The third annual St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival, named “One of Florida’s Top 10 Food & Wine Festivals” by USA Today, will take place on Florida’s Historic Coast, May 3-7.
The festival, presented by Publix GreenWise Market, will once again be a showcase of culinary, beverage and culture that highlights celebrity guest chefs, local chefs, celebrity winemakers/proprietors, live music, artisans, farmers, local craft spirits and beers, along with renowned wine, spirits and beer brands from around the globe.
The number of available tickets for some events is very low.
New this year, all events include culinary and beverage samplings — including the Saturday, May 6, Grand Tasting. Nearly 40 restaurants and chefs from around the South and Northeast Florida are participating from in events throughout the week of the festival, with more than 350 varieties of beverage tastings featured on Saturday at the Grand Tasting.
Some of the restaurants include: La Cocina International Restaurant, River & Fort, 1912 Ocean Bar & Rooftop/Sawgrass Marriott, Blacksheep Restaurant Group, The Reef, SoNapa Grille, Real Peel Pizza, Johnny’s Oyster Bar/Meehan’s, Farmery, Hurricane Patty’s, Drakes Catering, Peculiar Pig, Pi Artisan Pizza, Biscottis & BB’s, Sysco, Publix, First Coast Technical College, Atlantica.co and Legacy Gold BBQ, Heart & Soul Food Truck, One Hot Mama’s, The Darling, Vilano Main Street Diner and more.
The festival recently added the Champion Brands Craft Brews Alley for Smoke on the Walk and the Grand Tasting. It will showcase a great selection of local breweries and ciders throughout Northeast Florida.
Celebrity guest chefs include Jernard Wells, an award-winning TV host/celebrity chef/bestselling cookbook author, who will participate on the Publix Cooking Demo Stage on Saturday, May 6. He is the host of "New Soul Kitchen" and “New Soul Kitchen Remix” on CLEO TV. He is a contributor on "The Best Things I Ever Ate" on Cooking Channel and on "Food Fantasies" on Oprah Winfrey Network.
The World Golf Hall of Fame and the Official Hotel partner, World Golf Village Renaissance St. Augustine Resort, are the host location sites for the 2023 festival, located 20 minutes north of historic downtown St. Augustine and the beaches.
Events in St. Augustine’s historic district will take place at San Sebastian Winery and the Lightner Museum. The festival is made possible in part by support from St. Johns Cultural Council and a 2023 St. Johns County Tourist Development Grant.
St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival Schedule of Events include (events and talent subject to change):
- Wednesday, May 3: “River Walk Tastings” in the historic district at San Sebastian Winery and the Homewood Suites St. Augustine San Sebastian. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with trolley shuttle, live music and food and drink tastings at both venues. Culinary tastings from Norberto Jaramillo and Drake’s Catering. The progressive tasting tours begin at San Sebastian Winery.
- Thursday, May 4: “Harvest, Premium Wine Tasting and Harvest Awards.” New event. Lightner Museum, 75 King St., St. Augustine. The wine lover’s ultimate tasting event with premium wines and showcase wine pairings, along with the festival’s select official beverages. The historic Lightner Museum which is the centerpiece of St. Augustine’s historic district, provides the elegant backdrop to tasting wines from around the world and sampling some of Northeast Florida’s best restaurants.
- Friday, May 5: “Cinco de Mayo Tacos & Tequila,” presented by Publix and Mijenta Tequila from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the World Golf Hall of Fame courtyard patio. New event. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a festive selection of tacos and signature tequila drinks.
- Friday, May 5: “Smoke on the Walk,” presented by Sysco, the Florida Times-Union/Jacksonville.com and the The St. Augustine Record/staugustine.com. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Walk of Champions, World Golf Hall of Fame, 1 World Golf Place, St. Augustine. This all-inclusive barbecue extravaganza is a showcase of the Southeast’s most celebrated pitmasters and grill masters with wine, beer and spirits along the Walk of Champions with live music from Remedy Tree. Enjoy unlimited beverage tastings in a souvenir glass, along with grilled, smoked and roasted gourmet barbecue bites — all included with ticket price. Free parking. This is a 21-and-older-only event; no pets allowed.
- Saturday, May 6: "Grilling with One Hot Mama, Orchid Paulmeier.” New event/master class. 10-11 a.m. Next Food Network star/owner of One Hot Mama's, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, on the Publix Cooking Demo Stage at the World Golf Hall of Fame. Orchid will showcase some of her famous grilling techniques and guests will get to taste a variety of special recipes, paired with a signature cocktail.
- Saturday, May 6: “Rioja in the 21st Century” with Ana Fabiano, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at World Golf Hall of Fame Museum Tower. New event. Rioja is world-class and recognized as one of the five greatest red wine regions in the world. Travel to Rioja through the glass and guide of Ana Fabiano, noted Rioja wine expert and author of the award-winning book, “The Wine Region of Rioja.” This authentic European wine region embodies ancient, classic and modern grape growing and wine making that is steeped in both heritage, tradition and cutting-edge innovation. This class and tasting will range from whites to aged reds and educate, entertain and empower your palate and wine experience in life. Tasting bites will be paired with the wines.
- Saturday, May 6: Augustine Food + Wine Festival Main Event, Walk of Champions, World Golf Hall of Fame, 1 World Golf Place, St. Augustine. 2-5 p.m. New all-inclusive food and drink tasting ticket for 2023. A fun afternoon of culinary and beverage tastings with live music in the lakefront surroundings of the Walk of Champions, the centerpiece of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Tickets include a souvenir cup for unlimited beverage tastings from hundreds of wine, beer and spirit exhibitors, artisans, Publix Cooking Demo Stage, Jacksonville Magazine Music Stage with Chillula, Edible Northeast magazine’s People’s Choice Harvest Awards, presented by Sysco and more.
Publix Cooking Demo Stage, presented by The Local Palate magazine schedule: 2:15 to 3 p.m., Ansley Kinchen, senior managing chef, Publix Aprons Cooking School, 3:15 to 3:45 p.m., Orchid Paulmeier, One Hot Mama’s/Food Network Star; 4 to 4:30 p.m., Sysco Team; 4:30 to 5:00 p.m.; Jernard Wells, award-winning chef/author and TV personality.
- Sunday, May 8: “The Jazz Brunch” (family-friendly event), 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., St. Johns County Convention Center, 500 S. Legacy Trail, St. Augustine. The Jazz Brunch is one like no other with an all-inclusive-priced ticket featuring live music, brunch buffet with carving station, indulgent sides, made-to-order omelet station, seafood station and a variety of desserts. Bloody Mary bar, champagne, mimosas and a host of unlimited beverage stations from the festival’s partners include wine, beer, spirits beverage tasting stations inside the brunch — coffee, iced tea and soft drinks beverages included.
The most up to date festival information is available on the website, staugustinefoodandwinefestival.com, and the festival’s social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
