Wine And Dine With The Best At The 2021 South Beach Wine And Food Festival

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

There is hardly a more star-studded or delicious event that takes place in Miami besides the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Known for its decadent bites, luxury events, and superstar guests, SOBE WFF is an extravagant five-day event that is now in its 20th year. However, the event wasn’t always this glamorous, for its beginnings let’s head back to 1997…

Photo Credit: SOBEWFF®

In 1997, the festival was known as the Florida Extravaganza and took place on Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay Campus. From ‘97-’01, it was a one-day affair that paired national and international wines with local restaurants and chefs. However, in 2002, Lee Brian Schrager, then Director of Special Events & Media Relations at Southern Wine & Spirits of America, took over and moved the event to South Beach, and the Wine and Food Festival as we know it was born. The 2002 South Beach Wine and Food Festival was 3 days long, hosted around 7,000 people, and was the debut of now-infamous events such as the BubbleQ® and the Grand Tasting Village, along with dinners, seminars, and a live auction. 

Photo Credit: SOBEWFF®

Photo Credit: SOBEWFF®

Today, the festival attracts more than 65,000 guests, takes place over a 5-day weekend, and has over 100+ events. Despite how much the festival has grown, their mantra remains the same: Eat. Drink. Educate. As part of that mission, the festival raises money each year for the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality and has raised more than $31.8MM for the school to date. Last year, in the midst of the pandemic, SOBEWFF® & FIU Chaplin School Hospitality Industry Relief Fund also raised over $1.6MM to provide immediate financial support to independently owned and operated restaurants and bars impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

This year’s festival will look a little different as it is over 4 days and the expected foot traffic is 30,000 instead of the normal double, but the festival is taking all of the necessary Covid precautions to keep all guests safe. These precautions include but are not limited to 50% capacity; health screenings for all staff, volunteers, and guests; PPE requirements such as masks and gloves; social distancing; and hospital-grade air scrubbers and air management systems for indoor events. But a limited capacity does not mean limited fun! This year’s event will still include the festival’s event staples such as… 

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

Italian Bites on the Beach presented by Carbone Fine Food

2021 SOBEWFF® Tribute Dinner Honoree, Giada De Laurentiis, an Emmy Award-winning television personality and chef best known for her hit shows on Food Network, and for being a New York Times bestselling author and proud flourishing restaurateur is hosting this year’s Italian Bites on the Beach with Carbone! Carbone is a celebrated Italian restaurant with a newly opened Miami location with reservations that are impossible to find. Now is your chance to experience a Carbone Italian Feast on the sands of South Beach. Tickets can be purchased here.

Photo Credit: Anthony Nader/52 Chefs

Heineken Burger Bash presented by Schweid and Sons

Successful chef, restaurateur, author, beloved TV personality, and 2018 SOBEWFF® Tribute Dinner honoree Bobby Flay will be hosting this year’s Burger Bash. This event is every culinary lover’s dream as you get to eat your way to discovering who makes the best burger. Whose burger reigns supreme? The vote is yours. Tickets can be purchased here.

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village featuring Grand Tasting Tents & Publix Culinary Demonstrations

The Grand Tasting Village is a SOBE WFF staple. It features tents and tastes from over 30 restaurants with an array of wine and spirits from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. You can also watch your favorite chefs, authors, and culinary personalities dice it out on the Publix Culinary Demo stages. Tickets can be purchased here.

Photo Credit: World Red Eye

Best of the Fest presented by BACARDI

The Best of the Fest event usually does it big, but this year they’re going even bigger. BACARDI is putting together 15+ bites that were fan favorites over the past 20 years of the festival. If there was ever a year where you felt like you missed out, now is your chance to taste what you’ve been missing. There will also be a special performance by the 90’s icon, Grammy Award-winner, and frontman of legendary group RUN DMC Rev Run to close out the event. Tickets can be purchased here. 

For more information about this year’s festival and all of the rest of the fun events lined up, visit the website here.