The Sun WineFest 2008

The Inside Scoop from Sun WineFest 2008

journeyPod attended one of the largest wine and food festivals recently, held at the Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. Drawing more than 11,000 people, the 5th Annual Sun WineFest was held the weekend of January 19th and showcased many of todays’ most renowned wine, beer and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities from the Northeast and beyond.

Our First Taste

The weekend-long extravaganza kicked off with a “Grand Tasting” – the main attraction where attendees had the opportunity to meet some of the country’s greatest chefs, winemakers, spirit producers – and some of the best creators of worldwide craft beers and ales. Lucky for us – regional, national and international suppliers poured well over 1000 varieties of fine wine and specialty spirits, and were on hand to offer information about their wines, vineyards, etc.

For the foodies at the Fest, twenty-five New England restauranteurs offered signature tastings of their fare – and thank goodness for that! Imagine going all day on wine and beer alone!

For those looking for a personal touch, the Sun WineFest offered an assortment of seminars throughout the day – allowing attendees to learn directly from the world’s best winemakers, brewmasters and mixologists.

Alongside the “Grand Tasting”, the Sun WineFest featured premiere culinary presentations on a grand stage to enhance everyone’s enjoyment with entertainment from a number of today’s most celebrated celebrity personalities. The Culinary Event Stage featured exciting presentations – live cooking demonstrations, Chef Showdowns and a (5th Annual) Mohegan Sun Oyster Open Competition.

Culinary Affair

As if the day’s events weren’t enough, the evening brought even more opportunities to drink and eat! The “Celebrity Chef Dine Around” (benefiting “Share our Strength”) kicked of with a lovely Champagne Reception and then went into full gastronomical swing with pairings of spectacular wine and signature dishes prepared by some of the top-notch culinary masterminds with live cooking stations. 

For food-lovers and celebrity fans alike, this event was a great opportunity to meet n’ mingle with some of the best chefs, TV personalities, cookbook authors and world-recognized restauranteurs, including (but not limited to) Chef Robert Irvine (host of the Food Network’s hit series Dinner: Impossible!), Chef Mary Ann Esposito (host of tv’s longest-running PBS cooking series Ciao Italia), Govind Armstrong (premiere chef of Table 8, author and Oprah-favorite), and the culinary-great Chef Todd English.

Give Me More!

For those who didn’t or couldn’t get enough on the first day, Sunday offered another “Grand Tasting” culinary extravaganza, appearances from more celebrity chefs, culinary personalities and wine/spirit experts… along with more seminars, the “Chef Showdown Finals”, and even more reasons to eat and drink!

Making The Most of Sun Wine Fest 2008

 

Since the event was held at the beautiful Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino – we had the opportunity to experience the beautiful décor and accommodations in one of New England’s finest destination spots!

A 34-story hotel, Mohegan Sun boasts nearly 1,200 luxury guest rooms (with over 175 suites and five hospitality suites) – each featuring an abundance of space, marble bathrooms, and a beautiful view of Uncasville.

Mohegan Sun is host to great dining, live entertainment and sporting events, a day spa and convention center. It is also host to a 7-story waterfall, the world’s largest planetarium dome and the awe-inspiring Wombi Rock (a glowing crystal mountain made of imported stone), which also serves as the focal point of the Casino of the Sky.

Listen in as we chat with Chef Govind Armstrong and Michael Luboff.

And, our chat with with TV Hosts Mary Ann Esposito and Robert Irvine.