiful! Glad y’all had a good time.
Raffi
May 17, 2009 at 12:38 pmHave you ever done the EPCOT food and wine festival? A bit roudier than the one you were at, and more variety in the food choices from around the world. We love it.
Newlywed Wife
May 17, 2009 at 12:42 pmSo much fun! What a great idea to take your mom, I’m glad ya’ll could spend some time together and have such a wonderful time! That food (all of it!) looks delish!
Lynna
May 17, 2009 at 1:23 pmLooks like you had an awesome time. I love the halter dress you wore, it’s so cute!
Jesse
May 17, 2009 at 3:14 pmJenna if you want to get serious about wines, I reccomend a subscription to “Wine Spectator.” They review hundreds of wines from all around the world, and have the latest with what is going on in the food and wind world. I love it! Good to see you had your first taste with “Old World” wines-also what really distinguishes them is the “terroir,” which in French means earth, or soil. It refers to the quality of the soil in France which is just so special…try some Sancerre too-it is French Sauvignon Blanc, the epitome of what it is supposed to be! 🙂
Menden (Skinny Menny)
May 17, 2009 at 6:38 pmThis event looks like it was so much fun! You and your mom are both so pretty 🙂
Oh She Glows
May 17, 2009 at 7:59 pmo agree with everyone else….I LOVE your dress!!!! I love the deep vneck!
Matt (No Meat Athlete)
May 18, 2009 at 4:46 amSo jealous that you get free tickets to that kind of stuff! Foodbuzz and I are going to have a talk….
I’m surprised that you say Old World Wines are fruitier than New World. I always thought it was the reverse (think California cabernet vs. Bordeaux). Maybe I’m thinking “sweeter,” and that’s not the same as “fruitier”?
Fitzalan
May 18, 2009 at 2:31 pmThat was incredible.
Food and wine “porn” at its finest!
Happiness Awaits
IKEA Me Out | Eat, Live, Run
May 23, 2009 at 9:26 pm[…] Remember when I told you that Torres wine from Spain was very passionate about going green? Well, I was happy to support that! And I just love this wine, which is a blend of Gerwurtzaminer and Muscat. Goes perfect with some raw rosemary “quackers” from One Lucky Duck, wouldn’t you say? […]