Second Annual Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival Welcomes Over 3,000 Guests

The second annual Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival was held October 2 through 4 in Newport Beach and included live cooking demonstrations, celebrity chef book signings, wine tasting panels, mixology classes, samplings from 31 Orange County restaurants, and tastings of over 200 wines and handcrafted cocktails and beer.

Celebrity chefs Rick Bayless, Hubert Keller, and Rick Moonon showcased their signature dishes in live cooking demos. Chef Keller, with assistance from local chef Pascal Olhats, made braised Wagyu beef cheeks with ginger and lemongrass.

Chef Bayless prepared red peanut mole with chicken and chef Moonen was joined by chef Alan Greeley and prepared true north salmon chili.

The festival brought together some of the best restaurants from Orange County in two grand tasting pavilions on the tiered outdoor lawns of the Newport Beach Civic Center. 

Saturday wine seminars included "How to Taste Like a Master Sommelier – Secrets of Blind Tasting" where master sommeliers described, discussed and demonstrated how to determine where a wine is from and what grape it is made from by sight, smell, and taste. On Sunday, "Pinot Noir 101" included a pinot noir tasting from four famous wine regions on the California coast.

Proceeds from the weekend of events will benefit Project Hope Alliance, a nonprofit focused on ending the cycle of homelessness for children.