This is hands down the best wine festival held in New England!
From the moment you arrive you are treated to a great experience. Not only are there loads of wonderful wine exhibitors, but there are also sponsor, restaurant, and lifestyle exhibitors! There is truly something for everyone.
And it's a three-day weekend extravaganza! Friday night began with a bourbon tasting, Saturday and Sunday the Sun WineFest Grand Tasting. And throughout the weekend there are fun events, like Grape Stomping, Celebrity Chef Dine Around, Cooking Demonstrations, and Oyster Shucking Contests!
It's busy. Very busy. And many events or days can sell out completely so it's best to buy your tickets early. Ticket package costs vary, from single day, weekend passes, and single events. Events and days can vary from $80.00 to $200.00. While some may find this pricey, if you are a wine lover and appreciator - it's totally worth it! You'll be able to sample GREAT WINE from EVERYWHERE! Local vineyards, and worldwide!
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| Wines That Rock. |
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| iGourmet.com cheeses |
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| Wine Glass Charms By Dana |
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| BELLINI! |
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| Happy SunWineFest attendees enjoying the Restaurant Exhibitors and Wine Sampling! |
Fellow Connecticut blogger Nicole of OberBargain and I attended on Sunday and had such a great time! We were able to stroll the grand ballroom and visit with many vendors, sample some favorite wines, watch some pretty neat cooking demonstrations, and some fun contests!
Some of the highlights were the beautiful stemware featured by Bottega Del Vino Crystal whose tag line is so true!
"If the wine matters, so does the glass"
One of the most popular wine tables was Brix Chocolate for Wine - and why does that not surprise me? What could be better for all the ailments of the world than a little bit of chocolate accompanied with a hearty wine? I mean, really!
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| Brix Chocolate for Wine |
Another of our favorite stops was watching the cooking demonstrations! We were able to watch Connecticut native Chef William Kovel, of Catalyst Restaurant, prepare Braised Shortrib of Beef, Parsnip Puree, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Burgundy Snails, and Bordelaise Sauce.
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| I love how the mirrored canopy allowed everyone to see the food prep on the counter and cooktop! |
And each audience member was given a copy of Chef Kovel's recipe and invited on stage to taste and sample the short ribs. All I can tell you is they were fabulous! In addition he gave lots of great tips, and the main theme was that the sign of a great cook/chef is their ability to handle, adjust, adapt, and control the heat of their stove.
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| Up close and personal with Chef Kovel and tweeting for the event! #sunwinefest Look at those shortribs and weep! So good! |
What a great day! What a great time!
For additional pictures visit: Mohegan SunWineFest
Have you been to the Sun WineFest? What was your favorite part?
I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!
Disclaimer: I received entry to the SunWineFest compliments of Mohegan Sun via Connecticut Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
That looks fantastic! You CT bloggers have it so good. I'm totally envious. And now I'm hungry, too.
ReplyDeleteOh, the shortribs were to die for! You would love this event, and this venue! Mohegan Sun is a "world at play" as they say.
DeleteA great place for a future conference! Hint-Hint!
Mohegan Sun Wine Fest looks like it lives it up to the logo "world at play" and your photographs made me feel like I was right there. I saw so much of the French influence. My American friend who moved back to Boston orders all her European cheeses from iGourmet. When my husband retires we'll come back to the States and attend the Mohegan Sun Fest. As an authentic Normand, he'll give any of the contestants a good run for their money in Oyster Shucking Contest!
ReplyDeletePat, I look forward to your attending and hope your husband can 'school' me on the fine art of wine...and oyster shucking. For the life of me I've never been able to open one without splintering shell fragments all over!
DeleteOh! And I forgot to mention! The Mohegan Sun is the site of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun, a professional woman's basketball team.
DeleteWhat a fabulous time! Between the amazing food and the great wine, I'm sure you enjoyed every minute. Did you try the Bellinis? I love those. I would love to be invited to attend something like this someday...so jealous.
ReplyDeleteSharon, the Bellini was one of my favorites! Another was the Middle Sister Riesling, and the Duckhorn Goldeneye Pinot Noir. Delish!
Deleteyour photos are beautiful! it was indeed an incredible event. i went on sunday last year and got to see the oyster shucking. what a great contest! so entertaining. that bellini stuff was good! so pulpy! mmm the dark choc rocked but i'm a savory person so my eye is on that short rib.
ReplyDeleteShortrib was great, of course Chef Kovel made it look so easy...but I can imagine it is hours of preparation.
DeleteI'm a big baby when it comes to chocolate. Milk chocolate all the way. Light and sweet!
The event itself and your recounting of it make me want to be there! I would have loved the cooking demonstrations. I don't cook, but for some reason I love to watch. Luckily, my husband is the chef. :) Enticing blog -
ReplyDeleteDonna, I'm the same way! Luckily we both married guys who love to cook! Thanks for your kind words. If you are ever out this way the Mohegan Sun truly has something for everyone!
DeleteLooks like an interesting event. Grape stomping looks particularly fun too me :>)
ReplyDeleteI know! Hopefully I'll get to see grape stomping next year! Maybe even participate! (Shades of Lucy and Ethel maybe???)
DeleteThis looks like a great event! My hubby and I are wanting to visit the New England area, and this jam packed, and affordable festival certainly puts CT in the running for an extended stayover! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLinda, if you are in the CT, RI, or MA area, definitely take a trip to Mohegan Sun. They have great entertainment, are close to historic museums, and Mystic Village (a recreation of a whaling town) is close by. It's a wonderful area!
DeleteFood and wine, what's not to like? Looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteYou certainly have that right! The only thing I missed out on while I was there was a little shopping...and they have GREAT shops there too!
DeleteWow, looks amazing! What a huge range of exciting flavours--must have been quite overwhelming! Thanks for taking us there virtually.
ReplyDeleteKaren
Thanks Karen! It WAS amazing! And I was the proverbial kid in a candy store. Definitely my kind of event!
DeleteSounds like a fun time! Glad you got to go!
ReplyDeleteThe Mohegan Sun is such a great place...even without an event, there's always something fun!
DeleteAnother event I've been wanting to attend for years and now after seeing your pictures I really want to go. It seems like I always hear about it afterwards. Next year I'll have to get the radar up earlier.
ReplyDeleteSue, this is a must see event, especially if you appreciate wines! I am counting down the days until next year!
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