DREAMING BIG IN DEL MAR
INAUGURAL DEL MAR WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL, FEATURING CELEBRITY CHEFS AND FAMOUS ATHLETES, WILL MIX FOOD, WINE, SPIRITS AND SPORTS IN A WIDE-RANGING WEEKLONG EVENT
What happens when you put a bunch of native and longtime San Diegans together with the goal of creating a wide-ranging event that celebrates all of the things that make this county unique?
You end up with the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival, which will debut Wednesday with six days of food, wine, spirits, lifestyle and sports events in Del Mar and beyond.
Besides a two-day grand tasting event at Del Mar’s Surf Sports Park and multiple celebrity-chef-led dinners at area restaurants, there will be a charity pickleball tournament hosted by former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees; a beach cleanup organized by Del Mar surfing legend Rob Machado; a yoga and brunch event led by actress/chef Catherine McCord; and a kickoff event hosted by the San Diego Wave FC women’s soccer team captain and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan.
“Call it quixotic or pie-eyed, but I thought we can do this and build this city into the cultural force that I know that it is,” said Troy Johnson, above with wife Claire.
Troy Johnson — who with his wife, Claire, purchased San Diego Magazine in October 2021 — said the idea for the festival was conceived about 18 months ago by the Johnsons; San Diego entrepreneur Ernie Hahn; veteran festival and event promoter
Chris Finn; Surf Sports executive Jeremy McDonald; and wine professional Ted Glennon.
“Call it quixotic or pie-eyed, but I thought we can do this and build this city into the cultural force that I know that it is,” said Troy Johnson, a native San Diegan who grew up in North County. “It’s been moaned about as a tourist town that wasn’t up to par with L.A., San Francisco and Portland, but I saw it differently. A year ago we formed the LLC and it just got bigger and bigger and bigger.”
For the food component, Johnson asked many of the celebrity chefs he has gotten to know locally and as a frequent host and judge on Food Network, including Richard Blais, Antonia Lafoso, Claudette Zepeda, Brian Malarkey, Aaron May, Susan Feniger, Brad Wise and Michelinstarred chefs Roberto Alcocer (of Valle in Oceanside) and Silvio Salmoiraghi (of Ambrogio by Acquerello in La Jolla). Several will host high-end dinners around town, and some will join the more than 100 San Diego County restaurants and 200 wineries that will be offering samples at the grand tasting events (half of the restaurants will be featured on day one, and the other half on day two).
“Breaking Bad” co-stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul will also host a sold-out Baja-inspired pairings dinner featuring their Dos Hombres Mezcal brand of spirits. And the opening night event at Del Mar Plaza will celebrate the Wave FC players, many of whom recently competed in the Women’s World Cup.
Johnson said it’s been a “roller coaster ride” organizing the tremendously expensive and challenging event, but ticket sales are going well. He said the founders’ goal is to make it an annual festival, and to also produce one-off events throughout the year.
“We have big plans,” he said. “We dream big and terrify ourselves, and then somehow through true grit, lack of sleep, caffeine and leaning on everyone’s Rolodexes, we tend to get it done.”