18     |    VIPDestinMagazine.com

story by

Liesel Schmidt

| photos provided by

Sandestin Wine Festival

unning from April 11 through the 14, the 33rd annual 

Sandestin Wine Festival is a highly anticipated event that 

draws so many vendors, attractions, and festival goers 

that it’s been hailed as the “Kentucky Derby of Wine 

Festivals,” deserving of much fanfare and expectation. 

And though one might easily presume it to be largely a local 

attraction, the scale—not to mention the renown of some of the chefs, 

vintners, and vineyards—have gained it a reputation as being one 

of the top wine festivals in the country, bringing in countless souls 

whose predilection for wine seems to ripen like grapes on the vine 

under the warmth of the Florida sun. 

The full-bodiedness of the experience is a top priority at the wine 

festival, with no shortage of opportunities to taste, smell, sip, and 

savor provided at every turn as The Village of Baytowne Wharf 

becomes transformed to a veritable village of tents offering everything 

from cooking demonstrations by award-winning chefs and samples of 

delicious foods to wine tastings and informative presentations given 

by various wine experts and representatives from vineyards across the 

globe. 

“One of the reasons that the wine festival is such a popular and 

highly-regarded event is that it brings together a wide range of unique 

experiences for all guests, regardless of whether or not they know 

much about wine,” says The Village of Baytowne Wharf Events 

Manager Leighann Elliott. Even still, one could hardly leave after 

the weekend without having learned something. “The sheer amount 

of expertise gathered here during the event is absolutely amazing, 

and that’s one of the things that really fortifi es the festival as a draw 

for people who truly love wine and want to know more about what 

they’re tasting and what makes the quality wines stand out.” 

!"#$%&'()*+%,-.-&,

18-19 AdventureOut_SandestinWineFest.indd   1

2/26/19   10:22 PM