SommCon 2015 Reviewing The San Diego Wine & Food Festival Party

Wines, Beers & Spirits Shine At This Friday Night Tasting Event

SonmCon San Diego Wine Food 2015 Chef Daniel Joly — Chef Daniel Joly shows off his grilled shrimp, paired with Stella Artois, at SommCon.

The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival turned its Friday night event – traditionally a showcase of select wines, beers and spirits – into SommCon in 2015, the pouring of high-end wines primarily for wine professionals and serious enthusiasts.

But, of course, it was open to anyone who purchased the $125 ticket and who had the right, shall we say, spirited attitude. And at this event, there were a lot of spirited attitudes.

It was, as always, the perfect warm-up event to the next day’s Grand Tasting.

High-End Wines, Belgian Beers & Top-Shelf Spirits

Held in a ballroom of the Manchester Grand Hyatt just steps from the bay, it featured a large romm full of high-end wines, a very popular beer station pouring Stella Artois , Hoegaarden and Leffe Belgian beers in souvenir glasses, and a line of top-shelf spirits from 12-year-old scotch to tequila, gin and various vodkas.

Food was of small offerings at this event. There were some sensational cheeses and good breads, but the best snack was grilled shrimp served by Chef Daniel Joly, flown in from Beaver Creek to provide a pairing with Stella Artois beers.

“I want you to know,” one attendee said to Joly, “that the aroma from the grilling of the shrimp is fulling up whole place and drew me over here from the other side of the room!”

In all there were more than 50 tables serving beverages – many stacked with several bottles of wine – and it was so good, the two-hour event seemed to last about 30 minutes. While it was a happening to savor, it also breezed by like wind on the sailboat masts just out the back door.

Fortunately, the room was easily navigable and people had plenty of time to try practically everything and then go back to their favorite spots.

Naturally, once everyone made their initial rounds, they became a little less concerned with the thought they may have missed something and more involved in the, well, spirit of the event.

So it turned lively and fun, in a sophisticated way, of course.

For the future, this is one event to put on your list of events to attend at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival.

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