Willamette Valley Wineries Association Brings 15 Award-Winning Wineries to the 2024 South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival, April 25-28

Miramar Beach, Florida (March 5, 2024) – One of the most exciting additions to the 2024 South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival is the partnership with the Willamette Valley Wineries Association (WVWA). The WVWA is bringing 15 of their prestigious wineries to the festival this year. Vineyard owners and winemakers will pour their award-winning wines and be able to converse directly with attendees in a relaxed manner. Willamette Valley Wineries Association is celebrating their 40-year anniversary with South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival and it’s going to be a very special celebration for all! In addition, another 500 wines from around the world and 100 craft spirits will be poured at the 2024 event at the beach.

The featured Grand Tasting Tent will showcase Willamette winemakers, including some of the most important winemakers of Oregon wines. David Adelsheim, of Adelsheim Vineyard, is the original petitioner of the Willamette Valley AVA will be on hand for the weekend festivities. The esteemed Eugenia Keegan of Willakenzie Estate will participate, as will winemaker and co-owner Ben Casteel of Bethel Heights Vineyard, Max Bruening from Ponzi Vineyards, Jim Bernau of Willamette Valley Vineyards, Bethany Ford of Illahe Vineyards and many more.  

Additionally, the charismatic global brand ambassador, Jgor Marini, with our long-time festival friends at Banfi wines will be on hand to pour and charm his audience.  Educational tasting seminars have become a popular in-demand part of South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival, and the 2023 line-up is no exception. 

Expect a big demand for the seminar presented by Myra Barginear, co-founder and CEO of Paul Sutton Bourbon, who was named a leading “Women in Whiskey” by Forbes. Her award-winning bourbon has received major industry recognition. Other weekend seminars include a Banfi wine tasting presented by Jgor Marini and a panel discussion with a selection of the WVWA wineries. Sunday’s seminars kick-off with a sparkling tasting by Celene Lannoye of Celene Bordeaux – we love our bubbles on Sunday!  

Creative large-scale interactive activations presented by in-demand spirits are an exclusive way for attendees to meet distillers and industry insiders, who are eager to talk about their distilling practices. Expect engaging activations from George Dickel Bourbon, On the Rocks Cocktails, Mijenta Tequila, Bardstown Bourbon, Garrison Brothers Bourbon and more. 

Tickets are on sale now for South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival, taking place April 25 – April 28, 2024, in Grand Boulevard at Sandestin. With more than 600 quality wines and spirits to taste over four days, this annual award-winning charity event delivers a wine experience unparalleled among Northwest Florida wine festivals. The 2024 festival will not only feature world-class wines, but craft spirits will also be showcased throughout the weekend. 

The festival kicks off Thursday at 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. with Winemakers & Shakers, held at Wine World in Destin. The VIP Wine Tasting takes place Friday, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., followed by the Friday night Craft Beer & Spirits Jam, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. The Grand Tastings are Saturday, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. (note the new Saturday time) and Sunday, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. The VIP Tasting can only be attended by purchasing the VIP Wine Festival 3-Day Package that includes most festival events as well. All Friday, Saturday and Sunday events are held at Grand Boulevard’s Town Center. 

Presented by Grand Boulevard at Sandestin and Visit South Walton, the festival offers the ideal backdrop for wine, charity and fun along the famed South Walton beaches, named among the best beaches in the country. Hyatt Place Sandestin at Grand Boulevard, Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard and Residence Inn by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard are the Official Lodging Partners of the festival. Rowland Publishing Inc. is the Official Media Sponsor of the festival. 

South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival is made possible by the generous support of the following partners and sponsors: Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association; Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa; Wine World of Northwest Florida; BankPlus; Publix Super Market; Silver Sands Premium Outlets; Vintage Sign & Lights; RCI Landscaping; McCaskill & Company; Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance; McKibbon Hospitality; Culligan Water; Sowal.com; VIP Destin Magazine and Coastal Accounting. About South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival is an annual charity event held the last weekend in April. The festival features a stunning showcase of some of the best wines in the world. Celebrity wine producers and chefs present fine wine and food pairings from the world’s most famous appellations. The Culinary Village offers a sumptuous array of foods to taste, wines to pair, as well as wine and food tasting seminars. The event is a major fundraiser for Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, which benefits children in need in Northwest Florida.

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