It’s back! The San Diego Food and Wine Festival, which was voted ‘the best wine festival in the country’, returns on November 7 – 9, 2025. It’s an iconic coastal celebration of wine, food and culture, where hundreds of wineries, famous chefs, farmers, and fishermen join together. It all culminates with the famous Grand Tasting. Let’s dig in!
What to expect
One of the country’s most talked-about weeks in wine and food is the San Diego Food + Wine Festival. It was even named the winner of the 2023 and 2024 ‘USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest for Best Wine Festival’. Wonder why? Because the event is basically a huge get-together for the coolest people in the food world. You’ll meet celebrity chefs, wine legends, killer bartenders, top food authors, and all sorts of other tastemakers who spread good vibes.
Get ready for over 20 tasty events across San Diego. SDFW is the only food fest in the country that’s as diverse as it is delicious. Attendees can dig into huge tastings, fun workshops, movie nights, amazing cocktails, and more as the festival celebrates 21 years!
Who’s coming?
Who isn’t? But to name a few:
- Carlos Gaytán, Michelin-starred chef at Paseo
- Tara Monsod, James Beard Finalist from ANIMAE/ Le Coq
- Melissa Miranda, James Beard Finalist from Musang
- Pyet DeSpain, Next Level Chef Winner from Rooted in Fire
- Matt Vawter, James Beard Award Winner from Rootstalk / Radicato
- Cha McCoy, Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40 from Wine Pairing for the People
…and many more! Here’s a full list.
Signature San Diego Food and Wine Festival weekend events
While there’s tons of stuff going on, 3 signature events mark this festival.
- The grand decant, on Friday, Nov 7, benefiting James Beard Foundation: a star-studded tasting experience featuring luxury wines, spirits, and your favorite award-winning chefs.
- The grand tasting, on Saturday, Nov 8, presented by Southwest: The event that started it all. Featuring 300+ tastemakers and purveyors alongside the San Diego Bay. Experience gourmet foods, art, live musical entertainment, and the thrilling “Chef of the Fest Competition”.
- The Grand Fiesta, on Sunday, Nov 9, in association with the Mexican consulate: A vibrant celebration of the rich cross-border culinary and cultural influence of Latin America on SoCal.
Where does it take place?
The festival takes place all across San Diego. Your ticket confirmation email will list the event location, date and time. The Grand Tasting (main event) takes place on Saturday, November 9 from 11 AM– 3 PM at the Port of San Diego’s Embarcadero Marina Park North.
Tickets for the San Diego Food and Wine Festival
You can pretty much buy a ticket for anything. Each event across the city has its own ticket. The signature weekend events also offer separate tickets, starting from $215. Or you can go for a full weekend package – it’s $576 and it covers the best San Diego Food and Wine Festival has to offer.
If all that sounds like a lot, no worries – the various events across town are a lot more affordable. Check out this page for the full overview. Happy sipping!